With the rise in popularity for live-service games, there's an argument for the Animal Crossing franchise being a perfect contender for a live-service installment. Although the previous games have amassed a large and passionate fan base, the future of Animal Crossing would benefit from changing the usual formula of the games and pursuing a new chapter for the franchise. Some of the best franchises have allowed themselves to evolve over time, and Animal Crossing taking this approach could help set a new installment apart from the others while still maintaining the same charm and essential elements that make the franchise so much fun.
Since the birth of the franchise back in 2001, Animal Crossing has become a beloved Nintendo-exclusive title for many gamers around the world, and the life simulator has resonated with both hardcore gamers and newcomers. Animal Crossing: New Horizons, the most recent entry in the franchise, was a major hit among the many different people who flocked to the game, and it's left some with questions regarding the future of Animal Crossing. After such a major success with New Horizons, Animal Crossing may need to switch some things in order to make a new game stand out.
Animal Crossing Would Be the Perfect Live-Service Game
There are a variety of different things Animal Crossing fans have on their wish list for a future game, but there seems to be surprisingly little chatter about a new game in the franchise potentially being a live-service title. When looking at the main gameplay features that make Animal Crossing what it is, it quickly become clear that Animal Crossing could be the perfect game to embrace the live-service model.
For starters, a live-service Animal Crossing game would make the ongoing life simulation aspect of the game even more immersive for players. Although Animal Crossing is already a great game that runs in real time, a live-service approach to this real time gameplay would feel more realistic, keeping many players invested in the game for longer periods of time. Like Fortnite, a live-service Animal Crossing game could be updated seasonally so players could always look forward to new content and events. However, when it comes to the two of the best features of Animal Crossing, a live-service approach would bring certain features to a new level.
One of the main features of live-service games are the constant and regular updates that keep players invested in the game. Two defining features of the Animal Crossing franchise are the NPCs and the items that players can interact with throughout the game. Each new season of the game could provide players with new items and NPCs, giving fans an exciting reason to return to the game regularly in order to see what new items and characters they can interact with. When it comes to the subject of NPCs, new and fresh characters in Animal Crossing is already something that some fans of the games are hoping to see in the future. More diversity in villager personalities would set a future Animal Crossing game apart from its predecessors, and introducing new characters every season would be an exciting new feature for players to look forward to.
When it comes to the future of Animal Crossing, it's all speculation at the moment. Although there currently isn't any news about a new entry in the franchise being in development, a new Animal Crossing game would greatly benefit from changing up the formula so it can feel both familiar and new for potential players. The future of Animal Crossing might be a difficult journey since it has to compete with the great success of New Horizons, but allowing the franchise to evolve in a more immersive way just might do the trick.
Animal Crossing New Horizons is available now on Switch.
