OCR Animal Crossing Nintendo

A complete OCR A-Level Media Studies lesson exploring Nintendo, video game franchises and the industry context of Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

This fully editable PowerPoint (.pptx) lesson focuses on Animal Crossing: New Horizons as the OCR A-Level Media Studies video game set text for Paper 2: Evolving Media, Section A – Media Industries and Audiences.

The lesson introduces students to the industry context behind Animal Crossing: New Horizons, with a focus on Nintendo, franchise success, console development, social interaction, audience appeal and the impact of COVID-19 on the game’s popularity. Students explore how Nintendo’s long-running franchises, console design and family-friendly brand identity have helped shape the success of Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

The lesson includes a supporting article resource document, allowing students to develop their understanding of Nintendo, franchise history, vertical integration, audience engagement and the wider video game industry.

Students begin by identifying major Nintendo franchises, before researching Nintendo’s most successful video game franchises and creating a timeline of Nintendo consoles. The lesson then builds towards a written introduction to Animal Crossing: New Horizons, encouraging students to connect Nintendo, sales, social context, Uses and Gratifications and the COVID-19 pandemic.

This lesson covers:

OCR A-Level Media Studies
Paper 2: Evolving Media
Section A: Media Industries and Audiences
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Nintendo
Nintendo Switch
Video game industry
Video game franchises
Franchise success
Console development
Production and distribution
Audience engagement
Uses and Gratifications
Simulation genre
Social interaction
Entertainment
COVID-19 context
Animal Crossing sales
Nintendo brand identity
Gaming history
Media industries

What is included:

Fully editable PowerPoint (.pptx) lesson
Supporting article resource document
Do Now task on Nintendo franchise games
Teacher feedback/model answer slide
Lesson objectives
Nintendo franchise identification task
Research task on Nintendo’s most successful franchises
Teacher feedback on top Nintendo franchises and sales
Key information on Nintendo and video game franchises
Nintendo console timeline task
Animal Crossing release dates and sales information
Main written task introducing Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Prompt linking Uses and Gratifications to Nintendo console design
Model response on Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Nintendo, COVID-19 and sales
Plenary task using key terms including Nintendo, Uses and Gratifications, Animal Crossing, sales and social contexts