Release Date / Game Reveal Timing Speculation and Discussion

[smonikkims]

Definitely don't think it'll come out in Japan this time first. Wild World and City Folk had their release dates very close together for different regions and GC was a different case due to its different versions. For that reason I think NL was the first to truly launch in Japan eons before the rest of the world and I think that was a mistake. Both system sellers Mario and Zelda had simultaneous worldwide releases. I think it makes more sense to compare with other games on the system than previous games in the franchise.

 

[Luna Moonbug]

When they release Animal Crossing on switch i wonder if we have to subscribe to nintendo switch online to play with friends? if so, it will really suck. the console is expensive enough, they want more money from us...

 

[Sweetley]

When they release Animal Crossing on switch i wonder if we have to subscribe to nintendo switch online to play with friends? if so, it will really suck. the console is expensive enough, they want more money from us...

I ask myself that too how it will works now that Nintendo Switch Online is a thing. It's not only
playing with other people, but also how it will works with Tortimer Island and the Dream Suit
(if both are coming back). Would be of course nice if online for Animal Crossing is free, but I
kinda doubt that...

 

[Blue Cup]

When they release Animal Crossing on switch i wonder if we have to subscribe to nintendo switch online to play with friends? if so, it will really suck. the console is expensive enough, they want more money from us...

I ask myself that too how it will works now that Nintendo Switch Online is a thing. It's not only
playing with other people, but also how it will works with Tortimer Island and the Dream Suit
(if both are coming back). Would be of course nice if online for Animal Crossing is free, but I
kinda doubt that...

It will be behind the Nintendo Switch Online service. Stuff like the Dream Suite and the free DLC likely would not be as those aren't cases of connecting P2P. Everything else however? Yes, definitely. This will be one of the games they use to push their online service and gain more subscribers, and will likely get its own features and voice chat via their app.

One perk I imagine they'll keep behind the paywall is the use of the phone app. Like with Splatoon 2, I can definitely see them making your in-game catalog available to you via the app where you can place an order for an item even when you're not playing so that it would be there in your mail for later.

The only games that aren't part of that whole deal are F2P games like Fortnite and the forthcoming Warframe.

I’m not surprised that almost nobody said Q1 if we’re talking about 2019. Not only it won’t be ready by then, but video games are rarely launched at that time of the year. Even in 2020 it won’t be released in Q1. Oddly enough, that was the same time of the year the Nintendo Switch was launched, as well as one of its most successful titles.

Eh wot? Where have you been the past two years? Q1 is the new Q4 in terms of major releases now. Just look at the coming 2019 Q1:

Kingdom Hearts 3
Resident Evil 2 Remake
Crackdown
Days Gone
Anthem
Metro Exodus
Devil May Cry 5
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

These are ALL going to be gargantuan sellers and before 2017, would have likely released in the latter half of the year.

 

[smonikkims]

One perk I imagine they'll keep behind the paywall is the use of the phone app. Like with Splatoon 2, I can definitely see them making your in-game catalog available to you via the app where you can place an order for an item even when you're not playing so that it would be there in your mail for later.

What a super neat idea. Although I think it would be nice if at least the phone app was available for single-player stuff without paying for online, I would love to see integration like this used frequently. I just think that's really neat.

 

[Chouchou]

I'm betting on Q2.

Q1 will definitely not be the case since there is no footage yet. Q2 could be possible; there are already pre-orders available in some countries and Nintendo has this 9 months or less away policy when they announce games. It's also a decent time after the release of Smash. I think they included Isabelle as a character so that more people will be interested in the new AC game. So I'm hoping for Q2, would be a great timing to start a new town. If we don't have a direct with footage of the game around november this year, then it will probably be Q3 or Q4. They may take it to E3, but maybe not. Q4 is unlikely in my opinion because they are releasing the big Pokemon game around the same time and I guess their focus will be about that. I hope they don't postpone the game or delay it's release, it's been long enough Nintendo.

 

[lunatepic]

I want a summer release so badly but I feel like it's going to be late 2019/2020

 

[projectx1991]

I really want it to be Q1 because I?m just impatient but I reckon it?ll be Q 2 or 3 with 4 if it gets pushed back. I don?t know though, I can?t help but feel this game is actually near completion with the teams polishing and starting localisation soon. I reckon no game play was intentional to tease us and then the next Direct we?ll have footage.

Does anyone else feel this game has been in development since just before WiiU launch? I reckon this games original home was WiiU...but then that fail happened to they saved it for Switch and have very slowly been working on it longer than we think?

 

[SnakeEater]

We don't know how long they've been working on it.

 

[smonikkims]

I don't think the game was developed with the Wii U in mind. I think we would've possibly gotten a Breath of the Wild situation if that had been the case. But, I do feel it has been in development for a while. Maybe just after Splatoon 2 was completed, since it's the same team.

 

[BaltoDork]

I'm going to say late summer for now. It's the option that's both me thinking a little logically, but also being hopeful. I think it'd be the perfect time to release the game, and it makes sense to me knowing what else we'll be receiving in 2019. I guess they really could release it very closely to Pokemon, but I'd personally prefer to have a breather between them because both are very exciting.

If I had to guess.. and it is just a not very sure guess, we'll hear about it sometime before E3 and they'll cover it a bit more there before releasing it soon afterwards.

I am a little uneasy considering they didn't show anything, but I think it would have been awkward to show a trailer after the one for Isabelle in Ultimate. It would have really dragged. That, and I don't think there's any rush to show it off in depth if it's not coming until next year, unless they were planning for a release very early in 2019. I also found it kinda curious that there was no mention of a working title.

I don't know. I didn't think we would get a Smash game this year, but they completely surprised me with that in the direct they announced it in, and we didn't have to wait terribly long to see it. So part of me kind of thinks it releasing in the first half of the year is probable. I just hope maybe we can get a simultaneous worldwide release.. or at least a close one. Another example would be how Super Mario Odyssey was something they didn't announce until not too long before release as well.

Anyways, I could be completely wrong, and I could also see it being a holiday title. I'm just hoping it's not, since I'd like to be able to settle into my town before those events! My worst fear is that it'll get pushed back into 2020, but I really have at least a little faith in them. After all, it's been said that they don't want a repeat of New Leaf's delay. I feel like them giving a year must mean they've gotten a good deal of the game done, but just aren't ready to show anything quite yet.

 

[Mokuren]

I would guess Q3 or Q4 and we will get more informations at the e3 next year. That's my guess... maybe november ^^

 

[pinkfawn]

I think Q2. I think before the end of this year we will get an Animal Crossing Direct and then a release date. I don't think it will be any later than September 2019 (and that is the absolute longest they'll wait) and here's why:

Online Play. They want to get as many subscribers as possible before the end of the first year of launching the service, aka next September. They aren't going to release a game that a lot of people are buying Switches/Online play more than a year after the initial launch of the service. Smash and Splatoon will bring in a lot of Online revenue but Nintendo has something good with Animal Crossing and they know it. Beyond Smash, Animal Crossing was the #2 requested game to come to the Switch. They want this in their first year of Online service sales. I think Summer is perfect because of school being out, so my guess is anytime between May and August.

You also have to look at other game releases. Pokemon Gen 8 will be a huge hitter when it comes to sales, and Pokemon games almost always come out in November or fall in general. Pitting Pokemon vs. Animal Crossing in terms of people who can only buy one for whatever reason (cost, too close to christmas, etc) isn't a smart move.

ANYWAY those are just my reasons for thinking it's Q2. Obviously no one knows for sure and we can only speculate for now.

 

[Alolan_Apples]

I think Q2. I think before the end of this year we will get an Animal Crossing Direct and then a release date. I don't think it will be any later than September 2019 (and that is the absolute longest they'll wait) and here's why:

Online Play. They want to get as many subscribers as possible before the end of the first year of launching the service, aka next September. They aren't going to release a game that a lot of people are buying Switches/Online play more than a year after the initial launch of the service. Smash and Splatoon will bring in a lot of Online revenue but Nintendo has something good with Animal Crossing and they know it. Beyond Smash, Animal Crossing was the #2 requested game to come to the Switch. They want this in their first year of Online service sales. I think Summer is perfect because of school being out, so my guess is anytime between May and August.

You also have to look at other game releases. Pokemon Gen 8 will be a huge hitter when it comes to sales, and Pokemon games almost always come out in November or fall in general. Pitting Pokemon vs. Animal Crossing in terms of people who can only buy one for whatever reason (cost, too close to christmas, etc) isn't a smart move.

ANYWAY those are just my reasons for thinking it's Q2. Obviously no one knows for sure and we can only speculate for now.

I was carried away by Pokemon when Sun and Moon came out in 2016 and Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon came out in 2017. If I were still playing Animal Crossing by then, I won’t let Pokemon distract me this time.

 

[Stevey Queen]

My main curiosity is, will the game launch earlier in japan. It just seems strange that it would launch earlier in japan with nintendos current climate. The switch is basically being treated as a bit of an international console... I don't know if ANY of the first parties so far had wildly different release dates on the switch.

I'm going for a July release. If the game doesn't come out at the same time in al regions... maybe July in japan, and November in eu/na.

I don't think the switch has a region lock so I don't think it would make any sense not to release it worldwide. I heard you can buy the Japanese physical version of Okami and play it in English. I can imagine the same would be true for Animal crossing.

 

[Joyce]

I hope Q1 but realisticly I think second half of 2019.

 

[smonikkims]

I had a dream last night and in that dream the release date was set for December 8th 2019.
Hm.

 

[Mayor Kera]

Protip: if you keep a Q4 release date in your expectations, then you'll feel extra good and excited if it comes out in one of the other quarters. If you keep your fingers crossed for Q1 or something, the wait is going to be harder.

At least, that's how I'm going to try to handle this. x3

 

[Chouchou]

I think Q2. I think before the end of this year we will get an Animal Crossing Direct and then a release date. I don't think it will be any later than September 2019 (and that is the absolute longest they'll wait) and here's why:

Online Play. They want to get as many subscribers as possible before the end of the first year of launching the service, aka next September. They aren't going to release a game that a lot of people are buying Switches/Online play more than a year after the initial launch of the service. Smash and Splatoon will bring in a lot of Online revenue but Nintendo has something good with Animal Crossing and they know it. Beyond Smash, Animal Crossing was the #2 requested game to come to the Switch. They want this in their first year of Online service sales. I think Summer is perfect because of school being out, so my guess is anytime between May and August.

You also have to look at other game releases. Pokemon Gen 8 will be a huge hitter when it comes to sales, and Pokemon games almost always come out in November or fall in general. Pitting Pokemon vs. Animal Crossing in terms of people who can only buy one for whatever reason (cost, too close to christmas, etc) isn't a smart move.

ANYWAY those are just my reasons for thinking it's Q2. Obviously no one knows for sure and we can only speculate for now.

This seems pretty realistic by me. This + the release of Isabelle in Smash that (maybe) will attract smash players into buying or getting interest in AC. It would not be logical if the release between AC and Smash is more than 6-7 months apart. I think we will get more information around november or januari.

 

[Stevey Queen]

I know it ain't coming out soon but I really need a game that doesn't stress me out .

*glares at Octo Expansion*