Virtual Gaming Provides Connection

Since the pandemic started in March of 2020, gaming has been one of the most important activities to keep people connected.

With a lot more free time on people’s hands due to self-quarantine and restrictions on going out, gaming has become one of the most common forms of connection or entertainment.

Four out of five people say that they have played a game in the last 6 months. Many different games have grown in popularity in the past year. Multiplayer ones have been the most popular due to their social elements.

Some of the most popular games have been Jackbox, which are virtual versions of party games, and the summer’s massive hit Among Us, where players have to work together to find the killer, similar to the game Mafia. Of course, there’s also Nintendo's massive hit from last spring, Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Animal Crossing was a huge hit it even appealed to non-gamers, selling over 31 million copies less than a year since it launched.

With many campuses across the country remaining closed, having these multiplayer games has helped keep students in touch. Sebastian Mowbray, a student from Norwich University, says “They helped me connect and play with people who I wouldn’t have been able to see or talk to without them.”

Another Vermont student noted; “Video games help me in general because I’m able to set goals for myself which are quickly attainable, and throughout the pandemic, I was able to achieve these goals in multiplayer games with friends.”

It’s not just college students that gaming has helped with either. Many younger kids have been playing games more often to hang out with friends or even take classes.

Two of the most popular games among kids are Roblox and Minecraft. Prior to the pandemic kids had been playing games for about an hour a day, according to Common Sense Media. From February to July of last year, Roblox’s player base had doubled with 3 billion hours spent playing across all players. Minecraft multiplayer returned to being popular again as well. 90 percent of users started using servers more than playing alone (a good indication of multiplayer games).

Minecraft also can be used as an educational tool for teachers with the built-in Education Edition. This version adds in different lessons for teachers to go over such as chemistry and programming.

Video Games have helped students have an outlet during this unprecedented time with no social interaction. Not only can they be used for fun, but also as a tool to help teachers connect with their students virtually instead.

By Sam Sussman

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