Petition for AC:NH game save backup

[pensenaute]

Hello, everyone! Loonep and I wanted to share with you a petition in regards to the lack of game saves backup in AC:NH. Since sharing the petition, we’ve encountered quite a bit of misknowledge and many other different questions, which is why I’ve written the most popular ones here, in hopes those who are not so sure can make a more informed decision

Common misconceptions Loonep and I found by talking with AC fans :

- “The Switch won't break” : Lots of people replied to me by saying that backup saves don’t matter because the Switch won’t stop working abruptly. It’s an interesting topic! One of the best aspects about the Switch is its portability, but at the same time it makes it more vulnerable since it means that we could lose it, it could be stolen, and it can fall and break easily when transporting it. Furthermore, even if you only kept your Switch indoors and docked, it could get damaged due to electrical surges, accidents or data corruption. Also, as with any other technological product and hardware, it can unfortunately stop working without previous signs of damage.

- “The game is not out yet, so why worry now?” : the Animal Crossing: New Horizons development team have mentioned that they are paying attention to the fans’ reactions, which is why it seems like an important time to respectfully and politely voice our concerns. Also, what better time when the game is in development to possibly make some changes?

- “A petition doesn't do anything” : I don’t totally disagree on this one. It’s true that it is a bit idealistic to think that a petition can work all the time. I consider this a means of (politely) getting the word around and to raise awareness about this, since many players don’t know that they won’t be able to backup the game. Also, it’s a better way to group together the wishes and hopes of players, in a kind and organized way. And after all, what do we lose just by trying?

- “Let the developers live their lives” : That is true too, I want to respect how the devs envisioned their game and imagined how we should play it. I understand their concern about cheating in AC, however, I believe that there is some way to make a compromise, because this is our save we are talking about, maybe 100 hours, 500 hours, 1000+ hours of commitment, work and real-time hours. I think most people would be devastated if they lost all their game saves. That’s why I think they should want to protect our save, by any means, maybe one we didn’t even think of! The goal is for them to be aware of our distress.

- “I prefer that people can’t cheat so I agree with Nintendo’s choice” : Like I said just above, no matter my preferences about cheating or not, I respect Nintendo’s choice. But I’m sure they can come up with an alternative, compromise or middle ground for protecting our saves

- “Saves are on the cartridge / micro sd card” : Unfortunately, all game save data is saved inside the Switch’s internal storage. The micro sd that you’re allowed to place in stores the game itself, not the data. The only way that Nintendo allows to backup Switch games is via the cloud.

- “Just hack your Switch” : Some tried that sure, but it’s prohibited by Nintendo and as such there’s a high possibility that future software updates might cause problems on your Switch. Plus it’s not my way of thinking : fixing an issue by hacking the console.

- “You can’t fix it in 9 months” : I think it would be easier for them to find a solution while they are still developing the game than after it is released. Even if it’s an option that’s not available at launch, I hope that Nintendo will offer a solution before players accumulate too many hours. Anyway, I am “crossing” my fingers

If you are interested by reading/signing or maybe even sharing the petition, here is the link : http://chng.it/vV8MTydQ Loonep and I would love to hear what you think about all this

 

[JKDOS]

Why is this a big deal all of a sudden? Cloud saves were not a thing in the previous games, and we all survived, granted less than 1% may have had corruption.

 

[Speeny]

It’s disappointing but I’m not overly worried about it. Even if something did happen to my save, there’s something inspiring about starting a new file anyway.

EDIT: Signed anyway.

 

[Stella-Io]

Why is this a big deal all of a sudden? Cloud saves were not a thing in the previous games, and we all survived, granted less than 1% may have had corruption.

Yes, and data was saved in the game card. Data isn't saved in the game card this time, the Switch has it's own system memory that you save it on. Accidents happen, when a Nintendo DS system got broke cause it fell, or someone else mistreated it, we could take the game card, put it in a new system and all is well. Image if the same mistake happens to your Switch. Poof, all is gone. There is no chance to back up a save cause there is no external storage to act that upon. So what if other games didn't have a cloud save? You're compating other games save to somethin that wasn't even an available back then.

Pensenaute I like that you put a FAQ in this post, people keep saying the same stuff like "hack your Switch'. Not only has Nintendo made this harder to do, but not everyone has the ability to even hack their Switch, or anythin in general.

 

[pensenaute]

Why is this a big deal all of a sudden? Cloud saves were not a thing in the previous games, and we all survived, granted less than 1% may have had corruption.

Before when the saves were stored in the cartridge, it was possible to make a backup of that. Also, I don?t think it?s an extreme thing to ask from them as it?s already offered as part of the Nintendo Online Membership. It?s also known that in this regard Nintendo is lacking behind compared to its competitors. We have the technology now, so why not try to implement it?

 

[Chouchou]

Calm down plz it's not even a big deal

 

[pensenaute]

It?s disappointing but I?m not overly worried about it. Even if something did happen to my save, there?s something inspiring about starting a new file anyway.

I really admire your outlook on things! For me, I get attached to the town and its villagers and I?ll be very sad if something were to happen to it. Most people I?ve spoken to feel like that, but I?ve met only a few who can keep it cool like you I talked to some people who lost their game files and it completely ruined the game for them, they couldn?t play again I think most people would feel a lot safer if they knew they had a safe backup to rely on. And it sure might be inspiring to start a new file, but I?d be happier if I could choose to start fresh, instead of being forced to start fresh by any circumstance.

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Calm down plz it's not even a big deal

It?s a big deal to some of us, and we?re not chasing anyone with pitchforks, this is the most polite and respectful way I can think of of organizing people and what they wish would be in New Horizons.

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Yes, and data was saved in the game card. Data isn't saved in the game card this time, the Switch has it's own system memory that you save it on. Accidents happen, when a Nintendo DS system got broke cause it fell, or someone else mistreated it, we could take the game card, put it in a new system and all is well. Image if the same mistake happens to your Switch. Poof, all is gone. There is no chance to back up a save cause there is no external storage to act that upon. So what if other games didn't have a cloud save? You're compating other games save to somethin that wasn't even an available back then.

Pensenaute I like that you put a FAQ in this post, people keep saying the same stuff like "hack your Switch'. Not only has Nintendo made this harder to do, but not everyone has the ability to even hack their Switch, or anythin in general.

Thanks so much for your lovely comment and feedback! <3 And you?re 100% right, so many things can go wrong in the attempt of hacking a Switch. I personally don?t feel comfortable to do so!

 

[Loonep]

Calm down plz it's not even a big deal

Hi, I mean it's your right to think it's not a big deal! It's our right (and more than 2000 other people now) to think it is though!
I really hope nothing never happens to your switch and ACNH save, I know that would be a terrible feeling for me
As pensenaute said, starting fresh a new island when I choose to can be really nice. But being forced because of the lack of backup that most switch game have, it's really harsh!

 

[MarcelTheFool]

As someone who hacks, hacking is VERY hard. It was hard enough on my 3DS. Ive heard switch hacking is harder. And yeah you can hack, but its dangerous. One misstep and you corrupted your save, got banned, bricked ur system.

 

[Speeny]

I really admire your outlook on things! For me, I get attached to the town and its villagers and I’ll be very sad if something were to happen to it. Most people I’ve spoken to feel like that, but I’ve met only a few who can keep it cool like you I talked to some people who lost their game files and it completely ruined the game for them, they couldn’t play again I think most people would feel a lot safer if they knew they had a safe backup to rely on. And it sure might be inspiring to start a new file, but I’d be happier if I could choose to start fresh, instead of being forced to start fresh by any circumstance.

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It’s a big deal to some of us, and we’re not chasing anyone with pitchforks, this is the most polite and respectful way I can think of of organizing people and what they wish would be in New Horizons.

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Thanks so much for your lovely comment and feedback! <3 And you’re 100% right, so many things can go wrong in the attempt of hacking a Switch. I personally don’t feel comfortable to do so!

One thing that would only frustrate me is the loss of the encyclopedia/museum progress with it.

 

[Pellie]

As someone who already has to deal with this problem with not having the option to use cloud saves
at Splatoon 2... I can deal with the fact that New Horizons will not supporting it too. Now don't get
me wrong, I do understand people and their worries about losing all their progress if the worst case
happens and the Switch gets broken and what else caused the loss of the save file. But the thing is,
if a game doesn't support cloud saves, for whatever reasons, then it is so, as much as it sucks. It's
Nintendo's decision in that moment to do it this way, whenever you as the player/fan like it or not.

After all, I wish you guys good luck with the petition. However, and I know this may sounds not
really nice, I doubt that Nintendo will notice this. I mean, if they do and actually change this up
by let the game supporting it then yay, cool thing of course! But, yeah, I'm not sure at this point
if they really change anything about this at all...

 

[Speeny]

As someone who already has to deal with this problem with not having the option to use cloud saves
at Splatoon 2... I can deal with the fact that New Horizons will not supporting it too. Now don't get
me wrong, I do understand people and their worries about losing all their progress if the worst case
happens and the Switch gets broken and what else caused the loss of the save file. But the thing is,
if a game doesn't support cloud saves, for whatever reasons, then it is so, as much as it sucks. It's
Nintendo's decision in that moment to do it this way, whenever you as the player/fan like it or not.

After all, I wish you guys good luck with the petition. However, and I know this may sounds not
really nice, I doubt that Nintendo will notice this. I mean, if they do and actually change this up
by let the game supporting it then yay, cool thing of course! But, yeah, I'm not sure at this point
if they really change anything about this at all...

Interesting that you can't cloud save with Splatoon 2. I can with MK8 Deluxe. But, I guess they're very different games.

 

[Fey]

I personally think you both did the community a service by organizing this, and will sign the petition shortly ✮

Don?t let people shoot you down for caring too much or making an unnecessary fuss?your appeal was well-reasoned and respectful.
Just because some people are comfortable accepting disappointments doesn?t mean others don?t have a right to try and bring about the change they want to see. I much prefer making an effort for what I?m passionate about, than just accepting whatever is thrown my direction?at least I tried.

To those saying it won?t make a difference: you?d be surprised how much in life you can enjoy because someone else fought for it against the odds at some point ;3

 

[pensenaute]

As someone who hacks, hacking is VERY hard. It was hard enough on my 3DS. Ive heard switch hacking is harder. And yeah you can hack, but its dangerous. One misstep and you corrupted your save, got banned, bricked ur system.

Exactly, and please correct me if I'm wrong (I don't know much about hacking) but even if you did succeed, isn't there a chance a future software can brick your system as well? or after you hack it you stop updating it? xD

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I personally think you both did the community a service by organizing this, and will sign the petition shortly ✮

Don?t let people shoot you down for caring too much or making an unnecessary fuss?your appeal was well-reasoned and respectful.
Just because some people are comfortable accepting disappointments doesn?t mean others don?t have a right to try and bring about the change they want to see. I much prefer making an effort for what I?m passionate about, than just accepting whatever is thrown my direction?at least I tried.

To those saying it won?t make a difference: you?d be surprised how much in life you can enjoy because someone else fought for it against the odds at some point ;3

Wooow, thank you SO much for this incredibly kind comment! I know I don't speak for myself when I say you lift us right up with your support and super lovely response! Thank you! And that's right, it's easy to be confident when the odds are in your favor, but you have to be brave when they are not, however, the result will always be rewarding

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As someone who already has to deal with this problem with not having the option to use cloud saves
at Splatoon 2... I can deal with the fact that New Horizons will not supporting it too. Now don't get
me wrong, I do understand people and their worries about losing all their progress if the worst case
happens and the Switch gets broken and what else caused the loss of the save file. But the thing is,
if a game doesn't support cloud saves, for whatever reasons, then it is so, as much as it sucks. It's
Nintendo's decision in that moment to do it this way, whenever you as the player/fan like it or not.

After all, I wish you guys good luck with the petition. However, and I know this may sounds not
really nice, I doubt that Nintendo will notice this. I mean, if they do and actually change this up
by let the game supporting it then yay, cool thing of course! But, yeah, I'm not sure at this point
if they really change anything about this at all...

Thank you for wishing us luck nevertheless! I know Nintendo is pretty behind compared to its competitors in regards to the whole cloud saves thing which is why I hope in the near future all games will be cloud save compatible. If Nintendo cannot give us cloud saves for whatever reason, I think it's not crazy to ask for a compromise, and some compromises can be just ?better than nothing? for the fans but much more doable for Nintendo. The development team said they were paying attention to us, so I hope we can meet in the middle, even though I think Nintendo as a whole should have this down by now.

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One thing that would only frustrate me is the loss of the encyclopedia/museum progress with it.

That would be so saaad! But you know, since their concern is about cheating, I saw a post by jvsfjeff, and he said that a ?better than nothing? compromise could be to have cloud backup for the island layout, islanders and the shop upgrades. I guess the museum progress could be added in here as well?

It would still suck to lose all your items and bells, but hey, it's something.

 

[JKDOS]

Yes, and data was saved in the game card. Data isn't saved in the game card this time, the Switch has it's own system memory that you save it on. Accidents happen, when a Nintendo DS system got broke cause it fell, or someone else mistreated it, we could take the game card, put it in a new system and all is well.

Fair point, though to be fair, the digital copy saved to the SD card, and if something happened to the 3DS, such as drop or water damage, the SD card became useless in another 3DS.

I signed the petition though for those who really want it .

 

[MarcelTheFool]

Im not sure about the bricking, but yes future updates can ruin all your hard work. Thats why I hacked my older original 3DS instead of the new one. This ones on its last leg, so it wont be to bad if it gets banned. Ds' are cheap, switches are not.

 

[pensenaute]

Fair point, though to be fair, the digital copy saved to the SD card, and if something happened to the 3DS, such as drop or water damage, the SD card became useless in another 3DS.

I signed the petition though for those who really want it .

Dude, I?ve only spoken to a couple of people who have told me it?s not really their cause but they?ll sign just to support and every time I see that I?m overwhelmed by you guys? kindness and consideration. I know it might not be a big deal to you, but I can tell you it just show how good people you are, to put aside your opinions to consider another person?s need for support. I know it?s just a petition for a game, but you are awesome in my eyes! I hope many people support you when you need THANK YOU

 

[pensenaute]

Im not sure about the bricking, but yes future updates can ruin all your hard work. Thats why I hacked my older original 3DS instead of the new one. This ones on its last leg, so it wont be to bad if it gets banned. Ds' are cheap, switches are not.

Gotcha! Thanks for your answer! It makes me more bewildered that people think hacking is an option xD

 

[will.]

As someone who hacks, hacking is VERY hard. It was hard enough on my 3DS. Ive heard switch hacking is harder. And yeah you can hack, but its dangerous. One misstep and you corrupted your save, got banned, bricked ur system.

hey! not to put you down or anything but i hacked my switch in ten minutes and also took the precautions to not get banned haha. also hacking on the 3ds was as simple as dragging some files to the sd card and using an exploit. beginners might have a hard time with it but hacking nintendo systems is quite easy..

having said this, i don't think its the solution for this problem. yes, hacking is a solution but its not one that many can do. as KesRoden stated, one misstep and you could get banned from online play. bricking your system and corrupting save files is easy to avoid but getting banned is something that nintendo is coming down hard on. BUT this can be easily avoided by not pirating software. having a save manager on your switch won't be enough to get you banned (most likely)

** also
getting banned from online play and services was extremely rare on the 3ds, but it's VERY common on the switch. so no, definitely not the solution.

but back to the main point, this petition is a good idea and i definitely think that cloud saves are important - at least to fans like us who are devoted to the game. in response to traceguy saying that we didn't have cloud saves on the 3ds and we made it through: the saves were on the cartridge itself and on the switch, they'll be on the actual device.
we're paying for a cloud service that nintendo provides and they aren't even letting us use it on a popular game. this is just like the pokemon home/bank and pokemon swsh debacle. kinda outrageous.

 

[jefflomacy]

Save file SD card exploits like the ones used on the 3DS are a big part of the reason Nintendo has clamped down so hard on how save data is managed. I hope they will find a middle-ground solution to this problem, but I find it unlikely. I expect further hostility toward any avenues that can be used for exploitation, as protection of their IP is the most important thing for their long-term survival.

I imagine for Animal Crossing their concern is item duplication. The reason they care so much is that cheating (even in non-competitive games) when online play is involved cheapens the experience for those playing the game legitimately. This degradation of the experience harms sales as people who would have otherwise enjoyed the game and recommended it to others become disenfranchised. This is just my opinion, but I believe this is a big part of why cloud saves are unlikely. It would definitely cheapen the experience for me if I knew groups of people were out there trading duplicated rare items. It would make me ponder: why bother spending hours digging or fishing when people are just duplicating it? I could just get the item from one of them easily. And so the slope begins into achieving game-ending control.

The argument could be made that they should allow cloud saving without any bells or items, but I doubt the cloud saving infrastructure is that customizable per game. Again, not a Nintendo developer or employee, so I don't know. I am a software developer and I do know that things you would think are simple can be very expensive if they weren't in the initial design plans. If these are their lines of reasoning, I think it's reasonable.