Summary information

Study title

Playing Video Games during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Survey 2020

Creator

Karhulahti, Veli-Matti (University of Jyväskylä) - 0000-0003-3709-5341
Chen, Yingrong
Nerg, Henri (University of Jyväskylä)

Study number / PID

FSD3547 (FSD)

urn:nbn:fi:fsd:T-FSD3547 (URN)

10.60686/t-fsd3547 (DOI)

Data access

Restricted

Series

Individual datasets

Individual datasets that do not belong to any series.

Abstract

The survey charted different digital gaming cultures. Questions examined digital gaming and related phenomena, such as livestreaming games and following e-sports and sports, during the coronavirus pandemic in Finland and China. First, the respondents were asked how often they had played digital and non-digital games in the past year and which games they had played the most. The types of digital games the respondents played (e.g. action and role-playing, sports games) were also surveyed. Following e-sports was examined with questions on, for example, how often the respondents watched online esports matches or livestreams of professional gamers, followed esports news sites or discussions, or bought esports merchandise. The respondents were also asked whether they played esports on a competitive level. Some questions also examined the respondents' habits regarding following and watching traditional sports. Next, the respondents' content producing was charted regarding whether the respondents had livestreamed their gaming. Finally, the survey examined the effects of the restrictions and exceptional circumstances caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The respondents were asked how the restrictions of movement and gathering had affected their life regarding gaming, following and watching esports and gaming livestreams, and following and watching traditional sports, as well as their own physical exercise, reading habits, and TV watching. Background variables included the respondent's age, gender and mother tongue (Finnish or Chinese).

Methodology

Data collection period

06/2020 - 09/2020

Country

Finland, China

Time dimension

Cross-section

Analysis unit

Individual

Universe

People playing digital games in Finland and China

Sampling procedure

Non-probability: Availability

Kind of data

Quantitative

Data collection mode

Self-administered questionnaire: Web-based (CAWI)

Funding information

Funder

Academy of Finland

Grant number

312397

Funder

University of Jyväskylä

Access

Publisher

Finnish Social Science Data Archive

Publication year

2022

Terms of data access

The dataset is (C) available only for research including master's theses.