In many ways, Animal Crossing has always been a friendship simulator.
Sure, over the years it also became about being the mayor of your own town, or crafting, or collectibles. But from the beginning, the true heart of this nearly two-decade old franchise came from developing long-term connections, whether with adorable talking animal NPCs or IRL friends who could visit your virtual utopia.
"Since I became involved in development during the Nintendo 64 days, the core concept of the game was to try to bring as many people as possible together," said Nintendo co-director Hisashi Nogami. "The way people communicate has continued to evolve throughout the series, with the latest version having both local play and online play."
When Mashable sat down with Nogami and fellow co-director Aya Kyogoku at E3, both emphasized how the expanded multiplayer capabilities of New Horizons is meant to bring out more uniquely social experiences through Animal Crossing. Up to eight people can play simultaneously on the same island through both online and couch co-op. Together (and with the help of Tom Nook), you all build a village from scratch, transforming that deserted island into a communal virtual space.
"Before, family members and friends could live in the same village but always on different timelines," said Kyogoku. "Now you'll be able to enjoy activities and host events together in the game with your real-world family and friends."
Participating in big social gatherings like annual Christmas parties has already been a tradition in Animal Crossing for a while, with in-game opportunities happening at the same time as real holidays. But the cost of participating in those was not spending those holidays with your actual friends and family IRL.
"We really wanted to emphasize that connection between your real and in-game lives in New Horizons."
"For a New Year's countdown in New Leaf, for example, you'd have to switch between players and do it individually. But with New Horizons, up to eight of you can gather to share that experience in the game," said Kyogoku.
The unique seasonal and real-time elements of Animal Crossing are another key to what makes the relationships you build in the game so special. You grow together over time, watching the town and its villagers change as the hours and months pass -- just like how the world outside your window changes and evolves over time.
"We really wanted to emphasize that connection between your real and in-game lives in New Horizons," said Kyogoku. "So say your family member or friend has a birthday, and you realize after giving them presents in real life that you should do the same in the game. Or it might even be the reverse, where you only realize it's their birthday through the game and go out and buy them a card or gift."
As with previous Animal Crossing games, certain items are only available at different points of the year. But unlike in previous titles, the new DIY crafting system extends that to raw materials, so you can only craft certain items depending on what's available seasonally. The shared, communal aspect of the village also allows everyone to work together to gather everything needed to craft those items.
"Even if you don't play together, just having conversations with your friends and family about, 'Oh, did you see that it started snowing? Or did you see that the cherry blossoms are blooming in the town?' You're having a shared experience even when you're playing at different times," Kyogoku said.
For example, a kid might come home from school and turn on Animal Crossing -- only to discover that mom has built a whole new area on the island while they were away.
"We want players to think of the Animal Crossing Switch world like it's another living room, where everybody gathers and enjoys a parallel virtual world together," said Nogami.
They've already seen how having this kind of virtual community spreads into the real world, with all sorts of bonding experiences to be had with the players you share your island with.
"We want to encourage players to use Animal Crossing almost like a communication tool."
Kyogoku told a hilarious story about how one of her colleague's wife has a particular love for fishing in the game. His kids started getting upset, though, when she kept poaching all the fish on the island while they were at school, leaving none for them by the end of the day. After pleading with their mom, she finally promised she'd never fish again.
They quickly found out she broke her promise, though, when a NPC villager accidentally ratted her out.
Building strong relationships was always embedded into Animal Crossing's core design. You'd be surprised how attached you can grow over time to a NPC talking sheep spouting gibberish at you. But with New Horizons, it seems like the series is taking that design philosophy to new heights, creating opportunities to strengthen real-world bonds through a virtual world.
"We want to encourage players to use Animal Crossing almost like a communication tool," said Kyogoku. "Not only through playing simultaneously, but also by making staggered games something you can still share in common together."
