In the months that have passed by since the COVID-19 coronavirus was first reported, the virus continues to spread and more areas are being put under lockdown. This is spurring increased use of Apple’s App Store and mobile gaming as people stay home spending more time on their iPhones and iPads.
China, the epicenter of coronavirus has so far confirmed more than 80,000 cases. And with the majority still confined to their homes, smartphones are playing a major role. Per a report from app analytics firm Sensor Tower, game downloads worldwide increased 39% last month.
According to analytics provider App Annie, more than 222 million downloads have been made in China through Apple’s online store since Feb 2, as most users downloaded games and other apps, giving a boost to the $150 billion global games industry. In fact, Apple’s app store has recorded a 62% jump in mobile game downloads in China.
Average weekly downloads jumped 80% in the first three weeks of February in comparison to popular weekly download for the whole of 2019, according to App Annie.
MacDailyNews Take: Out of this miserable COVID-19 outbreak, we’ll take some good news wherever we can find it!
Yeah, it is insane out there. Went to the local Costco and TP and paper towels were sold out within 10 minutes of the store opening. Thanks media for stoking fear and panic in everybody!
You think it was better for the President to go on Fox News last night and tell everyone that the experts are wrong about the lethality rate of the virus, so it is OK to go to work with a mild case of Covid-19?
If you want to know why public health officials are concerned with the President’s mixed message on Covid-19, read any of the several excellent books on the 1918 “Spanish Influenza” pandemic that killed up to 100 million people worldwide. The authors agree that many of those deaths were avoidable if governments around the world (including the Wilson Administration in the US) had not cited “national security” to prevent the free flow of information. This is from the conclusion of The Great Influenza by John M. Barry (2005):
“The final lesson of 1918, a simple one yet one most difficult to execute, is that… those in authority must retain the public’s trust. The way to do that is to distort nothing, to put the best face on nothing, to try to manipulate no one. Lincoln said that first and best. A leader must make whatever horror exists concrete. Only then will people be able to break it apart.”
As long as it’s good for Apple….
Eyes roll…