Release Date / Game Reveal Timing Speculation and Discussion

[Lancelot]

Dang this reminded me that I was 14 when I joined TBT and I'm turning 19 in about a month... oh my god

I'm so excited for E3, I would be floored if AC switch got delayed. I'm pretty much expecting a late December release.

I think I was 12 or 13 when I originally joined TBT just after the Japanese release, now I'm 20 and in my second year of Uni.

That's actually crazy to think that everyone we've met on here are probably adults now since new leaf...

- - - Post Merge - - -

Also yeah, remake the poll Jubs

 

[Sweetley]

I voted for September.

August seems to be very unlikely, but not 100% impossible. I know the chances aren't that high
that Nintendo gonna pull a surprise bomb here and release the game in said month, but you never
know.

October feels like the perfect month of a release date for Luigi's Mansion 3 because the theme of
the game fits to Halloween.

November could be the month for Pokemon Sword and Shield. At least they said in the Direct back
then that the games would come out late 2019, to where November would fit. Besides this, other
Pokemon games also came out in this month. So maybe they gonna do it again.

And December... Well, to be honest, I hope it's not gonna be December. Not because of waiting
longer for the game, but also because you would only play like a few weeks in 2019 (if the game
would come out at the beginning of December) and would also miss a bunch of events, such as
Halloween. There would be only Toy Day and New Year Eve but that's it.

The reason of why I now voted for September is that it feels like the perfect month for a release
of the game. You still can play some months in 2019 and you can celebrate Halloween as well as
other events which are in fall. Besides (and this is just my opinion), it would be cool if you could
start your new town in fall.

Sure you could say the game could also come out on October or November and Luigi and Pokemon
comes out on other months. Or two games comes out in one month. You never know. That's why
what I said was just my assessment here. I hope it's September, August would be a big surprise,
but could also come out in Q4.

 

[Lancelot]

I voted September for all the reasons Merry gave above, but realistically I think itll be December.

IREALLY dont want it to be though, as I'd hate to start the game bathrobe end if the year. I feel as if September leaves enough time to have 2 seasons this year and events.

 

[AnimalCrossingPerson]

Please let's not have a fourth edition of this poll.

 

[Ossiran]

My vote is for November. But if Pokemon's release date wins up being November, I'd say October or December instead.

 

[Blue Cup]

Ideally, September because then Nintendo could promote the game alongside each of the major holidays this year while the game is still fresh and new.

Realistically, December because they don't have anything besides Pok?mon that is on the same level, performance wise, as Animal Crossing.

I still refuse to vote. Too many variables in play for any sort of accurate prediction. Help us all if they just say "Winter 2019", which brings January and February of 2020 into the mix.

 

[Chouchou]

December just does not make sense to me. Why would you release Animal Crossing in the snowy season? I bet september or november.

 

[Blue Cup]

December just does not make sense to me. Why would you release Animal Crossing in the snowy season? I bet september or november.

In-game wise, unless there is a narrative that the game has that is best told during the winter months, no it doesn't make sense.

But Nintendo is a company that wants to make money, and Animal Crossing is a big title that is going to pull in mad dosh. If they can spend six months getting word of the game out there to Switch hold outs and kids that will bug their parents for a Switch and the game for Christmas, they will take it.

Just gotta look at it from the business point of view. Nintendo knows we're going to buy the game regardless of when it launches anyway, so when we start it isn't a factor for them.

 

[Stevey Queen]

I voted for September.

August is astral chain and honestly probably too soon after e3.

October should be Luigis mansion. It's the perfect month for its release.

The past few Pokemon games have been released in November and I feel like they're going to continue that.

So animal crossing should release in September or December and Links Awakening will release in whatever month animal crossing doesn't.

I just hope its September.

 

[Roshan]

wheres june / july

 

[Lancelot]

wheres june / july

Not happening is where

 

[AlyssaAC]

As much as I would love an August release date, I voted for September this time. Like everyone else said, it seems to be the perfect date as we would get some time to play before the year ends.

 

[Justin]

I don't think the in-game calendar is really a consideration by Nintendo -- the folks who decide the release date are going to be the pencil pushers in sales not the developers, assuming the game is finished enough.

Also, there have been games releasing in the late fall / early winter time previously. Wild World launched in early December for NA which was basically snow on the ground, and City Folk came mid-November which is pretty close to snow. And of course New Leaf was early November in Japan, not too far either. All of those missed Halloween holiday in-game for example.

wheres june / july

If you're really confident about June or July, feel free to post saying one of those is your guess and you'll get the brownie points if it happens! I think those are basically impossible personally though, so I left them out. Arguably August is too but I left that one in.

 

[Hat']

Well, voted for a November release. Still hoping for september (it's also my birthday month hehe) but I'll set my hopes aside.

 

[Roshan]

I don't think the in-game calendar is really a consideration by Nintendo -- the folks who decide the release date are going to be the pencil pushers in sales not the developers, assuming the game is finished enough.

Also, there have been games releasing in the late fall / early winter time previously. Wild World launched in early December for NA which was basically snow on the ground, and City Folk came mid-November which is pretty close to snow. And of course New Leaf was early November in Japan, not too far either. All of those missed Halloween holiday in-game for example.



If you're really confident about June or July, feel free to post saying one of those is your guess and you'll get the brownie points if it happens! I think those are basically impossible personally though, so I left them out. Arguably August is too but I left that one in.

What if they release it right after E3 though lolol

 

[Blue Cup]

They won't. No developer in their right mind would ever drop such a massive game with no advertisement campaign just like that. As I mentioned previously, they are going to want word of this game leaking into every crevice of its audience; This includes people that have yet to buy a Switch and are waiting for Animal Crossing to drop.

The absolute minimum wait time between reveal and release is three months, six at max if they are still gunning for a 2019 release, of which I still am not 100% certain is the case any longer.

The most anyone can expect to shadow drop during E3 is Cadence of Hyrule and MAYBE Town, but that's it.

 

[Ossiran]

Surprise Pokemon Direct announced for June 5th. Hopefully that'll give us more time Animal Crossing at E3.

 

[Blue Cup]

I don't think it changes anything to be honest. Game Freak always does this for new gen games prior to E3. It's nothing new. Anyone that has followed these releases weren't expecting any deep dive into Pokemon during the E3 Direct.

Not saying we aren't getting several minutes dedicated to Animal Crossing, just that this Direct has zero impact on what is happening at E3.

 

[Ossiran]

I'm not saying they're changing the E3 Direct for more Animal Crossing or anything like that.

People were honestly expecting at least 5, maybe up to 10 minutes of information for Pokemon during the E3 Direct. That's a lot of time considering the Direct's length. The fact that there's both the business press conference that they're live-streaming tomorrow and the Direct next week suggests that, at most, we'll get nothing more than a trailer and release date confirmation during the E3. Naturally it doesn't confirm anything, but doing a 15-minute presentation the week before means they don't have to focus so much time on Pokemon.

Animal Crossing is the new most-hyped title, so it's natural that everyone wants a chunk of time dedicated to it.

 

[Sweetley]

At least with the upcoming Pokemon Direct, we will know which month will be out of the question for
a release of Animal Crossing, as they definitely gonna drop a release date in that Direct for Sword and
Shield. My bet: It will coming out in November.

As for Animal Crossing: Nintendo need to say something on E3 about that game. It doesn't matter if
they spend one minute or 10 minutes on it, they have to say something about it, they know the fans
are already impatient. There is no way that they are not gonna say anything at all there, otherwise
prepare for a giant riot coming from the Animal Crossing fandom and that one will be pretty bad and
dirty.