Impact of COVID-19 on the gaming industry

Corona 19 outbreak in China is affecting the economy. Of course, the impact on the game industry is increasing. First, China suffered a lot of damage from Corona 19, and the manufacturing industry was also hit. The equipment manufacturing base is concentrated in China, and a lot of hardware is affected by this. Facebook has also announced that there is a possibility that Corona 19 may affect the prospect of eliminating Oculus Quest shortage.

It can affect the development of next-generation console game consoles such as the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. There is a possibility that the release of next-generation game consoles may be delayed. There is no denying the possibility that the damage to China’s economy from Corona 19 will continue to affect various industries in some way. Even without direct transactions with China, companies indirectly connected in the supply chain are already considering the possibility.

In the case of PAX East, a major US game event, and GDC 2020, a game developer conference, there are several companies that have declared their absence, such as Microsoft, Sony, and Facebook canceling their participation.

For eSports, the resumption schedule of the League of Legends pro league in China is undecided. Also, the Battleground Berlin tournament was postponed. As large-scale events themselves have a high risk of infection, there is a high possibility that such a postponement announcement will follow in the future.

On the other hand, some games are attracting attention due to Corona 19. Plague Inc. is the main character. This game is about developing a virus and infecting the world. Along with the Corona 19 epidemic, the number of gamers in China increased and it became a hot topic on social media in each country. The developer, Ndemic Creations, said that this work is not only a game, it is a reality, but Corona 19 is affecting many people.

Meanwhile, the developer said in a statement on February 27 (local time) that Infectious Diseases Co., Ltd. was notified that it had been deleted from the Chinese App Store because it was included in illegal content in China regulated by CAC of the China Cyberspace Administration. There is no specific information about which regulations were violated.

The developer side said it is not clear whether the app deletion is related to the Corona 19 outbreak facing China, but the best way to support the efforts to contain and control Corona 19, such as the CDC of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealing the educational importance of the game. Insisted that it was one of seeking. In fact, infectious disease Co., Ltd. has built a realistic model of infection expansion such as bacteria and viruses, and the CDC is also highly evaluated that it has an educational effect to understand how the disease spreads.

Although the game was released eight years ago, Infectious Diseases Co., Ltd. is still regularly updated and reflects the latest knowledge on infectious diseases. It is being released in app stores other than China.

In addition, Epic Games suddenly stopped distributing the free digital version of the popular board game Pandemic: The Board Game. The reason is not clear, but it is speculated that this is the effect of Corona 19 because the content is that gamers cooperate and confront the virus.