Video games help maintain connections

CONSOLING CONSOLES

Video gamers find comfort in online communities during pandemic

BY JAZMIN GOODWIN AND MIKE SNIDER

Video games have always been a source of solace in tough times for Rosemary Kelley, and as states continue to encourage and enforce physical distancing, she has increased her streaming frequency from two to three times a week to nearly every day.

“Now, I’m spending a lot more time just playing games for fun,” says Kelley, an esportscaster and host for games like Pokémon and Overwatch. “It’s been an outlet for me to be creative but also to keep my mind working.”

In the U.S., the average gamer plays for six hours and 46 minutes each week, slightly more than the global average of six hours and 20 minutes each week, according to The State >

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of Online Gaming report by Limelight Networks, a service provider that helps deliver cloud-based content.

According to Verizon, U.S. data usage for gaming saw a 75 percent weekover-week surge last March, when states began to impose COVID-19 quarantines.

“This (increase) isn’t just out of boredom, but an intrinsic desire to be social. New gaming capabilities allow people to engage with one another virtually,” says Nigel Burmeister, vice president of Limelight Networks.

HOMEBOUND AND WHOLE

Video games can be more than just a good diversion, they also provide a way to connect socially with friends and family around the globe while at home. Many forms of gaming, especially multiplayer games, have increased levels of social presence — including the ability to share screens and interact with characters, says Don Forsyth, a social and personality psychologist at Virginia’s University of Richmond.

“Social loneliness occurs when people feel cut off from their network of friends, acquaintances and associates,” Forsyth says. Interacting with others via video games “creates this feeling of togetherness, true presence, that you’re no longer distant from another person. It completely satisfies the need for belonging.”

Multiplayer video games allow enthusiasts to interact and connect with other players from home.

Kelley attests to that. “I wouldn’t be able to get through my own selfquarantining if I didn’t have this community of people I can communicate with on a regular basis. That goes from playing games with them to just chatting about what’s going on,” she says.

Companies are taking note and making it easier for gamers to connect, even when they’re not playing. Last March, gaming chat app Discord raised the limits of its Go Live function after noticing increased usage on its platform, allowing people to privately stream or screen-share apps from 10 people to 50 people.

Mack Montague says he uses Discord daily to communicate with gamers. “That’s been my go-to app when I’m trying to stay connected.”

Steam, a video game distribution service for PC gaming, reached an all-time record on March 15, 2020, with nearly 20 million users active on the platform at the same time.

The surge in gaming amid coronavirus lockdowns follows a roster of new game releases.

One of the newest online games, Call of Duty: Warzone, a free-to-play battle royale video game, launched last March for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC. Within its first 24 hours, publisher Activision says more than 6 million people had played the game.

“With the new titles, it gives you something to look forward to,” Kelley says.

A HIGHER LEVEL

As recently as 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) deemed video games a threat to mental health. Now, they are being supported as a possible antidote to our ongoing homebound existence, brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.

Last year, WHO announced a partnership with major gaming companies to launch #PlayApartTogether, an initiative that encourages healthy social distancing and hygiene guidelines.

“While we can’t comment on the WHO’s historical stance, we do know that making and playing games bring people together, create joy and yes, bring a sense of relief,” says Unity Technologies chief marketing officer Clive Downie. “There’s no better time for the games industry to band together than now. We’re honored to be a part of this larger initiative that encourages physical distancing to help flatten the curve.”

For Kelley, who says video games have been there for her at some of the most difficult times of her life, relying on them now is a comfort. “It’s a form of consistency,” she adds. “They’re going to be there for me now, too.” l

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