People spend more time on screens and look for more digital activities during the COVID-19 blackout. According to Deloitte’s digital media trend studies, one-third of customers have just started paying for video game subscriptions. Using a cloud gaming service, they watched esports and virtual athletic events.
Effects on the Gaming Industry’s Economy
Only the gaming sector is immune to the Pandemic, even though many economic sectors are afflicted. Several video game publishers, operators, and developers could sustain their businesses while working from home to ensure that game development and releases are not affected. They encountered a few complications with the execution of moving orders, which affected production. According to the World Health Organization, playing games might cause social alienation. It aided numerous businesses in increasing their gaming-related sales and profits. It is impossible to deny that the Pandemic has affected the video game business; it has caused the cancellation of events like E3 2020, which has harmed the ties between indie creators and big-name publishers. It impacts independent developers who require in-person contact with potential partners to receive publication support.
Hardware and game delays
The Coronavirus has hampered hardware and game production. The closure of numerous facilities is the reason for these delays. Chinese developers of many of these games have firmly shut down their operations due to the Coronavirus.
Delays in the Game’s Release
The private division, on February 6, revealed the Nintendo Switch’s release delay. This is due to Virtuous, the developers currently working on the port, closing their Singapore office. The game’s release, scheduled to happen in March, has been postponed.
Nintendo
Nintendo acknowledged that the Coronavirus had caused a delay in the creation of Ring Fit Adventure and Nintendo Switch units with Animal Crossing themes. Japan is the nation that is impacted by this delay. Many Nintendo Switch consoles are produced by Foxconn plants in China, which have been shut down for several months.
Konami
Because of COVID-19, Konami has delayed the release of its TurboGrafx-16 Mini console. It is a scaled-down counterpart of the iconic TurboGrafx-16, published in 1987. China manufactures and exports the PC Engine Core Grafx small console and its peripherals, but China has ceased all business operations. Due to this suspension, the delivery of Engine Core Grafx small products, scheduled to happen in March, has been postponed until further notice.
Oculus and Facebook
Backorders on standalone VR headsets were so numerous that they hindered the development of the Oculus Quest. In some areas, Oculus Quest is in high demand. Although the Coronavirus is causing problems with hardware production, several businesses are still producing their goods while keeping their workers and manufacturing partners safe.
EXPO East
Although it was anticipated that PAX East would be canceled, Sony prevented this from happening. It addressed the growing COVID-19 concerns while also introducing the public playable demo of The Last of Us part 2 and several other titles, including Final Fantasy 7 Remake, Marvel’s Iron Man VR, and Nioh 2.
GDC
At a time when Sony, Amazon, Microsoft, Facebook, and Epic are all working extremely hard to recover from the Pandemic crisis. On February 28, the San Francisco Game Developers Conference GDC was formally postponed. Because GDC is a forum that offers learning and networking opportunities for game creators worldwide, it was terrible news for the gaming business. The game makers could not network, showcase their most recent work, or form relationships.
SXSW
A festival called South by Southwest used to take place in Austin. Texas celebrates games, movies, and music during this festival every year. But this time, it was postponed because of COVID-19. The gambling sector is seeking to recoup millions of dollars that were lost and were supposed to give the economy a boost.
Esports Tournaments
Numerous events for Overwatch games, including League of Legends, Champions Korea, PUBG, Dota 2, and Counter-Strike, have been postponed. The Mortal Kombat qualifying has been suspended by NetherRealm Studios, while Pokémon has also called off its European International Championships.
Absence from Trade Shows
Because many significant publishers are wary of attending conferences because of the Coronavirus, trade events are postponed and canceled.
Xbox Series X and PS5
Due to production issues, the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X has been delayed in development and production. Bloomberg reported that Sony was having problems keeping the price of the PS5 down due to a shortage of memory components, but they failed to mention whether this shortage was brought on by COVID-19 or for any other reason.
Home-Based Work Policies
Due to worries over COVID-19, Bungie and Microsoft have encouraged Seattle-based personnel to work from home. To lessen the spread of the Coronavirus, companies including Amazon, Twitter, Facebook, and Google have urged their workers to work from home.
A Conclusion
It is impossible to accurately assess how the Coronavirus has affected the video gaming business. While certain sections of the world have had some success fighting this virus, many others still have significant difficulties. However, as consumers are eager to play online games, many game creators are attempting to increase their online income.