Among many outstanding games that have released in 2020 such as the AAAGhost of Tsushimaor even indies likeHades, there is a slew of nominations for the Game of the Year award at the Game Awards 2020 that could take the cake. Each nominee offers is a unique experience, and many of them have powerful narratives. But one title stands out among the rest:Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons, the long-awaited installment for the Switch following the success ofNew Leaf, released on March 20th and became the best-selling game in the series and the second-best-selling game on the Nintendo Switch. Its escapism from reality during a time of global pandemic has offered a unique experience to gamers and paved the way for a gaming phenomenon unparalleled by any other title this year. Though Nintendo is not a common winner for Game of the Year,New Horizons' advertent success may lead to a surprising claim of the title. And even if it doesn’t, its nomination is well-deserved, and there’s little doubt its many gamers' personal GOTY.
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New Horizons' Impact on Quarantine
New Horizonsreleased during aglobal pandemic caused by Covid-19. March was the month most countries around the world decided to lock down, closing activities like bars, restaurants, and even campsites, and asked their citizens to stay inside and socially distance. This meant staying away from friends and family to avoid spreading illness, but this is an event people will likely only experience once in their lifetime.
As a social simulator,Animal Crossingallows players to visit each others' islands, trade items, exchange clothing designs, and even watch meteor showers together. And during a time when some places were even mandating curfews, this was the only way many folks could interact with their friends and families. This led to unique phenomena like in-game weddings for couples who had to postpone their physical ones, graduations for college and high school students that were canceled, and evenpolitical campaigns for the United States presidential election.
So what does this mean forthe Game of the Year award? There’s a major sentimental factor that is now tied toNew Horizonsbecause of the pandemic. Of course, Nintendo couldn’t have foreseen that the game would be used in such a way, but that doesn’t change the fact thatAnimal Crossinghas brought the term ‘social simulation’ to a new level. It alleviated loneliness for some people and still is, many months later, as the holiday season quickly approaches. It continues to be used as a replacement for social interaction in a way no other nominee is able to offer, and it’s been an unforgettable experience for many folks who are struggling during these difficult times.
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New Horizons' Sales Success and Recognition
Many critics attribute much of thesales associated withAnimal Crossing: New Horizonsto the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown procedures. At launch, the game sold nearly 2 million copies in Japan alone and became the second-best-selling game of 2020. Overall,New Horizonscurrently sits in the 28th rank of best-selling video games in history.
In the Japan Game Awards,Animal Crossinghas already won the grand prize forGame of the Year of 2020as well as the Minister of Economy, Trade, and Industry Award, an achievement that signifies national recognition for its development of the games industry by the Japanese government.
Of course, sales aren’t everything when it comes toearning the title for best game of the year. But by being sold to so many consumers, it created a new norm of social interaction and was highly acclaimed by critics for executing this experience so well. Though games of this genre rarely take the cake in the race for Game of the Year, it wouldn’t be surprising to seeAnimal Crossing: New Horizonscome out ahead.
Animal Crossing: New Horizonsis out now for Nintendo Switch.
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