When do you think we’ll get the next animal crossing game?

[pawpatrolbab]

tbf I was genuinely curious as to the reasons why, because after a decade of “NL dialogue bad” I’m interested to see why people think it’s good, because for the most part it’s never really felt quite natural enough for me, like the localisation process consisted largely of putting the game through Google Translate and adjusting it so it didn’t sound too off. On occasion there’s something more overtly quirky or profound in it but for the most part it’s just fairly uninteresting to me.

I also think having the complaint that “this dialogue was designed to be shared on social media” kinda misses the point that you’re meant to share things about the game with other people, and always have done. After all, Animal Crossing was originally designed to be a game families could share on one console by playing at different times, so there’s lots of interesting things you can talk about with other people like rare fish and bugs, cool furniture or a villager saying something weird or funny, because the goal of Animal Crossing is ultimately being a communication tool rather than being something you go to as a substitute for IRL communication.

But yeah, please compile the reasons you personally like the dialogue more. Convince me!

I've never been of the opinion that the dialogue in New Leaf was bad, I've always enjoyed it - so there's that. And if anything after playing New Horizons ( and playing New Leaf alongside it ) it really puts so, so, so much emphasis on how much better it actually is ( to me )

It's not really a complaint either, about the social media dialogue, more just a critisism. Becuase I don't mind if something has been made solely to screenshot and get likes, that only becomes a problem when that's the only substance there is. The point is to share the game of course - the point is also to make meaningful, real, connections with these characters aswell. If you're unfamiliar with how Animal Crossing started, I'd reccomend looking it up. Because while your point about it being a communication tool is true, the point about it being a "substitute" for irl communication is also true as well. They don't cancel each-other out and shouldn't either, and I personally feel both of these intentions are present at the same time

I'm not trying to convince you either ( I don't think that I will - just as you won't for me ). But I just took issue with the idea that if you have any critisism of the dialogue & villagers in New Horizons it means that you're "mad" or somehow driven by nostalgia towards the New Leaf. The nostalgia argument is exactly what got me to start playing New Leaf in the first place to see if it really was just me remembering incorrectly! Honestly my main problem here, is the fact that if someone has a different view than you it autimatically makes them wrong, or mad, or upset, or any other negative word you wanna use. Animal Crossing is a very personal experience, no two people will have the same experience with the game. And we all have different likes and dislikes

Originally I was going to compile screenshots of my conversations with a familiar villager I have on both my New Horizons island and New Leaf town; Frita. But honestly I don't really have the time and I also can't be bothered to go through the energy to do that lol. So here is a list of things that I prefer about Villager dialogue / interactions in New Leaf that I also feel is better. This isn't an "ultimate" list, just what I can remember from the very top of my head

• Villagers ping you every 30 minutes, either with a task to do, request, unique dialogue, or PWP suggestion ( In New Horizons I have only ever been pinged by villagers when they are asking to move out )
• Villagers can ask you to play hide and seek with them ( Apparently in New Horizons there is a game you can play with the villagers - I have only had this happen to me once. So long ago I can't even remember what said game is )
• Villagers ask you to visit their home / ask to visit yours and schedule a time to do so ( I've never had a villager ask me to visit their home in New Horizons - they just turn up at mine without asking )
• Villagers speak to each other ( Again - I know this happens in New Horizons but not very frequently )
• Villagers could ask for requests like getting town signatures
• Villagers start more conversations where you are actually able to input an answer ( Example: Asking if you like their outfit. Most dialogue I have come across in New Horizons you can't provide any input to )

I also understand that there is probably things that I'm missing out on that could be present in New Horizons which are entirely my own fault. I feel no connection to my villagers in New Horizons, they repeat the same, empty, dialogue. This provides me with no motivation to talk to them, they don't feel real to me. There is no motivation for me to uphold a relationship with them, so the results will probably be a little skewed in that way to New Leafs favor. As I actually feel like they are alive, and go out of my way to interact with my villagers

 

[nightglow]

Looking at the date of the last NL major update that ended NL to the launch of HN, my guess will be 2024 or 2025 for the next ac game.

 

[VanitasFan26]

With what others are saying I really hope in the next Animal Crossing game tries to improve on building a community because new horizions really failed in that department and focused too much on the decoration aspect.

 

[comingupwanameistheworst]

You finally put my thoughts into words about NH's dialogue. It definitely feels too much like social media, which I guess they went with to target teens but to me, it feels so campy and fake. they got that right about social media at least. Thing is, to me, Animal Crossing is its own world. I've always enjoyed escaping into its world and the way things work there so to have real life things added just ruins the experience.

And you, Corrie, described why I'm personally not a huge fan of NH either. It's not bad, but I can never play it for more than a month or so before losing complete interest in it. It's just too stressful and didn't offer the same escapism for me as other titles.

 

[JKDOS]

Probably 2-4 years after the next console release

That said, with the success of New Horizons, Nintendo might even have a AC game lined up to release the same year they release their next console

Post automatically merged: Jun 8, 2023

Well...this is Nintendo. So, sometime between 2035 and never. Lol

For real. Like we've been waiting since 2007 to see Metroid Prime 4. At least we now know we're officially getting it. Just still don't even have any news, information, or trailer

 

[Lanstar]

The next game will probably come out on the next next console, probably in 2025 as a safe prediction. I will, however, not be getting the game on release, and will wait until the brutally honest reviews prove to me that they fixed a lot of the flaws of New Horizons.

The big one is definitely the dialogue. It's not so much the dialogue being bad as much as how badly the dialogue was handled. I just don't like how you have to talk to villagers several times just to skip the really bland 'greeting' dialog and get to the more interesting dialogue in the game. The next game should have it so villagers never say the same stuff again for a VERY long time once they say it. This one simple thing would improve the next game immensely.

And lastly, I hope to go back to an actual "town" instead of an empty canvas of an island. Something that feels like I'm in an actual community that I can care more about than just mere customization area.

 

[QueenCobra]

I hope we get some more mini-games. The treasure hunt and fishing/bug-catching game is fun, but whenever Flora asks to play beach volleyball with me and I say yes…I’m a little sad we never actually play.

 

[nightglow]

I hope we get some more mini-games. The treasure hunt and fishing/bug-catching game is fun, but whenever Flora asks to play beach volleyball with me and I say yes…I’m a little sad we never actually play.

I was disappointed in that too because Hamtaro Ham Ham games had a volley ball mini game that was really fun, and I'm not a sports person. I haven't seen any casual volley ball games since and would like to.
(Beastie ball is the closest and that was showcased yesterday, and is turn based movement instead of real time.)

 

[Corrie]

I was disappointed in that too because Hamtaro Ham Ham games had a volley ball mini game that was really fun, and I'm not a sports person. I haven't seen any casual volley ball games since and would like to.
(Beastie ball is the closest and that was showcased yesterday, and is turn based movement instead of real time.)

Omg I loved the Hamtaro beach volleyball game! (The entire game is great tbh). I normally don't like sports games either but the way that game controlled made it a fun time. I feel like Animal Crossing would really benefit from little minigames with friends/villagers.

 

[nightglow]

Omg I loved the Hamtaro beach volleyball game! (The entire game is great tbh). I normally don't like sports games either but the way that game controlled made it a fun time. I feel like Animal Crossing would really benefit from little minigames with friends/villagers.

Absolutely! It doesn't need to be big. Just one on one or two on two would be just fine.
Oh! And the Carrot Pull mini game idea, but with Zipper T Bunny! Sailing with Kapp'n in the fall, and synchronized Swimming event with Pascal in the Summer. There is alot of cool stuff you can do, and that is just referencing Hamtaro. There is alot more that could be done such as checkers, or other playing card games that are a bit more than just guess the suit or color.
(Hamtaro also had the perfect difficulty in my opinion and they even had difficulty selection also. And Hamtaro is underrated in my opinion.)

 

[TiredStudent]

There probably wont be another game for awhile. I just restarted my island after a long hiatus from the game, and thats holding my interest presently but I'm sure it'll fade again before the next game.

 

[oath2order]

Looking at the date of the last NL major update that ended NL to the launch of HN, my guess will be 2024 or 2025 for the next ac game.

Not a chance, IMO. They wouldn't do another game on the same system.

 

[nightglow]

Not a chance, IMO. They wouldn't do another game on the same system.

I don't think the current system will be around, but we'll see

 

[Croconaw]

I’d say maybe 2026 at the absolute earliest. There’s just no way a new mainline game releases earlier than that.

 

[oath2order]

I don't think the current system will be around, but we'll see

I also don't think we're getting a new system in 2024 or 2025.

 

[Vertebrae]

realistically I think they are going to focus on the designing part of the game even more because thats been the trend for the entire series and acnh was a huge hit. I find it likely that the UI will be more streamlined than acnh as certain elements like terraforming are a bit clunky

I also think it will be a very long time until the next game comes out

 

[Captain Jigglypuff]

I don’t expect a main series AC game for another seven or eight years. NL had a lifespan of about ten years due to people still using the online features for about two years after NH was released. The popularity of NL might have died down but there are still players playing the game. NH sold even more and is the best selling game in the series.

 

[Kristen]

I'm a bit late to the Splatoon part of the discussion, but Side Order hasn't been released yet and there's indication of 2 more things coming in the form of DLC, and new maps/modes/weapons have been dropping regularly and likely will for at least the next year or so. If we're comparing Splatoon's updates to when AC will get something (because same team), that's at least a year of updates that they've publicly announced. I don't think we'll see anything regarding AC until at least 2025 regardless, because announcing a new AC game only 2 years after the DLC dropped seems weird in the AC world.

(Also if you can't tell, Splatoon is one of my favourite series so I know a lot about it)

 

[oath2order]

I don’t expect a main series AC game for another seven or eight years. NL had a lifespan of about ten years due to people still using the online features for about two years after NH was released. The popularity of NL might have died down but there are still players playing the game. NH sold even more and is the best selling game in the series.

Hell, NL still has a bit of a lifespan, the servers ain't shut down yet.

 

[Captain Jigglypuff]

Hell, NL still has a bit of a lifespan, the servers ain't shut down yet.

Exactly. Torminer’s Island might not be as popular and players using it less because of the exploit hackers are now using. But they are still visiting each other and trading items and Villagers. NL and NH will probably have the longest lifespans of the series.