The cinema release of both Christopher Nolans comes on Friday Oppenheimer and Greta Gerwigs Barbietwo diametrically opposed films that together have spawned an incredible amount of organic online cross-promotion, with the mutually beneficial counter-program clash between the blockbusters simply known as Barbenheimer. Barbenheimer has quickly become a pseudo-national holiday in its own right, as moviegoers don their Sunday best—stately suits for Nolan’s period play and bubblegum-pink onesie and Dixie jeans for Gerwig’s existential comedy—to see both films on the same day. Even the stars of the movies responded to the meme and weighed with her preferred clock order for the “perfect double bill”.
While Barbenheimer has the makings of a once-in-a-lifetime experience, bringing together two audiences that might otherwise have nothing to do with each other, we’ve actually witnessed a similar phenomenon in video games before, with the 2020 releases of Eternal Destiny And Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
Continue reading: The massive Wikipedia war over Barbenheimer, explained
At the end of 2019, developer id Software announced the delay of its gory first-person shooter. Eternal Destiny– a game in which you hatch as a nigh-invincible killer shooting the shit out of demons on a sick metal track – until March 20th. That fateful date was coincidental when Nintendo’s quirky social sim, Animal Crossing: New Horizons– a game about a human who manages and landscapes the island home of anthropomorphic animals – should also be released.
Similar to like Barbie And OppenheimerThe bizarre-yet-so-right dual release date led to an influx of original fan poster And hilarious internet memes combine the heavy tone of historical drama with the cute packaging of the fashion doll, Eternal Destiny And AC:NH‘s joint The release took the gaming world by storm with its own treasure trove of fan edits from demiseis somber navy and New Horizons‘The lovely Isabelle is the one best friends.
In conversation with GameSpot, Eternal Destiny Director Hugo Martin echoed the opinion of fans Eternal Destiny And AC:NHThe shared release date is positive for everyone, saying, “I think it’s awesome and it’s a testament to the amazing diversity we’re seeing in games today.”
“I’m honest for other games and other studios,” Martin said GameSpot. “I’m so proud to work in the games industry and the fact that two games that are so completely different and get a lot of press are coming out on the same day. It’s an amazing time to be in development and I’m looking forward to playing animal crossing.”
id Software later participated in the meme on its official Twitter account and shared an image of it Nendoroids of their titular characters hold hands to ring in the new year. The official demise The Twitter account later tweeted the same post with the caption “Finally” when it was announced that The Doom Slayer would be joining Isabelle Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (as a Mii Fighter) the following year in the popular battler’s Round 11 DLC pack.
AC:NH And Eternal DestinyThe unorthodox alliance deserves credit as pop culture’s first Barbenheimers, and with both games resonating with their many fans, it seems it worked out well for everyone involved. Let’s just hope that even when awards season begins, the Barbenheimer faithful can keep this up energy The Eternal Destiny And AC:NH started in 2020.
