Have you noticed the game's popularity falling?

[Applebunny]

In the beginning I was super addicted to trading furniture. Now that I have almost everything on my wishlist (and the remaining items I'm not as excited about), I slowed down a lot. I still log in to do my dailies and collect seasonal DIYs. I used to be on here trading every day but not anymore, really.

I still have a ton of terraforming/design to do but I'm doing it very slowly. I get burnt out from design paralysis very easily.

 

[Pyoopi]

I wouldn't know honestly. Unless I'm informed by someone else, lol.

Me sitting on the forum is enough to tell me there's a good chunk of people to play with. That's all that matters.

If this forum started to die, I think I'd be more aware and think, "what's happening? the apocalypse?!"

 

[Romaki]

I mostly check this forum and it went from active to active. I'll miss hearing random people talk about their experience outside this forum though, more people should enjoy this game! But I think this is the same thing that happened with BOTW. Everyone was talking about it when it was released, but eventually the conversation died down despite people still continuing to play the game. And they still play it to this very day, there's just really nothing to talk about right now. People showed off their hosues and layouts and newcomers don't feel welcomed as much.

 

[Sheep Villager]

Definitely getting less random youtube recommendations relating to AC from channels I've never heard of. While I welcome all new people to the world of animal crossing, I definitely enjoy the peace and quiet from the bombastic youtube thumbnails. No matter how long I would ignore them for they would crop back up again since I do follow a few other long time animal crossing channels.​

 

[Uffe]

The game's hype has definitely died down. Honestly all it means is just that the fake fans are gone now woo hoo. But it's still an immensely popular game regardless!

There were a lot of Animal Crossing fans before the game released, no doubt. A lot of us had been waiting a long time for a brand new game. I think a lot of people jumped on the hype train because of the Modelovirus.

 

[Fisher]

Happens with every game really. I can’t remember any games that had the same level of excitement and peak number of players playing 2 and a half months after release.

The hardcore AC fans that really love this franchise are still playing though, and I think that’s a great thing

 

[DJStarstryker]

It's probably mostly a combination of burnout and some people being satisfied with their islands.

I don't know if it's lack of things to do. June opened up a bunch more things between new fish/bugs, the wedding event, and the new seasonal DIYs.

 

[Bioness]

I feel it too. Various factors include:

- Bought into the hype, ACNH just isn't for them
- Not enough content
- Bored of game
- Burned out
- Completed everything they cared about
- Pandemic restrictions are being lifted
- Not as many unknowns, less discovery, less discussion

 

[BluePing]

I feel like people are completing their islands too quickly hence resulting in people playing the game less. Like I know a bunch of people who have completed their islands in just a few weeks. I feel like time travellers have completed their games super quick which is obviously okay but I feel like those people have gotten bored quicker than non time travellers, before I reset I was doing like 3 areas of my island a day and I was completing them not even to my best standard. I just feel like we’ve completed some areas of the game TOO quickly and it’s not down to the game but to how fast people have ploughed through it. If people spent more time on specific areas and spent time getting bells and nook miles aside from perfecting and beautifying their island people wouldn’t lose interest, I know this from personal experience. Now I’ve slowed down what I’m doing, I’m enjoying the game SO much more

Post automatically merged: Jun 3, 2020

Ooh and also people buying it for the hype, animal crossing isn’t necessarily for everyone but everyone kinda bought it at the start of lockdown to spend time whilst stuck inside their house

 

[Piroshi]

I agree with the person who mentioned a lack of content, I haven’t even finished terraforming/decorating my island at all because without the dream suite and a huge amount of missing items I just don’t know what to do with it and I was finding it extremely frustrating how that was basically the only thing left to do. So I quit for now and I can’t even motivate myself to play the wedding event. My dad and brother haven’t played in weeks even before I stopped. And I also have a friend who decided to quit until we (hopefully) get a really good update because he’s too bored with the way the game is right now.

That's the situation I'm in, too. All I have left to do is finish terraforming, which I don't want to put a ton of time and money into if I'm just going to have to change it later when they add in new stuff. So now I'm just waiting for a decent update, or at least for enough little updates that add up to what feels like a decent update when I go back to playing it.

 

[Shawna]

I think more people are going back to work too, so may be less free time. I think a lot of it was casual players fading out as well. I’m in it for the long haul, but like anything, it’s not for everyone

Yeah, that's true. Restrictions due to COVID-19 are starting to get lifted. My dad has been going back to work regularly for a couple weeks now, and one of my friends had an actual graduation ceremony.

But yeah. That's another thing. NewLeaf did have more. One of the things I would love to see come back is diving. It would give us fans a whole new task to work towards and so much more to fill our Crittipedia and the museum with.

 

[sdw4527]

It's to be expected as lots of people bought the game from the "everyone else is playing it" mindset. Many probably realized it wasn't their type of game after the initial hype died down. I honestly like the more relaxed feel now compared to launch.

The "lack of content" that people keep bringing up is from them playing sometimes 10+ hrs a day during the first month and burning through whatever content there was. This series was never meant to be played that way which is why a lot of people are feeling burnout now.

Unfortunately, I was also affected by the constant showcase of elaborate islands on social media and pushed me to build mine much faster than I should've. Trying to do so much in such a short time frame (compared to the game's life span) is not good imo. It's just asking for burnout sooner.

 

[mayortiffany]

I don't think burnout can be completely attributed to our situation in quarantine; the fact is, the game has less content than New Leaf had, which contributes to the feeling of having less things to do. Diving for example, provided us with another activity and another way to fill our museum, but that is no longer in the game.

I think that the biggest reasons would be lack of content leading to disinterest/people having less to do in the game, quarantine meaning that we all completed our wishlists and goals much faster than we otherwise would have, and people losing interest in the game in general. Again, with not as much to do in this game, I can see people, even fans, losing interest faster, unless new content is regularly and quickly added (and for free!).

 

[OOstin]

As with what everyone else has already said, I think it's because: People are going back to work, game has been out for a little bit now, not enough content (I personally feel the game is lacking in), and a lot of people have already put in about an many hours as they would have anyway. I see a lot of my friends slowing down, but they are already at 100-250+ hours of playtime.

 

[justina]

I think because of the quarantine more people than ever were playing. I think there will always be a pretty solid fan base for animal crossing. I have been playing since the game cube version as a child (only skipping City Folk) and have enjoyed all of them!
Animal crossing is also not a game for everyone, I have tried to show people the game for years. I have heard complaints about the lack of action, but that’s the point!

 

[Morningowl]

I don't think burnout can be completely attributed to our situation in quarantine; the fact is, the game has less content than New Leaf had, which contributes to the feeling of having less things to do. Diving for example, provided us with another activity and another way to fill our museum, but that is no longer in the game.

I think that the biggest reasons would be lack of content leading to disinterest/people having less to do in the game, quarantine meaning that we all completed our wishlists and goals much faster than we otherwise would have, and people losing interest in the game in general. Again, with not as much to do in this game, I can see people, even fans, losing interest faster, unless new content is regularly and quickly added (and for free!).

Yesterday there was a post I liked the wording "its not the lack of content but its different content". We were never guarantee anything but there were expectation and assumption made. Yes it is weird that certain thing that have yet to be included such as diving. It not like they haven't added new features for example crafting, everything in terraforming, being able to decorate outside and different events. It possible that people haven't connect those. Just as people might of not connected to multiple player mini game or diving.

 

[Aliya]

A little bit. I think some people were on it for the hype and didn't realize that it's pretty much a game that can get monotonous each day if it's not for you. I really like the little parts of AC and playing daily is one of my favorite things. The little events change things up but not much. Plus new games have been coming out (I'm personally playing Xenoblade more) and people are very slowly returning to a normal life now that restrictions are being lifted so it was inevitable.

 

[Sharksheep]

A little bit. Im slowing down on getting every item in the catalog and focusing on getting what I want for decorating. It's hard to be playing alot when you dont have other people to talk to about progress. I think a lot of people have too much time on their hands with the quarantine so they completed everything as fast as they can or just tt to get the items and their dreamies. They didn't pace themselves very well.

 

[Licorice]

I don't really understand the "lack of content" argument. Past animal crossing games weren't much different except acnl. (which I personally didnt like) I'm fine with the small updates. People who don't play animal crossing have always said the same thing to me "But what do you DO?" It's the same thing with games like the sims. Most people want lots of goals and "content" which is fine but for games like these you usually have to set your own goals. A LOT of people that jumped on the animal crossing bandwagon didn't know what they were getting themselves into I think.

 

[Anblick]

Yeah for me, it was really largely because I was working half time when it first came out thanks to the pandemic, but then my company sprang back insanely busy and now I'm pretty much working constant overtime WEE. Soooo I'm still squeezing in as much AC time as I can but it's not as much as I had before. Of course not everybody works literally in a covid testing situation (uuuuuuuuuu fortunately I'm on the data half at least) but my guess is really yeah, just a ton of people are having life as usual spring back in a lot of ways.

Post automatically merged: Jun 3, 2020

I don't really understand the "lack of content" argument. Past animal crossing games weren't much different except acnl. (which I personally didnt like) I'm fine with the small updates. People who don't play animal crossing have always said the same thing to me "But what do you DO?" It's the same thing with games like the sims. Most people want lots of goals and "content" which is fine but for games like these you usually have to set your own goals. A LOT of people that jumped on the animal crossing bandwagon didn't know what they were getting themselves into I think.

I loved New Leaf but I *completely* agree with you overall. I have no idea what people expect from NH that they aren't getting, I'm honestly ultra confused. The landscaping options are so bonkers, like.... what else do people want to do that they can't???