I'm loving all these ideas!
I honestly think that HHD was a test game from Nintendo. They wanted to see how we would react to new features and stuff.
I think the next game will have the amount of slots form HHD and that Main street and the town might switch in the new game. I think all of our villagers would live in an apartment building (kind of like Tomodachi Life) and we would have the option of a penthouse at first, or a mayor mansion later on. There would be other buildings for the NPC that we could access after a certain criteria, and see them after hours.
The town would be a blank slate and we could customize what to build; a hospital, recycle store, a school, a music hall, and we could choose how and where to place them. We could have actual roads and gardens without worrying if new villagers would move in on top of them.
We could have an option of having villagers retire in our towns. They'd never ping to move again, and they could add new features that only retired villagers could do. Then, if we ever wanted our dreamies to move, the mayor themselves could suggest "vacation" or "travel the world" that would give them the idea to leave and make room for someone else. but also having the option of putting their stuff in storage, meaning they would eventually come home and bring us a souvenir, or make them pack their stuff and leave permanently, even after we asked them to retire.
I'd like to hug and hold hands with villagers, all depending on the type. Secret handshakes for jocks and uchis depending on your gender, and allowing dark skin tones, new facial features, and longer hair.
Also, the NPC's could set up tents in the plaza on certain days, like a market, and you could watch your villagers barter, and even buy new things, and also have like someone else suggested, a NPC from Nintendo set up shop and sell rare DLC. Also, have the island again, and the Kappa family, but be able to save there. Also, have natives living on the island, and have festivals that you and your villagers could travel together on the boat (kind of like when they visit your house, going room to room they'd follow you)
I also think you should be able to hire your secretary and each secretary would have different abilities. Digby could be an option, and maybe their other doggy siblings. Speaking of that, new villager types, like bats, seals, and otters.
I think having villagers date would be cute. You could play matchmaker and suggest who to like, catch them holding hands and walking around town, or sitting on a bench together. I think that would be cute!
I don't know if they'd be able to play all this on a console, but I'd buy a new version of the DS just to play animal crossing. If it comes out for a console like the WII U, I won't. I find Animal Crossing is for hand-held so you can play with friends much easier.
