Game rules vs. fandom. How Nintendo’s Animal Crossing fan-made content negotiates the videogame meanings
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12795/Ambitos.2020.i47.11Keywords:
Animal Crossing, videogames, fandom, ideology, Cultural StudiesAbstract
This research reviews the ideologies present in the Nintendo’s videogame saga Animal Crossing and aims to discover how fans interpret them. The process involves an exploration of the online fanart of the videogame and its classification into reproductive, neutral or critical fandom, depending on the revised operating ideologies. Following, a content analysis and brief semiotic analysis have been conducted to interpret the meanings that fans elaborated and wanted to share with the community. As a result, this research shows that the fandom of Animal Crossing reinterprets the ideologies of the game producing a critique of struggles present in society against sexism and consumerism. However, some fanart is aligned with the neoliberal and sexist ideas that emanate from the canonical text. Thus, analysing fandom’s production is a worth way to discover how audiences interact with videogames and how they expand its meanings beyond the game.
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Artwork used as study sample
mmDJ (February, 3, 2014). Animal Crossing: Gender Glitch. [Video]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-yZe2903i0
Aliensliveinme (March, 3, 2014). Animal crossing new leaf, cross dressing makes you run like a girl. [Video]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CX94k1I7ao
BanetteDoddles (June, 27, 2018). Comissions! [Re Post]. [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://aminoapps.com/c/animal-crossing/page/blog/commissions-re-post/eZVo_3Ec3u2bRBLMqBJ23870GELwbjpon
Compy Cubert (July, 10, 2018). Image. Computer Garden. [Blog post]. 2018. http://cubert.tumblr.com/post/175738819056
Cosmic kevvv (June, 25, 2013). Animal Crossing New Leaf:Crossgender Haircuts. [Video]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LR4mIgBZet4
Finngamer (November, 19, 2015). Amiibo review: Animal Crossing, wave 1. [Video]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gECIdXAErIA&t=216s
Heather (June, 9, 2017). Acnl Villager Memes. [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://www.x2u.club/acnl-villager-memes.html
Hotdiggedydemon (January, 22, 2016). Isabelle Ruins Everything (Animal Crossing Parody). [Video]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeWC9V2qH-8
Isabellefacts1 (February, 16, 2019). “isabelle fact 1: isabelle is a cannon lgbtq+ character.” [Tweet]. Retrieved from https://twitter.com/isabellefacts1/status/1096751934097088512
Joetheblogger (2011). Occupy Animal Crossing. [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://stfuconservatives.tumblr.com/post/11684091691
Kazenoabs0 (May, 7, 2015). Picture memes SLHqSL3u2. [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://ifunny.co/picture/SLHqSL3u2?gallery=tag&query=isabelle
Los Juegos de SaG (October, 13, 2016). ¡MALDITA ALCALDESA NEOLIBERAL!: Animal Crossing New Leaf para 3DS #JugamosaDobles #LaVenganzaDeLeven. [Video] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bO6z4xXJ2Kw&t=191s
Mayor Mori (October, 21, 2016). Nintendo Switch: Animal Crossing Trailer (fan made). [Video]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lI1qZ_JVl2w
MissPolycysticOvary (2014). Oh,Mayor!. [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://www.deviantart.com/misspolycysticovary/art/Oh-Mayor-464985098
Nisego Channel (September, 17, 2015). Animal Crossing - Isabelle Fan Art. [Video]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PS4gq1-oPtc
RandomMan (2014). “Image #558,726.” [Image]. Retrieved from https://knowyourmeme.com/photos/558726-animal-crossing
Starchie (2018). Super Smash Brothers Ultimate - Isabelle and Villager reunited. [Image] Retrieved from https://knowyourmeme.com/photos/1410214-super-smash-brothers-ultimate
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