Effect of Covid-19 on the Gaming Industry

In the wake of the corona virus outbreak, movie theaters shuttered, Hollywood delayed some of its biggest films indefinitely, numerous productions across movies and TV halted, and virtually every major pop culture event planned for the next couple months either shut down or picked a new date. One might imagine that mobile games would be the least affected branch of the entertainment world. Self-isolating in front of the TV screen does pair well with quarantines. While the industry remains one of the few not completely stunted during these uncertain times, the corona virus has indeed affected players, developers, and studios, both for better and worse.

Mobile downloads have surged 39% since COVID-19 outbreak, resulting in a high usage of internet. Due to higher surge in downloads there has been a rise in the games developed and uploaded creating a bigger competition among the developers. Google ads and Facebook ads have been able to get more outreach through the gaming industry because of its present surge. There has also been a rise in the amount of Tik-Tok videos uploaded by people during the lock down.

Users have turned to Fantasy Sports Leagues due to cancellation of actual Sports amidst the outbreak.