The Impact Of COVID-19 On Esport
No industry remains unaffected by the outbreak of COVID-19. Every business has drastically suffered by the hands of it and struggle to manage their finances. Some of them continue to fight their current situation in the hopes of outliving these problems to date. However, some business models stand far more equipped and primarily designed to flourish under the present circumstances.
ESports and the online gaming industry, in particular, is one of those business areas that enjoy a comfortable position in these times of crisis. Since the strongest selling point of games has been online gaming from the past couple of years, the only arrangements they ever had to make was to increase the number of servers to accommodate more traffic. People confined to their homes are swarming to these video games, as they try to adopt this new way of living. Children and adults alike are massively contributing to the screen time, and it’s all because of COVID-19.
The gaming industry shares similar comments after going over recent statistics and user responses from their online stores and user data. It turns out that developers, publishers, and distributors will continue to enjoy this demand as the world learns to adjust living with these conditions. The online broadcasts of some of these events back these details, as they experience unprecedented viewership figures from recent telecasts.
Similarly, the betting industry, which appears to go hand in hand with ESports, enjoys the same trends. People who bet on ESports have increased substantially and made a significant impact on the popularity of this business. Most of them offered players to participate using online portals, and now, with so much time on their hands and easy accessibility, it continues to draw them even more.
Below are some of the points where you can notice the impact of COVID-19 on ESports. These should help you scope the changes that the online gaming industry is experiencing at this stage.
- INCREASED DEMAND FROM PLAYERS
It might be challenging for people to go beyond interaction and find ways to do things together while experiencing a nationwide lockdown. That was part of the reason that so many cases of depression and domestic abuse surfaced. But before every other alternative, the most accessible solution for them was online gaming.
The families with children had to consider it is a viable alternative because there wasn’t much that they could do about the situation. Increasing the screen time that their kids experience and perhaps joining them in these activities was the best way to connect with them as a family, and the outside world.
The situation was tempting for pro-gamers, as they had the opportunity to buy any game off the stores that come their way. That is why developers shared that even the games that they least expected to make a striking entrance flew off the shelves. Thus, proving that the impact of COVID-19 on ESports was massive in every way.
- BETTER VIEWERSHIP RESPONSE
Besides participation as a player, gaming enthusiasts had also taken this opportunity to conveniently enjoy all their favorite online gaming event broadcasts from their homes. It is already an area that was under the talks of being revolutionized with 5G and VR technology. And this recent development serves to prove the potential of growth and progress in this industry.
Brazil, the latest known epicenter of COVID-19, is also one of the most famous attractions for all ESports activities. The recent numbers coming from these in terms of viewership and audiences have been record-breaking for them. Most ESports organizations based their comment the same after noticing an overall 25% rise in user interaction with online action.
All these details come from reliable magazines around the country, which signifies the relevance of these trends. Using this as a model, you can expect the same results on a global scale from the online gaming industry.
- DISCUSSION OVER FINANCIAL RELIEF
There are several key players involved in passing the adaptation of a game from the developer’s room to the player’s screen. Between the two points, a significant exchange of finances takes place based on pre-decided terms. However, under present circumstances, the developers get to enjoy the fruits of hiked sales, but the publishers and holding companies struggle to keep up with their arrangements.
This situation has led the publishers and franchise holders to open talks with the game owners about the state of finances. The subject of these is to ask for some flexibility and relief from making current payments, considering these circumstances. Although the situation stands ravaged from either end due to the pandemic, there are hopes of reaching a solution that can help overcome these financial barriers.
An example of it is the Activision Blizzard team that is discussing these possibilities with CDL and OWL game owners. The games suffered from the setback of users enjoying only the online gameplay, but are still exploring options to pull through from this loss mutually. That sums up the impact of COVID-19 on ESports’ key players.
SUMMARY
These were the highlights from the most significant areas that showcased the impact of COVID-19 on ESports. The situation seems to persist until social restrictions continue to limit mobility and interaction with others. And in such cases, it is apparent that people will reach out for the easily accessible solutions.
Despite significant competition in terms of online activities at this stage, ESports and online gaming still enjoy a favorable position from their fans. The gaming industry is also encouraged by this response to deliver the best experience to their customers and keep the energy going. Thus, making room for it to advance even further.