HONG KONG: Chinese fans of Nintendo’s Animal Crossing: New Horizons are paying a premium on foreign consoles and finding ways to skirt limits imposed by local regulators on a game that has become both a breakout worldwide hit and political flashpoint.
The game has become a global bestseller as its players describe the ability to create virtual versions of themselves and their homes and interact with other gamers as a form of escapism from the real world of coronavirus lockdowns, but it is not licensed for sale in China's tightly regulated gaming industry.