The Philippines ranked 10th among countries which have the most tweets when it comes to gaming in the first half of 2020 as people stay housebound due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Twitter Philippines bared that Filipinos actively talk about their preferred games and interact with people whom they share interests with.
“With over 1 billion tweets gathered in the first half of 2020, the Philippines ranks 10th as the country that has tweeted the most about gaming so far this year,” Twitter said in a release.
It noted that six out of 10 Filipino Twitter users played video games to pass the time and as a means for them to “find normalcy or a temporary escape from reality” as the pandemic changes the way people live.
The platform said that Filipinos tweeted the most about Animal Crossing: New Horizons, PUBG or PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, Dota 2, Adopt Me and Final Fantasy.
“Filipinos on Twitter used games to create a virtual hangout spot, events venue, or to just simply collaborate with friends through quests and in-game adventures. They look for games that allow them to interact with other players such as online, social network, or multiplayer games,” the platform said.
I'm one more quarantine extension away (aside from the +2 week imposed till April 30 in Philippines 🇵🇭) from going back to my gamer girl hermit self.
Bucketlist:
Animal Crossing
Stardew Valley
SOMA
Left4Dead
Any GTA games really
The SimsWhat's good, Twitter?
Send me your best— Iris 👑🇵🇭 (@iriszio) April 8, 2020
Twitter noted that in April 2020, at the height of the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine, 38% of Filipino Twitter users said that they played social games to keep in touch with their family and friends.
It was a way to make up for social distancing requirements and interact with friends and loved ones.
One Twitter user was reported to have staged a wedding event on Animal Crossing.
Pluviaserye nanaman sa kasal namin ni Kidd LOL! #AnimalCrossing pic.twitter.com/VqkqmSxqTk
— Lorraine Ramos (@aiineything) June 24, 2020
Another online user shared a video clip of his game character doing “morning yoga” with some friends.
Morning yoga with Apple, Kabuki and Stinky. Coco's not into it so she's doing aerobics. lol #AnimalCrossing #ACNH pic.twitter.com/851Zeld5lc
— 𝐒𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐓 𝐏𝐀𝐁𝐋𝐎 (@darwinpabs) June 10, 2020
Animal Crossing: New Horizons emerged as the most tweeted about game by Filipino users.
It is a life simulation video game developed by Nintendo for Nintendo Switch and is considered the fifth main series title in the Animal Crossing series.
The game was released in March 2020, the same month that Luzon was placed on strict lockdown.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons enables players to escape to a deserted island and create their own virtual paradise where they can explore, create and customize to their own liking.
Forbes noted that the game “dominated social media throughout March and April” and earned itself “a genuine cultural moment as people turned to the gentle rhythms of Nintendo’s island life simulator in the face of a terrifying world and global lockdowns.”
Martyn U’ren, the head of research at Twitter Asia Pacific and MENA, said that the gaming industry and its conversation growth have “amplified because lockdown made people resort to video games to meet their need states such as in socializing, normalizing and idling.”
“Gaming is also ever-evolving. Back then we used to have these bulky gaming sets, but nowadays we can play games on our phones. With new titles, consoles, upgrades, and trends coming around; we expect the industry and conversations around it will continue to grow for years to come,” he added.
