captpackrat | Animal Crossing players = child predators? (Reply)

Online task force: Adults shouldn't play Animal Crossing

An online Missouri task force has suggested that adults who play Animal Crossing should be viewed with suspicion, as they are likely up to no good.

By Andrew Webster | Last updated March 17, 2009 3:00 PM CT

One of the great things about the majority of Nintendo developed games is that they appeal to such a wide variety of gamers. Take Animal Crossing, for instance. While it is suitable for younger and casual gamers thanks to its adorable characters and setting, more than one so-called hardcore gamer has lost plenty of hours trying to pay off the nefarious Tom Nook. However, in spite of this, the Mid-Missouri Internet Crimes Task Force believes that AC is not a game that should be played by adults.

"There is no reason an adult should have this game," Andy Anderson told ABC News, via GamePolitics. Anderson believes that any adults playing Animal Crossing: City Folk on the Wii are most likely doing it for the wrong reasons, suggesting that the majority of these adult gamers are actually child predators.

It's a curious decision to select AC:CF as an example of a dangerous online game, especially considering the limited online interactions players can have, something that is aided by the use of Nintendo's infamous friend code system. While parents should most certainly be aware of what their children are doing online, to suggest that this means that adults can't enjoy specific forms of entertainment is ludicrous.