Innovation helps conquer boredom at home

Online games

Online games and streaming apps have seen millions of views and downloads as demand for home entertainment has soared.

According to Tencent Games, Honor of Kings earned about 2 billion yuan ($288 million)－a record high－on Jan 24, Lunar New Year's Eve. Industry experts estimate that the game made more than 9 billion yuan last month due to the increasing number of participants and longer playing times during the outbreak.

The strategy game Plague Inc., from the United Kingdom, went viral after the outbreak. Since Jan 21, it has been one of China's most downloaded apps, according to mobile data and analytics platform App Annie.

Developed in 2012 by Ndemic Creation, the game demonstrates how a pathogen evolves and infects people.

In 2013, James Vaughan, the game's developer, said it can serve "as a tool to teach the public about outbreaks and disease transmission."

Last month, the game generated 78,000 downloads, up from 16,000 in December, according to market analyst Sensor Tower.