How to impress the guest with an instant pot mashed carrots

In those childhood days, eating carrots was one of the most painful thing. No child like eating carrot but actually it is very much healthy for body and vision of your eyes. Along with that, it is rich with essential nutrients and vitamins that will fuel your mind and heart with all its significant benefits. Moreover, just like green vegetables, the carrot is perfect for salad preparation. It contributes significantly in strengthening your bones and muscular system and keeping them all durable and robust. As a result, you must search various Recipes for cooking carrots into an instant pot that will accumulate all the minerals and proteins and give a nurturing life to your bones. Beyond that, it is very much essential to learn to select the best quality and fresh carrots if you are eating it raw without steaming. 

What is the requirement of a steamer basket?

Carrot holds an integral position into the bowl full of salad as it ensures quality living over and above. It comes with OXO Good Grips Silicone Steamer, Green and Silicone Steamer Basket | Foldable, Space-Saving | Fits 6,8Qt Instant Pot and Other Similar-Sized Pressure Cookers Accessories. These baskets are foldable and designed precisely in order to save good amount of space in your closet. In fact, it is made out of the lightest material and does involve any kind of harmful chemical. It is very much easy and convenient to clean and does not get break easily. It is used prominently for releasing all the water outside with the penetration of tiny holes. You can search online and purchase it at an affordable prices. 

Healthy eating and healthy cooking is a key to stay fit 

Various types of healthy eating and healthy cooking recipes are available. For an instance, if you visit the website of Corrie Cooks you will get exposed to countless varieties of cooking so you try it regularly for healthy living. It includes -Instant Pot Orange Chicken, Instant Pot Beef and Broccoli, Instant Pot Japanese Cheesecake, Instant Pot Tapioca Pudding, Instant Pot Gluten Free Bread, Instant Pot Stuffed Peppers and others. They have collections of some new recipes like- Instant Pot Sambar, Instant Pot Doodhi Chana, Instant Pot Rasgulla, Instant Pot MakhaniDaal, Instant Pot Shakshuka and many others. Try these days by day and you will explore the flavours of multiple cuisine. 

Preparation and arrangement for cooking the carrots 

While making instant pot carrot, you need to make arrangements of several things like – getting a stainless steel steamer basket that fits perfect to the instant pot, water, salt, carrots, herbs and spices and pepper for some tanginess in flavour. When you arrange all these things, it will save good time while cooking. The process begins with peeling two or three carrots completely. Then you require half cup of water to soak them properly. So, once the peeling is done, you need to slice and dice it into the steaming basket. This is so easy that even a young child can operate the instant pot and cook food without any kind of additional hassle. You can check out the freezing or steaming process of chefs and professional for a better taste.

The freshness of carrot matters a lot while cooking 

Ensure that they are fresh and you have washed it properly. After that, you need to place the steaming basket into an instant pot by adding water into the same. You have pour water in a limited properly until it can sealing steam out the carrots. Then, close the lid and wait for its steaming process. Press manual and let it cook for five minutes. Do not try to overcook it otherwise it will take away all the essential nutrients and vitamins from your carrot. Once the instant pot is cooled down manually, you can open it and serve to your guest. While plating, you can sprinkle salt and pepper as per the taste. Various recipes often decorate the plate by peppering herbs and coriander for an impressive presentation. 

Carrot cooking nurtures the full body and mind 

When it comes to healthy eating, you can cook carrots for breakfast to kick start your way with healthy and fiber-based food. Along with that, you can simultaneously other possible vegetables in the same process of steaming that will contribute significantly in cutting down the rigid fat and balance your weight despite of having such a jam-packed schedule. . It offers nutritional values to your mind and improves your power of retention. Along with that, you must select the best quality of steamer basket that helps you in easy cooking.You need to visit the site in order to get better insight about how to rightly cook with the same taste and aroma. 

Therefore, you can contact Corrie Cooks now to explore authentic recipes with an instant pot.  

 

Top 5 Benefits Of Starting The Keto Diet

The world is getting health conscious by the minute, and there are many solutions to that. One search on the internet and you will be offered a hundred solutions and diets for a better and healthy lifestyle. However, the one thing that has perhaps been the most successful is the Keto diet. It is a metabolic process that naturally breaks down the fatty acids in the body, turns them into ketone compounds, and utilizes that as a source of energy for the body to consume. However, for starters, this diet takes a lot of determination to follow. But once you are habituated to it, you will start noticing the improvements. Generally followed for weight loss, here are five other benefits of the Keto diet that you would appreciate. 

Helps with weight loss

Firstly, we have already mentioned how the keto diet is perfect for a healthy weight loss. The keto diet works based on increased healthy fats intake and a decreased carb intake. By doing so, your body starts reducing the insulin level, which in turn allows the accumulated fatty acids in your body to burn as a source of energy. Thus, this helps in easy and natural weight loss. 

Increased good cholesterol 

The keto diet helps in increasing the levels of High-Density Lipoprotein in your body, which is also known as good cholesterol. Because the keto diet includes increased intake of healthy fat and low-carb intake, it promotes the increase of HDL. HDL is known for lowering the risks of various heart diseases. 

 

With that said, overall, the keto diet is a healthy and beneficial diet that you can adapt to. However, it does happen to be a bit hard to follow, as it will take willpower and determination to adopt and follow. If in case, you are having trouble following it, you may take external supplements such as Ketond supplements. You can read on at ‘Ketond Supplement: Is The Best Exogenous Ketones?’ to know more about them.

Controls appetite

The main flaw in every other diet is that it starves you of the nutrients that your body demands, and in the process, keeps you hungry. This is perhaps the main reason why people on a diet end up cheating. However, it is not the same for a Keto diet. In the Keto diet, the main motto is to supply the body with just the right amount of nutrients that it requires. It offers a low-carb food chart, which provides your body with all the nutrients that it needs while decreasing your appetite at the same time. 

Helps lower blood pressure

If you are worried about high blood pressure, then the keto diet would be just to your liking. This diet here has a direct impact on your blood pressure. As mentioned above, the keto diet involves low carb intake. This causes your body to reduce the production of insulin, thus causes your blood pressure to drop. If you have high blood pressure, then the keto diet is ideal for you. However, if you have ongoing medication for blood pressure, it is advised that you first consult your doctor once before starting the diet. 

Reduces triglycerides

There is a reason why carbs are not so good for your body or health. The reason being, they cause an increase in the fat molecules known as triglycerides. These molecules are responsible for clogging your blood vessels, which in turn leads to high heart risks. However, the Keto diet helps you check your carb intake, thus decreasing the formation of fat molecules such as triglycerides. Thus, the keto diet not just helps you with healthy weight loss, but also protects you from any potential cardiac disease. 

Join us for the #JungleBeatTheMovie Twitter Watch Party #ad

Jungle Beat The Movie is now available at home On Demand, make plans to watch with your family this weekend on Prime Video, Apple TV, and Google Play.

Join us (@HaveSippy) TONIGHT for the #JungleBeatTheMovie Twitter Watch Party at 7pm ET | 4pm PT. Jungle Beat is giving away awesome prizes including $100 and $500 Amazon Gift Cards.

Plus, be sure to check out the film’s FREE activity playbook AND watch the new ‘Together In This’ music video sneak peek below, performed by Grammy Award-nominated singer/songwriter Natasha Bedingfield and written by Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter Jonas Myrin.

About the Song

‘Together in This’ will be the featured single on the soundtrack of Jungle Beat The Movie, as well as the official end title track for the film and will be available for download/streaming on June 26. The song was not only inspired by the film’s themes of togetherness and friendship, but also the state of the world today, reminding us that although we may be apart, we’re never alone.

FREE ACTIVITY PLAYBOOK

Share the Film’s Activity “Playbook” filled with activities, recipes, and coloring pages for a family movie night.

Jungle Beat The Movie – Now Available On Demand

Official Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | Pinterest | #JungleBeatTheMovie #PlanetEarthHugsAgain

Jungle Beat: The Movie is a family friendly adventure of epic proportions. One morning, the animals of the jungle wake up to discover that they can speak. They’re even more amazed when they learn the reason why: There’s an alien in the jungle! Little FNEEP has come to conquer the planet and has brought some crazy tech with him, including a translation device that lets them talk for the first time. Unfortunately for the intergalactic Scaldronian empire, but fortunately for the jungle, Fneep is a terrible conqueror: He’s homesick, he’s crashed his ship, and he’s no match for the antics of MUNKI, TRUNK and the gang. Our heroes won’t let a little alien conquest get in the way of a good time or a new friend! As the animals help him on his journey home, he learns that friendship could be the greatest force in the universe. But is it a match for a spaceship full of aliens?

The Best Flooring to Make Your Family Home Functional and Fashionable

Around on a carpeted floor, there’s a possibility they could have an allergic reaction or pick up a nasty bug. Obviously, this isn’t what you want for your family home. Instead, we recommend installing laminate flooring or oak wood flooring because both these materials have smooth surfaces which prevent pollen and dirt from collecting on them. Oak flooring is also non-allergenic by comparison to other wood floorings (such as pine) and an incredibly beautiful raw material. This means it’s perfect for a stylish and sensible family home.

Low Maintenance

Running a household is like juggling as there’s a lot of chaos, multi-tasking and you’re bound to drop something. Therefore, it’s important to install flooring in your home which makes cleaning up quick and easy. Avoid porous materials which stain easily and instead choose flooring with a water-resistant coating or polyurethane finish. This means you can sweep or mop away messes without breaking your back as you scrub baby food out of the carpet. Also, flooring which is low maintenance will look more attractive because it isn’t covered in stains.

Hard-Wearing

Children are always going to be running around, pulling their chairs in and out, causing all kinds of trouble. You’re going to need a heavy-duty material for your flooring to withstand the high level of activity going on. Carpet isn’t ideal because it can quickly look worn down and the fabric can be torn. Sturdier materials like laminate, vinyl or reinforced wood flooring are better in these circumstances as they’re able to withstand areas of high foot traffic without losing their appearance. These materials are usually coated with substances like polyurethane which help them become more scratch-resistant, while also giving them an attractive glossy finish. The more durable your flooring, the better your house looks and the more functional it becomes.

By looking for these qualities when choosing a new floor for your family home, you can find something gorgeous and feel reassured that it’s practical, too. 

 

Why is it beneficial to write your thoughts, anonymously?

When hiding behind any device, people think that no one can find them or catch their identity. Though it is not so true. In the changing time, people do concern about their privacy while making any transactions online. People also concern about what if someone tracks the record of their applications. When you’re using any social media or other platforms to share your data, it is not possible to get 100% privacy even by hiding your profile from public to private. It is because all your history from your browser is connected with an IP address. Often, people assume that the IP address is just their residential address.

For knowing all about IP address, one must know that it is a number that connects to the internet and all the things you do over the web gets stored in it. If you want to ensure 100% anonymity on the web, it is a must that you switch to an anonymous IP address first. You can use a VPN service for this purpose. If you are lacking any single thing about being anonymous, it can lead to a hacker learning your real identity.

Ever thought of releasing an anonymous blog post? Do you think whether writing an anonymous blog can constitute to some benefits? Or whether it is not any useful thing to use anonymity for posting online content? Often, people confuse anonymity with the sole benefit of hiding your identity from the web. Though, it holds a long list of benefits for people to post contents online without the fear of anyone posting negative comments on your post or other fear. When you get the power to write freely on any controversial subject, you talk about reality. And how can you get this power? Often, anonymous blogging allows writers to come up with clear thoughts on any topic. 

Benefits of anonymity to share your thoughts

Are you searching for the benefits which are associated with anonymous blogging? Online anonymity does come with a bunch of benefits for internet users. It can be safety or privacy concerns that enable writers to post content or share their thoughts over a certain topic anonymously. When looking for how the anonymous identity can help you talk about your thoughts, you can learn all the things from the points discussed below:

 

  • Stay confident in speaking truth

 

Whether you have any content experience or not, you need to post content, ensuring that it doesn’t breach any social issue or anything controversial can result in severe consequences. As a writer, one would avoid talking everything about facts and truths when using their real name for publishing content. This is a reason why writers rely on anonymity for posting content with reality. Anonymity opens the door to be free about truth and what prevails in reality! You can explore some hidden truths about society, religious pressures, and much more only on the anonymous contents. Without even a single thought, you can speak up straight about the facts using an anonymous name. Or when you go anonymous, you get the power to talk about the social or political issues without thinking that someone can impose a legal complaint against you.  

 

  • Help others with your stories.

 

Thinking how you can help people by sharing your narrative stories? Many times, people face the same situation in life as yours. And when you’re out with your story in front of the world, people get power to stand up against the odds in their life seeing you. When you talk about your stories with the world anonymously, people get to interact with your experiences and how you stood strong against the challenging phase of your life. 

 

  • Secured data

 

When using the internet service, everyone knows the value of confidential data and the consequences associated with its unauthorized disclosure. When you’re coming up with your stories or thoughts over the web, millions of internet users can access it and get to find your real identity. In those millions of people, some hidden internet culprits don’t miss a single opportunity to steal the data of internet users for unauthorized usage. When you blog online or post any content using your real identity, there might be hackers tracking your location, password, or other sensitive information. What can you do to betray the hackers? For this purpose, it is a wise decision to share your thoughts using an anonymous profile and anonymous IP address for publishing it. 

Conclusion

One can’t deny the benefits associated with online anonymity. Using a real identity to talk with the world over the web can lead to certain consequences like stolen data, misuse of confidential information, and other things. Currently, people are switching to smarter ways of using internet service to avoid any security threats or malicious attacks. Anonymity gives a wider platform for writers to talk openly about their thoughts and share sensitive facts freely.

Traveling with Your Pet: What to Consider

Traveling with an animal is a lot like traveling with a child – perhaps even more difficult! Not all places allow animals, so if you can’t bring them with you, you have to find alternative care, which is expensive. While we love our fluffy companions, navigating how to travel with them can be tough. 

Here are some tips on how to travel with (or leave behind) your precious fur baby.

One Way to Bring Your Pet Everywhere

Getting a registered Emotional Support Animal is a sure-fire way for your pet to be allowed access everywhere with you. However, not just any pet can be registered as one. You’ll need to  prove why you need one. 

We’ve all heard of service animals, which are meant to help the disabled population function easier in society and aid with daily tasks. But Emotional Support Animals are different. These are animals that are meant to provide comfort from a symptom or disability, primarily of the mental health variety. 

They are not trained to deal with or help with any disability. Emotional Support Animals are allowed on airlines and no-pet housing. Emotional support animal registration is fairly easy: you will need a letter from a licensed mental health professional saying that you could benefit from an ESA. If you’re granted it, your pooch (or other smaller animal) will be allowed into hotels, restaurants, and planes with you. 

How to Keep You and Your Animal Safe

If you’re traveling by car, it’s not safe to leave your pet free to roam about. If you were to get into an accident (Heaven forbid), their tiny bodies would likely not be able to withstand the impact. Keep your pet in a carrier for two reasons: 1) they’ll have protection if you crash, and 2) they won’t be a distraction to you and potentially cause you to crash. 

Don’t Forget About Rest Stops

When you’re not at home and in your regular routine, it’s easy to forget things like letting your pet go to the bathroom. Make sure every time you stop for yourself, you stop for your fur baby too. They also need to stretch their legs! Let your animal walk around for a few minutes at every rest stop as well. 

Flying with Your Pet

If your pet has a “flat” face, found in some dog breeds like Pugs, they may be more prone to oxygen deprivation. Be careful when choosing to fly, and try to see if the airline will allow you to keep the animal in the cabin with you (for an additional fee). You will have to call the airline in advance to make sure this is possible. 

Hotels and AirBnBs

Some hotels and AirBnB listings will allow pets, but most of them will not. You have to do your due diligence in specifically calling or looking at the listing to see if they allow pets. Even if the website says they do, it’s still a good idea to call and make sure, or ask if there are any additional fees for bringing a pet. 

Is it Better to Bring Them or Leave Them?

Traveling isn’t always comfortable for pets: being stuck in a crate for hours with limited visibility and not understanding what’s going on is enough to make any animal anxious and uncomfortable. This is truer if your trip involves flying. If you’re driving cross-country, having your pet with you might be a fun ride!

If figuring out logistics for bringing your pet along is starting to become a huge hassle, it may be time to consider either leaving them at home and hiring a pet walker, asking a friend to check in on them, or boarding them for a few days. 

While it might be fun and less expensive to take your pet with you on a trip, it will also take a lot of planning their meals, water, bathroom breaks, etc. If you’re only going out of town for a few days, it might be better in the long run to leave them behind. If you’re going to be gone for quite some time, like 2 weeks or more, then it would make more sense to bring your pet with you. 

 

#FourKidsAndItMovie Twit­ter Party

This is a sponsored post on behalf of Lionsgate. All opinions expressed are our own.

Join Blog­gin Mamas & Lionsgate as we host the #FourKidsAndItMovie Twit­ter Party on Thursday, 6/25/20 at 9p EST! Join us as we talk about this adorable movie debuting in the US on June 30. Plus, there will be some prizes too!

Date: Thursday, June 25th, 2020

Time: 9:00–10:00pm EST / 6:00–7:00pm PST

Hash­tag: #FourKidsAndItMovie

Spon­sored By: @Lionsgate

Pre­sented by: @BlogginMamas

Mod­er­a­tors: Eng­lish– @HeatherLopezCEO Span­ish– @BBabushka

Co-hosts: @CoolChillMom, @donnahup, @EnzasBargains, @HaveSippy, @dawnchats

Panelists: @BabySavers, @MultiMave, @MamacitaOTM, @MommyPowers, @NightHelperBlog, @thePositiveMOM_, @2kidsandacoupon, @OnicaCupido, @LovePeaceMommy, @paulabendfeldt

About The Movie

Four Kids and It is a charming and whimsical story featuring a star-studded cast including Paula Patton and Matthew Goode with Russell Brand and the voice of Academy Award® winner Michael Caine. Based on iconic children’s author Jaqueline Wilson’s Four Children and It, the story is a modern twist based on E. Nesbit’s 1902 classic Five Children and It, and also stars Teddie Malleson-Allen, Ashley Aufderheide, Billy Jenkins, and Ellie-Mae Siame. The film adaptation is directed by Andy De Emmony and written by Simon Lewis.

On a seaside holiday, four kids from a blended family visit the beach, where they discover a floppy-eared creature that grants their wishes. But there’s a catch: the kids’ adventures in rock-climbing, pop stardom, and flying end promptly at sunset — leaving them in danger each time. Can they learn to control the magic before something dreadful happens?

Follow Lionsgate

Like @Lionsgate on FB: https://www.facebook.com/lionsgate/</a>

Follow @Lionsgate on IG: https://www.instagram.com/lionsgate/</a>

Follow @Lionsgate on Twitter: https://twitter.com/lionsgate</a>

Subscribe to @LionsgateLIVE on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/LionsgateLIVE</a>

Visit the Lionsgate website: https://www.lionsgate.com/movies/four-kids-and-it</a>

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Prizes

Dinner & a Movie Prize Packs (These are tentative. Subject to Change.)

4- $40 Gift Card of Winner’s Choice (Postmates, Uber Eats, DoorDash, GrubHub) + Movie Digital Code (ARV $65)

Dinner & a Movie Grand Prize Pack

1- $100 Gift Card of Winner’s Choice (Postmates, Uber Eats, DoorDash, GrubHub) + Movie Digital Code (ARV $125)

RSVP Prize

$40 Gift Card of Winner’s Choice (Postmates, Uber Eats, DoorDash, GrubHub) + Movie Digital Code (ARV $65)

RSVP Below!!

Terms and Conditions

NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT NECESSARY. A PURCHASE WILL NOT IMPROVE YOUR CHANCE OF WINNING.

By RSVP’ing to the event and uti­liz­ing the #FourKidsAndItMovie hash­tag, the atten­dees acknowl­edge hav­ing read and agreed to these terms and conditions.

Blog­gin’ Mamas, a division of Heather Lopez Enter­prises LLC is administering and managing this Twitter Party, hereinafter referred to as the “event”. Lions Gate Entertainment Inc. is sponsoring this event, and distributing the prizes.

Twit­ter Party Prize Give­away begins June 25, 2020 at 9:00 pm ET and ends no later than June 25, 2020 at 10:30pm ET (the “Twit­ter Party Entry Period”). Entrants enter via fol­low­ing @Lionsgate and @BlogginMamas, and post­ing a tweet with the #FourKidsAndItMovie hashtag dur­ing the Twit­ter Party Entry Period. Five (5) Win­ners will be drawn ran­domly by random.org at approx­i­mately 12 minute inter­vals dur­ing the Twit­ter Party Entry Period. One (1) Win­ner will be drawn ran­domly via random.org from the event RSVP’s on the Mr. Linky widget.

Open to legal residents of the U.S. who are physically located in contiguous United States or the District of Columbia who are of the legal age of majority in their jurisdiction of primary residence, usually a minimum of 18 years old but 19 or 21 in some states. Proof of residency and/or age may be required.

Prizes include:

Four Winners will each get: One (1) $40 Gift Card of Winner’s Choice (Postmates, Uber Eats, DoorDash, GrubHub) + Movie Digital Code. Total approx­i­mate retail value (“ARV”) $65, for each of four (4) winners.

One Grand Prize Winner will get: One (1) $100 Gift Card of Winner’s Choice (Postmates, Uber Eats, DoorDash, GrubHub) + Movie Digital Code. Total approx­i­mate retail value (“ARV”) $125, for one (1) Grand Prize winner.

One RSVP Winner will get: One (1) $40 Gift Card of Winner’s Choice (Postmates, Uber Eats, DoorDash, GrubHub) + Movie Digital Code. Total approx­i­mate retail value (“ARV”) $65, awarded to one (1) win­ner who RSVP’s via the Mr. Linky widget.

Each win­ner receives one (1) prize pack as set forth above. Entrants who fail to com­plete said actions will be dis­qual­i­fied and an alter­nate win­ner will be selected from all entrants who entered dur­ing the Twit­ter Party Entry Period. Win­ners will be noti­fied via DM (Direct Mes­sage) on Twit­ter with a request for an email address to send prize claim infor­ma­tion. Win­ners will have 48 hours to complete the prize claim form or an alter­nate win­ner will be selected from amongst all entries received dur­ing the Twit­ter Party Entry Period. All prizes will be awarded pro­vided they are validly claimed by June 29, 2020 at 11:59AM EST.

Entrants agree to release and hold harm­less the Blog­gin’ Mamas, Heather Lopez Enter­prises, LLC, Lions Gate Entertainment Inc., Twit­ter, and any other orga­ni­za­tions respon­si­ble for spon­sor­ing, ful­fill­ing, admin­is­ter­ing, adver­tis­ing or pro­mot­ing this give­away, and their respec­tive par­ent, sub­sidiaries, and affil­i­ates and each of their respec­tive offi­cers, direc­tors, mem­bers, employ­ees, agents and sub­con­trac­tors (col­lec­tively the “Released Par­ties”) from and against any and all claims, expenses, and lia­bil­ity, includ­ing but not lim­ited to neg­li­gence and dam­ages of any kind to per­sons and prop­erty, includ­ing but not lim­ited to inva­sion of pri­vacy (under appro­pri­a­tion, intru­sion, pub­lic dis­clo­sure of pri­vate facts, false light in the pub­lic eye or other legal the­ory), defama­tion, slan­der, libel, vio­la­tion of right of pub­lic­ity, infringe­ment of trade­mark, copy­right or other intel­lec­tual prop­erty rights, prop­erty dam­age, or death or per­sonal injury aris­ing out of or relat­ing to a participant’s entry, cre­ation of an entry or sub­mis­sion of an entry, par­tic­i­pa­tion in this give­away, accep­tance or use or mis­use of prize. Entrant agrees to indem­nify, defend and hold harm­less the Released Par­ties from and against any and all claims, expenses, and lia­bil­i­ties (includ­ing rea­son­able attorney’s fees) aris­ing out of or relat­ing to an entrant’s par­tic­i­pa­tion in this give­away and/or entrant’s accep­tance, use or mis­use of prize, includ­ing, with­out lim­i­ta­tion, lia­bil­ity for per­sonal injury, dam­age, or loss.

The Released Par­ties make no war­ranties, and hereby disclaims any and all warranties, express or implied, concerning any prize furnished in connection with the give­away.

WITHOUT LIMITING THE GENERALITY OF THE FOREGOING, SUCH PRIZES ARE PROVIDED“AS IS” WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AND THE RELEASED PARTIES

HEREBY DISCLAIM ALL SUCH WARRANTIES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND/OR NON-INFRINGEMENT.

Dis­clo­sure: Blog­gin’ Mamas is being com­pen­sated for man­ag­ing this Twit­ter Party. Indi­vid­ual co-hosts and panelists are being com­pen­sated for their par­tic­i­pa­tion. All prize ful­fill­ment is the responsibility of the sponsor.

How COVID-19 Is Affecting the Video Games Industry

At the time of writing, roughly half of the world’s population is under some form of lockdown to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Billions of people are currently living with various restrictions in place. In the UK, for example, we’re meant to stay in the house as much as possible, play free casino games no download, only leaving to get essential supplies, go to work (if classed as a key worker) or help relatives. When out of the house, we have to practise social distancing at all times and not come into close contact with anyone else. So far, COVID-19 has robbed many of us of the ability to go about our day-to-day lives and do normal, everyday things. With loads of us stuck indoors most of the time, it should come as no surprise that many are finding a new love for video games. Here’s a closer look at how the virus is having an impact on the video game industry.

More People Playing

To put it simply, loads more people are playing video games than before the virus came along and started spreading. People are bored having to spend so much time indoors unable to go out to work, socialise and enjoy leisure activities. A lot of people are curing their boredom by indulging in screen-based entertainment: watching regular TV, making the most of subscription-based streaming services (such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video) and playing video games. In fact, there’s a lot more streaming going on than ever before, and there are concerns the internet’s infrastructure might not be able to handle it. 

If people aren’t playing games they’ve had lying around the house for games, maybe on older consoles and devices, they’re looking online for the latest and newest ones to try out instead. People want entertainment, and in these uncertain times especially, they want escapism. They want to be able to immerse themselves in something that’s enjoyable and fun – that’s exactly what video games are about. Many gamers are spending more time before gaming, while many people who weren’t really into games before are now devoting hours to them, keen for any sort of escape from the real world and the ongoing virus stories in the news. Not only are people playing video games more, but they’re also playing other types of game, such as online casino games (slots, card and table games, scratchcards and video poker) and even traditional board games. 

Cancellations

A positive effect COVID-19 is having on the video games industry is that it’s giving people more time and reason to play. However, the virus is still having some significant negative effects on the industry that may well go on to have long-lasting consequences. Thanks to the virus, all sorts of real-world events, meetings and social gatherings of any kind have been postponed or cancelled outright. Like any other industry, the video games one relies on all sorts of gatherings big and small in all sorts of countries to keep itself going. Yes, it’s an industry that’s all about screen-based entertainment, but there’s still a real-world aspect to the business. 

Events are very important because they bring people from all parts of the industry together – not only that, they also attract huge numbers of fans. Many smaller design companies rely on events to promote their games and strike publishing deals. Large companies also benefit from events, but they don’t necessarily rely on them as much. Still, these gatherings are vital for the industry because they forge connections and partnerships that help games reach the consumer. 

The world’s largest video game event is E3, also known as the Electronic Entertainment Expo. It’s held annually in Los Angeles and used to be for industry professionals only, though since 2017 it’s admitted members of the public. The 2019 event welcome some 66,100 people. The 2020 event, however, has been formally cancelled because of COVID-19. A virtual version is said to be in the works instead; however, this will unlikely be able to replicate the full, real-world event and everything it creates. 

There are many other video game industry events like E3 that are being cancelled. The Game Developers’ Conference, which is aimed specifically at developers, was scheduled to take place in March, but has been pulled. The cancellation of these key events that bring developers and publishers together is going to hit the independent companies looking for their big break the most. The knock-on effect could well be that in the next few years, fewer games by new developers and smaller companies are released.

Hardware

Another key area of the video game industry that COVID-19 is having an immediate impact on is the production of hardware. There’s a rise in demand for consoles right now, but the problem is that production has all but ground to a halt. A large percentage of video game consoles are made in China, from where COVID-19 originated. It should come as no surprise that there’s been quite a shortfall in production over the last few months, with the result that the demand for new consoles is now much greater than the supply. Thankfully, it seems that the virus has peaked in China, and things are beginning to return to some semblance of normality. People have slowly started returning to work, though it will be a while – most likely many months – before the levels of production return to what they were pre-virus. 

The production of yet-to-be-released consoles is also being affected. Sony’s PlayStation 5 is meant to be getting released in late 2020, while Microsoft’s Xbox Series X also has a scheduled release date of later this year. Both new consoles could well be delayed thanks to the supply chain being disrupted by COVID-19. The longer it takes for things to return to normal, the longer delays in getting these consoles to market may be. It wouldn’t be a surprise if both were put back to 2021.