Although the game has not yet officially arrived in the Asian country, some players were importing it through online stores.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is out now in several of the main territories, but it's not out yet in China. While the authorities decide whether the product can be marketed or not, some fans have imported it using Ebay-style stores, such as Taobao or Pinduoduo. However, the Chinese government has reacted to messages of support for the Hong Kong protesters, which have materialized in the Nintendo video game. The Executive has ordered the stoppage of the sale, an order that the aforementioned businesses have followed.
Daniel Ahmad, an analyst at Niko Partners specialized in the Asian market, has confirmed that the authorities have tried to get online stores to remove the game from its catalog, although they are finding it difficult to do so. In fact, says Ahmad, Animal Crossing: New Horizons works both offline and online in the Asian country. Also, some stores still offer it in their catalog, not to mention that it can be purchased by changing the region of the Nintendo Switch eShop. On the other hand, people have the possibility of privately contacting Taobao sellers.
In this case Animal Crossing is impacted by both points.
1. User generated content in the game has been used by Hong Kong protestors and for other politically sensitive user generated content.
2. The game is extremely popular on social media and everyone knows about it.
– Daniel Ahmad (@ZhugeEX) April 10, 2020
What are the requirements for games to be published in China?
Chinese law prohibits video games from containing anything that "threatens national unity" or "territorial integrity." Nor can they harm "the nation's reputation, security, or interests." At the same time, content that may promote cults or superstitions, as well as obscene elements, drugs, violence or gambling, are vetoed. The Government reserves the right to prevent the marketing of products that violate China's public ethics or culture and traditions. In addition to other requirements, they must be published with the support of a company in that country.
Hong Kong protests have long relied on video games. The controversy directly spilled over to Heathstone and Blizzard, as a professional player was kicked off the professional circuit, prompting protests at BlizzCon 2019 and an apology from its president. The messages now appear in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, although Nintendo has not spoken about it.
The former British colony calls for democracy before the authorities of the People's Republic of China.
