With stifled production, job losses, and market fallout in relation to COVID-19, it seems inevitable that we are entering a global recession (in fact this had begun prior to the pandemic). The only questions at this point being: how severe will this recession be and how long will it last?

But with recession either here or imminent, how do you think this will affect the gaming industry?

Fuck the gaming industry. Take care of yourself and your family.

Online entertainment industries (streaming services and digital media stores) are in high demand, with more and more people confined at their homes. What happens next, nobody knows. I wish everybody could return to their jobs with the same working conditions; sadly it won't be the case for some.

Diamond, main distributor for comic books has stopped working... Doesn't help Marvel and other companies push out SJW stuff. Now the entire industry there may totally halt.

Disney is panicking because they can't do their rides, no movies (half of which have politics injected) and seemingly have to rely on their streaming service alone right now...

Hmm....

I think a lot of major companies should crash, and new ones to take their place. When they get too big they get complacent and evil. Propping them up only prolongs issues.

I'm a little nervous about the smaller publishers with rare games. I've been scratching a few items off my wishlists.

I'm sure the large AAA publishers and larger devs will keep up, but I do worry about the smaller devs. There are a number of indie developed games -- scheduled for release in Spring -- that I hope find an audience. With all of the chances for exposure and funding cancelled (ie GDC), it's certainly not a good time to be a small dev.

If the economic impact of the novel coronavirus is deep and protracted, I'm worried about Summer and Fall releases as well. And it's not that the games will suffer from a lack of exposure... it's more that a lack of sales has a direct effect on people keeping their jobs and in some companies keeping their doors open.

As for the large companies...

... yeah, when times are tough I expect people will remember being lied to, gouged, and generally taken advantage of... and the limited money they have for entertainment will be spent elsewhere. If worst-comes-to-worst, hope that's the case, but dunno...?

Yeah, if anything the demand for (digital) games will be greater. Also I'd best most programming can be done at home, or in redesigned offices with less staff on site and further distancing. The only real issues I see facing the industry with the virus are perhaps console production and physical discs taking a hit, but that's it.

Now, general recession stuff, i.e. less sales and less investment, that could suck. I'd guess that will mostly effect indies though, and mainly ones without a legit batch of games under their belt.