While the pandemic prepares to drag everyone into their homes, kids all-round the globe begin their quest for ways to stay occupied. Well, more entertained than occupied!
We’ve watched enough about these kids in Israel living on the fault-line. It’s time for us to see the picture of Israel’s young generation amidst the pandemic. Kids in Israel are as crazy about video games as the rest of the world. Coping with wars is one thing; coping with a pandemic is a whole different battle. Israeli kids have found their way to deal with it. Records have shown that the consumption of video/online games and esports have increased about 50% since the onset of COVID-19. The gaming company Overwolf has given the stats that gaming downloads have grown significantly after the pandemic. In addition to that, competitive games have witnessed a rise of 40% in the number of professional players. Visits to gaming review website have also shown a massive spike.
It’s commendable how the creativity of the gaming industry has done a great deal in keeping the kids engaged. “Consumers are looking for ways to pass the time and to help distract themselves from what is going on in the real world. Video gaming and esports have helped create a much-needed distraction for many consumers,” states the Managing Director of Sports at Nielsen, Jon Stainer. The scene is no different in Israel as well. There are some old and a few brand-new games trending among Israelites amidst the pandemic lockdown. The hit list is stated below!
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League of Legends
League of Legends, a 2009 game has seen a record-breaking spike of 42% after the declaration of the lockdown. With this, it stands at the top of the list. League of Legends has been one of the most dug games in Israel. The pandemic just hit the last nail on the coffin.
The rules are pretty simple. Two rival teams get into the battlefield to fight and win against one another. The goal is to decimate the opponent’s base. It is a 'three paths and one jungle' map that the gamers have to prevail in. Each territory is guarded by a hero or two from each team. What interests the gamers is the huge collection of 140 heroes to choose from and purchase. Each of them is equipped with a unique skill and a back story. It is almost as if you are questing for your doppelganger in the heroes, only better. One could spend hours in the challenge to reach the next level. If killing time is your demand, League of Legends can slaughter months for you. The difficulty of the games is what makes it so highly desirable for Israeli kids and the world, alike. A decade has passed and League of Legends still holds the crown for being one of the most addictive games in the world.
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Counter-Strike
Next in this order of Israel’s most popular games is Counter-Strike. Addictive is the least one can say about the game. It saw a hefty 40% increase in demand after the strike of the pandemic. Entering the market during the first half of this century, Counter-Strike is a first-person shooter game. No extravagant graphics, high on simplicity, yet one of the most electrifying games of the generation. Counter-Strike provides the experience of multi-player gaming, even when your partner is far away, locked down in some other city. Born prior to most of the games of the time, Counter-Strike demands very little space in the hard drive. It can be downloaded on almost every personal computer. That makes it even more desirable among Israeli gamers who don’t want to rip their pockets off with high priced games.
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Minecraft
Minecraft is next on the list as predictably as unpredictable the emergence of a pandemic was. Congratulations are on the way as Minecraft jumped 80% in popularity after the pandemic than before. The strange mid-crisis, mid-COVID times craft the perfect space for a game like Minecraft to flourish. It is a game that can transcend your mind off reality for hours. Starting off as a simple indie project, Minecraft bagged much adoration after it was bought by Microsoft in 2014 and added to the X-box game store. You and your friends in cyber-space are off to mine, craft and destroy things in the amazing game-zone of Minecraft. That pretty much explains the du jour that the game enjoys.
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Call of Duty: Warzone
Call of Duty: Warzone is now the exemplar of what 'at right place at the right time means'. Just before the pandemic took over the world, Activision released the perfect way to escape it (not literally). It was primarily on the verge of being tagged as an add-on to the saga of Call of Duty but ultimately got to come out as a standalone game, totally free and available to play on almost every console. A graphically splendid simulated battlefield stands as the war zone for the player and his/her teammates. A total of 150 players from around the world fight against each other with their teams for survival. Call of Duty: Warzone witnessed an amazing 600% hike in popularity after its release. Enter into one game and you can see what gaming-craze looks like. Breath-taking visuals, adrenaline-pumping challenges, interesting features, absolutely everything one would need to forget about the pandemic.
Final Words
People wonder Israel is already witnessing enough turmoil. Why add more to the list with war games? Stating practically, life isn’t a fairy-tale for anyone. And obviously, way more than some spreadsheets of recorded numbers. It is awesome how the kids of Israel have found a way out of the reverberations of bombs and sirens of ambulances amidst the pandemic. The hike in game downloads and streams are just the depiction of the positivity that these youngsters are filled with. Signing off with the note that games impart the confidence that you can be anything you want. Even if the times are difficult, and one cannot be a superhero in real life and save the world. But, these games give you a chance to feel heroic and optimistic despite all the adversities.