As we all know, COVID-19 (Coronavirus) is all the world can talk about, which is understandable. The effects of the virus and policies put in place to mitigate the spread impacts every facet of society. From panic buying to the complications found by Apple employees who are working from home and the impact felt by the stock markets. However, I don't want to speak about these points but about gaming, specifically eSports and the impact the current circumstances could have
Coronavirus and Stay-at-Home Entertainment
Why this subject? As Coronavirus leads to the closure of cinemas, gyms, pubs, clubs, gigs, sporting events and so many more things that people go out of the house for, entertainment that doesn't require you to leave the house should naturally see a boost. From Netflix to YouTube to the simple fact that people can purchase games digitally, home consumption of entertainment will naturally rise.
Indeed, Verizon, the US company that provides TV, Internet and Phone services, recently released a snapshot of customer usage week over week. The results are more than a little understandable, with Games taking the largest increase, with only one surprise is that social media has seen no gains. Here are the results showing the gains last week, over the previous one.
- Gaming, up 75%
- VPN, up 34%
- Web traffic up close to 20%
- Video, up more than 12%
- Social media usage: 0%, flat
This is a perfect time for eSports and video games in general to grab the attention of the people. While real-life events will naturally be cancelled, eSports can draw in people simply through live streaming. Recent events appear to be going in line with my earlier opinion. Outside of video games, you have Netflix which is seeing a large increase of viewers.
From Steam hitting a massive 20 million concurrent users mark to titles like Plague Inc seeing a spike in sales. We also have releases like Call of Duty Warzone passing 15 million players in just three days - a title that was always going to be popular but is undeniably seeing a boost from more people staying at home. These broader areas have already seen a boost but there's one area in particular that could capitalise on current affairs: eSports.
eSports Capitalising on the Closures of Real-Life Events
With the postponement of sporting events like Football, Golf and Formula One, to name just three, there is a massive gap left that could satiate, to an extent, the want of these fans. From football clubs like Watford playing Football Manager to simulate their match against Liverpool or Leyton Orient creating a massive international FIFA 20 tournament (titled the Ultimate Quaran-Team), to the worlds most-viewed eSports racing event held by Torque Esports.
The event, "The Race All-Star Esports Battle" brought in professional riders like Max Verstappen and Simon Pagenaud to race against the best sim racing drivers in the world. The result was an event with 90% more live viewers than any other online eSports racing event in history.
Following the massive success of the first round of this event, the second round is scheduled to take place on Saturday and has already seen a massive number of entry requests from both real and virtual professionals alike. Torque eSports CEO, Darren Cox, had this to say:
Last week was a massive success but we’re raising the bar for round 2 and setting an incredible challenge for the esports simulator racers. Our field of real-world drivers will compete through heats and qualifying but then the esports virtual racers will have their own separate sessions for a chance to make the final – the top two will start from the rear of the grid and will race for a bonus prize of US$10,000 if they can charge through the pack to take the overall win.
Esports racing was already in a dramatic growth phase, but given the current global situation with COVID-19, the ‘stay at home economy’ is booming. People can’t go to concerts, sporting events, festivals, movies or parties – but we’re committed to working with the motorsport community around the world to create this incredible spectacle.
This very much goes in-line with a small Q&A I had with Super League Gaming on the current climate, which you can read on the next page.
So who is Super League Gaming? It is an eSports company that focused more on amateur eSports, describing themselves as the "world's premier platform for amateur gamers to experience their sport like the pros". Within their network are sixteen city clubs across the United States as well as several national and international tournaments, it's a company that is in a strong position to benefit from the current climate, as well as the general increased trend towards eSports.
Recently I was able to have a small question and answer session via email with Super League Gaming's Chief Commercial Officer, Matt Edelman:
Chris Wray: The spread of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) has resulted in a number of lockdowns worldwide as well as the closure of other entertainment venues, from sports to cinemas. Do you think this could provide a boost to stay-at-home entertainment like Video Games?
Matt Edelman: Absolutely. There’s already evidence of this on a global scale through reports from telecom and broadband providers who are seeing major spikes in usage across their networks. We’re seeing it directly at Super League as well, with higher than normal levels of players accessing our online and social video offerings over the past week. We’re hitting all-time highs in some cases.
CW: Has the live attendance for your regional amateur clubs been postponed during the current outbreak or, if not, have you noticed a drop in attendance?
ME: As of one week ago, attendance within our worldwide network of gaming centers had not decreased, but that generally was before multiple countries mandated the closure of most public venues and also before a national emergency was declared in the U.S.. Our sense more broadly is that people would like to be able to congregate in smaller groups on a local level, in places they trust, with people they know. For gamers, hometown gaming centers, which are the primary physical locations where our Gaming Clubs are represented, provide that opportunity. That said, what’s most important right now is that people abide by the recommendations and of local, national and global health authorities.
CW: Have you noticed any change in the number of players and viewers during the current outbreak for yourselves at Super League Gaming?
We are seeing significant increases in levels of activity in our online gameplay platform for Minecraft players, Minehut.com, and peak levels of viewership across our Framerate branded social video channels on Instagram and Tik Tok and for our show on Snapchat Discover, Taking Shape.
CW: If so, will Super League Gaming potentially be expanding their operations, including new games to bring in more players?
ME: This is a difficult time for everyone, and particularly challenging for high school and college students, and their families, whose lives have gone from being highly structured to having almost no structure at all. We are looking at additional ways to provide the gamers in these age groups and beyond with more ways to stay connected with each other so they can rely upon the bonds and friendships they have developed through gaming. Our goal is for Super League to serve as a bright spot in their days.
CW: Will your streaming, Super League TV, also be expanding to possibly capture this increased audience?
ME: Thankfully our visualization platform and live streaming technology capabilities will enable us to continue broadcasting and producing content even while our teams transition to working remotely. We will be delivering our regular content offerings on an uninterrupted basis and are looking at opportunities to provide even more exciting programming to entertain our expanding audience.
CW: While the question could seem insensitive during the current climate, do you imagine there could be a boost to your revenue and stock (similar to the recent boost to Netflix) due to the fact that more people are at home and potentially using your service?
ME: Gaming is the largest category of entertainment and has proven to be fairly recession proof. Being in the gaming space, we likely will benefit from that reality. Key for Super League right now, and consistent with our ongoing mission, is helping our audience – and gamers at large – find positive ways to engage in their passion for play, especially at a time when positivity is so important.
CW: On a non-COVID-19 note, you have a channel on Twitch but are there any plans to expand to platforms like Mixer? Linking to COVID-19, would this happen in the near future to capitalise on the potential increased audience?
ME: We are always looking at opportunities to reach new viewers and utilize new platforms. We do not have any specific plans to share at the moment.
CW: Is there anything else you would like to add?
ME: We encourage everyone to follow available guidelines on how best to stay safe and help the world move through these trying times.
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