Nintendohas filed a patent for anew game mechanic, and from the looks of things, it’ll be akey featurein anupcoming, unannouncedAnimal Crossingtitle.
Asreported by Game Rant, the feature describes an “Island Newspaper”, showcasing various game events thatAnimal Crossing: New Horizonsplayers will be familiar with. Complete with a recap of fluctuating item prices,the newspaper lists various in-game events- each one marked with a date.
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In the patent’s sample newspaper, it notes that its most recent update was the in-game time of October 14th, with a headline advising readiness for Halloween celebrations. Events from previous days - October 1st through 14th - are listed chronologically, followed by the stock market changes and a “past newspapers” button.
It’s not hard to imagine how a feature like this could be used.It’s likely a recap feature, to help ease players into a new session, while offering potential goals for the day.
While a feature like this could be used for any number of games, the not-so-subtle inclusion ofAnimal Crossingevents offers a pretty clear idea of where Nintendo intends to use this.
Nintendo has already done something similar with their existing patents. If you recall the patent issues Nintendo broughtagainst the developersofPalworld, thepatent in questionalso made similarly-specific references to thePokémonfranchise, without naming Pokémon directly.
And just like with that patent, it’s possible that players may view this new patent as similarly broad. “A newspaper” is hardly a new idea, and neither is “use of a newspaper for historical purposes”. But “use of a newspaper as an activity log that fits within a game’s canon” may be specific enough to stick.
When Is The Next Animal Crossing Game Coming Out?
As of now, we lack any specific information about any new Animal Crossing game, but a patent like this is a clear indication that the franchise is on Nintendo’s short-term radar.
The Nintendo Switch 2 is rapidly approaching its release date, and we’re already aware of one game that’ll come with it:a new Mario Kart title.
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Whilenews of the Switch 2has been everywhere, news of any Switch 2 launch titles has been harder to come by.
But all things considered, a new Animal Crossing game seems like a good bet. New Horizons was a huge success, one that Nintendo will undoubtedly be looking to repeat.
Given the lack of official announcements, it’s safe to assume that any new Animal Crossing titles are still early in development. If that is the case, it would make sense for patents like that one to start cropping up around now. And hey, we got one.
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