Millions in China banish virus blues with online games, video apps

Plague Inc, a game which allows users to create and evolve a pathogen to destroy the world, generated 78,000 downloads in January, according to Sensor Tower. — Reuters

BEIJING/SHANGHAI: Online games and short video apps have been among the few beneficiaries of China's virus outbreak, raking in millions of views and downloads as people stuck in self-quarantine at home seek entertainment and ways to beguile their time.

The shift has even drawn companies more used to doing business in showrooms, such as carmakers Tesla and Mercedes-Benz, to promote products heavily online during the week.