'Animal Crossing: New Horizons' was also the most discussed game on Twitter in 2020.
'Animal Crossing: New Horizons' was also the most discussed game on Twitter in 2020.
'Animal Crossing: New Horizons' was also the most discussed game on Twitter in 2020.
'Animal Crossing: New Horizons' was also the most discussed game on Twitter in 2020.

'Animal Crossing' to 'Fifa 2021': the games keeping people busy in lockdown


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You're stuck in lockdown, but that doesn't mean you can't visit a tropical island, a space station or have games night with your friends. This is how people have been battling isolation over the past year, as certain video games have offered a bit of distraction, adventure and socialisation, achieving unexpected success during the pandemic.

Animal Crossing

There are no adversaries or competition in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, which came out in March for Nintendo's Switch console. Instead, players explore an island, collecting fruit and making tools and furniture, trading with others, as the seasons slowly change.

This version of the game certainly hit the spot with players hungry for a bit of light-hearted diversion. It powered to the top of the sales charts in the US in March 2020, and was among top sellers in other countries as well. It was the number two title in Europe for 2020 overall, according to German market research institute GfK.

Characters in 'Animal Crossing: New Leaf' can travel to a tropical island to compete in games such as scavenger hunts. Courtesy Nintendo
Characters in 'Animal Crossing: New Leaf' can travel to a tropical island to compete in games such as scavenger hunts. Courtesy Nintendo

"The smashing success of Animal Crossing is explained by two factors: one is an underlying trend towards family games and the other is the short-term factor of the confinement," said Nicolas Vignolles, head of the association of French video game publisher association SELL.

He said parents suddenly confronted with being confined with their children looked to video games to find options for family entertainment, and that "Animal Crossing was an ideal game for parent-child interaction".

Nintendo's chief in France, Philippe Lavoue, has acknowledged the firm's lucky timing of releasing the game just as many people were needing an escape.

"But we were happy to have helped confined people feel less lonely and to escape mentally," he told the French newspaper Le Figaro.

FIFA 2021

The halt to many football matches and the postponement of the Euro championship may have sparked interest among fans to play virtually. According to GfK, FIFA 2021 from Electronic Arts was the best-selling video game in 2020.

'Fifa 2021'. Courtesy Electronic Arts
'Fifa 2021'. Courtesy Electronic Arts

Among Us

The success of Among Us in 2020 was a big surprise for the industry as the title drew little attention when was originally released in 2018.

But its developers at US studio Innersloth kept refining their concept, which paid off when some prominent game-streamers on Twitch began to play it on the platform in mid-2020.

By November, the game had half-a-billion players, according to Superdata, which monitors the gaming industry.

The online multiplayer game takes place on a space ship. Most people are crew mates, but several are imposters who are out to kill or at least block crew mates from carrying out their assigned tasks. Lively debates take place as they seek to unmask the imposters.

'Among Us'. Courtesy InnerSloth
'Among Us'. Courtesy InnerSloth

The game's popularity has even seen US lawmakers join in matches broadcast on Twitch in an effort to reach young voters last year.

For French game publisher Vignolles it is the exchanges between players that explains the game's popularity.

"Among Us is at the intersection of social networking and video games," he said, noting that nearly one in two gamers in France say that video games help them create social relationships.

"That didn't exist before... This underlying trend has accelerated with confinement," said Vignolles.

Ring Fit Adventure

If working out and playing video games are usually two contradictory activities, Ring Fit Adventure brings them together.

The game works with the Switch console, whose controllers are slotted into a Pilates ring and a leg strap.

Once equipped, players can fight against monsters or be guided through fitness routines by the television.

The closure of gyms, along with lockdowns, fuelled a spike in sales, leading to shortages last year after consumers snapped up four million units between October 2019 and July 2020.

'Ring Fit Adventure'. Courtesy Nintendo
'Ring Fit Adventure'. Courtesy Nintendo

Board and card games

If chess boards and Uno cards graced the tables of many households more frequently during lockdowns, their video games versions did as well.

A sign of that is a collection of classic board games for Switch was among the top sellers for the console in France last year, Nintendo told Le Figaro.

"The big lesson of confinement was that video games have broken definitively the stereotype of a game that can cause people to withdraw and become isolated," said Vignolles.

"They were an incredibly effective antidote to isolation."

EA Sports FC 25
What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE

Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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if you go

The flights

Air Astana flies direct from Dubai to Almaty from Dh2,440 per person return, and to Astana (via Almaty) from Dh2,930 return, both including taxes. 

The hotels

Rooms at the Ritz-Carlton Almaty cost from Dh1,944 per night including taxes; and in Astana the new Ritz-Carlton Astana (www.marriott) costs from Dh1,325; alternatively, the new St Regis Astana costs from Dh1,458 per night including taxes. 

When to visit

March-May and September-November

Visas

Citizens of many countries, including the UAE do not need a visa to enter Kazakhstan for up to 30 days. Contact the nearest Kazakhstan embassy or consulate.

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The specs: 2017 GMC Sierra 1500 Denali

Price, base / as tested Dh207,846 / Dh220,000

Engine 6.2L V8

Transmission Eight-speed automatic

Power 420hp @ 5,600rpm

Torque 624Nm @ 4,100rpm

Fuel economy, combined 13.5L / 100km

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Dhadak 2

Director: Shazia Iqbal

Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri 

Rating: 1/5

The specs: 2019 Audi A7 Sportback

Price, base: Dh315,000

Engine: 3.0-litre V6

Transmission: Seven-speed automatic

Power: 335hp @ 5,000rpm

Torque: 500Nm @ 1,370rpm

Fuel economy 5.9L / 100km

Profile

Co-founders of the company: Vilhelm Hedberg and Ravi Bhusari

Launch year: In 2016 ekar launched and signed an agreement with Etihad Airways in Abu Dhabi. In January 2017 ekar launched in Dubai in a partnership with the RTA.

Number of employees: Over 50

Financing stage: Series B currently being finalised

Investors: Series A - Audacia Capital 

Sector of operation: Transport

Defence review at a glance

• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”

• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems

• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.

• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%

• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade

• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels

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SHOW COURTS ORDER OF PLAY

Wimbledon order of play on Tuesday, July 11
All times UAE ( 4 GMT)

Centre Court

Adrian Mannarino v Novak Djokovic (2)

Venus Williams (10) v Jelena Ostapenko (13)

Johanna Konta (6) v Simona Halep (2)

Court 1

Garbine Muguruza (14) v

Svetlana Kuznetsova (7)

Magdalena Rybarikova v Coco Vandeweghe (24) 

RESULT

Manchester City 1 Sheffield United 0
Man City:
Jesus (9')

Why are you, you?

Why are you, you?
From this question, a new beginning.
From this question, a new destiny.
For you are a world, and a meeting of worlds.
Our dream is to unite that which has been
separated by history.
To return the many to the one.
A great story unites us all,
beyond colour and creed and gender.
The lightning flash of art
And the music of the heart.
We reflect all cultures, all ways.
We are a twenty first century wonder.
Universal ideals, visions of art and truth.
Now is the turning point of cultures and hopes.
Come with questions, leave with visions.
We are the link between the past and the future.
Here, through art, new possibilities are born. And
new answers are given wings.

Why are you, you?
Because we are mirrors of each other.
Because together we create new worlds.
Together we are more powerful than we know.
We connect, we inspire, we multiply illuminations
with the unique light of art.

 Ben Okri,