The holiday season is a time to celebrate time-honored traditions with family and friends. Feasts and gift exchanges are the hallmark of the next few weeks; however, the global pandemic threatens to cancel most conventional gatherings. While many are struggling to find a silver lining, video game fans can still look forward to the industry’s staple ceremony: The Game Awards.
Read moreMost video games lose popularity a few weeks after launch; however, Animal Crossing: New Horizons continues to trend worldwide. From the start of the pandemic, Nintendo’s cutesy social simulation game remains a global phenomenon. With the help of new customization tools, New Horizon players have overcome the depression of social distancing by expressing their innovating sides. From hosting online weddings
Read moreWhile Minecraft stands atop the pantheon of best-selling video games, the widespread availability of the pixelated adventure on nearly every platform is largely responsible for its success. Although console exclusivity severely limits opportunities for certain franchises, one new 2020 release dares to challenge the paradigm. As sales of Animal Crossing New Horizons continue to skyrocket, the industry begins to wonder:
Read moreRoutine software updates and downloadable content are routine practices for the video game industry. Although studios desire to launch a finished product, feedback from communities often informs post-release corrections and expansion packs. Sony and Microsoft adhere to this traditional approach; however, Nintendo embraces a different approach. On Tuesday, the hybrid console owner announced another new Animal Crossing update, which is
Read moreIt is not often that publicly traded companies admit mistakes or failures. It is even rarer for organizations to abandon a large market segment. But in a surprising twist of events, Nintendo recently admitted that its mobile games strategy has produced disappointing results. According to a Bloomberg report, the company is even considering abandoning the mobile industry altogether. In this
Read moreVideo games and credible journalism have a troubled history. While most respected media outlets feature a variety of industries on their front pages, critics continue to reserve the latter sections for the video game segments. Despite being larger than music and movies combined, the video game industry remains locked in an era defined by false perception. But one respected outlet
Read moreRandom number generator (RNG) has plagued gamers for decades. Dubbed the “speedrun killer”, RNG is slowly infiltrating more video game franchises. While most gamers can tolerate a degree of randomness, an unbalanced experience is equally frustrating and debilitating. The Animal Crossing community witnessed the epitome of deranged RNG with last month’s Bunny Day event. Despite an outpouring of fan rage,
Read moreSince the release of the original Game Boy in 1989, Nintendo has owned the handheld video game market. While Sega and Sony have made valiant attempts to enter the portable space, each has failed to challenge Nintendo for supremacy. For these reasons, the industry continues to raise its eyebrows at Nintendo’s decision to discontinue its 3DS line of hardware. But
Read moreThe Internet had a collective chuckle over the memes surrounding the launch of Animal Crossing and Doom Eternal on the same day. The unlikely partnership between Isabelle and the Doom Slayer was so implausible that the community did not take the collaboration seriously. But on Saturday, a Nintendo rival revealed an even more unlikely combination: Animal Crossing and Xbox attire.
Read moreThe video game industry is no stranger to the “pay-to-play” market. While gamers are accustomed to loot boxes, season passes, and other optional content, Nintendo has largely avoided these “freemium” models. However, players of a popular Nintendo franchise have begun to exploit an obvious void. On Friday, we discovered that fans of Animal Crossing New Horizons had taken to eBay
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