Nintendo partners with Sanrio to launch character residents and items to Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Nintendo’s hit video game title, Animal Crossing: New Horizon has welcomed a cast of Sanrio residents and themed items through the launch of the Animal Crossing Sanrio Collaboration Pack.

Launched to sell out success last week, the pack includes all six amiibo cards from the unique Sanrio Collaboration Series, all of which are compatible with Animal Crossing: New Horizons and arriving with a different theme inspired by various Sanrio characters.

After updating the game to the latest version, players will be able to tap the Sanrio amiibo cards to their Nintendo Switch to unlock exclusive posters to order in-game, along with furniture and  fashion items inspired by the Hello Kitty, Pompompurin, Cinnamonroll, My Melody, Little Twin Stars and Kerokerokeroppi series.

Players can use these items to dress up and decorate their island to the theme of their favourite Sanrio characters. Six exclusive residents matching these various themes can be invited to the player’s campsite and can move to the player’s island. These residents can also be invited to Harvey’s island for a photo shoot session. 

Sanrio is also bringing back the friendship, kindness and cuteness of its characters to the Animal  Crossing: Pocket Camp mobile game. Beginning 26th March through to 10th May, the Sanrio Characters Collection 2021 in-game event will bring Sanrio character themed items to players’ campsites.

From 26th March through the end of the in-game event, Sanrio additions will include a free Sanrio Characters clock in the game by tapping the gift icon. One new Sanrio themed fortune cookie will be available for purchase at the Fortune Cookie Shop, with each cookie providing players one of ten different Sanrio items.

Players will also be able to craft Sanrio gifts to send to their friends, which randomly reward friends with one of several special Sanrio character-themed uchiwa fans. There are a variety  of fans to collect featuring popular Sanrio characters, including Cinnamoroll, Hello Kitty,  Pompompurin and more. 

Playing video games is ‘good for mental wellbeing’, says new study by Oxford University

Not just one of the fastest growing means of entertainment, video gaming could be beneficial for your mental health, too. This is the conclusion of a new study from Oxford University in which academics worked with gameplay data for the first time.

The study focused on two games: Nintendo’s Animal Crossing and EA’s Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville. The study found that those who played more games generally reported better wellbeing.

The study was one of the first to be done using actual playtime data: the team at Oxford were able to link up psychological questionnaires with the records of time spent playing games. Previous studies focused on self-reported time playing, which is often inaccurate.

“This is about bringing games into the fold of psychology research that’s not a dumpster fire,” said Andrew Przybylski, the lead researcher on the project.

At the start of the project, Przybylski was surprised at how little data gaming companies had about their players, and how little hard data had been used in previous studies analysing the harms and benefits of gaming.

The study, says Przybylski, “shows that if you play four hours a day of Animal Crossing, you’re a much happier human being, but that’s only interesting because all of the other research before this is done so badly.”

Of course, both Animal Crossing and Plants Vs Zombies are online multiplayer titles. Given the current pandemic and social distancing measures, there seems to be an obvious argument for the social nature of these games helping players with their mental health during this challenging time.

Przybylski also makes it clear that this study does not mean there aren’t negative aspects to games too. “I’m very confident that if the research goes on, we will learn about the things that we think of as toxic in games,” Przybylski said, “and we will have evidence for those things as well.”

On that note, the study contrasts “intrinsic” enjoyment (playing a game because you enjoy it) with “extrinsic”, such as playing a game because you feel bullied into it, either by players or the game’s mechanics.

BlackMilk partners with Nintendo to launch Super Mario and Animal Crossing: New Horizons collections

The globally loved Nintendo franchises, Super Mario and Animal Crossing: New Horizons are finding a new footing in the fashion world, thanks to a partnership between the video game maker and apparel specialist, Black Milk Clothing.

Renowned for its unique take on licensed collaborations, BlackMilk Clothing is offering gaming fans a new way to express their love for both Super Mario and Animal Crossing through the brand’s signature styles, including leggings, dresses, overalls, and more.

BlackMilk x Super Mario will be the first of the two collections to be released, going live at 7am on October, 6th 2020. The collection features some of the franchise’s favourite characters, including Princess Peach, Yoshi, Bowser and, of course, Mario. It will also feature the game’s iconic power-ups and numerous items. Active wear and unisex pieces are on offer alongside a variety of fun outerwear styles. 

Meanwhile, customers will then be treated to an entirely new collection when BlackMilk x Animal Crossing: New Horizons is released a week later, landing at 7am on October 13th, 2020.

Fans of the Nintendo Switch game will be able to shop a range of pieces featuring their favourite islanders and collectibles. Alongside BlackMilk’s signature bold printed styles, the collection includes designer pieces made with specially created fabrics, such as a unique flocked Timmy and Tommy design. 

BlackMilk is expecting both collection ‘to be hugely popular, with some limited edition pieces likely to sell out fast.’

Has Nintendo cracked the next big gaming IP amid the Coronavirus pandemic?

Animal Crossing: New Horizons has become the fastest-selling single title on Nintendo’s Switch to date, selling more copies in its first week of sale than the combined launch sales of all previous Animal Crossing games in the franchise.

Reports are already coming in that the title is ‘3.5 times bigger than the last game in the series, 2013’s Animal Crossing: New Leaf on Nintendo 3DS.’ The title was previously the biggest launch for Nintendo’s franchise.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is a non-linear life simulation game played in real-time. Each player assumes the role of a customisable character who moves to a deserted island. The open world game then allows players to explore the island as it develops into a community of animals.

Not only is the game one solution to maintaining communication and world-exploration social distancing, but also carries the potential to be one of Nintendo’s next big franchises. Video games analysts already expect New Horizons to be shipping over 12 million games in the next few months, and that is not accounting for digital downloads.

Benji Sales, an independent video game analyst, wrote on Twitter:

“Animal Crossing New Leaf was the previous best-selling Animal Crossing game, hitting over 12 million sold lifetime. Whatever your optimistic sales expectations for Animal Crossing New Horizons launch sales were, I can already tell you it’s too low. Holy hell, HUGE opening incoming.”

Digital download numbers – which Nintendo does not share externally – are tipped to be vast, particularly considering the concerns around the COVID-19 virus that has seen the UK Government recommend self isolation measures across the country.