Many of our lives changed overnight, as the pandemic swept in and claimed it’s territory. Video games have always been a leisurely activity, but they turned out to be a savior during the COVID-19 quarantine. Social media, T.V. commercials, news outlets, and more pushed the #stayathome movement. However, with so many people at home, and so many different family dynamics, video games became a major way to cope with the boredness, craziness, or loneliness that occupied many people’s quarantine.
But, which games stole the show during #stayathome? To find out which video games were the most popular, Insight Pest Solutions, a pest control company in America, gathered Google Trends results from the end of February 2020 to the beginning of April 2020. This analysis shows that Fortnite and Overwatch were the most popular video games during the Coronavirus Quarantine in the U.S. Fortnite took the top spot in 10 states, while Overwatch followed closely behind with nine states. This may not come as a huge surprise as these two games have been widely popular over the past few years. However, both of these games are high-level esports and feature multiplayer games modes that allow people to interact digitally while social distancing. Right behind these two powerhouse video games were the newest versions of FIFA and MLB, along with Grand Theft Auto V, which were all the most popular in five or more states.
The analysis goes on to look at the most popular video game of the last decade from 2010 to 2019. This may be more of a shocker, but 2012’s Spec Ops: The Line, took the top spot in 12 states, and 2018’s God of War, which took the top spot in 11 states.
Insight Pest Solutions even took it one step further and gathered data for the most popular video games and mobile games of all time. Unfortunately, the Google Trends data could only be traced back to 2004, but Sonic the Hedgehog apparently beat the competition by a landslide, taking the top spot in 9 states. And we can’t forget about the handy-dandy mobile games that have also kept us company during quarantine. As for mobile games, get ready… and no it wasn’t Candy Crush, but Angry Birds was the most popular in 13 different states, and taking second place was Fruit Ninja.
With many people still airing on the side of caution and staying inside the house a little longer, video games and esports continue to make strides as a huge part of people’s home life. In a recent survey, conducted by RENTCafe, results show the average playtime before and after quarantine went from 5.3 hours to 8.5 hours, which is a 60% jump. Gen-Xer’s actually had the highest jump, from 4.5 to 7.9 hours per week.
As quarantine continues for a great portion of the world, video games will continue to be a main source of entertainment. As people continue to play more hours, try different games, and take on esports, video games are here to stay, especially during quarantine.
If you enjoy games and gaming and want more NEWS from the Gaming World Click Here
