Increasingly, Americans live and work and come home resurrected the COVID-19 epidemic – but how do people use their time while away? No wonder no one, according to statistics released by wireless provider Verizon, are playing video games. Gaming has increased 75%, week-over-week, in data usage in March, Verizon said. Video games prove to be a popular way to pass the time during external shutdowns – but we're also starting to see the difficulties this puts on different networks and services.
Steam, a popular PC gaming platform, recently broke a new record as 20 million people signed in at one time. A similar increase seems to be happening in the world of comfort. Recently, Nintendo experienced a nine-hour network overflow. Over the weekend, Xbox Live also dropped, preventing users from playing online.
Tools close to game services also detect attacks. As our site Verge reports, it is a live streaming platform Twitch had a 10% jump in views. The popular communications app Discord, meanwhile, has seen a server outage associated days after it extended its screen-sharing limit to users.
The games people play change when an outbreak of coronavirus breaks, too. Pokémon Go, for example, has leveraged its technology to make it easier for people to play from home, while also changing its events to make it easier for people to play alone. In an effort to persuade its players to stay home, Rockstar vowed to add fun bonuses to the MMO for players who "spend less time at home." Elsewhere, game developers are starting to give their games free of charge in this effort help people stay inside. It's not surprising that we are seeing changes in performance, playing time, and on-board exits.
Fortunately, the increase in playtime will not return to haunt users looking to pass – we may not always be able to log in, but at least network providers like AT&T, Comcast, and T-Mobile stop radiation for using the Internet. More reason to download this great game you've been wanting to finish.
