Changes to the Gaming world amid COVID-19

JB Hi-Fi and many other retailers sell out of PS4s and Nintendo Switches amid COVID-19 pandemic

For fear of boredom during isolation Australia is panic buying gaming consoles to fill the time they have stuck in doors. JB Hi-Fi have a statement that reads, “Due to very high demand, the Nintendo Switch is currently unavailable to purchase. New stock is due to arrive in April.” This increase in gaming console purchases comes after the closure of many entertainment venues such as gyms, sporting venues, cinemas, nightclubs, and bars. Popular games that have also been flying off the shelves are Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Madden NFL 20. Games and consoles aren’t the only things in short supply, gym equipment, groceries, desks, computers and monitors are also becoming sold out. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said last week, “It is not sensible, it is not helpful and, I’ve got to say it has been one of the most disappointing things I have seen in Australian behaviour in response to this crisis.”

Call of Duty: Warzone passes 30 million players.

After it’s release on the 10th of March this free to play game has achieved more players than the lifetime totals of most of the other games in the series. Being free to play helps generate a large player base such as Apex Legends which managed 25 million players in the first week and 50 million players in the first month. Speaking of millions of players Steam broke its own record from the previous week of concurrent users with 22 million people online at once. Game Industry Analyst, Daniel Ahmad said in a tweeted video, “Steam just achieved a new peak concurrent user record of 22 million, one day after reaching 21 million and six days after reaching 20 million. Global lockdowns and self-isolation due to COVID-19 has led to at-home gaming becoming a safe form of entertainment to pass the time.”

Polygon have posted a series of games that are the best ways to stay in touch with friends while staying at home.

Some of the games are, Jackbox Party Pack 3, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Sea of Thieves, Minecraft, Red Dead Online, Grand Theft Auto Online, Warframe, Final Fantasy 14, Overcooked 2, Destiny 2, and Rocket League. Of course, there are many other fantastic multiplayer games that great to play such as World of Warcraft which is doing a double XP all the way up until April the 20th if you are looking for an MMO RPG. Some free games that might also help pass the time that are available on Steam are, Headsnatchers, Tomb Raider, Deiland, Drawful 2, Goat of Duty, Pleasure PuzzlePortrait and Lara Croft and The Temple of Osiris. There is also many other free games on different launchers so be sure to check out Epic Games Store, PlayStation Plus, and Xbox Games with Live Gold Subscriptions.

If you’d like to check out the full list of games available for free check out the Zed Games Facebook page @ZEDgamesau.