Animal Crossing: New Horizons

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Animal Crossing New Horizons.jpg
Developer(s)Nintendo EPD
Publisher(s)Nintendo
Director(s)Aya Kyogoku
Producer(s)Hisashi Nogami
Programmer(s)
  • Yoshitaka Takeshita
  • Hiromichi Miyake
Artist(s)Koji Takahashi
Writer(s)Makoto Wada
Composer(s)
  • Yasuaki Iwata
  • Yumi Takahashi
  • Shinobu Nagata
  • Sayako Doi
  • Masato Ohashi
SeriesAnimal Crossing
Platform(s)Nintendo Switch
ReleaseMarch 20, 2020
Genre(s)Social simulation
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Animal Crossing: New Horizons[a] is a 2020 life simulation game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch; it is the fifth main game in the Animal Crossing series. In New Horizons, the player controls a character who moves to a deserted island after purchasing a getaway package from Tom Nook, playing the game in a nonlinear fashion and developing the island as they choose. They can gather and craft items, customize the island, and form it into a community of anthropomorphic animals.

According to the developers, New Horizons began development in 2012. The game director, Aya Kyogoku, had the philosophy of retaining old content from previous games to keep fans happy while also making the game simple enough to appeal to newcomers. With art and graphics, they used the concept of "trigger of play" and the "imagination gap", where the former kept the gameplay simplistic and easy to pick up while the latter kept the art style simple for the player to imagine the rest.

New Horizons received acclaim from critics, with many praising its gameplay and customization options and calling it the best game in the series; it won the award for Game of the Year at the Famitsu Dengeki Game Awards 2020 and the Japan Game Awards 2020, and was nominated for Best Game at the 2021 BAFTA Games Awards, where it won the Best Multiplayer and Game Beyond Entertainment awards. It was nominated in three categories at The Game Awards 2020, and ultimately won Best Family Game.

New Horizons was also a major commercial success, selling over 32 million copies worldwide and breaking the console game record for most digital units sold in a single month. It is the best-selling game in the Animal Crossing series, the second best-selling game on the Nintendo Switch,[b] the second-best-selling game of all time in Japan,[c] and the 15th best-selling video game in history. Its success has been attributed in part to its release amid global stay-at-home orders during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Gameplay[]

As in previous Animal Crossing games, New Horizons is a life simulation game played in real time. Weather also adjusts to the seasons of the Northern or Southern Hemisphere, depending on the player's real-world location, a first for the Animal Crossing series.[1][2] The game follows a villager customized by the player,[3] who, after purchasing a getaway package from Tom Nook, moves into a deserted island.[4] After Tom Nook gives the player essentials, such as a tent, the game proceeds in a non-linear fashion, allowing for the player to play the game as they choose.[5]

Two players on one island via multiplayer. The player to the right is harvesting types of wood from a tree using an axe.

The player is given open access to natural resources such as fruit and wood, which can be collected and crafted into a variety of items and furniture known as D.I.Y. crafting. Alongside this, they can catch bugs and fish,[6][7][8] plant and grow trees and flowers,[9] extract natural resources such as rocks,[10] swim in the ocean,[11] and eventually are given the option to alter the terrain of the island directly.[12][13] The island gives open space for placing items and decorating as the player chooses.[14] Doing simple tasks rewards the player with "Nook Miles", which in return can purchase premium rewards in Resident Services. The other currency "Bells", a staple in the Animal Crossing franchise, can be used to purchase other goods and services. Another feature offered early on is the "Dodo Airlines", an airport; through Dodo Airlines, and tickets purchased through Nook Miles, the player can visit other vacant islands for harvesting resources, and meeting other villagers.[15] The player can invite other villagers they meet to their island if they choose.[16]

The player starts with two other random anthropomorphic villagers that also purchase the getaway package; these villagers will live alongside the player and can be interacted with, building relationships. When the player has made sufficient progress in the game, Tom Nook will give more freedom of expanding as a village. Other shopowners will visit and settle on the island, such as museum-owner Blathers, who will display creatures that were captured by the player. Eventually, the main area will expand to a Town Hall, run by Tom Nook with the help of Isabelle;[5] other buildings and villagers will populate the community, and old tents and shops will grow into a more permanent structure that can still be moved if the player chooses. From there, the island will be given a star rating out of five, usually starting off at a one-star rating. As the island grows further, the island's star rating will increase. When a three-star rating is achieved, K.K. Slider, a popular musician, will visit and perform a concert at the island, marking the "end" of the game as the credits roll.[17] However, more options for island customization are given to the player for further community growth – such as the ability to construct and destroy cliffs, bodies of water and paths, coloquially referred to as "terraforming".[18]

The game supports one island per Switch system.[19] Animal Crossing: New Horizons supports both local and online co-op gameplay, with up to four players locally and eight players online able to occupy an island at any given time, an option available through the Dodo Airlines.[20] The game supports amiibo cards and figures from the Animal Crossing series, which can be used to invite a villager to the island temporarily that can be convinced to join the island. Nintendo Switch Online cloud saving was added during a late July 2020 update, allowing users to recover game data if their Switch is broken or lost.[21] Additional content is added every few months, added on every update by downloading the latest update from Nintendo.[22]

Updates[]

Since the game depends on seasonal changes, New Horizons receives frequent updates, adding new seasonal items, events, and sometimes new gameplay features. Most updates are loosely based around national holidays, with the first update being themed around "Bunny Day" in April 2020 and based on Easter. Other seasonal updates followed, being "Nature Day" (Earth Day), May Day,[23] Halloween,[24] "Turkey Day" (Thanksgiving), and "Toy Day" (Christmas).[25] Other popular seasonal events, such as summer, also came with new items.[26][27] Each respective update also featured popular characters from past Animal Crossing games. With each update, the island changed in look, and the player's island is often decorated for the occasion. Alongside seasonal changes, Nintendo has also released themed items from other popular media, such as Mario outfits and decor in celebration of the franchise's 35th anniversary.[28]

Development[]

Hisashi Nogami in 2018, the producer of the series

Development of a new main series Animal Crossing game for the Nintendo Switch was confirmed in a Nintendo Direct on September 13, 2018, with an unspecified 2019 release date.[29] Although the game was announced in 2018, game director Aya Kyogoku confirmed that the game had begun development in 2012, shortly after the original release of Animal Crossing: New Leaf for the Nintendo 3DS in Japan;[30] she stated how concepts for the game were forming long before ideas for the Nintendo Switch had even existed.[31]

Nintendo released the game's title and first trailer at its E3 2019 Nintendo Direct on June 11, 2019.[32] The game was delayed until March 20, 2020, with Yoshiaki Koizumi stating that in order "to ensure [that] the game [was] the best it [could] be, [Nintendo had to] ask that [players] wait a little longer than [Nintendo itself] thought."[32] Nintendo of America president Doug Bowser cited a desire to avoid crunch and maintain a healthy work–life balance for Nintendo employees as the primary reason for the delay.[33] Nintendo's stock market value posted a 3.5% loss in reaction to the delay, amounting to a total loss in value of more than US$1 billion.[34][35]

Hyogoku stated that the success of the Animal Crossing series was due to the fact that the developers make each game different enough from the last, to bring appeal to newcomers yet keep the core concept for returning players.[36] Kyogoku and Hisashi Nogami, the producer, stated that they selected a deserted island as the game's setting to differentiate it from previous Animal Crossing games, which are set in established villages, and to allow greater freedom to customize the game's world.[37] Additionally, a deserted island took away established parameters in the series to allow for different ideas player interactions.[38] Other concepts, such as the internet and multiplayer, were able to be implemented, unlike previous games due to advancing hardware.[39] Hygoku made sure to keep balance of introducing new and fresh ideas while retaining core elements to satisfy long-term fans of the series.[38]

"Considering the timing, we hope that a lot of the Animal Crossing fans will use this as an escape, so they can enjoy themselves during this difficult time."

Game director Hisashi Nogami, 2020 The Verge interview[40]

The developers were very disappointed when the game's release cycle overlapped with the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to quarantine during the pandemic, Kyogoku hoped that the game would be an "escape" for fans at the time. They emphasized a global release to allow for international connections between the players.[41]

Game mechanics and concepts[]

The developers made sure to make the game not only welcoming new players but to also retain core concepts from the previous games to keep older fans of the series happy. A crafting system was implemented to allow the player to keep the player from running out of things to do after the in-game stores close.[31] She mentioned how the D.I.Y. crafting system would keep players in theme with the game by interacting and using the natural environment to their advantage. Kyogoku took note of players who began playing Animal Crossing games via mobile apps, such as Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp, by implementing the Nook Miles feature which would show the player what kinds of activities and concepts they can achieve by rewarding them to do so. The Nook Miles system also rewards the player for doing common tasks and collecting materials that would sell for cheap to keep the player from only tediously searching out expensive materials. Furniture and clothing accessibility and customization were emphasized for multiplayer so players could show pride in their islands.[38]

Additionally, the developers noticed that players would repeatedly restart games in the previous series over and over, in hopes to get an island shape that they want. Because of this, landscaping was implemented to allow for easy shaping of the island. Another issue they noticed was "time-traveling"; due to the game running in real-time, players would change the clock on the console to put themselves further into the future so they don't have to wait in real-time. To help avoid this, they made sure landscaping and crafting did not have any wait-time restrictions.[31] They also tied seasonal events to updates instead of implementing the content into the game from the beginning so players could not skip ahead and retrieve exclusive items. The interest rate in the game's bank system was also decreased to lower the incentive of time-traveling.[42] Although the developers intended no time-traveling to be the ideal way of playing, they did not shun the concept entirely.[43]

Art and graphics[]

The player in "Camera Mode". The image shows how the island is at a 45 degree angle, where the player might see something distant which will "trigger" further action.

The game's art director, Koji Takahashi, went under the philosophy of "trigger of play". The concept makes sure there is something within the player's field of vision or grasp that would want them to explore the concept. With this, the island was designed from a 45-degree angle similar to that of a cylinder, or a "curved" perspective, where the player could view other content occurring in the background that would "trigger" them to investigate further or interact. By making an everyday concept simple and easy to grasp, it would cause the player to explore it further and be able to easily pick up the new material. If the game's art was complicated and realistic, according to Takahashi, the player would possibly receive too much information and make progression difficult. The simple design allowed for a multiple of one object to be stacked close to each other, such as flowers, or allow for simplistic objects to compliment others.[44]

By leaving empty space and with a simplistic design, Takahashi explains how it would have the player attempt to fill in that gap with their own perspectives and ideas, called the "imagination gap", and further motivation to create their own designs and space with the features available. In the game, the grass is designed to look like that of a checkerboard. Although this concept was in prior titles due to a lack of hardware complexity, the concept remained because it could be used as a form of expression for the player and allow them to conceptualize ideas with the "imagination gap".[44]

Art designer Hiromi Sugimoto made sure furniture would lead to motivation and hard work, and thus make the player want to connect with others to show off their achievements. He made sure the furniture could be customized by the player to ensure the difference between islands that would motivate visiting others and seeing unique ideas. Each furniture model was designed to have a "likeness" to it which would show exactly what to expect and what the player envisions; the pieces of furniture and items implemented various portions on how players view an object to look like and combine the commons ideas into one model. From there, using the "imagination gap", the player could fill in the smaller nitpicky info they would expect and further imagine how they could use the item.[44]

Release[]

When Animal Crossing: New Horizons released on March 20, 2020, video game retailer EB Games attracted criticism for allowing fans who pre-ordered the game along with Doom Eternal to line up at its flagship Canadian location on Yonge Street, Toronto amid a COVID-19 pandemic in the country, when all levels of government urged the public to close non-essential businesses and maintain social distancing.[45]

Reception[]

Animal Crossing: New Horizons has received "universal acclaim" according to review aggregator Metacritic,[58] becoming the highest-rated game in the series on the website. However, the game has been subject to review bombing due to its handling of Switch profiles and multiplayer.[59][60]

Critics from GameSpot and Game Informer praised the creative freedom and control offered by the game,[57] such as being allowed to choose where buildings and bridges are placed. Most enjoyed the Nook Miles system, stating that it gave the player something to do and a goal to reach.[53][54] Dann Sullivan, writing for Pocket Gamer, liked how it gave the player "optional direction".[56] USGamer also joked how nobody can complain how there is nothing to do.[54] The D.I.Y. system was also praised, with Nintendo Life taking note of how no resource is useless.[53] Reviewer Louryne Strampe of WIRED found that the game was exactly what she needed for her mental health and added that she and her colleagues find solace when visiting each other's respective islands.[61] Eurogamer Deputy Editor Martin Robinson states that, the game has some very impressive improvements which allow for a much clearer and more defined structure overall that gives the entire game play a better feel and cohesion than ever before.[62]

Critics praised the ability to place furniture virtually anywhere, and most agreed it was a necessary change of pace in the series. In particular, the Island Designer App was lauded with its ability to create natural structures,[52][54] although there were minor complaints about how the player could not expand the island and could only reshape it.[51] GamesRadar+ appreciated the retaining of old characters and concepts with the addition of new gameplay mechanics.[51]

Most had complaints about time restrictions in the early phases of the game.[52][50] Since the game runs in real-time, most of the resources available replenish the next day, and reviewers were left with little to do in the beginning.[52][54] IGN's Samuel Claiborn refused to time travel in prior titles, but ultimately was tempted into putting the clock ahead 15 days in order to begin the game's faster pacing and when more tools were unlocked.[52]

Sales[]

New Horizons sold over 1.88 million physical copies at launch in Japan, breaking the record held by Pokémon Sword and Shield for biggest Switch game debut in the region.[63] The game sold 720,791 physical copies in its second week in Japan,[64] selling more than Animal Crossing: New Leaf did in its first week. As of 26 April 2020, the game has sold 3,895,159 physical copies in Japan.[65]

In North America, it was the best-selling game of March 2020, becoming the second-bestselling game of 2020 and surpassing the lifetime sales of all previous Animal Crossing games. New Horizons generated the third highest known launch month sales of any Nintendo-published game (since The NPD Group began tracking video game sales from 1995), after Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (2018) and Super Smash Bros. Brawl (2008).[66]

In the United Kingdom, the physical launch sales were roughly quadrupled than those of New Leaf, making it the biggest Switch game launch in the region.[67] It also sold triple the units of the second-bestselling game, new entry Doom Eternal.[68] In Germany, New Horizons sold more than 200,000 copies after a few days of release, for which it has been certified with a Platinum Sales Award by German trade association GAME.[69]

Nielsen division SuperData Research estimates that New Horizons sold five million digital copies worldwide in March 2020, setting a new digital sales record by selling more digital units in a single calendar month than any other console game in history. It surpassed the previous record set by Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 (2018).[70]

Nintendo reported that 11.77 million units sold by March 31, 2020, and a total of 13.41 million units after six weeks on the market, making it "the best start ever for a Nintendo Switch title" by the end of its 2019 fiscal year,[71] as well as one of the best-selling games on the console and the best-selling game of the Animal Crossing series.[72] It later sold 22.4 million units worldwide after three months by June 2020[73] and 26.04 million units after six months by September 2020.[74]

On August 9, 2020, it was reported that Animal Crossing: New Horizons became the second-highest selling game of all time in Japan, only after Pokemon Red and Blue.[75] It was also reported in November 2020 that it was the fastest game to sell over six million copies in Japan.[76] It was the year's best-selling game in Japan, second best-selling game in the United Kingdom, and third best-selling game in the United States.[77] The game grossed $654 million in global digital sales by the end of 2020, making it the year's seventh highest-grossing digital premium game worldwide.[78] As of March 31, 2021, the game has sold 32.63 million units, making it the second best-selling Nintendo Switch game, behind only Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.[79]

In January 2021, The NPD Group revealed the best-selling games of 2020 in the United States. New Horizons was ranked third behind Call of Duty: Black Ops: Cold War and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. The publication revealed that New Horizons was the best-selling Nintendo game in terms of physical copies in the US since 2010's Wii Fit Plus.[80] It was also the second best-selling game of the year in physical copies in the United Kingdom, behind FIFA 21.[81]

Awards and nominations[]

New Horizons has won numerous awards; the game won the categories for "Best Game in China" and "Game of the Year" at the Famitsu Dengeki. Additionally, the game also was nominated for "Game of the Year" as well as the best multiplayer and family game at The Game Awards 2020, and ultimately won the "Best Family Game" category. At the Japan Game Awards 2020, the game was nominated for the "Minister of Economy, Trade, and Industry Award" as well as "Game of the Year", and won both categories. The game received an "Award for Excellence" at the event. New Horizons was nominated for similar categories at the Golden Joystick Awards 2020 and won the "Nintendo Game of the Year" category. The game won the "Game Beyond Entertainment" and "Best Multiplayer" categories at the 2021 British Academy Games Awards (BAFTA) and was nominated for four others.

Year Award Ceremony Category Result Ref.
2020 Famitsu Dengeki Game Awards 2020 Best Game in China Won [82][83]
Game of the Year Won
The Game Awards 2020 Best Family Game Won [84][85]
Best Multiplayer Game Nominated
Game of the Year Nominated
Japan Game Awards Minister of Economy, Trade, and Industry Award Won [86]
Award for Excellence Won
Game of the Year Won
Golden Joystick Awards Nintendo Game of the Year Won [86]
Best Game Community Nominated
Best Family Game Nominated
Best Multiplayer Game Nominated
2021 British Academy Games Awards Best Game Nominated [87]
Family Nominated
Game Beyond Entertainment Won
Game Design Nominated
Multiplayer Won
EE Game of the Year Nominated
Game Developers Choice Awards Game of the Year Nominated [88]
Best Design Nominated

Impact and legacy[]

See also: Nookazon

Reviewers and news organizations highlighted the game's sense of escapism, in contrast to the COVID-19 pandemic, as attributing to its success.[89] An NBC News op-ed declared, "[New Horizons] is the coronavirus distraction we needed" at a time of widespread social distancing and stay-at-home orders.[90] Imad Khan of The New York Times called the game a "phenomenon", and stated that "with the world in the grip of a pandemic, the wildly popular game is a conveniently timed piece of whimsy, particularly for millennials."[91] Many people have utilized the game in different ways for business and/or socialization. Funerals, weddings, and graduations were held in the game, with even a talk show spawning, titled Animal Talking.[92] The Monterey Bay Aquarium, California, during the COVID-19 pandemic, has regularly held live streams of animal feedings.[93] Twitter revealed, in early January 2021, that Animal Crossing: New Horizons was the most tweeted-about game in 2020.[94]

The Joe Biden 2020 presidential campaign released official digital yard signs for use in the game that players could use to decorate their islands.[95][96] The game was also used by democracy activists in Hong Kong, including Joshua Wong, as a platform to protest virtually. In reaction, the game was removed from online stores in China such as Taobao where it had been available on the grey market.[97][98][99] Nintendo announced on November 19, 2020, a new set of guidelines for using the game, including the ban on using it for political activities.[100]

Related media[]

A tie-in manga series, Atsumare Dōbutsu no Mori: Nonbiri Shima Dayori (あつまれ どうぶつの森〜のんびり島だより〜, lit. "Gather Animal's Forest: Carefree Island News"), began serialization in the manga magazine Ciao on December 28, 2019. The series is written and illustrated by Minori Katō, and follows a villager named Hana who moves to an unpopulated island.[101] Another manga series, Atsumare Dōbutsu no Mori: Nonbiri Shima Diary, launched in the June 2020 issue of Coro Coro Comics.[102]

Nook Tails, a tie-in comic strip series by Cho Hanayo featuring the characters Tom Nook, Timmy, and Tommy, began serialization on the game's Japanese website on October 15, 2019.[103][104] An English-language translation of the series has been posted on the game's English Twitter account beginning on March 4, 2020.[105] Multiple guide books have been released in Japan, some with well-over 1000 pages. These guides have been greatly popular in the country, with large queues (despite shelter-in-place orders), and prompting mass reselling online.[106]

In January 2021, ColourPop released a makeup collection inspired by the game's characters.[107] In March 2021, Build-A-Bear Workshop announced an Animal Crossing: New Horizons collection of plush toys.[108]

Notes[]

  1. ^ Known in Japan as Atsumare Dōbutsu no Mori (Japanese: あつまれ どうぶつの森, lit. Get Together: Animal Forest)
  2. ^ Behind Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.
  3. ^ Behind Pokémon Red, Blue, and Green.

References[]

  1. ^ Groux, Christopher (June 11, 2019). "'Animal Crossing: New Horizons' Multiplayer & More Revealed in E3 Stream". Newsweek. Archived from the original on June 12, 2019. Retrieved June 11, 2019.
  2. ^ Gurwin, Gabe (September 5, 2019). "Here are all the juicy details on Animal Crossing: New Horizons". Digital Trends. Archived from the original on September 15, 2019. Retrieved September 9, 2019.
  3. ^ Stark, Chelsea (June 12, 2019). "Animal Crossing: New Horizons will have skin tone customization, gender-neutral hairstyles for Villagers". Polygon. Archived from the original on June 14, 2019. Retrieved June 14, 2019.
  4. ^ Pino, Nick (June 11, 2019). "Animal Crossing: New Horizons adds crafting and farming, gets delayed til 2020". Tech Radar. Archived from the original on June 11, 2019. Retrieved June 11, 2019.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b Sanchez, Miranda (June 11, 2019). "Isabelle Will Be in Animal Crossing: New Horizons – E3 2019". IGN. Archived from the original on June 12, 2019. Retrieved June 11, 2019.
  6. ^ Lynn, Lottie (April 29, 2020). "Animal Crossing Bugs list: All bug prices, locations, and how to catch rare bugs explained". Eurogamer. Retrieved April 3, 2021.
  7. ^ December 2020, Sam Loveridge 17. "Animal Crossing: New Horizons bugs guide: How and when to catch all the bugs". gamesradar. Retrieved April 3, 2021.
  8. ^ Lee, Julia (March 23, 2020). "Animal Crossing: New Horizons fish guide and complete list". Polygon. Retrieved April 3, 2021.
  9. ^ Green, Jake (March 26, 2021). "Animal Crossing New Horizons: How to Plant Flowers and Trees". usgamer.net. Retrieved April 4, 2021.
  10. ^ Lee, Julia (March 20, 2020). "Where to find Iron Nuggets in Animal Crossing: New Horizons". Polygon. Retrieved April 3, 2021.
  11. ^ Lynn, Lottie (July 3, 2020). "Animal Crossing Swimming: How to swim, get a wetsuit and diving in New Horizons explained". Retrieved April 3, 2021.
  12. ^ Lee, Julia (March 20, 2020). "Animal Crossing: New Horizons terraforming guide". Polygon. Retrieved April 3, 2021.
  13. ^ May 2020, Vic Hood 04. "How to terraform your island in Animal Crossing: New Horizons". TechRadar. Retrieved April 3, 2021.
  14. ^ March 2020, Connor Sheridan 06. "Animal Crossing: New Horizons video shows weird and wonderful ways to decorate your island". gamesradar. Retrieved April 3, 2021.
  15. ^ "Dodo Airlines". IGN. April 10, 2020. Archived from the original on March 14, 2021. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
  16. ^ Sanchez, Miranda (June 12, 2019). "How Tom Nook Uses His Money and 14 More Details About Animal Crossing: New Horizons". IGN. Archived from the original on June 14, 2019. Retrieved June 16, 2019.
  17. ^ "K.K. Slider secret songs - Animal Crossing: New Horizons". www.nookfriends.com. Archived from the original on July 26, 2020. Retrieved July 26, 2020.
  18. ^ Lee, Julia (March 20, 2020). "Animal Crossing: New Horizons terraforming guide". Polygon. Retrieved May 24, 2021.
  19. ^ "Animal Crossing: New Horizons to limit to one island per Nintendo Switch". Shacknews. Archived from the original on March 20, 2020. Retrieved February 8, 2020.
  20. ^ Grayson, Nathan (June 11, 2019). "Animal Crossing: New Horizons Will Let You Decorate The Whole World". Kotaku. Archived from the original on June 11, 2019. Retrieved June 11, 2019.
  21. ^ Lynn, Lottie (July 30, 2020). "Animal Crossing cloud saves: Island backup, auto saving and save transfers in New Horizons explained". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on August 2, 2020. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
  22. ^ "How to Update Animal Crossing: New Horizons". Nintendo. Archived from the original on November 19, 2020. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
  23. ^ Lee, Julia (March 26, 2020). "Animal Crossing: New Horizons' Bunny Day event detailed, Leif revealed". Polygon. Archived from the original on March 26, 2020. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  24. ^ Voigt, Austin (October 5, 2020). "Animal Crossing: New Horizons: Fall Update - Complete Autumn Events Guide". NintendoLife. Archived from the original on October 29, 2020. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
  25. ^ Webster, Andrew (November 17, 2020). "Animal Crossing: New Horizons is getting Christmas, Thanksgiving, and save data transfers". The Verge. Archived from the original on November 17, 2020. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
  26. ^ "New Animal Crossing: New Horizons Summer Update Adds Diving". Simple Gamer. June 26, 2020. Archived from the original on June 27, 2020. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
  27. ^ McWhertor, Michael (June 25, 2020). "Animal Crossing: New Horizons update adding swimming, Pascal, and more". Polygon. Archived from the original on July 5, 2020. Retrieved July 3, 2020.
  28. ^ Carpenter, Nicole (February 17, 2021). "Animal Crossing: New Horizons Mario update includes a working warp pipe". Polygon. Retrieved March 22, 2021.
  29. ^ Allegra, Frank (September 13, 2018). "Animal Crossing Switch is out in 2019 and Nintendo is driving us nuts already". Polygon. Archived from the original on February 10, 2019. Retrieved June 11, 2019.
  30. ^ Doolan, Liam (March 24, 2020). "Animal Crossing Devs Reveal How Long New Horizons Has Been In Development". Nintendo Life. Archived from the original on November 4, 2020. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
  31. ^ Jump up to: a b c Favis, Elise (March 23, 2020). "Nintendo explains philosophy behind Animal Crossing's big changes, such as gender expression and terraforming". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on January 14, 2021. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
  32. ^ Jump up to: a b Dornbush, Jonathon (June 11, 2019). "Animal Crossing: New Horizons Delayed to 2020 – E3 2019". IGN. Archived from the original on June 11, 2019. Retrieved June 11, 2019.
  33. ^ Kane, Alex (June 12, 2019). "Nintendo Delayed 'Animal Crossing' to Maintain 'Good Work-Life Balance'". Variety. Archived from the original on June 12, 2019. Retrieved June 12, 2019.
  34. ^ Shane, Daniel (June 11, 2019). "Nintendo loses $1bn in market value after video game delay". Financial Times. Archived from the original on June 13, 2019. Retrieved June 12, 2019.
  35. ^ Keane, Sean (June 12, 2019). "Animal Crossing: New Horizons delay cuts $1B from Nintendo stock". CNET. Archived from the original on June 12, 2019. Retrieved June 12, 2019.
  36. ^ Robinson, Andy (September 6, 2020). "Animal Crossing's developers say the series 'must continue to evolve'". Video Games Chronicle. Archived from the original on December 7, 2020. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
  37. ^ Wade, Jessie (June 11, 2019). "Animal Crossing: New Horizons Reveals World Premiere of New Gameplay at Nintendo Treehouse Live – E3 2019". IGN. Archived from the original on June 11, 2019. Retrieved June 11, 2019.
  38. ^ Jump up to: a b c Webster, Andrew (March 20, 2020). "Animal Crossing: New Horizons' deserted island was designed to shake up the series". The Verge.
  39. ^ Stein, Scott (March 21, 2020). "You're not crazy: Tom Nook is nicer in Animal Crossing: New Horizons". CNET. Archived from the original on January 11, 2021. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
  40. ^ Doolan, Liam (August 29, 2020). "Paper Mario Producer Says He's 'Not Opposed to the Fans' Opinions'". Nintendo Life. Archived from the original on November 26, 2020. Retrieved December 6, 2020.
  41. ^ Webster, Andrew (March 18, 2020). "The creators of Animal Crossing hope New Horizons can be 'an escape' in difficult times". The Verge.
  42. ^ Stadtmann, Benti (June 1, 2021). "Borders in Motion in the Video Game Industry: An analysis based on Animal Crossing: New Horizons" (PDF). European University Viadrina. Retrieved August 20, 2021.
  43. ^ Sheridan, Connor (March 24, 2020). "Animal Crossing: New Horizons developers think playing without time travel's best in the long run". GamesRadar+.
  44. ^ Jump up to: a b c "『あつまれ どうぶつの森』で目指した、想像のスキマを残し、可能性を広げる記号的デザイン【CEDEC 2020】" [Symbolic design that leaves the gap of imagination and expands the possibilities that we aimed at in 'Animal Crossing: New Horizons' [CEDEC 2020]]. Famitsu. May 9, 2020.
  45. ^ "Toronto fans line up en masse and for Animal Crossing and Doom Eternal, while Vancouver plays it chill". The Georgia Straight. March 20, 2020. Archived from the original on March 21, 2020. Retrieved March 21, 2020.
  46. ^ "Animal Crossing: New Horizons". Metacritic. Archived from the original on November 13, 2020. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
  47. ^ Bischoff, Jenns (March 16, 2020). "Test: Animal Crossing: New Horizons". 4Players. Computec Media GmbH. Archived from the original on March 18, 2020. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  48. ^ Andriessen, CJ (March 16, 2020). "Review: Animal Crossing: New Horizons". Destructoid. Enthusiast Gaming. Archived from the original on March 29, 2020. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  49. ^ McFerran, Damien (March 10, 2020). "The First Animal Crossing: New Horizons Review Is In, And It Might Surprise You". Nintendo Life. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on March 18, 2020. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  50. ^ Jump up to: a b Cork, Jeff (March 16, 2020). "Review: Animal Crossing: New Horizons". Game Informer. GameStop. Archived from the original on March 29, 2020. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  51. ^ Jump up to: a b c Loveridge, Sam (March 16, 2020). "Animal Crossing: New Horizons Review: "The Ultimate Getaway from Reality"". GamesRadar+. Future plc. Archived from the original on March 29, 2020. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  52. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e Claiborn, Samuel (March 17, 2020). "Animal Crossing: New Horizons Review". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on March 29, 2020. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  53. ^ Jump up to: a b c Olney, Alex (March 17, 2020). "Animal Crossing: New Horizons Review". Nintendo Life. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on March 29, 2020. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  54. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e McCarthy, Caty (March 16, 2020). "Animal Crossing: New Horizons Review: The Only Debt You'll Want to Stay In". USgamer. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on March 29, 2020. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  55. ^ Donovan, Imogen (March 16, 2020). "Animal Crossing: New Horizons review". VideoGamer.com. Archived from the original on March 29, 2020. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  56. ^ Jump up to: a b Sullivan, Dann (March 16, 2020). "Animal Crossing: New Horizons review - "The best form of digital escapism to date"". Pocket Gamer. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
  57. ^ Jump up to: a b Plagge, Kallie (April 9, 2020). "Animal Crossing: New Horizons Review - Island Getaway". GameSpot. Retrieved April 23, 2021.
  58. ^ "Animal Crossing: New Horizons for Switch Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on November 13, 2020. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  59. ^ Hall, Charlie (March 23, 2020). "Animal Crossing: New Horizons has some problems when you create multiple accounts". Polygon. Archived from the original on March 30, 2020. Retrieved April 4, 2020.
  60. ^ Craddock, Ryan (March 24, 2020). "Angry Players Are Starting To Review-Bomb Animal Crossing: New Horizons". Nintendo Life. Archived from the original on April 1, 2020. Retrieved April 5, 2020.
  61. ^ Strampe, Louryne (April 11, 2020). "'Animal Crossing' Is the Game We All Need Right Now". Wired. ISSN 1059-1028. Retrieved April 23, 2021.
  62. ^ Robinson, Martin (March 16, 2020). "Animal Crossing: New Horizons review - a magical vivarium, and one of Nintendo's best games yet". Eurogamer. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  63. ^ "『あつまれ どうぶつの森』パッケージ版が発売3日間で188万本を販売！ スイッチ向けソフトで歴代1位の初週販売本数". Famitsu (in Japanese). March 25, 2020. Archived from the original on March 29, 2020. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
  64. ^ Craddock, Ryan (April 1, 2020). "Japanese Charts: Animal Crossing: New Horizons Looks Unstoppable With Mighty Second Week On Sale". Nintendo Life. Archived from the original on April 10, 2020. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  65. ^ Romano, Sal (April 30, 2020). "Famitsu Sales: 4/20/20 – 4/26/20 [Update]". Gematsu. Archived from the original on May 1, 2020. Retrieved May 6, 2020.
  66. ^ Grubb, Jeff (April 21, 2020). "March 2020 NPD: Animal Crossing powers March to blockbuster game sales". VentureBeat. Archived from the original on April 22, 2020. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  67. ^ Dring, Christopher (March 22, 2020). "Animal Crossing: New Horizons smashes sales records in the UK". GamesIndustry.biz. Archived from the original on March 29, 2020. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
  68. ^ Phillips, Tom (March 23, 2020). "Wow, Animal Crossing: New Horizons sales are through the roof". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on March 23, 2020. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
  69. ^ "Reif für die Insel: Der game Sales Award im März" (in German). game – Verband der deutschen Games-Branche. April 15, 2020. Archived from the original on May 10, 2020. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
  70. ^ "Worldwide digital games market". SuperData. Nielsen Company. April 22, 2020. Archived from the original on April 22, 2020. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
  71. ^ "Consolidated Financial Highlights - Q4 FY2020" (PDF). Nintendo. May 7, 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 7, 2020. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
  72. ^ "Nintendo million sellers - May 2020 - Animal Crossing: New Horizons at over 13 million and more". Nintendo Everything. May 7, 2020. Archived from the original on May 10, 2020. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  73. ^ "Consolidated Results for the Three Months Ended June 30, 2019 and 2020" (PDF). Nintendo. August 6, 2020. p. 3. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
  74. ^ "Consolidated Results for the Six Months Ended September 30, 2019 and 2020" (PDF). Nintendo. August 6, 2020. p. 3. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
  75. ^ "Animal Crossing: New Horizons Is Now Japan's Second Best-Selling Game Ever". Nintendo Life. August 9, 2020. Archived from the original on December 17, 2020. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
  76. ^ Partleton, Kayleigh (November 30, 2020). "Animal Crossing: New Horizons becomes the fastest-ever game to sell six million copies in Japan". Pocketgamer.biz. Archived from the original on December 5, 2020. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
  77. ^ Batchelor, James (December 22, 2020). "GamesIndustry.biz presents… The Year in Numbers 2020". GamesIndustry.biz. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on January 25, 2021. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
  78. ^ "Games and interactive media earnings rose 12% to $139.9B in 2020". SuperData Research. Nielsen Company. January 6, 2021. Archived from the original on January 27, 2021. Retrieved January 6, 2021.
  79. ^ "IR Information: Sales Data - Top Selling Title Sales Units". Nintendo. May 6, 2021. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
  80. ^ "NPD reveals the best-selling games of 2020 in the U.S." Venture Beat. January 15, 2021. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
  81. ^ "The best-selling video game of 2020 was FIFA 21 and Persona 5 Royal is the highest rated". Metro. December 23, 2020. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
  82. ^ Liu, Stephanie (February 24, 2021). "2020 Famitsu Dengeki Game Awards Nominees Include FFVII Remake and Ghost of Tsushima". Siliconera. Retrieved March 22, 2021.
  83. ^ Stenbuck, Kite (March 7, 2021). "Animal Crossing: New Horizons Won Famitsu Dengeki Game Awards 2020". Siliconera. Retrieved March 22, 2021.
  84. ^ "Voting is live for the Golden Joystick Awards 2020 nominations". GamesRadar+. September 30, 2020. Retrieved March 22, 2021.
  85. ^ Tyrer, Ben (November 24, 2020). "Every winner at the Golden Joystick Awards 2020". GamesRadar+. Retrieved March 22, 2021.
  86. ^ Jump up to: a b Robinson, Andy (September 27, 2020). "Japan Game Awards names Animal Crossing as 2020's best game". Video Games Chronicle. Retrieved March 22, 2021.
  87. ^ "2021 BAFTA Games Awards: The Nominations". British Academy of Film and Television Arts. March 2021. Retrieved March 22, 2021.
  88. ^ Rousseau, Jeffrey (April 20, 2021). "Hades, Ghost of Tsushima, and Last of Us Part 2 lead GDC Award nominees". GamesIndustry.biz.
  89. ^ Willingham, AJ (March 30, 2020). "Animal Crossing is letting people live out their wildest fantasy: Normalcy". CNN. Archived from the original on March 31, 2020. Retrieved March 31, 2020.
  90. ^ Bundel, Ani (March 29, 2020). "'Animal Crossing: New Horizons' is the coronavirus distraction we needed". NBC News THINK. Archived from the original on March 30, 2020. Retrieved March 31, 2020.
  91. ^ Khan, Imad (April 7, 2020). "Why Animal Crossing Is the Game for the Coronavirus Moment". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 8, 2020. Retrieved April 8, 2020.
  92. ^ Paul, Kari (May 9, 2020). "Dating, a talk show and a dominatrix: Animal Crossing gamers explore new horizons during pandemic". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on May 20, 2020. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
  93. ^ Van Allen, Eric (April 14, 2020). "Monterey Bay Aquarium is Using Animal Crossing: New Horizons' Museum in a Unique Way". USGamer. Archived from the original on April 25, 2020. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
  94. ^ Gray, Kate (January 11, 2021). "There Were Over 2 Billion Tweets About Gaming In 2020, Most Of It For Animal Crossing". Nintendo Life. Archived from the original on January 12, 2021. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  95. ^ Kelly, Makena (September 1, 2020). "Biden campaign launches official Animal Crossing: New Horizons yard signs". The Verge. Archived from the original on January 25, 2021. Retrieved September 1, 2020.
  96. ^ Moreno, J. Edward (September 1, 2020). "Biden campaign releases Animal Crossing yard signs". TheHill. Archived from the original on December 6, 2020. Retrieved September 1, 2020.
  97. ^ "Nintendo game pulled from Chinese platforms after Hong Kong protest". Reuters. April 10, 2020. Archived from the original on April 10, 2020. Retrieved April 10, 2020.
  98. ^ "Animal Crossing removed from sale in China amid Hong Kong protests". BBC. April 13, 2020. Archived from the original on April 16, 2020. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
  99. ^ Wong, Rachel (April 15, 2020). "Activist Joshua Wong 'trolls' Chinese censors after gamers blame him for Animal Crossing ban". Hong Kong Free Press. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
  100. ^ Beckwith, Michael (November 19, 2020). "Nintendo Wants to Keep Politics Out of Animal Crossing: New Horizons". Game Rant. Archived from the original on November 19, 2020. Retrieved November 21, 2020.
  101. ^ Hodgkins, Crystalyn (November 29, 2019). "Animal Crossing Game Franchise Gets Manga in December". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on December 3, 2019. Retrieved December 3, 2019.
  102. ^ "Animal Crossing: New Horizons Game Gets New Manga in June". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on May 21, 2020. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  103. ^ "島のくらしのパートナー たぬき開発". www.tanuki-kaihatsu.com. Archived from the original on March 10, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
  104. ^ @doubutsuno_mori (October 15, 2019). "【お知らせ】Nintendo Liveの「たぬき開発 無人島移住パッケージ説明会」にお越しいただいた皆様、ありがとうございました。「たぬき開発」HPにて、説明会の様子や次回のご案内、4コマまんがを掲載しておりますので、よろしければご覧ください。" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  105. ^ @animalcrossing (March 4, 2020). "You can build so many things with DIY recipes. I'm excited to see what you will make! Yes, yes! #AnimalCrossing #ACNH" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  106. ^ Ashcraft, Brian (May 8, 2020). "The New Animal Crossing Guide Book Draws A Crowd In Japan". Archived from the original on May 10, 2020. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
  107. ^ Clark, Mitchell (January 19, 2021). "Animal Crossing is getting an official makeup line". The Verge.
  108. ^ "Animal Crossing Build-a-Bears Are Moving In - IGN" – via www.ign.com.

External links[]

Retrieved from ""