The one and only Animal Crossing: New Horizons has been the talk of the town when it comes to Nintendo Switch games this year, and it only seems to be getting more popular as businesses begin to use the game as a marketing platform and politicians have realized that a virtual island paradise is a great place to promote their policies. Politics have become so involved in the game that Nintendo has released a statement asking businesses not to use Animal Crossing's farming landscape as a political stage.
Some big names have gotten into the game and have started visiting players islands, like Elijah Wood, Brie Larson, Maisie Williams, and rapper/singer T-Pain has even written a song about nobody's favorite landlord Tom Nook. With the rise in popularity thanks to celebrities' interest in the game and the ability to visit other players' islands, some businesses have been quick to capitalize on this mechanic by setting up islands that show off their brands and hopefully entice visiting players into buying from them. Some businesses have gone so far as to hire players to create and manage a branded island, and are willing to pay twenty-five-hundred dollars a month to Animal Crossing: New Horizon's experts for the upkeep of their island.
Due to so many companies and organizations using Animal Crossing: New Horizons to their advantage, Nintendo has set down some rules that say what sort of content these groups are actually allowed to use in the game. Amongst other rules it asks people not to share false information in the game and not to use the game as a marketing platform that will direct players to activities or campaigns outside the game world. Additionally, Nintendo has forbidden anybody from gaining financial benefit from the game or creating content that could be considered vulgar, discriminatory, or offensive – but there is now a point that asks players not to bring politics into the game. Any business that that does not follow these guidelines may be subject to prohibition of future business usage of the game.
These guidelines only refer to businesses and those representing organizations, so players are still free to promote their agendas in a personal capacity. Kotaku comments that a request to exclude politics from the game is naïve, as almost everything is political and Nintendo has no way of enforcing its rules. Players have been free to visit an island entirely devoted to President Biden that encouraged young people to vote in this year's election, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has been visiting random players' islands to leave them a kind message on their bulletin boards, which in itself is a political statement from a US Congresswoman.
The truth is there is no getting away from politics, especially when strangers share opinions with each other online. Animal Crossing: New Horizons's gameplay is full of politics as it promotes a capitalist society where one must mortgage a place to live and build it from the ground up using their own resources or by taking out a loan. Politicians and businesses are sure to find a way around Nintendo's new rules, as the life simulator is perfect for getting ideas out to people during COVID-19's regulations about limited social interaction.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is available on Nintendo Switch.