'The gaming world produces escapism in difficult times'

"Precisely in difficult times, as was the case with Corona and now with the war, people need escapism, a lifeline that games can provide. It's not just a worldview, it's backed up by data collected over the years," explains Amir Dori, director of game design at SciPlay.

"The mood is low, there is no sense of personal security, and people need an escape or a way to deal with reality through entertainment means. This is SciPlay's vision, at the end of the day to be the largest entertainment company in the world, and we have seen the importance of the world of games especially during the Corona period. Instead of investing time and money in going out To watch movies, which was not possible, everyone in the house could connect to the game for the same escape or pleasure," emphasizes Dori.

The gaming industry is one of the most stable and profitable industries in the high-tech field - there is no lack of ideas, there are always innovations and changing technologies and of course a customer base that is only growing, with an age range that is constantly expanding. "Almost every person has some kind of motivation or incentive to play some game, whether you want to disconnect from your thoughts, or feel confident and strong, that you are worth something, to beat others and succeed, there are many reasons, it is very individual."

"Games can definitely be a lifeline, especially in difficult times," adds Dori, "you can see it in all parameters, and this is also reflected in the shares of the gaming companies - the winners of higher traffic. It's also not something periodic, that is, there was no drop after the corona , people don't tend to leave games they like, they continue to accompany them even during routine times."

When Dory talks about the gaming world, he does not necessarily mean the AAA titles that most serious gamers know, such as FIFA or GTA, although they are definitely recommended for those looking for escapism. Today the field of gaming is so wide and accessible (personal computers, consoles, tablets and smart phones) that it contains a multitude of genres and diverse players, from infants to retirees who cannot leave their mobile phones. "We're talking about games that my grandmother doesn't leave when she's in line for the doctor, or you see people playing on the train on the way to work."

"These are casual games that can pass you a few minutes during a commercial break, like solitaire or bingo, there are countless examples. On the other hand, there are the heavy games More, like strategy games or demanding games that require hours of planning on the player's part, that really make you forget what world you live in. So there is something for everyone, you just have to look."

There is another aspect to the gaming world that touches our lives during the war, and that is our relationship with the outside world. "If you feel that the isolation is suffocating you, you see in the news only hatred in the world towards Israel," says Dori, "sometimes you feel like entering an online game, making new connections and even discovering that there are people who are not against us, and it's fun to play with them and against them."

"This platform of the gaming world allows us so many avenues and realizes different motivations that it leverages in us", he emphasizes, "it is one of the psychological means that allows us to deal with such difficult times".

SciPlay is one of the world's leading gaming companies, producing social casino, bingo and casual games for millions of users all over the world.

Today SciPlay7 has branches in the United States, Israel, Kyiv, Turkey and India staffed by over 800 employees. In the company's offices in Tel Aviv, there are about 300 employees from a variety of fields: development, product management, digital marketing, analytics, data science, project management, graphic design, software testing and more.