Nintendo publishes a request for 'Animal Crossing: New Year's Forest' and refrains from 'political use'

Nintendo has released ' Requests and Notices to All Persons Related to Companies and Organizations Using ' Animal Crossing '' regarding ' Animal Crossing: New Clothes Forest ', which has sold 26.04 million units worldwide. Did. In this, Nintendo asks you to refrain from ' expressing expressions that include political claims .'

Requests and notices to all those involved in companies and organizations that use 'Animal Crossing: New Year's Forest' | Nintendo
https://www.nintendo.co.jp/animalcrossing_announcement/ja/index.html

Nintendo Wants 'No Politics' In Animal Crossing: New Horizons With Updated Content Guidelines --Game Informer
https://www.gameinformer.com/2020/11/19/nintendo-wants-no-politics-in-animal-crossing-new-horizons-with-updated-content

The pandemic of the new coronavirus and the timing of its release overlapped, and 'Animal Crossing: New Clothes Forest' was a huge hit. Not only general users but also many companies and organizations are using 'Animal Crossing: New Clothes Forest', and aquariums and museums hold tours in in-game virtual museums, and art museums convert works of art into my designs. Many usage examples have been reported, such as releasing the generator .

In response to this situation, Nintendo announced 'Requests and Notices' that summarizes the promises that companies, organizations, and people representing them should comply with when using 'Animal Crossing: New Clothes Forest' in connection with their work. Did.

Nintendo states that when a company or organization uses 'Animal Crossing: New Clothes Forest', the following acts may be performed without any problem.

・ To provide other customers with your own design and your own dream address.
-Invite other guests to your island.
-Upload screenshots and videos of this software to appropriate websites and sharing sites for the above purposes.

On the other hand, we ask that you 'please refrain' from any of the following actions.

・ Use expressions that are not suitable for all ages, such as expressions that are not suitable for children.
・ Use expressions that may disturb other customers, violent or discriminatory, or that may hurt other customers, or include political claims.
・ Acts that mislead the contents of this software or include acts that are different from the facts (including expressing that an individual license has been obtained from Nintendo contrary to the facts).
・ Marketing activities using this software, such as guiding other customers to actions outside the game (guidance to product purchase sites, distribution of coupons, provision of prizes, implementation of sweepstakes, requests for follow-up of SNS accounts, etc. Including the acquisition of customer information and other solicitations).
-Obtain financial benefits related to this software (including providing my design for a fee and receiving revenue from advertising).

Nintendo clearly states 'Please refrain' from 'expressions that include political claims', but this is mentioned because there are cases where 'Animal Crossing: New Clothes Forest' has been used for political activities in the past. It seems that it was done.

Democratic candidate Joe Biden, who was certain to win the 2020 US presidential election, was early in the campaign using Animal Crossing: New Clothes Forest. The Biden camp distributes official my designs on 'Animal Crossing: New Clothes Forest' as part of the election campaign.

Democratic Party distributes official my design to gather supporters of US presidential election at 'Animal Crossing: New Clothes Forest' --GIGAZINE

This activity seems to have been well received and has led to the expansion of the types of my designs.

Presidential candidate Biden camp strengthens election campaign in 'Animal Crossing: New Organs Forest' --GIGAZINE

Also in Japan, Mr. Shigeru Ishiba, who announced his candidacy for the LDP presidential election, announced a plan to use 'Animal Crossing: New Clothes Forest'. The plan was finally abandoned because it could violate Nintendo's terms of service, but the trend toward political use of the explosively popular 'Animal Crossing: New Clothes Forest' at home and abroad has become a hot topic. I did.

I gave up using Ishiba's camp 'Atsumori', but I liked it [Liberal Democratic Party Presidential Election 2020]: Asahi Shimbun Digital
https://www.asahi.com/articles/ASN985D0TN98UTFK013.html

Nintendo states that the Nintendo Switch Terms of Service and Nintendo Account Terms of Service apply to the use of 'Animal Crossing: New Clothes Forest', except for the contents of 'Requests and Notices'.