As many industries suffer from lockdown, the video gaming industry profits.
For most people and industries, the lockdown has been an incredibly tough time, full of uncertainties and panic. The lack of outside stimulation has led many households to turn inwards in a bid to maintain entertainment. One such outlet has been gaming, and video gaming in particular, whose industry has benefitted hugely.
Video Gaming
An increased amount of traffic on networks, sellouts, and social interaction suggests that video gaming has undergone an unprecedented boom as people stay at home. For example, April’s top-selling game was Final Fantasy VII Remake – those sales smashed the series record. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare followed with Animal Crossing: New Horizons ranking third, with the latter selling 13.5 million copies since its introduction in late March.
Of course, with massive titles such as NHL 2021 scheduled for release later on in the year, too, people currently missing out on their sporting fix will have no need to worry about their video games being pushed back. For those most used to venturing into the world of nhl picks and parlays each week, spending coins on your ice hockey ultimate team will be the most relevant substitution – and for many that breed excitement.
Consoles themselves are making impressive waves too; Xbox One, PS4, and the Nintendo Switch increased their sales by over 160% in comparison to April 2019. This is even more mind-boggling when considering that the Switch trounced the Wii’s record for highest year-to-date dollar sales for any hardware platform.
Whilst consoles and games are experiencing monumental sales, even measured features like accessories and in-game purchases have been flying off the shelves in remarkable circumstances. Software sales have benefitted from the lockdown also – April saw an increase by over 50% of software sales, setting a new record.
How a stay-at-home culture has been nurtured
A lockdown is exactly what it says on the tin; the idea that millions of people have been unable to venture outside has led to the growth of indoor entertainment. And, there are only so many times that a family can play charades without getting bored.
Consoles and electronic devices have, therefore, become almost the saving grace for stimulation. Naturally, being sat in front of a television screen for hours on end is not good for anybody, but combined with the usual academic encouragement, this stay-at-home culture has been well thought out and brought many families together.
The incredible rise of video game sales is, needless to say, unsustainable, but sales may well settle at a higher baseline rate instead of declining to the pre-lockdown level. If those that may typically not be classed as a gamer or who live in a household where gaming has been absent, but have followed the crowd in a bid to maintain stimulation, then this kind of technology could be held to higher regard after lockdown has ended. It is this unlikely consequence that the lockdown has given to increasingly grateful gaming industry
