This morning I stumbled upon a little tale about Animal Crossing that caught my eye, and after reading it, tugged at my heart. So sad to lose someone that is so precious to you, as I guess most of us have experienced. It’s a story about a mother who kept on playing the game long after her daughter stopped, and kept sending het in-game letters and gifts. The mother was sadly very ill, and after she died, her daughter picked up the game again and found all the letters.
I kept thinking about it most of the day, and it got me thinking of Animal Crossing. The way this game connects people, and how it manages to capture the attention of so many adults. Why is it that this game manages to keep our attention for months, sometimes years? I know I played my Wild World for 1,5 year straight, never missing a day and getting really attached to the critters that lived in my town. We celebrated the seasons together, I decorated their town and houses for them at Christmas, and made sure there were lots of lovely flowers to look at in spring. I wonder why it is that kids often tire of the game much sooner than adults do, not finding enough to do to keep them interested. Wild World was bought originally for my daughter, but she tired of it pretty soon. As did my nieces, though we did have some lovely gaming afternoons together visiting each other’s towns. It earned me the honorary title of gaming aunt, of which I’m still proud though. I must add though that though my daughters gaming bouts are usually not very long, it still is the only game she picks up every holiday to do some redecorating or start up a new town.
I’ve met some awesome people through the Animal Crossing community, and I’ve found first hand that the game brings people together. The Wi-Fi connection was and still is amazing, it’s the only game I know of that allows you to the freedom to actually be in someone else’s game, even when you are on opposite sides of the globe. Sending each other letters, little gifts and working together to fill up your catalogue. I still remember the special events a group of ladies created themselves within the limits of the game, for example at Halloween. I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a game that inspires such creativeness and friendships. Since I started playing Wild World I searched far and wide for a simulation game that has it all, like Animal Crossing does. Some have come close, but I must say I never found any game that ticks all the boxes like AC does. Which makes me wonder why New Leaf hasn’t been able to keep my attention for that long…but maybe that’s a topic for another blog. Here’s the storyboard that inspired me to make this blog.