when do you think a new ac game will come?

[carp]

it's already been 4/5 years ;-;

 

[UglyMonsterFace]

I'm placing my bet on 2018. Not anytime soon, anyway, since they release a huge update and New Leaf is now generating them a lot of money, what with all the amiibo card sales. I'm okay with that though, since I'm not yet done with my current town, and I won't be abandoning it even if a new game came along. This way, I have time to finish my town and also be ready to play as soon as the new game comes out, and I'll be around for the highest peak of action in the community instead of when the excitement is dwindling out.

 

[DylanMcGrann]

If it would be released next year, then that means they only had 1 year to work on it unless they've started development before 2017. If anything, I'd assume it will be out by 2019 or 2020.

Given the success of Animal Crossing: New Leaf and that Nintendo begins development on the next main entry in series like Mario and Zelda as soon as the previous title is completed, it's extremely unlikely work on the next Animal Crossing, even if just early dev. and prototyping work, didn't start as soon as Animal Crossing: New Leaf was done. Plus, by working on multiple games, Nintendo can recycle assets. For example, Animal Crossing: Amiibo Festival has the series first HD assets, and Animal Crossing Happy Home Designer has a number of new gameplay systems that could be implemented in the next game. These things can be reused in a future title, and Nintendo gets to put out more games in the interim.

Nintendo has the resources to do this as they do with even smaller series than Animal Crossing. Animal Crossing has become one of Nintendo's best selling franchises eclipsed only by Mario and Pokemon. The series outperforms Monster Hunter, Kirby, Fire Emblem, and even Zelda. With that said, it’s worth looking at what Nintendo has said about upcoming Animal Crossing games.

Back in 2013 series creator/director Katsuya Eguchi said to Gamesradar they were already working on the next game, but said it didn't have a "concrete direction yet" and weren't sure what hardware they would develop for. Most at the time assumed it would be a Wii U game even though he wouldn't commit to Wii U when asked directly. (It's worth noting he had no involvement with Animal Crossing: Amiibo Festival). Then in 2014 Eguchi said to Polygon that Animal Crossing is “best suited for a portable device” and that "whether it's the Wii U or a future hardware, it's important to think about what environment the player will be in."

Also, in the same Polygon interview co-director Aya Kyogoku said she doesn’t think Animal Crossing would work on smart-devices, but doing "something that supports playing on a Nintendo device, something that relates to the information content of the game, something that brings players back to the main game […] as a catalyst to get players back into the game, it's something we might look into." She notes "to have reminders […] there's something going on in the world of Animal Crossing, is something I think is great." (This is before Nintendo had officially announced mobile apps or the Animal Crossing app.)

Then we have this statement from Nintendo President Tatsumi Kimishima from last year:

We are currently developing a new application for smart devices based on the characters and world of Animal Crossing.

As I mentioned before, the Animal Crossing series for dedicated video game systems is well-loved for its long-term playability, so we want to offer a connection between the smart device application and the world of Animal Crossing on dedicated video game systems. This will make it even more fun to play in both ways, while offering a new style of play for smart devices.

We are developing this application to provide consumers with strong value suitable to smart devices while also generating synergy with our dedicated video game system business, as this is one of the goals of our smart device business.​

Piecing this and other information together, it seems clear Nintendo plans to create an Animal Crossing app that will connect to the main game in a meaningful way but will not offer the same gameplay experience of the main games (like their other apps). I suspect Animal Crossing: New Leaf will get an update supporting a connection to this app somehow. However, I think what Nintendo did with Pok?mon and now Fire Emblem is what they will aim for with Animal Crossing, and new titles are a vital part of that. While Pok?mon Go did increase sales for older titles, it was Pok?mon Sun & Moon that got the real benefit. The older games had already sold to a great many people. It took something new to bring in real revenue.

Animal Crossing will be in the exact same situation. Therefore, even if it’s for some reason not the next main entry in the series, I think we will get another Animal Crossing game within a year of the app’s release. And I don’t think it makes much sense for that game to go to 3DS, especially if it’s a main entry, as 3DS is approaching saturation and already has two great Animal Crossing games to offer new 3DS buyers. I think 2019 is the absolute latest we will see the next Animal Crossing and it will release for the Nintendo Switch.

 

[Hazysummerskies]

I predict 2019. I'm okay with this though because I'm not even finished with my current NL town.

 

[Dashonthecob]

the switch is basically replacing the ds? that sucks, i'll miss it and I don't care for the switch at all but I guess maybe I'd consider it after the next ac game comes out. it's expensive but lol what do you expect.

 

[luantoine12]

Going a bit off topic!

The thing is at least with me is whenever I buy a Nintendo Console whether it's the DS, Wii and probably with the switch as well, I purchase new consoles just to play 3 games: Pokemon, Animal Crossing and Zelda. It's such a waste but I can't force myself playing other Nintendo games because they are boring in my opinion. Don't you guys think that Nintendo games became worst if you compare it to GameCube times when we had Starfox Adventure (favourite game for me, beautiful quality and music), Mario Sunshine etc... I feel like Nintendo Switch will face the same fate as the Wii U. What do you guys think?


Personally I will not purchase the game until I'm sure AC will come out and if Nintendo Switch does do poorly in terms of sales, the price will probably fall as it did with the Wii U.

 

[DylanMcGrann]

It does seem the Switch will replace the 3DS eventually.

Just yesterday Eiji Aonuma in an interview with Game Informer said this:

The 3DS team and the Wii U team have different approaches to game development, so I don?t necessarily want to combine them and have them think together, but rather have each think about what they can bring to Nintendo Switch from their own perspective.​

So his point here is that the Switch doesn?t mean the end of 2D Zelda games that have only been designed for Nintendo?s handhelds since the mid 90?s and that the Switch will inherit those games.

Also, last week in The Telegraph's interview with with Switch Director Shinya Takahashi and Switch Producer Yoshiaki Koizumi, Takahashi said this:

Certainly I think 3DS from a price perspective is quite a bit lower, and it?s a system we?ve released a very large library for. So I think from that perspective it?s a very good system for kids to have as their first system. We still see a lot of potential for 3DS in that area. And with that in mind we?re thinking of games to release for 3DS not just in 2017, but in 2018 as well. And the hope there also is that kids playing on 3DS will also shift over to Switch at some point in the future.​

And last week TIME also did and interview with Takahashi and Koizumi. Koizumi told them:

Whereas previously, you would play certain things on your home system and certain things on your handheld. Our hope is that Nintendo Switch can be the system that bridges both of those and becomes the constant system that you're always using.​

And Takahashi said:

It is Nintendo Switch, so maybe we'll switch it up! Certainly, we've designed Nintendo Switch in a way that it can be used by consumers in the way that best suits them. I think we may see that people who have bought a Nintendo home console in the past traditionally, they may treat Switch like a home console and buy it and use it for a long period of time.

Whereas people who have been traditionally Nintendo handheld gamers, they may buy Nintendo Switch and then for example, if a new version were to come out later, then maybe they would decide to upgrade to that.​

Personally, I'll miss the second screen and Street Pass if it's never supported, but in every other way the Switch is a significant upgrade from the 3DS. I suspect any time starting summer 2018 or later, Nintendo will produce new form-factors for the Switch, making Switch not just a device but a whole ecosystem, as Iwata said of NX before passing.

The main reason Nintendo will continue to support the 3DS another couple years is likely a matter of price and fallback. But supporting and selling the 3DS doesn't mean Nintendo will put all their biggest games there. Looking at the current lineup of games coming to 3DS, most are ports, remakes, spin-offs, and other lower budget titles.

I think Nintendo is waiting until they can sell a Switch SKU at $200 (USD) or less to start actively pushing Switch as a 3DS replacement, at least for young children. And there is some reason to suspect that might be as soon as next year. The dock is surprisingly expensive. A Switch SKU without a dock today would likely be $250 if Nintendo offered it, and that takes you halfway to $200 already. They could also produce a "new version" that is cheaper, smaller, and doesn't use Joy-Con.

I suspect by the time games like Pok?mon or Animal Crossing are on the Switch, Nintendo will make the system much more appealing to current 3DS owners. Their current push is pretty squarely directed at home console owners, people who own a Wii U or were on the fence about the Wii U. This is why the big games for Switch right now are 3D Zelda, Splatoon, Xenoblade, and 64-style Mario?home console centric games. It doesn't make sense to push this as a 3DS replacement until Nintendo can show the games handheld gamers like.

Reggie Fils-Aim? has said as much in an interview with Time saying "the consumer base for Switch is going to evolve over time." Pretty clear wording. I think they?re currently trying to sell stationary gamers on a portable system, then later sell portable gamers on an upgrade.

 

[Cherry-Blossoms]

Not for a long time I hope. They updated new leaf years after it was originally released so it shows that they are not planning on making a new one yet

 

[pika62221]

Also, this thread is called "WHEN do you think a new AC game will come?", not "Do you think an AC game will come out on the Switch?". I think that we won't be getting another main-series Animal Crossing game until 2019 to 2023 (New Leaf would be 10 years old by then!).

Actually, I did, my exact quote was "The 3DS will be at least 7 or 8 years old before the next Animal Crossing game comes out"- do the math, and that's 2018/2019 since the 3DS came out in 2011.

 

[Buster Bunny]

New Leaf still have a huge impact in the players till today.

I don't think they should use a decoration style from Happy Home Designer since it made the game feels too weird that many players and including myself rejected it.

I also remember that a player said that Animal Crossing was born to become a handheld game.

If it get released on Switch, then people might shy away from it since we would be forced to pay in order to play online.

That would ruin all of the trading experience.

 

[NinelivesBobcat]

Actually, I did, my exact quote was "The 3DS will be at least 7 or 8 years old before the next Animal Crossing game comes out"- do the math, and that's 2018/2019 since the 3DS came out in 2011.

I wasn't replying to you with that statement. It was aimed at the people who said there shouldn't be one (like the post above) when the title of the thread clearly states when and not do you think. I should've pointed that out. My mistake.

 

[PotatoPowered]

Hopefully in about 1-2 years, for the Nintendo Switch or other future electronics. ACNL was released in 2012 I think so it should not be very long until the next installment comes out.. well hopefully

 

[Sir Clud]

I seem to recall reading somewhere that a lot of wii u games were delayed and moved to the switch since abandoning the wii u ship seems to be nintendo's joy in life. Another project that moved over was Pikmin 4. Most of the HD assets do exist from Amiibo Festival and the old Animal Crossing Plaza. As was previously mentioned, most games start development on the sequel the moment the last one was finished. I feel it will likely be a switch release in late 2017 or early to mid 2018.

 

[Boccages]

2018 is the year I'm betting on. I'm pretty sure they started work on this. Most of the Nintendo Switch games that will be releasing in the following months are already finished and ready to go : Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and even Super Mario Odyssey is nearly finished. Splatoon 2 should also be finished soon too.

Except for a main series Fire Emblem title, we do not know of any Nintendo Switch title for 2018.

That doesn't mean it couldn't be 2019, but I'm pretty confident we won't have to wait until the next decade for a brand new Animal Crossing for Switch.

 

[SpiritofAce]

I bet that sometime this year we will have some official confirmation that a game is indeed coming. I'd bet you any money a game is coming to the Switch. Well, it better be as that's one of the main reasons I pre-ordered my Switch. Also, looking at general release patterns you have WW in 2005, City Folk in 2008, New Leaf in 2013, so it has to come out at the earliest Q1 2018. I'd say let's see what happens at E3. I mean, New Leaf was announced in 2011 at E3 two years before the (US & EU) release, so It's highly probable we will hear something at this year's E3.

 

[Sntcringe]

With the advent of the switch it will likely be soon. The Nintendo switch is the ideal system for animal crossing, giving all the power of a home console while still being portable. I give it at most 2 years

 

[Sig]

never

 

[Mink777]

I'd say during the holidays in 2019. I wouldn't be surprised if we got a tiny glimpse of it at e3 2017.

 

[Stepheroo]

All I want is more ACNL updates. I don't know if I want a whole new game and to abandon my current playthrough.

And I would hate to have to shell out money on Switch. But I know my wants are unrealistic with Nintendo's money magnet fingers stretching towards me every chance they get.


EDIT: AND WAIT. Isn't the Switch going to have a paid feature that becomes the only way you can get online? I don't see anybody being happy with that. I honestly don't know too much about the Switch because I've been avoiding that dumb monster.

 

[UglyMonsterFace]

All I want is more ACNL updates. I don't know if I want a whole new game and to abandon my current playthrough.

And I would hate to have to shell out money on Switch. But I know my wants are unrealistic with Nintendo's money magnet fingers stretching towards me every chance they get.


EDIT: AND WAIT. Isn't the Switch going to have a paid feature that becomes the only way you can get online? I don't see anybody being happy with that. I honestly don't know too much about the Switch because I've been avoiding that dumb monster.

Yes to the online being a paid service. I believe it's going to be around $20 a year. But it's something to do with a mobile app :/