New global data from G2A.COM has revealed a significant shift in interest and demands surrounding the online gaming market in recent months. The figures gathered by the gaming trading platform, which is used by over 20 million gamers and geeks around the world, highlight a 36% overall increase in interest over the first months of 2020. With COVID-19 locking down nearly 20% of the global population, those affected are increasingly seeking entertainment and comfort in gaming.
Old-school gaming on the rise
For hard-core gamers, social distancing measures have inevitably meant more time spent in front of consoles and PCs, but the shift in the type of games people across the globe have searched for since the outbreak suggests that not only regular gamers, but an increasing number of casual or retired gamers are to blame for the recent spikes in demand.
According to G2A data, the gaming market is seeing a comeback of the 90s-2000s classics. Specifically, the online gaming marketplace reports an 851% increase in searches for old-school titles, with games like Worms Armageddon and Age of Empires 2 experiencing a spike in demand.
What’s more, data shows that one of the best-selling video games of all times, Minecraft is making a comeback, with G2A reporting a 24% increase in demand for the period between January and March.
Sports fans turn to video-gaming
As the sports world falls silent, heartbroken fans are turning to their digital versions to replace the thrill. All time sports classics like FIFA, F1 and NBA all experience at least 100% increase in interest, followed by popular eSports like Rocket League and Forza Horizon.
Specifically, G2A reports up to 2332% increase in searches for popular titles like F1 2019 and 115% for less popular franchises like Spintires. Other sports games that have experienced similar spike in demand include NBA 2k20 (392%), Forza Horizon 4 Ultimate Edition (169%) and FIFA 20 (132%).
Bartosz Skwarczek, CEO and co-founder of G2A commented:
“During these challenging times, it’s no surprise that people are looking for opportunities to stay connected and entertained. Gaming allows people to step away from the realities for a moment, connect with online communities and find room for joy, even in the current situation.”
Following the coronavirus outbreak G2A data also confirms a significant spike (over 200%) in interest in games related to global epidemics, including Plague Inc, State of Decay and The Division 2. While the titles have been a popular choice for many over the years, the current pandemic has raised the concerns over the nature of these games.
Plague Inc has seen the biggest increase (6100%) in popularity, yet following the recent criticism, the real-time strategy simulation video game introduced a new game mode lets you save the world instead of infecting it.
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