Tomorrow morning, Nintendo will finally reveal some new information on Animal Crossing: New Horizons, the latest title in the popular franchise. The upcoming Nintendo Direct will last for more than 25 minutes, which means Nintendo should have quite a bit to show during the presentation. A recent (and now pulled) ESRB listing hinted that “in-game purchases” could come to the title, which would likely take the form of DLC. While it might be unusual for Nintendo to announce DLC before a game’s release, the company’s commitment to extending the life of existing Switch titles certainly makes it a distinct possibility.
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Outside of the mobile title Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp, the franchise has never featured in-game purchases . Animal Crossing: New Leaf did offer a robust update sometime after the game’s initial release, but that was offered free to fans. Some have made the argument that Amiibo could be construed as paid DLC, and Animal Crossing did receive a plethora of figures, and a line of Amiibo cards, as well.
Nintendo offered DLC on 3DS and Wii U, but it has become a much bigger priority for the company in the Switch era. Games like Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild have both received significant updates since their releases. Even Pokemon Sword and Shield are getting DLC this year, breaking from the tradition of a “third version” of the games, in favor of a pair of big updates.
Since DLC first started becoming common in the video game industry, gamers have been wary of announcements being made too close to the game’s initial launch. While DLC is a great way for publishers to extend the life of an existing game, some have used it as an excuse to hold finished content for later. In fact, some publishers have even been caught locking “downloadable content” on discs, in the past! However, Nintendo’s DLC has been mostly well-received by fans. They were announced significantly after launch, and Nintendo has been fairly open about the process. If Nintendo does reveal paid DLC for Animal Crossing: New Horizons tomorrow, exactly one month before the game launches, it will be interesting to see how fans react.
Do you plan on tuning in for the latest Nintendo Direct? Are you excited for more information on Animal Crossing: New Horizons? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!
