The hype around the game during confinement has surely escaped no one, and even the most traditional media have mentioned the subject. Whether on Twitch, Youtube, or any other platform, Animal Crossing New Horizons has swept away everything in its path, like a hurricane. In the end, Tom Nooks was not the only one to get rich thanks to the work of the players.
Colossal numbers
Released two years ago, Animal Crossing is a real success. A study revealed that on average, the game has sold 50,000 copies per day since its release. This figure can make you dizzy, especially since other Nintendo muses are struggling to keep up with him and his 37 million sales. 24 months were enough for the game to become the second best-selling game on the console, surpassing titles like Super Smash Bros Ultimate (27 million, and the best-selling fighting game title in the history of the genre) or Zelda: Breath of the Wild (25 million). Even Pokemon games, another beloved franchise, are struggling to keep up the distance, with the biggest success for this license being the Sword and Shield titles with 24 million units sold. The Let's Go and Sparkling Diamond / Sparkling Pearl remakes did not even reach the 15 million mark. Mario himself could not do anything, his best-selling solo game: Super Mario Odissey peaked at only 23 million in sales.
Animal Crossing New Horizons is still only the second on the list, and relatively far behind the biggest success of the Switch: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (43 million). Released five years ago, the game averaged 25,000 copies a day, but over a much longer period. He was able to federate a community around him, and even today, his popularity remains stable among players and streamers, the latter not hesitating to regularly organize events on the game. As for Animal Crossing, he can savor this well-deserved second place, but should be wary of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 which could well come to tickle his record , or even dislodge him.
Soomin Park gave some answers to why the game was released in the West after so much time and here's what it's all about.
