Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on consumer demand and price discounts in the game industry

Abstract

Lockdown measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic have had a significant effect on the economy and people’s physical and mental health. However, researchers have not closely examined the game industry. In this study, I analyzed data from Steam, the largest digital game distribution platform. According to empirical evidence, the COVID-19 outbreak significantly increased the demand for games, especially multiplayer games. The results also showed the existence of an additional discount effect under the pandemic among different game characteristics.