E 'boom of video games, anti-stress against the pandemic - Lifestyle

In the annus horribilis of the pandemic, Italians have rediscovered themselves as passionate gamers to overcome the anxiety and stress of restrictions and lockdowns. For the first time, in fact, in 2020 the videogames market exceeded the 2 billion euro threshold, recording a rise of 21.9% compared to the previous year. This is revealed by the data of the new report produced by IIDEA, the trade association of the video game industry, which this year obviously wanted to devote ample space to the implications of covid on the entertainment market. To drive the turnover, in addition to the restrictions due to the spread of the virus, was also the entry on the market of next-gen consoles, PS5 and Xbox Series X, albeit with an impact not yet decisive. The greatest increase, in percentage terms, is that of the digital segment, which went from 602 million euros in 2019 to 799 million in 2020. The increase in turnover, however, does not also correspond to that of the audience of players, whose number remains at 16.7 million, or 38% of the population between 6 and 64 years. As the report reveals, it was therefore involvement that grew. In fact, during 2020, Italians spent an average of 8 hours a week playing on all devices, over half an hour more than in the previous survey. The peaks were recorded in correspondence with the waves of the pandemic, in the first and last quarter of the year. The ability to play online was decisive. 50% used video games to stay in touch with friends, 48% to feel less isolated, 39% as a tool to feel less anxious, and over a third of them (36%) said that video games helped feel happy. At the top of the list of best-selling video games is the now stainless Fifa, which occupies the first position with the 2021 edition and the third with that of the previous year. Second place, however, for GTA V, still a cult 8 years after its release. The devices most used to play are, on the other hand, smartphones and tablets (10.7 million people), followed by consoles (6.7 million) and PCs (7.2 million). "2020 was an extremely positive year for the video game sector, with a market that in Italy continues to grow year after year and that in the last twelve months has registered record numbers - is the comment of IIDEA president, Marco Saletta -. This significant growth is not only the result of the pandemic that has made us spend more time at home but is a testament to the growing interest in video games as a form of entertainment and communication ". The major competitor, especially in this period, is streaming but - as Saletta pointed out - "videogames are not afraid to confront each other because they have quality content".