Gaming and live streaming rise globally amid COVID-19 crisis

[wraggster]

Video game usage and live streaming has spiked as people self-isolate in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Data from Arsenal.gg that was provided to us in collaboration with streaming tools platform StreamElements found that global viewership has increased by 10% on Twitch and 15% on YouTube Gaming.
"With more stay-at-home mandates being issued around the world and the entertainment industry finding new ways to migrate their offerings to live streaming platforms, we expect to see these numbers rise," said StreamElements CEO Doron Nir in an email statement.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, US telecom firm Verizon found that online gaming has increased by 75% during peak hours in North America, while streaming is up 12%; overall web traffic is up nearly 20% but social media usage has remained flat.
"As we see more and more individuals work from home and students engage in online learning, it is a natural byproduct that we would see an increase in web traffic and access to VPN," said Verizon CTO Kyle Malady.
"And as more entertainment options are cancelled in communities across the US., an increase in video traffic and online gaming is not surprising."

https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articl...ovid-19-crisis

[VojtePinder]

This is not surprising since people are all now quarantined.

[ThePlumber]

That is true. But did you see how the tone of information have changed? Few months/years back there was a media crusade against computer games. One of the medical journals was even ready to classify intensive gaming as a mental illness. Now? Now there are messages that playing games can save lives and sanity. When we all have to be stuck inside we have that way out. Various worlds of computer games. Perhaps once this pandemic is over the industry will be thanked properly.


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