Nintendo asks to refrain from political use of Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

Source: Nintendo (bolded part below)

We deeply appreciate that so many people around the world are having fun with Animal Crossing: New Horizons (the Game) for Nintendo Switch. Thank you for your support and for helping us build such a wonderful community.

While our services and products are generally for personal use only, we understand there may be situations in which businesses and organizations would like to use or reference the Game in relation to their business. As such, we would like to share a few guidelines with those businesses, organizations, and anyone representing them, to preserve the experience for the millions of people enjoying the Game recreationally.

If we see your activity is not following these guidelines or is damaging or having bad influence on the community, we may ask you to stop such activity or usage of our contents, and take appropriate actions, including prohibiting your future business usage of the Game.

Businesses and organizations may use the Game in the following ways.

• Providing your Custom Design and/or Dream Address to other players.
• Inviting other players to your island.
• Uploading screenshots and/or game footage to family-friendly websites and social network services.

However, please observe the following points when you engage in these activities.

• Please be aware of the game rating and do not engage in activities that go beyond the rating.
• Please refrain from using the Game inappropriately or creating any content within the Game that would be considered vulgar, discriminatory, or offensive. Please also refrain from bringing politics into the Game.
• Please do not share false information about the Game with anyone, and do not deceive others while using the Game (e.g. falsely indicating you are separately licensed or otherwise approved by Nintendo).
• Please do not leverage the Game as a marketing platform that directs people to activities or campaigns outside the game (including directing people to a sales page, distributing coupons, sweepstakes, giveaways, requiring consumers to follow social network services accounts, gathering customers’ information, or other invitational activities).
• You are not allowed to obtain any financial benefit from using the Game (including selling your Custom Design or earning any advertising revenue with the Game content).

We may revise this message as the community changes. If you are interested in distributing your Custom Designs or other activities in relation with your business, please refer to the latest version of this message. Please be aware that any applicable Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Account agreements continue to apply.

Any business use of the Game that exceeds the rules set forth herein shall be permitted only with the separate and express, written permission of Nintendo.

For information regarding the monetization of videos using gameplay footage and/or screenshots captured from the Game and done by individual consumers, please see the “Nintendo Game Content Guidelines for Online Video & Image Sharing Platforms.”

Ooh... yikes... to be fair, most of these rules ARE FAIR ENOUGH (especially the no profit off of custom designs), but the "no politics" rule I fear is going to suffer major backlash in it's own right.

For context, Hong Kong protesters first used AC as a way to virtually protest China when COVID broke, and in retaliation, China banned the game. Not long after, people in the Biden campaign used it for political rallying. The only known politicians/activists who were seen playing it on both fronts are Joshua Wong and AOC (at least on my end).

Thoughts?

What's wrong with them not wanting their software to be used for political means? I see nothing wrong with video game companies staying out of politics.

I think politics has leaked into too many other areas and needs to stop. If I'm talking about a movie I don't need to hear your political thoughts. Same with games.

**** Nintendo. Hate it when companies try to police how people play their games. Unless they’re cheating in a multiplayer game, companies should not interfere with how people interact with their games, especially when they give them the tools to do so.

Nintendo is still so backwards thinking in this.

The inherently artistic nature of games necessitates accepting that they can be interpreted from all manor of controversial perspectives, from politics to religion.

But putting that aside for the more relevant subject, they are also a transformative medium, meaning their very nature can and should be able to be used for purpose outside of their original intention or artistic interpretation. We regularly see games played for charity, and while that is more altruistic than just straight politics, it's no less true that the game designers are not necessarily associating with said charities just because they are played during a stream or whatnot. And of course this type of thing is not exclusive to games either. We regularly see books, music, and movies cited by activists in a copyright friendly way while not necessarily gaining the express consent of the creators to make that association. A company trying to crack down on use of their product for controversial subject material outside of it's intended use is problematic, to say the least.

I expect this will end similarly to when they tried to DMCA abuse their way through youtube, which is to say they'll ease up then quietly pretend the whole thing never happened in a month.

Ever think it was annoying other people?

@LJS9502_basic: it shouldn’t annoy you how other people play their games, if you’re not forced to interact with them. If it does you have issues.

Is solely single player?

@LJS9502_basic: I don’t know what you’re asking. Use complete sentences.

I did.

@LJS9502_basic: ok, kid.

I find people to use that term dismissively to be the kid.

Not great, but I can also understand why.

It has multiplayer.

Custom content will also cross over to other players. Via the fashion store and what not.

Nothing. Absolutely noting. If there is one place people should be able to escape w/o the b.s. poppycock of politics it is video games, IMO.

I think their is a difference between a game using political themes and what not to explore ideas and a game straight up acting as propaganda for an upcoming election.

Which is basically what sites like Polygon, Kotaku etc... really want.

Gamespots front-page was straight up doing it.

Can't really blame Nintendo for finding it distasteful given they are a family system.

@Solaryellow: Don't play politically themed games then. Tom Clancy, Sid Meier, Hideo Kojima, Fallout, Beyond Good and Evil, TLOU, etc.

That's probably a big part of the reason. Most of Nintendo's products are intended to be kid friendly.

LOL we agree on something.

Oh **** off, Nintendo.

Agree and disagree with this.

I generally feel that a laissez-faire policy is best for most products; as long as people aren't profiting off the resale of your work, then whatever, let them have fun with it.

Additionally, in a free society, politics is pretty important so I don't think it should be kept out of daily life. If the past four years have shown, it's really important to stay educated about current events.

But at the same time, it's also nice to escape from stuff. Was playing WoW during the election and trade chat was spammed with political talk and it was just utter chaos and completely toxic. So I understand why people, even corporations, might want to keep it out of their games.

But this is Nintendo, and Nintendo seems to have a nasty habit of flexing up on people and being like "No, you can't do that" and I have an automatic response of "The **** I can't. Watch me" to that.

Religion and politics always cause arguments. An escape from reality should be the escape we expect. I never understood how and why a politician should be cause for people to be at each other's throats because politicians just aren't worth it.

Sorry for the late reply, for whatever reason this didn't get dinged. Forum breaking again no doubt.

As stated, not against politics in games, within a certain context, the idea of propaganda, specifically in a game children play, I deeply dislike.

Wither Trump is bad, Biden good. It's whatever to me. the concept itself and doing it is something Nintendo should be frowning upon.

Sites like your Polygons and Kotakus claim they want politics in games explored, but it's very very obvious what they actually want is their politics advertised where it's not really about exploring ideas but combating what they see as a culture war trying to drag other people into it, in this case, kids.

Nintendo are assholes when it comes to the fanbase, no question. Compared to Valve they are positively ridged viewing it from a completely business eye painting it up with platitudes whenever they issue take-downs and what not to make it come across as "we care".

This case though, yea, totally down with them.

Speaking of Valve, they got a lot of shit for remaining apolitical over the summer, and earned a lot of respect from me for doing so. I play games on Steam because I want to play a game, not because I want to hear political opinions. Politics in otherwise apolitical industries is a great way to halve your consumer base. It's just bad for business.

F them. They are incredibly litigious about everything and im okay with sticking it to them at any instance. Keep the Biden and AOC signs coming

It’s their product, they are desiring to provide a specific experience. I’m not exactly sure how Animal Crossing works as I’ve never played any of these games (not really my cup of tea), but in principle I’ve no issue with this.

Publicly, it seems like Nintendo is siding with the Chinese Government in cracking down on political free speech in Hong Kong. They were protesting in HK for democracy on Animal Crossing New Horizons day one. Politics is everywhere.

If I can't say certain words in A.C., why in the world would I want to deal with politics? Lets just stick with the Nook twins overcharging for a refrigerator or waiting for Redd to show up once in a blue moon.

Then where is the problem?

Games should be for everyone's enjoyment. But personally I dont care if people protest on animal crossing, you do you. Its not going to affect me so why should I care. If you do care about something stupid like this, then you're just overly political.

Nintendo though only cares because of the $$$ they're losing from the ban. Its their game, and they can decide what to do with it.