A survey conducted by the Association of the German Games Industry shows that video games have helped many people during the Corona crisis.
During the digital gamescom 2020, the positive impact of video games on society is supposed to be the focus. To underline this, a survey was conducted in Germany that specifically addressed gaming during the Corona crisis.
Here are the survey results: How much games helped during the Corona crisis is shown by a representative survey by YouGov on behalf of the game – Association of the German Games Industry, presented during a gamescom press conference in Cologne.
- Afterwards, about a quarter of all players in Germany (27%) said that they played more often with family and friends during the Corona pandemic than usual.
- An additional 28% said that games helped them cope better with the Corona pandemic.
Overall, a large majority of Germans attribute a special role to games during the Corona pandemic:
- About 4 out of 10 Germans (43%) say that games can help to cope with such crises better.
- Almost two-thirds say that games have brought joy to people during the Corona pandemic.
More Gaming in the Classroom?
But video games are increasingly gaining ground in other areas of society as well. Such as in learning and educating children. More and more parents and children are relying on serious games, i.e., educational games. This trend has been further reinforced by school closures due to Corona. However, so far, corresponding serious games are mainly used at home and in private settings.
According to the majority of Germans, such educational games should also be used much more in schools, as well as digital skills being more firmly integrated into the curriculum overall.
- About 6 out of 10 Germans say that the Corona pandemic has shown that Germany should already be further along in the school use of serious games.
- 70% of Germans expect that basic programming skills should be taught early in school.
- 77% also believe that the necessary digital competencies should be taught to students in schools to handle digital media responsibly.
With the theme “Playing into the Future,” gamescom 2020 aims to bring the positive effects and opinions of the surveyed Germans to the center of the debate.
Besides that, you can also expect streams of game presentations, interviews, and other shows from gamescom.
