At the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries took measures to contain their populations in an attempt to stem the spread of the virus. If confinement is not always respected by some, video games publishers have decided to launch the operation #PlayApartTogether which is an initiative that aims to invite people to play together virtually and so encourage them to stay confined.
Among the publishers who are participating in this operation, Activision Blizzard which, through its CEO, Bobby Kotick, explains that it has never been so essential to ensure that people stay connected securely. For him, video games are the perfect platform to connect people and he welcomes to participate in such a necessary initiative. Activision can count on its new online game Call of Duty: Warzone which has already attracted more than 10 million players since March 10.
Activision Blizzard is not the only publisher to embark on this battle. At Riot Games, publisher of League of Legends, “we compare the COVID-19 to a video game monster and we call on players to stay physically separate to help flatten the curve” as stated by Nicolo Laurent, the CEO of the company.
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In addition, several studios and publishers have announced rewards and the free availability of certain games to invite players to play and therefore stay at home. This is the case with Ubisoft and Crystal Dynamics.
WHO RECOMMENDS VIDEO GAMES TO FIGHT COVID-19
These initiatives can count on the support of WHO, the World Health Organization which welcomed this operation aimed at pushing gamers around the world to respect the confinement instructions.
WHO has declared through Ray Chambers, a senior official of the organization, that the global audience of video game companies is a real asset in getting the message of prevention out in the fight against the coronavirus. He also encourages everyone to participate in #PlayApartTogether for more social distancing and other measures to flatten the curve and save lives.
We’re at a crucial moment in defining outcomes of this pandemic. Games industry companies have a global audience – we encourage all to #PlayApartTogether. More physical distancing + other measures will help to flatten the curve + save lives. https://t.co/QhX0ssN0lH
— Ray Chambers (@RaymondChambers) March 28, 2020
How old are the employees in WHO!