Animal Crossing: New Horizons Had The Third-Biggest US Launch Of Any Nintendo Game In History

The thing is with this game and due to the Pandemic... the digital sales are going to be insane. o.o I can only imagine the combined numbers. I really hope Nintendo shares all.

The appeal of Animal Crossing is so universal, to traditional gamers and non-gamers alike, that we're looking at 30 Million copies sold by the end of the year if you combine physical and digital.

It's a phenomenon right now.

Well deserved, it's a great game. Hopefully, there are even more content updates than the upcoming ones in the next week/two weeks. I am sure there will be, but it will be interesting to see them.

Well deserved too. I’ve enjoyed this version more than I thought I would like it. New Leaf was fun, but it felt like chores after a while compared to this one. Awesome news!

This does not surprise me. I can’t find a copy anywhere.

I know the game benefited from the pandemic, but these sales are bonkers - and not even including digital sales.

Hopefully this inspires them to do regular updates like the huge one rolling out this week.

I remember a lot of the concern when Nintendo released Pocket Camp, fearing we wouldn't get a console version again and that it was a new direction for the series. I don't know if those fears were warranted or not.

But if Nintendo did need some reassurance that Animal Crossing should remain (first and foremost) on a dedicated gaming console, I hope this is clear cut proof. Kudos to them for putting out a well made (if flawed in some areas) game. Well worth the seven year wait and we are only getting started

What were the other 2 games? Mario Odyssey and Breath of the Wild?

Totally deserving of the praise! It's my favorite Animal Crossing game by far and I'm completely addicted to it. What a perfect time to be released.

@TheNewButler
Me from 2012 says yes you can!

@Archius9 Smash Ultimate and Brawl. It says it right in the article.

I’m not surprised with all the new Nintendo fans the Switch has bought in. Throughly deserves too as it’s a great game.

@TheNewButler The funny thing is, Zelda was never a huge seller until BotW. One of the most influential and legendary game series, but not a massive hit like Mario. The Switch (And 3DS to a lesser extent) has really propelled a ton of series to become massive sellers. Though I think of a lot of that can be pointed to many of these games in these series being some of their best.

Figures... this game got me to purchase a Switch (the AC edition) and start playing video games again. It was just different and weird enough to pique my interest.

@HeyItsFlapjack fair enough

It’s raining bells!

It's pop culture phenom status

I think the pandemic really helped sell this game even more, like this is normally not a game I'd pick up, but I was bored and wanted something a little more casual to play on the side from my other stuff and ended up picking it up on a whim. It's been fun so far though and is my first Animal Crossing game i've ever owned.

@TheNewButler
New Horizons had a bigger launch than any Mario or Zelda game (Breath of the Wild 2 and Mario Odyssey 2 may change that, but that's some time away).

Animal Crossing was always one of Nintendo's biggest IPs, but New Horizon's launch sales performance has been staggering even by the most optimistic expectations.

Hopefully more developers jump in on creating quirky life sims, because there is definitely a huge market for them. The only notable life sim games released between the launch of New Leaf and New Horizons have been Tomodachi Life and Animal Crossing Happy Home Designer, both of which were successful but fairly low effort games.

I've been with this series since Wild World, and it's always so freaking addictive. I love the sense of progression and building up your town and your house. Beyond doing the stuff required to build up the town, I've just been fishing a ton for money (Animal Crossing fishing is so addictive thanks to not knowing for sure what you're about to catch). My island actually has a miniature island in the middle of one its rivers which I was gonna move my house to, but after having gotten access to the higher portions of the map, I'm thinking I might move my house up on top of one of the hills eventually.

Also one of my neighbors is gonna be Audie so I was kind of excited about that.

And some people still think AC isn’t a major franchise. It most certainly is, and was even during the New Leaf days. It is a sales monster.

You can't stop Nintendo, they are the best. No one is even close to them.

Even in the challenging times we’re facing, Nintendo never fails to deliver smiles to so many people (and make a pretty penny in doing so).

It amazes me that this series is popular.

Animal Crossing has been an especially fun title - I play with my two daughters and spouse - such innocence in this critical period has been a real blessing!

It has also sold a ton of new Switch units particuallarly in a demographic that hasn’t so far been a big consumer of Switch’s:
Young women between 12-30.

The Switch sold 1 million units last month in the US off of the success of Animal Crossing and people being stuck at home. It is the biggest non-holiday month ever for a game platform in the US since the launch of the Nintendo DSi back in April 2009.

@Trajan Why? It's a lighthearted and charming game with a broadly appealing concept.

@Trajan I wonder the same about Persona. But I guess Persona isn't popular, so makes sense.

@Indielink I've only played the GameCube one and new leaf, but the game is just so boring. Its basically the worst part of RPGs (grinding for gear and money) with no plot and the NPCs just say random things like "I love being out in the sun". The fishing isn't even a fun mini game like Link's Awakening had in 1993.

I understand some people like to stand around and talk non-sense to their villagers, but if you just exclusively hung out in any town in any RPG the experiance would be the same.

I understand some very bizzaro stuff becomes popular (just look at what's in the top 40), but it amazes me people have fun playing this game assuming they have played any other game.

@mesome713 yep. Thank God Atlus is sparing Switch owners. If only they could do the same with SMT right?

@Trajan They should, that one sells poorly also. They should release it and Persona to PC. I can see why it doesn't sell good, it doesn't look too appealing. And it looks very boring story wise.

@mesome713 Yeah. Niche games like Xenoblade should also be multiplat. Of course that's really the only "Nintendo" game with a good story so idk.

@Trajan Nintendo always makes the best games. They are just that amazing.

@Trajan It's not just a grind for gear, it's a sandbox. You literally get to be the God of this little town which is super appealing for many people. It's gratifying to build up the island from nothing to your own little utopia. Villagers have a lot more personality than generic RPG townspeople. They have actual likes and dislikes, they'll comment on things going on and the people or other animals who come visit.

I can't think of an RPG that lets you tinker with your town the way AC does.

@Trajan This is my exact thoughts on the series. If I want the life sim part I'll just play stardew valley, as it has actual gameplay beyond debt repayment simulator. If I want the customization, I'll just play Minecraft on peacefully as that has more customization than Animal Crossing will ever have. If the datamined vegetable growing is real, though, I can probably throw it in the pile with Stardew Valley, Story of Seasons, and Rune Factory.

@TheNewButler I mean, I think COVID-19 was a factor that probably increased the amount of people who bought the game. People have more time on their hands and AC just happened to come at the right time.

@Indielink my problem is there isn't anything to do with those powers. You build a town and then what? The NPCs may have more to say (except apparently during a fishing competition where they all say the same thing?) but none of it is reallying meaningful. It's like 90s PBS kids statements. Just talk to Nopons in Frontier village.

@mesome713 Agreed. It's a travesty that New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe wasn't GOTY last year.

@Trajan Kinda hard to give an old game game of the current yesr. But I understand why Deluxe is so much more popular than Persona.

@mesome713 But Nintendo made it the best hence the deluxe.

@Trajan It truly is the best one.

@Trajan "...and then what?" Is a complaint that can be lobbied at any game, not just AC. But you can continue decorating as Nintendo updates the game and adds new stuff, finish the Critterpedia, collect fossils, or just search for the villagers from old games you like. Their words don't have to have an exceptional depth, they can continue just being funny and goofy as they are. And they have a lot more variety in what they say than any NPC, including the Nopon.

@Indielink Other games have a goal and a conclusion though. AC is play it until you're bored with it.

@Trajan You say that like it is an inherently bad thing.

@Trajan
Improving the quality of life and popularity of your island to get KK Slider to have a concert on your island isn't an objective?

ACNH has my wife playing my Switch every single day, since shortly after release. Any game that can achieve that feat is deserving of many accolades. Thank you, Nintendo. Now...to convince her to get her own...hmmmm????

Oh good! I was losing sleep wondering how well Animal Crossing was selling.

I had friends in Japan recommending this series to me in 2005 or 2006, But even though it looked adorable and fun I never took the plunge till now as I preferred Nintendo home consoles rather than handhelds. I never could justify investing in both platforms. Since the glorious coming of the Switch, though, that is no longer an issue! I’m so glad Nintendo has ditched the 2-prong attack and settled on a single hybrid platform they can fully focus on.
The amazing sales figure for ACNH doesn’t really surprise me - it will go down in history as the most well-timed launch of any game ever. The perfect game at the perfect time.
I for one had preordered 3 copies - a digital copy for me and a cartridge each for the Switch Lite and ACNH edition Switch birthday-gifted to my 2 daughters in the recent past - so we could enjoy this endlessly fun distraction together.
ACNH will be our game of the year, for certain.
I just wish I had more time for Mario Maker 2, as that update tomorrow looks sweet!

I'm now of the firm belief that there must be a new Tomodachi Life game in development for Switch.

Tomodachi Life on the 3DS sold 6.55 million copies, which is roughly 52% of what Animal Crossing New Leaf sold (12.45 million). If Tomodachi Life on Switch sells 52% of what Animal Crossing New Horizons sells, then it will be a 12-13 million-seller. I can't see Nintendo passing up on that opportunity.

Just a wonderful game. Could not have come out at a better time. This game alone is helping some people get through the pandemic. I know it's helping me and I'm 54 years old. I'm approaching 100 hours and not at all losing interest. Kudos Nintendo!!

This is my first time playing an Animal Crossing game and it's destroyed my sleep schedule. I tried to hold off time travelling (and really the game kinda was more fun before I started time travelling not that i do it that much.) I've logged a bunch of hours in, mostly resource grinding.

My major complaints are that I wish I didn't just have to get flowers and fruit I don't have from friends, I wish they showed up on mystery islands. I got roses and mums from some of my friends, but I still don't have a friend who has Lilys.

I just had the KK concert, but I'll be honest my interest is waning a bit. I kinda wanna start kicking out certain villagers that I don't like. I do wish that there was more to do when you visit someone's island than look around. Like play some sort of mini games, interact with things a bit more. Even if there were just balls that you could kick around and play a really basic form of soccer or something.

It feels like you set up a lot of the items but you don't really interact with them. Like there's a punching bag and pull up bar that you can buy but your character can't interact with them.

Overall I've had a lot of surprising fun, some of which happened from the chaos when friends visited my island. (I had one who planted Pear trees all over and I was digging them up and replanting them for days.)

Really fun game to some extent. Though I honestly don't know if I'll buy another game in the series.