Animal Crossing New Horizons: The Power of Virtual Connections
Human beings, inherently desire social belongingness because it is wired in our DNA, and feeling a sense of community is as essential as having food, air, or water. Therefore, when in-person connections were taken away due to COVID-19, many people struggled with the feeling of isolation. In order to escape the loneliness, many Nintendo Switch owners took to playing Animal Crossing: New Horizons as a way of keeping in touch with their friends and forming new friendships with players from the rest of the world. Just four months after its release in March 2020, Animal Crossing: New Horizons had sold over 22 million copies worldwide (McFerran), meaning that there were more than 22 million real-life people out there that each player could potentially bond with. By simply teleporting to another person’s island, players can exchange gifts, frolic through flower fields together, or even play a virtual game of musical chairs (Jones). Some players even held virtual graduations and wedding ceremonies on their New Horizons island. Although these celebrations won’t hold any legal weight, they can provide a way for people to cherish these special moments in their lives. It’s no surprise then that New Horizons has been so successful; it is able to simulate the connection of personal interactions and translate them to real-life emotions. Even as our country begins to pick up its pace, the connections that players have made and maintained through the game will have a long-lasting effect. However, this period of cultivating mostly online connections begs the question: When COVID-19 ends and we can freely see each other physically again, will we still be able to form genuine in-person relationships with others in the same way as we could before?
Works Cited
Jones, Camden. “Animal Crossing: New Horizons Multiplayer Games To Play With Friends.” ScreenRant, 7 Apr. 2020, screenrant.com/animal-crossing-new-horizons-multiplayer- what-do-friends-games/.
McFerran, Damien. “Animal Crossing: New Horizons Has Sold Over 22 Million Copies.” Nintendo Life, NLife Media, 6 Aug. 2020, www.nintendolife.com/news/2020/08/animal_crossing_new_horizons_has_sold_over_22_million_copies.
