Gaming has become exponentially more popular in China thanks to the recent outbreak of the Coronavirus. The Coronavirus, a violent strain that attacks the respiratory system and originated in Wuhan China in December, has kept citizens bound to their homes during the holiday season, and the virus has delayed several from returning to their jobs. Many citizens expected time off for the Lunar New Year, but most are being kept on a 14-day self-quarantine before they are allowed back to work.
Typically this time of year would be one of the busiest seasons for people to be flooding the streets and local businesses. However, many cities have become virtual ghost towns with barely anyone passing through the mandatory health checks throughout the towns. Due to the severity of the Coronavirus and the rise of quarantines, several citizens are turning to video games to meet up with friends and family online.
Co-op tournaments like PUBG have experienced several event cancellations, but the actual game has received exponential audience growth. Players can safely catch up with friends and take their minds off of their troubles via their avatars. Many companies are even changing their business model and waving initial fees for games while maintaining in-game purchases. The rise of mobile games has also reached an all-time high in China due to some of their younger residents being stranded in more rural areas.
Companies like Tencent have reached record-breaking numbers on games like Honor Of Kings and other mobile games. One woman told CNN, "I thought I would only be home for seven days, so I only brought a cellphone. On my phone, I played Peacekeeper Elite...Every day I'm at home, I'm so bored. I don't want to use my brain so I'll play some light and joyful games," she said told CNN Business after she went home to visit her family during the holidays, and now her vacation has been extended to ensure she was not infected.
China will still implement security in health checks to monitor its citizens when they return to work which most are expected back on February 17th, when the 14-day quarantines have ended. Several businesses have experienced delays on deadlines due to the outbreak, but it's a minimal cost for such a severe virus.
Source: CNN