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Library/Game/Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Grade A24 sourcesHIS-01338

Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Game · 2020 · Notable

53Editable slideCertificate

Nintendo reported 13.41 million sales in Japan, the US and Europe in six weeks.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons key art
Wikipedia (non-free, fair use)
Nintendo Switch with Animal Crossing Joy-Con in its dock
Exilexi / Wikimedia Commons
Players sit outside under fireworks in a Nintendo screenshot
Nintendo
Animal Crossing Direct artwork, 20 February 2020
Nintendo
The Biden campaign island, with an I Will Vote sign in the game
CNN
Marc Jacobs outfits worn by player characters
TheIndustry.fashion
Villagers gather on a bridge in New Horizons
Nintendo Life

Spread Score

How it works
Reach56Contagion45Breadth90Velocity32Longevity3053

Numbers

One US TV spot; March 16 to April 15 (iSpot estimate)
120M
As of Apr 15, 2020 · TV · Nintendo Life
Seed to milestone
7 weeks
Mar 20 ’20 to May 7 ’20
Platforms
9
Started on Retail
Origin
Mixed
Gaming

Mechanics

  • Shareable outputPrimary
  • Platform jump
  • Newsjacking
  • Controversy

How it spread

Trace the origin

Nintendo released New Horizons during pandemic restrictions. Players shared weddings, outfits and island talk shows; museums and campaigns joined. Nintendo reported 13.41 million six-week sales in Japan, the US and Europe, then 50.29 million worldwide units by June 2026.

Documented milestone; not a measured attention peak.

Wikipedia views · Google searchesJan ’20MarAprMayJunAugOctDecMar ’21JulDecMilestoneYouTubeRetailPressRedditOpen webTVXTwitchInstagram
YouTubeRetailPressRedditOpen webTVXTwitchInstagram

13 more events on this chart

Join free to see them

Timeline (16)

  1. February 2020

    Nintendo precursor · Feb 20 ’20

    Nintendo presented the island getaway and promoted digital preorders ahead of release.[1]

    Open the first post ↗

  2. March 2020

    Nintendo seed · Mar 20 ’20

    Nintendo released Animal Crossing: New Horizons for Nintendo Switch.[2]

  3. ELLE / Brie Larson press · Mar 23 ’20

    ELLE toured Nintendo launch partner Brie Larson’s island and interviewed her about the game.[3]

  1. platform jump · Mar 24 ’20

  2. commercial · Mar 25 ’20

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Why it worked

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Origin
Mixed
Sector
Gaming
Region
JP
One US TV spot; March 16 to April 15 (iSpot estimate)
120M
As of Apr 15, 2020 · TV · Nintendo Life
Evidence
Grade A

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