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Technology

Nintendo’s Animal Crossing Becomes New Hong Kong Protest Ground

Nintendo’s Animal Crossing Becomes New Hong Kong Protest Ground

  • Democracy campaigner Joshua Wong says protesters shift online
  • Players have created pro-democracy content in Animal Crossing

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Nintendo’s Animal Crossing has been an escape for many during the COVID-19 lockdown, and now it’s become a place for Hong Kong protesters to congregate without flouting social distancing rules.

Animal Crossing is a simulation game where players live on an idyllic tropical island and befriend anthropomorphic animals. Players can customize their islands with in-game illustrating tools and visit each other’s islands online. Pro-democracy content created for the game has gone viral on social media, including Twitter.

In a tweet last week, one of Hong Kong’s most well-known democracy campaigners, Joshua Wong, said he was playing the game and that the movement had shifted online.

In one video posted to Twitter, a group of players use bug-catching nets to hit pictures of the city’s leader Carrie Lam on a beach in the game. A nearby poster states “Free Hong Kong. Revolution Now.”

Animal Crossing’s latest title, New Horizons has helped Nintendo with a 27% gain in share price as copies sold surpassed 2.6 million as of March 29, according to Japan game-market researcher Famitsu.