Increasing Popularity of Browser Games in 2020

Why Browser Games are Increasingly Popular in 2020

Gaming in general has been on the rise in recent years, especially among younger populations. The increasing quality of video games and internet connections has greatly impacted the popularity of online games, especially those played on mobile devices. Of all the available device, mobile phones are now the most commonly used ones for playing games, both in single and multiplayer modes.

2020 in particular has been a year that saw an increase in gaming time per gamer, likely due to the worldwide impact of the coronavirus. Gamers on average have been spending over eight and a half hours per week playing video games, with favorite genre depending on the age category. While younger players prefer games like Fortnite or PUBG, those over the age of 25 have been more likely to enjoy browser and/or strategy games.

There is no question that the pandemic has been a factor in the increasing popularity of browser and other video games in 2020. However, even without it, gaming has already been growing at great rates, with streaming platforms like Twitch only adding fuel to the fire by offering players the dream of becoming professionals.

The Resurgence of Browser Games

Online gaming has been growing as a concept for years, with more players getting quality access to the internet each year. The rise of professional sports or eSports has turned gaming from a hobby to a potential profession for millions of hopefuls around the world. Statistics show that gaming is popular among all age categories, but increasingly so with gamers between the ages of 18 and 36, who seem to prefer different types of games.

Browser games in particular were a major hit in the early 2000s, when online gaming as such was not yet as available or advanced. The appearance of games such as DOTA, LOL, CS: GO, Fortnite and PUBG has seen browser games downgraded in popularity. However, with so many thousands of people staying at home for work and school in 2020, browser games are gaining momentum once again.

Browser games are in fact ideal for those looking to slack off at work and enjoy some entertainment instead. The numbers reflect this as various simple arcade games that can be played on the side are becoming more popular among casual and serious gamers. After all, what could be easier than loading up one of these bad boys on your phone while pretending to work. It appears that this is exactly what is happening as browser games are once again a hit in 2020.

Gaming Times Increasing Significantly

A study under the name of “The State of Online Gaming 2019” tested over 4,500 gamers around the world and came up with many interesting conclusion regarding the growth of gaming as such. First and foremost, it was discovered that the overall gaming time had increased by nearly 20% per gamer compared to just one year earlier, a significant jump.

The increase in gaming time was felt most among the millennials, whose gaming time actually increased by 25% in total. With the average gaming session lasting some 1 hour and 22 minutes and an average gamer spending over 7 hours a week playing video games, it is becoming clear what a key part of human lives video games are becoming.

More than half of the questioned gamers have lost sleep to gaming or allowed gaming to come between them and their social obligations. All of this was only further amplified by the situation that most of the world has encountered in 2020, causing video games to boom to unprecedented levels. Gaming Thriving Amidst the Pandemic

With many of the world’s key industries crippled or paused by the various lockdowns and measures instituted to stop the spread of Covid-19, the gaming industry has been thriving. The development of games has continued mostly as normal, while the existing games have only gotten more attention than ever before.

With more people sitting idly at home than ever before and social contacts limited, gaming has become the go-to escape for millions of people. Those who were already into gaming are only spending even more time in front of their screens, and the industry is booming.

While many sports events such as the Olympics and the EURO were cancelled, eSports events were easily taken into the online arena. The likes of ESL Pro League Season 11 and The Overwatch League that were planned as partially live events were thrown online with great success. The fact that gaming does not require physical presence in 2020 has been one of the great reasons for its massive success this year.

Browser and Other Games Moving Forward

2020 has been a year in which social contacts were reduced significantly and most industries based in technology have benefited. The pandemic is likely to go away at least in some part in 2021, which should get things back into normal to some degree. How this will impact the gaming industry remains to be seen.

The gaming industry as such was already on the rise in 2019, before the pandemic was even a thing. If this trend continues among the younger generations, video game developers are looking at a lot of work to satisfy all the demand. However, browser games themselves may see a decline moving forward as people get back to their daily lives and have less time for such activities and less need for pastimes.