Too bad weather, good face. For today, where sadness and uncertainty abound due to the COVID-19 pandemic, nothing better than a good dose of video games and more if it is one from Nintendo since they are synonymous with joy, friendship, and, most importantly, fun in front of the TV. Such is the case of Animal Crossing: New Horizons that, since its launch on March 20 of this year, has not stopped reaping success after success. From appearing on a talk show to breaking the franchise sales records with more than 13 million units sold in the first 6 weeks, achievements have not stopped and even reached the most important stages of the sports world.
It was such the point that last Sunday, November 1, in week 8 of the National Football League (NFL), the match between the Detroit Lions and the Indianapolis Colts had an added value by counting attendance from various Animal Crossing characters. Due to the current bans on attending massive venues thanks to the coronavirus pandemic in the United States, and because a game without fans is taking all the excitement out of the matter, the logistics by the Lions focused on filling the empty squares of the stadium with clippings of different characters from Animal Crossing and other personalities.
Twitter users echoed the networks, with videos and various comments, seeing different avatars of the Nintendo video game in various seats at Ford Field in Detroit.
Although people -for the moment- cannot physically attend the stadiums, can you imagine that your Animal Crossing avatars are represented somewhere in the venue while occupying a position to support your team? It would be something unthinkable years ago, but sensational for today as it would be transformed into a window to allow fans a symbolic attendance at the stadium.
For those who are not on the subject, Animal Crossing: New Horizons is the fifth installment in the franchise developed by Nintendo for the Switch. The game is a real-time simulation, where users create a character and move to a desert island which is acquired thanks to a deal with Tom Nook, a tanuki who will play a greater role in the title. Once on the island, the objective is to explore the surrounding areas, discover secrets, items, and various objects that serve to decorate your island and –obviously- your character; in turn, over time, players will be able to interact with each of the anthropomorphic animals that make life in other parts of the island.
It is not the first time that in an NFL game, characters from the world of animation or video games have made a presence in a league game. In September of this year, in week 3, the Denver Broncos and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers met -and- the audience was characters from South Park. The Colorado-based program Comedy Central had more than 1,800 seats at Empower Field in Mile High (Denver). The reason for all this was not only to fill the spaces of the stadium so that the loneliness of the pandemic would not be seen but also to raise funds for those most in need.
It is estimated that the Broncos, for each character cut, raised more than $ 130,000 for charity. In other words, on average, each booth with a South Park cutout character sold for $ 72,2. That’s crazy! Imagine how much more could be raised if they continue like this.
Let’s hope this is not the first time that a team takes the initiative to have characters from the gaming culture in its audience; because, let’s face it, more than one feels identified when one of them appears on television and in a privileged place.