Why Do We Even Care About Animal Crossing?

[Yahtzee Croshaw]

Why Do We Even Care About Animal Crossing?

How does Animal Crossing do so little we love in a fun game, but deliver a consistently enjoyable experience?

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[castlewise]

I agree animal crossing is best at catharsis. Yahtzee said it in his review (and lots of other people have said it). There are dozens of little victories that you can get playing animal crossing. Paying off your loan, getting a rare fish, having a perfect town, getting a real piece of art, etc... None of them individually give you much satisfaction, but there so many it doesn't really matter.

 

[kailus13]

I'm sorry Yahtzee but it's too late. I just spent the last half an hour catching bugs. There is no hope for me, save yourselves!

I think you need to add a new leg to that stool: creativity. Games like Animal Crossing wouldn't be as addictive if you couldn't do things like plant flowers all around the edge of your town.

 

[Chatboy 91]

Well thank god I've never played an Animal Crossing game, and I never plan to. The last thing I need is yet another addictive, infinite game to turn into a giant time sink.

 

[Thunderous Cacophony]

Just out of curiosity, do you have to take out loans? I always hear people complaining about some loan-shark (I think it's a raccoon), but a free money rock seems to solve that problem.

Also, Related: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHmIYMFM7AQ. Maybe Animal Crossing is so addictive because it makes you a citizen.

 

[FallenMessiah88]

So Animal Crossing is a game that lets us enjoy the little things in life? That doesn't sound so bad, except when it ends up replacing your real life.

 

[Deacon Cole]

Rather disappointed he didn't make the comparison to Minecraft. While there are marked differences, it does have a world generated uniquely for each player, use of seed excluded, that what happens is based almost entirely upon what the player does. It's up to the player to build something.

Lately in my Minecraft game, I've decided to take a village and help it grow a bit. This will be quite a trick as all but two of the villagers were already killed by zombies. and the village itself is on top of a massive cave system with those pesky surface holes that you might walk into if you're not careful. But I feel responsible for these Squidworths or whatever that now make annoying noises constantly to endear them to me.

 

[Alcom1]

Having heard all about Animal Crossing: New Leaf, I am absolutely too terrified to even purchase it.

There is no hope for me, save yourselves!

Indeed I will!

 

[themilo504]

I played wild world for a while, don?t know why I stopped playing, it?s not like I got bored I just kind of stopped.

 

[ASnogarD]

I would say the actual part of the game that makes it so compelling is the fact you cant simply put in an all nighter and burn through the content, stay up all night and all you will manage to do is lose sleep.
You dont get burnt out on it, in fact it stays just long enough for you to wish you could play a bit longer but you cant, you need to wait till the next day.

In a sea of games where a player who can and is willing to put in stupid amounts of time into a game can beat the rest with sheer time invested, a game where you are forced to go at a moderate pace is nice...

... it also doesnt hurt that there is a ton of content in the form of collectables and silly events that isnt sitting behind a pay wall, no matter how much money you throw at the mini screen you will still have to wait till tomorrow.

 

[Machine Man 1992]

As one of the few people who actually like the Syndicate FPS, I have this to say about your barb: That's the point.

The whole point of the story is how Miles Kilo is used; Euro Corp uses him as a weapon to sabotage other syndicates, Jack Denham uses you test out the DART 6, Lily Drawl uses you to kill Denham and help the Resistance (even though you pretty thoroughly wrecked their shit beforehand). You don't have impact on the plot because you're barely a person, you're a weapon. Fits pretty well with the tone of the series, I think.

OT: I've heard the Animal Crossing series used as a comparison piece to Minecraft: randomly generated world, player can influence the various systems and environments, smack levels of addiction, etc.

 

[Muspelheim]

I fear no man. I fear no thing.

I work and toil many years in Arstotzkan border checkpoint. Turn desperate, starving mothers away, condemn good men to death in their home of Kolechia. Become cold. Fearless. Stone faced.
I visit Zone. See many horrors. Crawling crimes of nature, in black pits where sun is now dead.
I manage Dwarf city. Dead slugmen and bloodthristy sponges swarm us. Good people die. We endure, a life of death and booze. Is horror. Always horror. Outside the door. Inside, when dwarves go insane from agony of situation.

Yet... Animal Crossing... It scares me. Is a glimpse into Hell. I rather face each horror and each moment of soul crushing, pointless labour again. Every day. If it keeps me away from The Crossing.

Is man made hell.

I'm sorry Yahtzee but it's too late. I just spent the last half an hour catching bugs. There is no hope for me, save yourselves!

Nooo! Not another good soul claimed! We shall never forget. Or forgive...

Rather disappointed he didn't make the comparison to Minecraft. While there are marked differences, it does have a world generated uniquely for each player, use of seed excluded, that what happens is based almost entirely upon what the player does. It's up to the player to build something.

Lately in my Minecraft game, I've decided to take a village and help it grow a bit. This will be quite a trick as all but two of the villagers were already killed by zombies. and the village itself is on top of a massive cave system with those pesky surface holes that you might walk into if you're not careful. But I feel responsible for these Squidworths or whatever that now make annoying noises constantly to endear them to me.

They're rather cute in a way, aren't they? Although it's interesting how they can even make it through a single Minecraft night.

I found a rather large NPC village like that in Tekkit once, and built them a small town hall and a security fence. All as a front to my secret laboratories beneath it. All went well until I had a bit of a nuclear boo boo beneath their church.

 

[Silentpony_v1legacy]

I have to disagree on the premise this time, Yatzhee. Animal Crossing is not unique. Its unique in the same way that each and every Mass Effect game is unique, but chances are you're the same god damn Shepard saving the same god damn Galaxy from the same god damn Reapers. I played Animal Crossing on a friends handheld and he kept gabbing on about how everything was different each time. And yet, he always knew exactly what to do, when to do it and which kinda creepy mutant animal thing to talk to. There I was roleplaying as the town mayor and my friend was able to, without looking at the screen 'cause he was playing Magic on PS3, tell me exactly what to do to proceed. It didn't feel all that random and unique; I mean fuck, you can read online guides on how to be a good mayor. How is it unique if there is a formula to this?!
To me unique means more than "Oh the fish pond is North instead of South." or "The duck mutant man sells sea shells by the sea shore on Tuesdays, not Thursday! See? unique!"
Maybe the game is too campy and friendly, but I'm not having fun doing the gardening in a game even while i'm neglecting my own garden! Animal Crossing is simply the Sims for toddlers.

 

[Cid Silverwing]

So are you admitting to AC:NL being cripplingly addictive, Yahtzee?

 

[BushMonstar]

Just out of curiosity, do you have to take out loans? I always hear people complaining about some loan-shark (I think it's a raccoon), but a free money rock seems to solve that problem.

Since New Leaf is my first Animal Crossing, I don't know about the other games, but in New Leaf, you have to take out a loan for when you first get your house, and then another one whenever you want to upgrade it. The money rock helps out a bit early on, but it's not nearly enough to fully pay for the loans + there's only one money rock per day.

 

[Elijah Newton]

I respect Yahtzee's three metrics ( context, challenge and catharsis ) but as he's grasping for a way to describe the appeal of Animal Crossing I'd like to bring up Naomi Clark's idea of Games of Labor. I came across it here in an interview on Another Castle ( http://www.another-castle.org/?p=23 ) and she uses the phrase as an intro to describe the appeal of casual games and MMOs.

A Game of Labor offers rewards based on the time invested in it. The category is distinct from games of skill/strategy and games of chance. On this topic specifically around 26 minutes, ramping up to it at around the 20 minute mark.

Animal Crossing is used as an example around the 29 minute mark to describe the appeal of a Fantasy of Labor. In short, "They provide a form of economic satisfaction because the world operates as we think it ought to."

Personally I thought the whole interview was pretty neat, but YMMV.

 

[theultimateend]

I feel like this was mostly just an attempt to rationalize liking something that you "feel" you shouldn't like.

Yes. Some games are very simple.

Checkers is simple.

So is Monopoly (to be honest).

Simple things allow us to build our own narrative. This isn't a new idea and its been around since before Video games.

Animal Crossing is popular because it presents simple concepts in an attractive way.

It's basically a video game adaptation of the children's book "Where the Wild Things are."

Animal Crossing is used as an example around the 29 minute mark to describe the appeal of a Fantasy of Labor. In short, "They provide a form of economic satisfaction because the world operates as we think it ought to."

That's about as deep as I can see it being taken without grasping at straws.

I love the relaxed atmosphere of it myself. I can play a little on the drive to work every morning (I'm in the passenger seat...to be clear) and it never leaves me feeling like I left it on a cliff hanger.

Just out of curiosity, do you have to take out loans? I always hear people complaining about some loan-shark (I think it's a raccoon), but a free money rock seems to solve that problem.

Since New Leaf is my first Animal Crossing, I don't know about the other games, but in New Leaf, you have to take out a loan for when you first get your house, and then another one whenever you want to upgrade it. The money rock helps out a bit early on, but it's not nearly enough to fully pay for the loans + there's only one money rock per day.

You get a Perfect Fruit on the first day 100% of the time. If you plant this it'll get you a tree that makes a few rounds of 3.

As long as you use the final round to plant 2 more trees you'll never run out. Every stack of 9 makes like 38K at a friends town (assuming its non native for them).

By the end of a month of very light play (like 5 to 10 minutes depending on where you placed your tree farm) you'll have enough money to max out your house and buy most of the upgrades in the game.

I only know this because a buddy of mine and I got into an income war. It was amusing because it reminded me of real life capitalism.

[I hesitate to admit it but he won :/]

I have to disagree on the premise this time, Yatzhee. Animal Crossing is not unique. Its unique in the same way that each and every Mass Effect game is unique, but chances are you're the same god damn Shepard saving the same god damn Galaxy from the same god damn Reapers. I played Animal Crossing on a friends handheld and he kept gabbing on about how everything was different each time. And yet, he always knew exactly what to do, when to do it and which kinda creepy mutant animal thing to talk to. There I was roleplaying as the town mayor and my friend was able to, without looking at the screen 'cause he was playing Magic on PS3, tell me exactly what to do to proceed. It didn't feel all that random and unique; I mean fuck, you can read online guides on how to be a good mayor. How is it unique if there is a formula to this?!
To me unique means more than "Oh the fish pond is North instead of South." or "The duck mutant man sells sea shells by the sea shore on Tuesdays, not Thursday! See? unique!"
Maybe the game is too campy and friendly, but I'm not having fun doing the gardening in a game even while i'm neglecting my own garden! Animal Crossing is simply the Sims for toddlers.

You just described how life is exactly the same for everyone. Must suck living in a reality designed for toddlers that is no fun :/.

But I understand the urge to oversimplify things in order to support your narrative. We all do it because it helps us not waste too much time on biases that only exist to make us feel superior.

 

[Evonisia]

I get the impression that this game is evil from both the review and this EP. Maybe we can add Animal Crossing's evil to list (such as the one Momurpogers are placed in for killing children and turning innocent people in fat cheeto eating creatures which get vaporized in sunlight).

Also, judging from the final line of this EP I can understand why there's no detail on the game other than the name on the review, nice subtle commentary there. Too bad you couldn't do it for Mindjack (fucking fucking fucking bad bad bad don't don't don't play it).

 

[Jburton9]

I feel like this ties into a previous point, not having to shoot everything in the face for the sake of progression. The light and whimsical game environment helps as well. Maybe, since we know the games expectations are low, we can take our time with it or perhaps the simplest reason, it just just fun and a nice distraction. : )