Kobayashi:
Around the town, there is what I suppose you could call undergrowth. There's green grass, but underneath it, there's earth. This time, we stuck the grass on so it feels a little like it's floating on top of the earth. When a player walks on the grass, it wears it away so you can see a little bit of the earth below.
Iwata:
So there is data for each square of earth in the grid in Animal Crossing, and the information about whether each of the squares has been stepped on is retained?
Kobayashi:
Exactly. So as the player walks around, the grass is gradually worn away. We made it so that it starts to grow back after a day has passed. But if, for instance, you were to go to Tom Nook's store every day...
Iwata:
I see! You would leave animal tracks.
Nogami:
Well, the player controls a human character, so I suppose you would call them footprints. (laughs) So if a player is doing nothing but going fishing, the grass on the path from their house to the seashore or the river will be worn away. And where there's a bridge which everyone has to walk across, the grass will be completely worn away.
