In the past, it didn’t sound like Joe Biden was crazy about video games. At one point, he deemed a “billionaire” game company (which sounds a lot of Activision) as a “little creep” for making “games to teach you how to kill people.”
But he’s apparently changed course, and is now attempting to reach out to the video game community he once scorned. However, he’s doing so in a rather creative manner – through the best-selling Nintendo Switch game Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
Signs For Everyone
As part of his initiative for his presidential campaign, Biden, alongside his vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris, launched four digital yard signs that players can use within the game. You can find each of the signs below, which support “Joe” and “Team Joe”.
To add them, all you’ll need to do is scan the QR codes in the Nintendo Switch Online app, or pay a visit to the official Biden online campaign store. Don’t worry, the signs are free, and you can easily spruce up your yard with a cool looking red, white and blue sign if you’re “ridin’ with Biden,” as it were.
This is the brainchild of Christian Tom, who serves as director of digital partnerships for the Biden campaign. He felt the timing was just right to combine one of the biggest selling games out there with a presidential candidate who continues to build momentum into November’s election.
“Animal Crossing is a dynamic, diverse, and powerful platform that brings communities together,” Tom explained to CNET earlier today. “Since today marks the start of fall in the game and the leaves start to change color, we are introducing a staple for the season: Team Joe yard signs.”
And he’s not finished yet. He already has some more Animal Crossing ideas in mind, along with additional digital campaigning. No word yet if this means a billboard in something like Project CARS 3.
The Appeal of Animal Crossing
So why now? Why does Biden go for a campaign such as this? Well, there are a few reasons. The first is outreach. It’s clear that Biden wasn’t exactly a favorite with the game crowd from his earlier quote, but this shows he’s willing to work alongside more peaceful efforts like New Horizons, interacting with fans in clever ways and possibly coming up with new campaign ideas along the way.
Then there’s the simple fact that New Horizons is selling up a storm during the COVID pandemic. It was reported that the game cleared 13 million copies in its first six weeks of release, and has sold millions more since then. With new updates planned over the next few months (free for those that bought the game), it’s very likely the momentum will continue into the holiday season.
For instance, Gary Whitta, who scripted the Rogue One: A Star Wars Story film, has an Animal Crossing talk show, where he has guests and they talk about a number of things while in the actual game. You can check out a trailer for it here, and catch up on episodes on Whitta’s page.
It’s clear that Biden knows a good thing when he sees it (with help from Tom, of course), and Animal Crossing seems like an ideal crossover platform, especially considering the millions of people within its reach. Now it’s just a matter of seeing what he does next with it. A stop on Whitta’s show perhaps?
Animal Crossing is available now for Nintendo Switch.