Biden-Harris campaign signs available for 'Animal Crossing' players
Players will be able to download the Biden-Harris signs by scanning their QR codes using the Nintendo Switch Online app.
By AARON REICHDemocratic presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden appears by video feed at start of the all virtual 2020 Democratic Convention hosted from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, August 17, 2020(photo credit: 2020 DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION/POOL VIA REUTERS)
The coronavirus pandemic has brought new challenges for the political sphere, particularly amid an ongoing election year in the US, causing campaigns to seek new ways to adapt.But while most are using video conference apps like Zoom to bring their speeches to a wide audience, the Joe Biden-Kamala Harris campaign has found a more unique outlet, Animal Crossing.Beginning Tuesday, players of the popular Nintendo video game Animal Crossing: New Horizon will be able to use official Joe Biden campaign signs on their virtual island homes, The Verge reported.The Biden-Harris campaign has made four different signs available for the game. These include the official Biden-Harris logo, the "Joe" Pride logo, Team Joe and sunglasses in red, white and blue, The Verge reported. Players will be able to download them by scanning the signs' QR codes using the Nintendo Switch Online app.The use of Animal Crossing as a campaign tool comes as Biden's campaign seeks to engage a large base ahead of the November election.“Animal Crossing is a dynamic, diverse, and powerful platform that brings communities together from across the world. It is an exciting new opportunity for our campaign to engage and connect Biden-Harris supporters as they build and decorate their islands,” Christian Tom, director of digital partnerships for the Biden campaign, said in a statement to The Verge.“As we enter the final campaign stretch towards November, this is one way we are finding new creative and innovative ways to meet voters where they are and bring our supporters together.“This is just the start of how we plan to engage players ahead of November as we’re already looking forward to rolling out more digital swag, voter education tools, and organizing efforts on Animal Crossing and other platforms.”Since its debut on the Nintendo Switch in March, Animal Crossing: New Horizon, the latest installment in the Animal Crossing franchise, has been a major critical and commercial success, with a player-base numbering in the millions. Unlike most popular video games that focus on exploration and combat, the Animal Crossing series focuses on the player's life managing their home and town, doing a number of chores and tasks to pay off a mortgage.Some have partially attributed its popularity due to the timing of its release, as the life simulation gameplay has found it very suited to the quarantines and lockdowns that effected so many people amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
However, Animal Crossing is not the only video game that is being used as a platform to replace traditional performance and conference venues. For example, popular online battle royale game Fortnite has been used as a concert venue, with Travis Scott's April concert being viewed by over 10 million Fortnite players.
