Build-A-Bear this week announced it’s partnering with Nintendo to make cuddly, real-world versions of Animal Crossing characters. They released no details about which characters are coming, what they’ll look like, or when they’ll arrive. All we know is that it’s happening, and it’ll be amazing.
According to the announcement tweet, several Animal Crossing characters will be available as part of a collection. It’ll be a fun treat for fans as Animal Crossing: New Horizons nears its one-year anniversary. The company didn’t reveal a release date, but I suspect we’ll get an announcement either on or near the anniversary date of March 20. Anyone who’s interested can sign up for a newsletter using the link in the tweet.
From a business perspective, this is a prime opportunity. In the year Animal Crossing: New Horizons has existed, it significantly boosted the profile of the Animal Crossing series. Given that its launch coincided with COVID-19-related lockdowns in many countries, it was the perfect game for people who suddenly had to stay inside as much as possible. It was an especially good game for kids, as it’s colorful, harmless, and teaches them to love repetitive busywork.
To be clear, we have no idea which Animal Crossing characters will appear in the collection. But I can already tell you now — and I will put money on this — that if Raymond is an option that sucker will sell out within minutes. The only one I could think of that might sell out faster would be Isabelle, because she’s the actual best. Still, if they want to make it as on-brand as possible, the first one they put up for sale will be Tom Nook. I’m not saying he’d be my first choice, but if I could have a bundle of him and his children, I might consider it.
Source: Twitter
