An Unusual Order from the Legendary President
Today, Animal Crossing is one of Nintendo's most popular brands in the world, but this success was built over years. Former PR and SMM manager for Nintendo UK, Ashley Day, shared an intriguing story on the Back Page Podcast about the preparation for the release of Animal Crossing: New Leaf for the Nintendo 3DS.
According to Day, the company's late president, Satoru Iwata, personally initiated a large-scale internal experiment: several months before release, every employee of Nintendo's European division and its subsidiaries was gifted a free copy of the game. However, there was one strict condition — they had to play it every single day.
“This is your job now”
Satoru Iwata wanted absolutely every employee — from developers to the marketing and sales departments — to experience the unique habit and magic of daily life within the game. His words were direct: “It is your job now to play New Leaf every day.”
As Day recalls, this approach yielded staggering results:
- Even senior sales team members in their 50s, who previously showed almost no interest in video games, became fans of the project.
- Colleagues actively traded on the local turnip market (Stalk Market), designed their own custom clothes, and constantly discussed the game around the office.
- A deep personal passion for the game helped marketing teams communicate the game's value to consumers far more accurately and genuinely.
As a result, the strategy paid off completely: Animal Crossing: New Leaf went on to sell over 13 million copies, becoming the sixth best-selling game in Nintendo 3DS history and laying the groundwork for the series' global triumph.
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