Video game firms had a bad quarter as the pandemic gaming boom reached the wall

August 9, 2022: -The firms of video games saw their sales slide in the second quarter as the starting tailwinds from the Covid pandemic started to fade.

In the three months finished June, Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo each posted a miserable result in their gaming businesses.

The amount reflects a broader contraction in consumers that spend on video games. According to market research company NPD, Americans spent $12.4 billion on games in the second quarter, down 13% every year.

All the factors can be held responsible, not least the releasing of pandemic restrictions, with people enjoying home entertainment options in favor of outdoor activities.

The present shortages of semiconductor giants haven’t been supported either.

“The growth of the general game market has currently decelerated as opportunities have risen for users to get out of their places as Covid-19 infections have gone down in key markets,” Hiroki Totoki, the chief financial officer of Sony, said on the earnings call of the company in the previous month.

Sony said that a 2% decline in sales year-on-year at its gaming unit in the June quarter while operating profits increased almost 37%. The company also issued a gloomy outlook, which increased its full-year profit forecast by 16%.

People spend less time playing games and better time going out.

The amount of gameplay time among the PlayStation player base decreased by 15%, much lower than initially forecast by the company.

Gaming was a huge beneficiary of the Covid pandemic, with publishers experiencing bumper growth as consumers spent more time indoors.

But with the spending habits of the consumers shifting post-lockdown and inflation running hot, the industry is taking a hit.