Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic shutting down public gathering spaces and leading to social distancing measures, many entertainment companies, particularly in the video game industry, have shifted to working from home. Earlier today, Bungie announced it is delaying Destiny 2's Beyond Light expansion because of issues working remotely, and it certainly is not the only developer that has faced these concerns.
Annual events and conventions such as E3 have also been cancelled or moved online as a result of the pandemic. The Game Developers Conference (GDC) has pivoted to a digital-only offering this year. Ahead of its conference starting on August 4, GDC released its State of the Industry survey, which polled nearly 2,500 game developers and found that the pandemic has "meaningfully affected the business of a majority of game developers," with 33 percent reporting they have delayed a game.
The survey found that 70 percent of game makers, 20 percent of which work alone while another 18 percent work with more than 500 people, have switched to working from home since the pandemic began. Nearly half feel the practice has lowered their productivity, and a third feeling it has lowered their creativity. GDC also reports COVID-19 has had a huge impact on game development in other ways, such as resulting in longer work hours and permanent changes to how companies will act post-lockdown.
Other major facets of the entertainment industry have also been affected by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Movies like the upcoming Monster Hunter adaptation have been delayed due to COVID-19, and theater chains like AMC have had to delay planned re-openings alongside theme parks such as Disneyland in Anaheim, California.
This comes as cases of coronavirus continue to spike in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 67,404 new cases of COVID-19 were reported in the U.S. on June 16, contributing to nearly 3.5 million total infections. As a result, American retailers like Walmart and Target are requiring customers to wear masks.
Video game companies enacting work from home measures may have made things more difficult for many, but at the same time the GDC survey reports that more than 90 percent of its subjects have not been laid off or furloughed. During a recent shareholder meeting, Nintendo confirmed its 2020 games have not been impacted by coronavirus, so there are still some titles to look forward to in spite of industry-wide delays.
GDC Summer will take place entirely online between August 4 and 6, 2020.