- Players will be able to transfer their save data to the new app after Pocket Camp’s services end
- The news was broken via a simple, Animal Crossing-styled announcement on the game’s X (formerly Twitter) account
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Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp is closing on November 28th, 2024, marking the end of new content updates and the end of service. It’s a surprising move for such a popular brand but it appears that the change is simply a change in monetisation strategy rather than a lack of popularity.
Instead of continuing with the production new content for the live game, game maintenance and hosting, and in-app purchases fans will be able to continue playing a new version of the game – maintaining their progress and items – in exchange for hard cash.
Crossing over to a new model
Nintendo has revealed that a new version of the game is currently in development and will be made available for a one-time fee, reworking Pocket Camp into a premium title minus its in-app purchases or subscription services.
Players will be able to transfer their save data to the new app after Pocket Camp’s services end.
The news was broken via a simple, Animal Crossing-styled announcement on the game’s X (formerly Twitter) account:
We have an important announcement for everyone playing the Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp app. Please see the following page for details as well.https://t.co/JGacPgXFyo pic.twitter.com/RHZt5u7SPU
— Pocket_camp (@Pocket_Camp) August 22, 2024
The new premium version of Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp won’t feature the online mechanics of the current version, meaning a continuous online connection won’t be required to play. However, this also means that features like Market Boxes, Leaf Tickets, gifts, and visiting other players’ campsites won’t be available in the new, yet-to-be-released premium title.
This move to a one-time purchase title while ending new content updates is an interesting one for Nintendo, a games company built on the production and one-time sale of its games.
It now no longer sees the value in investing resources into Pocket Camp beyond November 2024, instead favouring the potential for one final wave of income and is willing to sacrifice the potential of ongoing in-app purchase revenue in exchange for that one final payment from long-time players.
It’s also worth noting that this change may lead heavily time-invested free-to-play fans to finally spend some money on the game, as handing over an as-yet-unknown sum will be the only way to maintain their save data and keep playing.
“Lovely, diverse campsites grow and flourish”
“Since service began on November 21st, 2017, for approximately seven years we have been honoured to see everyone’s lovely, diverse campsites grow and flourish. We extend our heartfelt thanks to the many users who have loved Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp,” Nintendo said.
“We are planning to release a flat-fee paid app that you can transfer your save data to after service for Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp ends.”
Most of Nintendo’s mobile games were in development prior to the Switch’s release and the company’s enthusiasm for the medium has evidently declined since. Super Mario Run acheived only moderate success, being free to play with a large fee to unlock thw whole game, Mario Kart Tour received its final content update last October, and now with Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp nearing the end, clearly even Nintendo’s biggest franchises aren’t guaranteed to last forever – at least on mobile.
