October 29th 2024.
Nintendo has announced that the beloved game, Animal Crossing, will be returning to the mobile market. However, instead of being a free-to-play game with in-app purchases, it will now cost £18. This change has caused some concern among fans, as Nintendo's previous attempts at mobile games have not been very successful.
In fact, Nintendo's foray into the mobile market was initially half-hearted and only came about due to the failure of their Wii U console. But once their newest console, the Switch, became a hit, they lost interest in mobile games and have since ended support for five out of their eight main mobile titles since 2016. These include Miitomo, Dragalia Lost, Dr. Mario World, Mario Kart Tour, and most recently, the microtransaction-heavy Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp.
Now, a new version of Pocket Camp, called Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp Complete, is set to launch on December 3rd, just a few days after the free-to-play version shuts down on November 28th. This new version will cost £18, and while some fans may be hesitant to pay for a game they were previously able to play for free, it's worth noting that the full version of Animal Crossing: New Horizons on the Switch costs £50.
The Pocket Camp website assures fans that this new version will have no extra monetization and all features will be available from the start, without the need for in-game purchases or subscriptions. In fact, the webpage even mentions an introductory offer, where the game will be available at half price until January 31st, 2025, making it only £9.
Fans will also be happy to know that they can transfer most of their items and save data from the free-to-play version to the paid version until June 1st, 2025. This is a rare move in the world of mobile gaming, where most popular games are free but filled with microtransactions.
Speaking of microtransactions, they have always been a sore subject for Nintendo. Their attempt at charging £8 for Super Mario Run was met with criticism and low sales, leading them to fill the game with microtransactions and make it free-to-play. However, surprisingly, the response to Pocket Camp's new price has been mostly positive online.
Many fans have praised the decision to offer the full version of the game for a one-time payment, with no additional purchases necessary. They see this as a step in the right direction for the industry, with one fan on Twitter even calling it a "steal". Another fan on Reddit commended the absence of microtransactions and the preservation of save data.
Once Pocket Camp Complete is released, the only remaining active Nintendo mobile games will be Super Mario Run, Fire Emblem Heroes, and Pikmin Bloom. It's unclear if Nintendo will continue to focus on mobile games in the future, especially with the success of the Switch 2. However, The Pokémon Company is still fully on board, with a new game, Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket, set to release on October 10th.
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