Video games have replaced music as the most important aspect of youth culture Sean Monahan

It would be incorrect to say video games went mainstream in 2020. They've been mainstream for decades. But their place in pop culture feels far more central – to gamers and non-gamers alike – than ever before. In part, this is due to desperate marketers hunting for eyeballs in a Covid landscape of cancelled events. Coachella wasn't happening, but Animal Crossing was open was for business. Politicians eager to "Rock the Vote" looked to video games to reach young voters.