From Gary Whitta’s Animal Crossing: New Horizons show to President-Elect Joe Biden’s campaign hustle, the latest Animal Crossing game has had an immense impact in many ways this past year. As content creators and affiliated groups alike continue to use assets from the simulation game, Nintendo has tightened up its user guidelines to make content surrounding the game more wholesome and “without politics.”
Nintendo updated its content guidelines for businesses and organizations this week with an added message of appreciation for all of the love felt. “We deeply appreciate that so many people around the world are having fun with Animal Crossing: New Horizons,” opens the latest message from the company. But, the pleasantries stop there.
The guideline adjustments are meant to preserve the integrity of the community with the growing popularity of using this game for less than recreational purposes. “While our services and products are generally for personal use only, we understand there may be situations in which businesses and organizations would like to use or reference the game in relation to their business. As such, we would like to share a few guidelines with those businesses, organizations, and anyone representing them, to preserve the experience for the millions of people enjoying the game recreationally.”
Businesses can use New Horizons in the below ways:
- Providing your Custom Design and/or Dream Address to other players.
- Inviting other players to your island.
- Uploading screenshots and/or game footage to family-friendly websites and social network services.
With a few additional annotations:
- Please be aware of the game rating and do not engage in activities that go beyond the rating.
- Please refrain from using the Game inappropriately or creating any content within the Game that would be considered vulgar, discriminatory, or offensive. Please also refrain from bringing politics into the game.
- Please do not share false information about the game with anyone, and do not deceive others while using the Game (e.g. falsely indicating you are separately licensed or otherwise approved by Nintendo).
- Please do not leverage the game as a marketing platform that directs people to activities or campaigns outside the game (including directing people to a sales page, distributing coupons, sweepstakes, giveaways, requiring consumers to follow social network services accounts, gathering customers’ information, or other invitational activities).
- You are not allowed to obtain any financial benefit from using the game (including selling your Custom Design or earning any advertising revenue with the game content).
If content is being created using Animal Crossing: New Horizons that is potentially harmful to the community at large, a cease and desist will be issued.
Nintendo did add that the community guidelines could change as the community itself changes, but for now? These are the guidelines that must be adhered to.
[Source: Nintendo]
