Developers say there will definitely be future updates

[moonolotl]

Spoiler: VIDEO

To summarise: an interview with an ACNH developer says that they're looking to include more updates for years to come, as well as some new updates soon.
I know a lot of people were quite worried we wouldn't get much new stuff outside of seasonal events like christmas. I know the bushes being added kinda disproves this but I still thought this was relevant!
I really hope that swimming is added as a summer update, I think that would be super cool
I also love the idea that they're adding things slowly, rather than everything in one go (although I know a lot of people disagree with me)
Opinions?

 

[lambshu]

wow three years is quite the amount!
i think thats reassuring to know theyre not gonna drop like 5-6 updates and call the game done. and while id like BIG updates that add lots of new content at once, im getting the feeling theyre gonna drip new features slowly. and that makes sense, though i understand that for those who play this game daily and very often, the lack of stuff to do is starting to be noticable.
i hope this also means room for QOL updates as well with UI and the like, not just overall game features. i also hope they add more multiplayer things like tortimers island yknow? ;;w;;
thanks for sharing the video!

 

[Raz]

I think three years is a lot considering the lifespan of the switch itself. Console generations normally last 5 to 6 years, and very rarely do first party titles get support until the very end of the console's lifespan.

I think 2 years is more realistic. SFV devs said they would support the game for 10 years and it's been 4 since the game came out and there's no sign of future additions to the game.

 

[seularin]

thanks for sharing!
i hope they’ll add little things that make the game better (ex. batch crafting) before big updates!!

 

[Blueskyy]

I feel like this is something most of us already realize. Some players seem to just want to rush the game, though, so they are already burned out and thinking this is all there is to do and that they need to reset. I feel like patience is hard for some of the fans. If that’s what makes them happy then awesome, though! I’m happy to hear them talk about it!

 

[moonolotl]

wow three years is quite the amount!
i think thats reassuring to know theyre not gonna drop like 5-6 updates and call the game done. and while id like BIG updates that add lots of new content at once, im getting the feeling theyre gonna drip new features slowly. and that makes sense, though i understand that for those who play this game daily and very often, the lack of stuff to do is starting to be noticable.
i hope this also means room for QOL updates as well with UI and the like, not just overall game features. i also hope they add more multiplayer things like tortimers island yknow? ;;w;;
thanks for sharing the video!

A lot of people are complaining about things like bulk buying and long conversations to travel and such, so i think this makes it more likely they'll change something up in an update

I think three years is a lot considering the lifespan of the switch itself. Console generations normally last 5 to 6 years, and very rarely do first party titles get support until the very end of the console's lifespan.

I think 2 years is more realistic. SFV devs said they would support the game for 10 years and it's been 4 since the game came out and there's no sign of future additions to the game.

i really hope they add things 3 years down the line, but 2 definitely does sound more realistic!

I feel like this is something most of us already realize. Some players seem to just want to rush the game, though, so they are already burned out and thinking this is all there is to do and that they need to reset. I feel like patience is hard for some of the fans. If that’s what makes them happy then awesome, though! I’m happy to hear them talk about it!

The whole point of animal crossing is patience. People can play however they want and go at whatever pace they want but i feel like the devs are always gonna naturally drip-feed us updates as if we were at a slow pace, because that's what animal crossing has always been about imo. Slow progress

 

[Raz]

I feel like this is something most of us already realize. Some players seem to just want to rush the game, though, so they are already burned out and thinking this is all there is to do and that they need to reset. I feel like patience is hard for some of the fans. If that’s what makes them happy then awesome, though! I’m happy to hear them talk about it!

Yeah, I think seasonal updates with new events, DIYs, furniture sets and clothing are a given.

Also, there's evidence that new buildings will be added, a possible cooking mechanic, the return of diving and the deep-sea creatures... I think ACNH will have a healthy lifespan and plenty of support, especially given it's huge commercial success. ACNH has beaten both Doom and FF7 remake, and Cyberpunk 2077 also got delayed (although that was probably because of the Coronavirus).

I'll be completely surprised if ACNH doesn't win the GOTY award by the end of the year. Only Cyberpunk can realistically beat it.

 

[moonolotl]

Yeah, I think seasonal updates with new events, DIYs, furniture sets and clothing are a given.

Also, there's evidence that new buildings will be added, a possible cooking mechanic, the return of diving and the deep-sea creatures... I think ACNH will have a healthy lifespan and plenty of support, especially given it's huge commercial success. ACNH has beaten both Doom and FF7 remake, and Cyberpunk 2077 also got delayed (although that was probably because of the Coronavirus).

I'll be completely surprised if ACNH doesn't win the GOTY award by the end of the year. Only Cyberpunk can realistically beat it.

considering it beat new leafs lifetime sales in like 6 weeks, they'd have to be insane not to pick it

 

[Cadbberry]

I honestly love this drip and a 3 year drip, it keeps people coming back! I love this new update world

 

[Blueskyy]

Yeah, I think seasonal updates with new events, DIYs, furniture sets and clothing are a given.

Also, there's evidence that new buildings will be added, a possible cooking mechanic, the return of diving and the deep-sea creatures... I think ACNH will have a healthy lifespan and plenty of support, especially given it's huge commercial success. ACNH has beaten both Doom and FF7 remake, and Cyberpunk 2077 also got delayed (although that was probably because of the Coronavirus).

I'll be completely surprised if ACNH doesn't win the GOTY award by the end of the year. Only Cyberpunk can realistically beat it.

I always wondered why sometimes Isabelle will mention opening new store fronts to raise your rank. Maybe that was a hint?

 

[moonolotl]

I honestly love this drip and a 3 year drip, it keeps people coming back! I love this new update world

it honestly kinda reminds me of how minecraft is done and i think a big reason why minecraft is so popular is the extremely regular and potent updates. If ACNH did something similar, with fairly large updates over a long period of time, then it's definitely gonna be huge

 

[Raz]

considering it beat new leafs lifetime sales in like 6 weeks, they'd have to be insane not to pick it

That's exactly what I was saying to a friend. NH's sales are so absurd at this point that it's almost selling like GTA (proportionally). I don't recall a Nintendo game selling that much in that short of a period since... Tetris on the Gameboy (because it was a pack-in game)?

 

[mirukushake]

I don't think 3 years is that unrealistic, actually. Welcome amiibo came 4 years after the Japanese release of ACNL after all, when they could have just left the game as is. They've also already shown they're very proactive about bug fixing/balance adjustments. I personally love the content drip. Definitely decreases FOMO, since every gets the big stuff at the same time.

 

[tonkuri]

i actually really like this idea personally, it gives me a reason to keep coming back and adding to my town instead of just doing it and calling it a day, then losing interest and stopping playing for months

 

[Raz]

I don't think 3 years is that unrealistic, actually. Welcome amiibo came 4 years after the Japanese release of ACNL after all, when they could have just left the game as is. They've also already shown they're very proactive about bug fixing/balance adjustments. I personally love the content drip. Definitely decreases FOMO, since every gets the big stuff at the same time.

The thing is, when Welcome Amiibo came out, the 3DS was Nintendo's only platform on the market (as they had pretty much abandoned the WiiU at that point) and it still had tons of games being developed for it. The 3ds only fell out of favor when the Switch was in the market for one full year.

With the Switch being the first console of this generation, and the PS5 and Xbox coming out by the end of the year, there will be a natural pressure of the gaming companies for newer, more powerful hardware. Nintendo won't be able to keep the Switch as it's only platform on the market for another 4 or 5 years without problems. Also, the switch is a Tegra 1, and if I recall correctly, it's the same chip used on the NVIDIA Shield. It's outdated and will be in an even worse position 4 or 5 years from now.

 

[mirukushake]

The thing is, when Welcome Amiibo came out, the 3DS was Nintendo's only platform ok the market (as they had pretty much abandoned the WiiU at that point) and it still has tons of games being developed for it. The 3ds only fell out of favor when the Switch was in the market for one full year.

With the Switch being the first console of this generation, and the PS5 and Xbox coming out by the end of the year, there will be a natural pressure of the gaming companies for newer, more powerful hardware. Nintendo won't be able to keep the Switch as it's only platform on the market for another 4 or 5 years without problems. Also, the switch is a Tegra 1, and if I recall correctly, it's the same chip used on the NVIDIA Shield. It's outdated and will be in an even worse position 4 or 5 years from now.

Just because they release another console doesn't mean they can't still support the old one for a limited time, though? The last first party game for the 3DS came out in 2019. Yes, last year.

 

[Raz]

Just because they release another console doesn't mean they can't still support the old one for a limited time, though? The last first party game for the 3DS came out in 2019. Yes, last year.

There's a lot of costs involved that makes that a not so smart decision financially.

Releasing a game in 2019 that was already in development is normal, as they wouldn't simple take all the time and money invested in that project on the trash. Creating more content to support a game until the final year of the console's cycle is a very different story. It takes time and money (let's call them resources) that would be better used on projects being developed for their next console. As they need to have launch lineup, they need to plan and develop these games with years in advance.

Zelda BotW was only released on the WiiU because the switch version is basically a port of it, and releasing it on a dead platform wouldn't cost them anything more than they already had planned to spend. If anything, it only helped them save face, as people felt like they were abandoned by Nintendo.

The dev cycle for ACNH lasted probably 4 years. And this takes in consideration the content they already have developed but still haven't released, as it's part of the idea of constantly updating the game. All these contents we're receiving were already completed before the game was released. As for future content (after the game completes one year on the market), then it would be something that they either are still developing or still need to start the development. These take additional resources, which means new plans, and a new dev cycle for the additional content.

 

[Raccoon Goon]

I come from games like GTAO and RDO, so drip feed updates are something I'm very much used to, and the concept is fine with me. Players who rush through every update always complain about there being nothing new tho - I think some people have simply lost the ability to just enjoy the moment.

All that being said, I would love to see update support for NH for three whole years. Or for them to come up with a new console and make a new AC game the flagship game for it. Either one works for me.

 

[Xara]

“years to come” i’m yelling i’m so excited

 

[John Wick]

Great, but what happens after three years?