Nintendo Shutting Down Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp App, Plans to Release Paid Offline Version

[MacRumors]

Nintendo today announced that it will shut down the Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp app for iOS on November 29, seven years after the game originally launched. Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp is a freemium app that Nintendo has regularly been adding new content to through ongoing events, so there are players with money invested in the game.

There will be no more events or updates with the Pocket Camp service being discontinued, but Nintendo will release a paid version of Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp so that existing users can continue to play an offline version of the game. The paid version will allow saves to be transferred over, but it will not support visiting and interacting with other players or receiving gifts. It will not have in-app purchases nor will it require an online connection.

Pocket Camp users who have purchased Leaf Tickets, the in-game currency, can redeem them through November 28. Leaf Tickets not used by that date will expire. Pocket Camp Club subscriptions will be ending on October 28, but Nintendo will continue providing the associated benefits until Pocket Camp shuts down.

Nintendo plans to release the paid version of the app when the existing freemium version is shut down, but pricing has not yet been announced. Transferring a Pocket Camp save to the new app requires linking to a Nintendo Account.

Article Link: Nintendo Shutting Down Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp App, Plans to Release Paid Offline Version

 

[SamRyouji]

I miss the good ol' days where you could buy a game and just own it for life. No interacting with (oftentimes toxic) strangers, no micro transactions, and no bs like this sudden shutdown with little to no compensations.

 

[kcslc]

I miss the good ol' days where you could buy a game and just own it for life. No interacting with (oftentimes toxic) strangers, no micro transactions, and no bs like this sudden shutdown with little to no compensations.

Well, Animal Crossing New Horizons on switch does this!

 

[sublunar]

might be worth keeping an eye on - if Nintendo are going back to paid-for products without in-app purchases. That's the traditional console strategy.

 

[SamRyouji]

Well, Animal Crossing New Horizons on switch does this!

I know. I only play New Horizons tho and purposefully avoid this online version. Same as any other games: offline only.

 

[entropys]

Sounds like a marked improvement.

 

[CarAnalogy]

Well, Animal Crossing New Horizons on switch does this!

Also isn’t this basically what they are saying they’re replacing it with? An offline buy once game?

 

[kcslc]

Also isn’t this basically what they are saying they’re replacing it with? An offline buy once game?

Eh. I played pocket camp in the beginning. It definitely doesn’t have that Nintendo charm and magic like New Horizons does. So even still, I think I’ll pass on this one.

 

[coffeemilktea]

I'd be so thrilled if Nintendo starts producing offline "buy once with no microtransactions" games for iOS. 🤩

 

[Hastings101]

Honestly I'm kind of excited about this as an animal crossing fan. Animal Crossing mobile with no micro transactions? Yay

Sounds like a marked improvement.

 

[tranceking26]

Day 1 player here. It's a good game but maybe it'll be better off as a paid for once game.

The only annoying thing is having to find a way to spend all my leaf tickets before the game ends.

 

[nuff_said]

Here’s hoping they do the same thing with Mario Run

 

[mansplains]

I'd be so thrilled if Nintendo starts producing offline "buy once with no microtransactions" games for iOS. 🤩

At least we have several unrestricted emulators on iOS now and can play numerous Nintendo titles. iPhones have higher power than the Switch, it would be interesting to see Nintendo release a Switch game directly. They could monetize it heavily and I'm sure tons of users would bite. Oh well, few companies hate their users more.

 

[GermanSuplex]

I get freemium is what’s popular and Nintendo was trying to push people to its hardware, but I really expected better from their releases.

 

[tkaravou]

Well, Animal Crossing New Horizons on switch does this!

As does Pocket Camp after this update!

I'd be so thrilled if Nintendo starts producing offline "buy once with no microtransactions" games for iOS. 🤩

They did this once, Super Mario Run, and people cried foul because it was a whole $10

 

[Makosuke]

I have never played an Animal Crossing game so this isn’t specific to this particular example, but converting old online games to a pay-once offline instead of just pulling the plug seems shockingly decent and I wish we’d see more of it.

Obviously not all game designs are convertible to offline, but for those that are I wish this would become the norm.

 

[Makosuke]

As does Pocket Camp after this update!

They did this once, Super Mario Run, and people cried foul because it was a whole $10

Speaking as someone who did pay for it, my complaint wasn’t that it costs $10–there are a pile of FF ports that cost that and I don’t think people got worked up—it’s that $10 seemed too high for a one-button 2D platform runner with, at least at release, not what felt like $10 worth of gameplay and content. It was polished and fun, but I expect more for the price.

 

[B4U]

Sounds like Mario Kart Tour is next.

 

[Ctrlos]

Genuinely a pleasant surprise. Having the game not bugging you for IAP and being able to just buy everything with Bells will make it a much better experience.

 

[svish]

Hopefully the one time paid version of the game will not be priced high.

 

[Regbial]

Happy for all enjoyers of this game... Including, I believe, the director of NieR Reincarnation.. now if only they had done this for THAT gem of a game.. 😔 oh man that's art that is going to be buried in memory, in Youtube.. it's so sad. I'd pay $70 for an offline version of it. Apple should've invested in quality premium one-time purchase games in it's app store instead of the Arcade debacle.. Change the "culture" of gaming in that way. Maybe then it would have a chance.

But things like this Animal Crossing game getting an offline version gives me hope that more games like this will get that treatment, maybe in a few years we'll get the same thing for NieR Rein. All the assets must be there.

 

[Apple Fan 2008]

It's probably been at least three years since I last logged on there, but it still sucks that they're shutting down online stuff.

 

[senttoschool]

I miss the good ol' days where you could buy a game and just own it for life. No interacting with (oftentimes toxic) strangers, no micro transactions, and no bs like this sudden shutdown with little to no compensations.

A ton of games still like that get released. What's stopping you from buying them?

 

[Motawa]

Actually some good news’s for a change

 

[Rayansb]

a pleasant surprise