The "Animal Crossing Development Team" won the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Award at the "Japan Game Awards 2020" organized by the Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association (CESA). It was announced at the Tokyo Game Show 2020 online.
The team attracted attention from outside the game industry and contributed greatly to the development of the game industry.
日本ゲーム大賞The reasons for receiving the METI Minister's Award are as follows
日本ゲーム大賞In this title, players spend their days freely on their own desert island, where time is the same as in real life.
Each player can enjoy catching insects, fishing, interacting with residents, collecting a wide variety of items, designing the island, and so on.
The active exchange of information on social networking services (SNS) also provided a great opportunity for players to visit other people's islands and communicate with each other.The communication that started with information transmitted by users themselves, such as events hosted by influencers and celebrities as users, has developed into a movement that can be called a social phenomenon not only in Japan but also around the world.
Many users have resumed playing console games for the first time in a long time or even purchased a console for the first time, and the number of "Nintendo Switch" consoles sold has increased significantly. The "Nintendo Switch Lite" handheld console, especially the new "Coral" color, which was released at the same time as the console, was well received by many female customers and continues to be popular today.
In addition, various brands and companies have taken advantage of "My Design", an in-game feature that allows players to design their own unique outfits and show them to others online. The game has also attracted attention from fans in other fields, such as famous museums overseas that have converted their collections into items and provided the data.
Sold 22.4 million units in the first three months after its release
"Animal Crossing" sold 22.4 million units in its first three months on the market, making it the best-selling game in the series' history.
"Pokémon Sword Shield", released last November 2019, sold a total of 18.22 million units, and Super Smash Bros. The game has surpassed the sales of popular titles released last year and the year before in a short period of time.
In addition, a free autumn update will be released on September 30, allowing players to decorate their islands for the seasonal "Halloween" event.
"Animal Crossing" is expected to continue to grow and be loved by many people.
