While many zoos, aquariums and museums in real life have been forced to close and are now offering virtual tours of their own facilities, the Monterey Bay Aquarium is tapping into the popularity of the newly launched Nintendo game by hosting tours of the virtual museum within the Animal Crossing: New Horizons world. Animal Crossing: New Horizons recently launched and the whimsical, Millennial-targeted game is helping to offer an escape during the time of a global pandemic; within the game, users can collect everything from fish to fossils and donate them to the in-game museum.
Through Twitch streams, experts from the Monterey Bay Aquarium offer insights on dinosaurs, marine reptiles and extinct cephalopods, which is a novel way for people to appreciate a different kind of virtual museum experience.
Image Credit: Monterey Bay Aquarium
What Makes This Trend Stand Out
- Virtual Museum Tours
- The popularity of virtual tours of museums is increasing, offering opportunities for immersive and interactive experiences.
- Gaming-based Educational Programs
- Engaging educational programs within popular video games like Animal Crossing offer new ways to educate and captivate users.
- Interactive Livestreamed Content
- Livestreams with experts providing insights and commentary on virtual experiences create a new form of interactive entertainment.
Sectors Adopting This
- Gaming
- The gaming industry can adopt innovative approaches by partnering with educational and cultural institutions to create immersive experiences.
- Education
- Virtual museum tours within educational programs can enhance student learning and engagement.
- Entertainment
- Livestreamed content featuring experts and interactive experiences can be a disruptive innovation opportunity for the entertainment industry.
