Release Date / Game Reveal Timing Speculation and Discussion

[Paperboy012305]

I wouldn't believe a most anticipated game since 2 years after AC:NL got released would get an early Summer release, I won't really see that happening.

So as such, I voted for Q4.

 

[Dacroze]

I voted Q4 in the last poll and went for it again. September might still be a possibility, but Links Awakening could also release in that month and AC usually released in November. As long as it doesn't get delayed I'm happy.

 

[Sweetley]

Part of me hoped that it would be Q3 (around September) but know I'm not sure about
this anymore so I voted for Q4, because I think that's more likely now. Of course it would
be nice if the games gets released as soon as possible, so that we don't have to wait any
longer for it.

After over a half of year, I just hope for any kind of informations about this damn game on
the E3. My hype faded kinda away at one point, I'm still hyped for it of course, but please
Nintendo, just give us finally news. The wait is at this point just pure torture...

 

[WeiMoote]

I voted Q4. There's no way it'll come out during the Summer, and Q3, while it's still a strong possibility, I still don't see happening.

As for when it may release? Gotta go for November.

 

[Blue Cup]

Just for fun, let's take a look at 2013 and how its releases all panned out since it featured pretty much every thing that we're seeing this year, just bigger and better:

February 24th: Fire Emblem Awakening
March 24th: Luigis Mansion: Dark Moon
June 9th: Animal Crossing New Leaf
October 12th: Pokemon X and Y
November 22nd: The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds

Do note that this is before simultaneous worldwide releases became the norm for first-party tiles.

But now let's take a look at the 2019 Fiscal Year Lineup

July 26th: Fire Emblem: Three Houses
2019: Luigis Mansion 3
FY 2019: Animal Crossing
2019: Pokemon Sword and Shield
2019: The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening

Lots of parallels, right? Obviously we can't take anything away from this, not even for Pokemon as the October release was an outlier and every game since then has hit in mid November.

I also left Animal Crossing with a FY 2019 time frame. While I'm not totally convinced either way that it's hitting within this calendar year, I feel it might be best to tiptoe along the possibility for a delay into the first quarter of 2020, if for nothing else but the fact that it hasn't received any sort of info since September 2018 versus literally every other listed title..

But on more hopeful and positive note: I've been whispering to myself ever since the February Direct that Animal Crossing is receiving the 'Breath of the Wild' treatment and is seeing enhancements so grand that Nintendo wants to leave everyone in awe when it's revealed in a few weeks.

 

[Ossiran]

They are very likely NOT going to delay Animal Crossing to 2020 unless something majorly unexpected happened between the investor meeting and now. They spent that time assuring everyone that it would be coming in 2019 and released that statement that it would be.

Animal Crossing may not have received any news because even the slightest bit might show something that they want to surprise us with. A screenshot can say a lot. Do I wish we'd gotten news? Of course! But they may want to pull a BotW type reveal with it and make everyone gasp in surprise.

We'll likely know at E3.

 

[Liability]

i feel like it'll be released some time in September. if not then, my next guess is November

 

[Sweetley]

If they would delay Animal Crossing, Nintendo would already said anything about it. Pretty
sure they wouldn't announce a delay of the game at E3, as the disappointment by the fans
would be big, but the anger even bigger, as many fans now hoping and hyping for the E3 to
get there any news and also a release date since it's seems that there will be no other Direct
before said event. Right now everything looks like that it will come out this year, and I will still
believe in this.

Also, I agree with Ossiran about not saying anything so far because they have a surprise which
they want to show the fans at the right time. Who knows? Maybe this Animal Crossing game will
be the ultimate AC game (just like with Super Smash Bros.) and surprising the fans with this is
more fun then already drop all informations at once...

 

[EpicGamer12]

How come Q2 isn't an option on the poll? I think an "Available Now!" announcement at E3 is feasible.

 

[Corrie]

I'm definitely feeling November for this one. Late November, just in time for Christmas.

 

[Blue Cup]

If they would delay Animal Crossing, Nintendo would already said anything about it. Pretty
sure they wouldn't announce a delay of the game at E3, as the disappointment by the fans
would be big, but the anger even bigger, as many fans now hoping and hyping for the E3 to
get there any news and also a release date since it's seems that there will be no other Direct
before said event. Right now everything looks like that it will come out this year, and I will still
believe in this.

Also, I agree with Ossiran about not saying anything so far because they have a surprise which
they want to show the fans at the right time. Who knows? Maybe this Animal Crossing game will
be the ultimate AC game (just like with Super Smash Bros.) and surprising the fans with this is
more fun then already drop all informations at once...

I'm in the 2019 boat as well, but at the same time, things are looking very bloated for the end of the year, so unless they announce a slew of 2020 games at the Direct in a few weeks, they are going to need stuff to pad out the first few months of the year. Not saying that that Animal Crossing could be one of the those titles, but something inevitably is going to slip.

Stuff happens. Look at what went down with Metroid Prime 4 and the all but confirmed Metroid Prime Trilogy HD collection. It was all but confirmed to appear at The Game Awards in December, but then ended up a no-show. A month later, we got the Prime 4 developer change announcement. Sure it's unlikely something catastrophic happened since February, but it is 100% within the realm of possibility something could and Nintendo would just have to take a hit in their stock rates.

It's just good to keep an open mind is all. Hype responsibly.

How come Q2 isn't an option on the poll? I think an "Available Now!" announcement at E3 is feasible.

Because it's not? No way would Nintendo ever shadow drop Animal Crossing like that without SOME sort of hype cycle post-reveal. The backlash they would receive from not having a physical copy out for another month would be pretty ridiculous. Not everyone can/will buy digitally.

'sides, the shadow drop is going to be Cadence of Hyrule.

 

[Pellie]

Back in September 18, when they announced the game, I thought (or should I say hoped)
it would get released in summer 19, around June or July, as I also thought Nintendo would
tell more about it in one of their Directs back in spring. Now that nothing happened and
Nintendo still didn't say anything about it at all, I guess it's more likely now that it will
get release sometime in fall. For now I would say (or more like guess) either September
or October. I just don't hope it's gonna be November or December.

 

[EpicGamer12]

Because it's not? No way would Nintendo ever shadow drop Animal Crossing like that without SOME sort of hype cycle post-reveal. The backlash they would receive from not having a physical copy out for another month would be pretty ridiculous. Not everyone can/will buy digitally.

'sides, the shadow drop is going to be Cadence of Hyrule.

It is clear you do not understand the lemon emoji.

 

[Laurina]

Q4 December.

Trundle if i'm right you owe me a copy for my birthday

 

[Blue Cup]

It is clear you do not understand the lemon emoji.

That would be correct. I barely even know what an emoji is.

 

[Tobyjgv]

In terms of what I think is likely to happen, probably during Q4, sometime during fall or winter. The lack of news makes me believe that they aren't quite ready for a release, which is upsetting, but it gives them more time to work on the game and make it as best as possible

What I'd personally love is a summer release. Oh, how amazing that would be!!

 

[DJStarstryker]

E3 is June 11-13. I will be really, really shocked if Nintendo doesn't have a full Direct for Animal Crossing during the E3 timeframe. They said the game is coming out in 2019 and you KNOW they want to release before Pokemon. Pokemon's coming out in November most likely because that's what they do with that series nowadays.

The more things are going, the more I'm thinking Animal Crossing is likely coming in August or September. Most likely September.

 

[Lancelot]

E3 is June 11-13. I will be really, really shocked if Nintendo doesn't have a full Direct for Animal Crossing during the E3 timeframe. They said the game is coming out in 2019 and you KNOW they want to release before Pokemon. Pokemon's coming out in November most likely because that's what they do with that series nowadays.

The more things are going, the more I'm thinking Animal Crossing is likely coming in August or September. Most likely September.

I doubt the WHOLE direct will be animal crossing haha

 

[WeiMoote]

I doubt the WHOLE direct will be animal crossing haha

Yeah, I agree. Like someone on here said prior, the only reason the 2016 E3 showing from Nintendo was just Breath of the Wild and Pokemon Sun & Moon was cause the Switch wasn't out yet, and there wasn't anything left for the Wii U.

In either case, if in the off chance that AC isn't seen at E3, here's hoping they at least do some damage control.

 

[Blue Cup]

E3 is June 11-13. I will be really, really shocked if Nintendo doesn't have a full Direct for Animal Crossing during the E3 timeframe. They said the game is coming out in 2019 and you KNOW they want to release before Pokemon. Pokemon's coming out in November most likely because that's what they do with that series nowadays.

The more things are going, the more I'm thinking Animal Crossing is likely coming in August or September. Most likely September.

While I agree that Animal Crossing most likely will get a small Direct of its own like Mario Maker 2 did, it won't be at E3. Nintendo has already confirmed that the E3 Direct will focus all software launching in 2019,

https://www.nintendo.com/whatsnew/d...-direct-competitions-nintendo-treehouse-live/

And as it stands, 2019 is jam packed so I doubt we'll be seeing any deep dives this time around. But you can bet there will be a half hour or so of Animal Crossing coverage during the Treehouse segments.