Does the AC Mobile announcement imply a new mainline AC release this year?

Nintendo has announced the release of a mobile game using the Animal Crossing IP later this fall, as already covered in this other thread here. What's more interesting than the actual mobile announcement however is the details accompanying it in the EU press release:

Nintendo said:

Building on the positive consumer reaction to Miitomo, Nintendo announced that its next two mobile apps would be based on the familiar and beloved Fire Emblem and Animal Crossing franchises. Nintendo plans to release both of these applications this autumn. As for the former app, while making it more accessible in comparison to the Fire Emblem games for Nintendo’s dedicated gaming systems, Nintendo aims to offer the great value of a role-playing strategy game. Nintendo will design the latter game so that it will be connected with the world of Animal Crossing for dedicated gaming systems. By playing both Animal Crossing games, users will find increased enjoyment. Both of these are pure game applications. Compared to Miitomo, they have more prominent game elements, and the game content will tie closely into Nintendo’s dedicated games business. Nintendo will provide more details about these applications closer to their launch period, and aims to have multiple types of apps that appeal to different audiences and different groups of players.[/B]

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Specifically the part in the quote that I have bolded here. By the sounds of it, the Animal Crossing mobile game will be designed to connect with traditional Animal Crossing games. It's explicitly stated that they will be connected and meant to be played together.

However, in the current context of AC, this really doesn't make any logistical sense. Presumably, connected means interactivity between the mobile game and another game. And in order for that to be possible, an Animal Crossing game would have to be designed with this in mind and contain hooks in the game to connect to Nintendo Accounts or otherwise to share information.

One guess would be that Animal Crossing: New Leaf could do this, but it's actually approaching its 4th birthday this fall, the time frame where the new mobile game is expected to launch. While possible, it's incredibly unlikely for Nintendo to go back and update a game four years later down the line. Most companies wouldn't do this, and Nintendo is even more conservative in this regard than the vast majority.

Based on this, it seems unlikely that the mobile game will connect with an existing game and instead much more likely that a new unannounced mainline Animal Crossing game is in development for 3DS/Wii U/NX, which is designed and programmed in mind with connecting to the now-announced mobile Animal Crossing game.

It is possible that a newer title such as amiibo Festival or Happy Home Designer could be updated for this, but I feel this is unlikely as they have been clearly marketed as spin-offs and don't really even contain "the world of Animal Crossing".

So, thoughts? Does this seem plausible to you? Have I got your hopes up? Do I look like a crazy man speaking nonsense?

(probably posting a more fleshed out version of this to Animal Crossing World later)

the mobile app sounds super weird like ?? an app?? what ....
i agree that it would b weird for them to update new leaf but i hope they wont make an animal crossing for wii u. animal crossing is meant to be played on portable devices and one of the reasons to why i can't enjoy city folk anymore is that it is a wii game and not a ds game.

anyways, we can always hope that they will make a new game!!! hhopefully the app wonn't be a disappointment eitherl mao

I'm hoping for a full game and a third party controller that clips to my iPhone xD
That would be cool.

Na, but seriously, I can see it being like a Miitomo style game and maybe even use amiibo given most smart devices have NFC...

spamurai said:

maybe even use amiibo given most smart devices have NFC...

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That'd be cool and I've thought of that too myself before, but pretty unlikely as Apple locks down NFC on their platforms to only Apple services (like Apple Pay) last I checked. Unless that changes, I don't see Nintendo using amiibo on mobile since only Android users could make use of it.

idk how to feel about this..
i really dont want a wii u animal crossing for the same reason as lencurryboy
and i dont know what to think about this app things
one thing is clear for me: i need a new smartphone because my storage is full because of miitomo xD

No announcement from Nintendo Japan yet though?

Heyden said:

No announcement from Nintendo Japan yet though?

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Huh? The news comes from the financial releases/meetings in Japan to begin with. Then the NA/EU branches usually bring out a short press release later with the info localized. Will probably get an NA release in a few hours, but I'm assuming it won't be any different than what I quoted from EU.

Because of what they said about the new Zelda game, and how they're gonna release it on the Wii U and NX, I feel like there's still a chance they'll release the next main Animal Crossing game for the Wii U, which is great (although I've always said I'd prefer another one for the 3DS). I'm secretly hoping that they stop pushing Animal Crossing so much. To me it's always been lurking in the shadows, and it comes out every now and then to surprise you. Nintendo are really trying to make it into a huge franchise, and I'm not really looking forward to that future. Animal Crossing should remain pretty humble, in my opinion. It shouldn't be a cash cow.

Nintendo want to make money at the end of the day :/

But I agree, I think it should stay on handheld consoles, not on NX or Wii-U.
Hopefully they don't turn it into a mii amiibo festival or some poop bunch of mini games...

Also, regarding Zelda, I'm guessing they're gonna do it that way, and it'll be the last Wii-U title just like they did with Twilight Princess on the Gamecube and Wii. Cool tradition if they are.

Will it require wifi inorder to play? Ah it would be so nice if it was playable with and without wifi, always like when games can be felxible too xD but can't wait for this mobile game too come out now!

I get the feeling it's going to be a bunch of mini games where you can win (or buy with IAP) clothes and furniture for a new Main game and transfer them to the game using your Nintendo account...

AC NX hype don't tease me with Amiibos again you ****s

You do realize HHD already connects to social media as well as MiiVerse, right? You can post images of your home designs on different websites, which also are connected to My Nintendo (if you choose to do so), so it sounds to me like it's tying in directly with HHD. Plus, HHD was thrown together in a year by the AC staff- NDCube did AF, a full fledged game of the series takes more than a year to develop. Otherwise if they do release something AC for their systems, expect it to be made quickly like HHD was, so don't expect something that great out of it.

HHD was the closest and latest one to tie in the AC franchise, so I think it would make sense to be "compatible" with that title. I'm guessing they'll have the mobile app to "earn points/coins" to use in the game? I don't know, seems very fishy to me.

As pika above said, it takes time to develop a game and HHD was released recently. Two factors: ACNL is going to be 4 years old and there "may" not be enough time to release another AC game, it's looking likely to tie in with HHD.

Another guess would be that they'll improve Amiibo Festival, but not getting my hopes up for that one!

Nintendo might surprise us with a new main AC game, which would be great!! However with all the efforts to the new system and Zelda, not sure how possible this will be. If Nintendo goes full steam and develops multiple main titles, Mario, Zelda, AC, Metroid, Splatoon, then it could be possible. Don't know what Nintendo is thinking at the moment.

I don't think it's fair to say HHD was "thrown" together. It took well over a year to develop which is longer even than some games; it's still one of the largest games in terms of assets etc, on 3DS at least.

But I agree, HHD is likely too old to update so we won't see any compatibility there I doubt.

How sick would a Population Growing remaster be ha. JK.