A new talk show, created by Star Wars writer Gary Whitta, has begun broadcasting in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
Nintendo definitely has a hit on their hands with Animal Crossing: New Horizons. The game sold five million copies in its first month of release.
Players have been quite creative in harnessing the game’s features, but Gary Whitta has definitely reached for the brass ring by creating his very own talk show.
Live from Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Gary Whitta worked on the script of the hit Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, as well as writing The Book of Eli. He was also the editor-in-chief for the U.S. and U.K. versions of PC Gamer.
Whitta teamed up with Adam Nickerson, a game developer, and video editor, to create his late-night talk show called Animal Talking.
What is fascinating is how well Whitta and Nickerson have recreated the talk show format within Animal Crossing. A virtual set contains cameras, a band—Nickerson playing the drum kit, theme music, a desk, and a couch for his guests to sit on.
There are even canned audience responses, such as clapping, boos, and cheers. Also included are some humorous skits.
So far, four episodes of Animal Talking have taken place. The episodes are available on YouTube and on Twitch. The first episode featured Naomi Kyle, a YouTube personality and actress while the second episode featured Whitta’s wife and her best friend.
Episode three featured Kate Stark, a Twitch streamer, and the fourth episode had Mike Drucker—a writer and stand-up comedian. It will be interesting to see if Whitta is able to snag some bigger names in the entertainment and gaming industry in the future.
Amazing possibilities
The show has proven successful. The latest episode had over 7,000 concurrent viewers watching the online shenanigans.
The show’s creation came about really quickly. Whitta said, “I had this idea less than 24 hours ago and we very, very quickly assembled a fully functional, armed, and operational late-night talk show set down here in the basement of my [Animal Crossing] house.”
The creation of Animal Talking shows the possibilities that streaming platforms and interactive video games like Animal Crossing: New Horizons have to offer. From virtual concerts to gaming contests, the sky is quickly becoming the limit in what people can create online and share with others.
Who knows how long before people start producing scripted productions using games like Animal Crossing and platforms like Twitch?
You can watch the show live on Twitch and interact via the chat section.
Images courtesy of Gary Whitta/YouTube