The gaming industry is in an entirely new place now when compared to two years ago, even if it might not seem to be that way. We have seen gaming become a lifeline for the lonely, the industry adapting to their new customer base, the sheer volume of people now interested in gaming, and how the manufacturers have struggled to keep up with demand.

Whether you’re a Call of Duty fan, a Halo enthusiast, or even an online poker extraordinaire, we are sure this post will be of interest to you.

Gaming became a shining light for many

It might seem super obvious to gamers, but there really is a community in these online gaming spaces. In a world where many have been unable to connect with their friends and chat with them in person, these digital interactions have been absolutely vital for millions worldwide, especially for those who did not game online regularly prior to Covid.

Despite the last couple of years being incredibly lonely, especially when we found ourselves in areas in a state of complete shutdown, this provided opportunities for many to dip their toe into the online gaming space. A chance to get a feel for a community that they might have been wholly unfamiliar with; there are groups of thousands online who participate in these communities and even digitally socialize outside of these games on social media too.

In a world where we are becoming increasingly aware of mental health problems and the impact lockdowns and periods of isolation can have on the human mind, these online communities have been a literal lifeline for millions. It didn’t matter if you hadn’t played these games before because the gaming ability of the player was secondary; the focus was on just being able to talk with friends and ease the feeling of loneliness.

The industry had to reinvent itselfhttps://unsplash.com/photos/uOOBQhUs1AA

We’ve come a long way since William Higinbotham’s Tennis for Two, regarded by many to be the first video game, was released way back in 1958. While the game itself might have been crazily simplistic, it set in motion an industry that would become a core part of our lives during an unprecedented global pandemic over six decades later. Great things can start from small places and have an amazing impact in the future.

Twitch, the most popular live streaming platform at the moment, saw its viewership increase by 83% when the pandemic struck, and in just the first three months of 2020, the platform boasted over five billion hours of watch time. This rise correlated with an increase in esports interest and enabled the industry to gain an edge because they could continue operating while traditional sports teams could not play. They stole the market share.

This has also enabled cloud gaming to be rolled out properly and has been a method for gamers to access newer games in an affordable way. Many have been unable to get out to the store and buy the newer titles for themselves; if they hadn’t been delayed. And so, being able to download and access your games digitally has been absolutely huge. It has been the ideal hands-free way of gaming and playing games that we had never played before.

Interest in gaming has grown more than ever

This renewed interest in gaming as a form of social interaction has brought in so many new gamers, as well as people who thought they had put down their controller for good. This unprecedented growth in interest has given the developers the opportunity to capitalize and implement features that can make the most of digital groups and allow players to play together. A number of the more popular games have even become multiplayer only!

In the United States, the total number of gamers has grown to 28m, and there has been an increase of 28% in mobile gaming interest. Even more impressively, the total number of gamers in the UK has grown to 8.6m and has resulted in mobile gaming seeing an increase of 50%.

These figures represent the first six months of the pandemic and are significant because they tell developers that gaming is seen as a way to connect with others and make up for a lost time.

A central reason for this spike is the fact that gamers can socialize when gaming and become immersed in online communities. The number of people who joined online gaming groups where they could chat and discuss gaming-related topics almost doubled during this same period on a global scale, making clear that the social aspect of gaming is just as important as the game itself.

Console demand has overwhelmed supply capabilitieshttps://unsplash.com/photos/7grkBahrEUs

Without getting into trade wars and all of the other factors that are way above our paygrades, there is a global shortage of gaming consoles. Since the new consoles were released way back in the middle of 2020, we have seen the creators, Microsoft and Sony, continually be unable to keep up with demand and, as a result, leave potential buyers empty-handed.

Back in July, a Sony executive told Reuters that they were “some time from being able to meet all the demand that’s out there,” but things haven’t really changed since. These issues have been partly caused by a slowing of production in the countries where many of the parts come from but also as a result of an increase in interest. The chips are also used in mobile phones and electric vehicles, and these have taken up a large amount of the supply.