Summary
- Animal Crossing: New Horizons sold over 8 million physical copies in Japan, breaking sales records.
- The game lacks defined goals, offering players freedom to engage in various activities at their own pace.
- Despite its release in 2020, the game remains popular, contributing to its 30 million+ global sales.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons has unlocked another sales achievement, with more than eight million physical units sold in the Japanese market so far. Released in 2020, Animal Crossing: New Horizons is the latest mainline game in Nintendo's long-running series that was first established in 2001.
Being a simulation game, Animal Crossing: New Horizons lets players live out their virtual lives in a place populated with non-human characters, without any defined goals to strike off. The game offers a variety of activities, such as sowing plants and going fishing, available for players to pursue at their own will and on their own time. Within a year of its launch, New Horizons had already crossed the 30 million mark in terms of sales, simultaneously breaking a European sales record for Nintendo back then. Since then, the Nintendo EPD-developed title has apparently continued selling well, with reports of its physical release achieving an important distinction lately.
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According to Famitsu, Animal Crossing: New Horizons moved more than 15,536 physical copies in Japan during the week between December 16 and December 22. This enabled the highly-rated Switch game to exceed eight million physical sales in the country, reaching a precise total of 8,008,343 copies sold. Boosted by these figures, New Horizons also dethroned Pokemon: Red/Green as the best-selling physical game in Japan ever, per multiple sources. The previous record, held by the 1996 Game Boy title, reportedly stood at 7.93 million physical units sold.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons Crosses Milestone, Shows Continued Player Interest in the Game
The latest sales milestone achieved by Animal Crossing: New Horizons is understandably a sign of its persistent appeal among gamers, even almost five years after its launch. It's worth recalling that Nintendo revealed its best-selling Switch games in November, where New Horizons ranked second with over 46 million combined sales. Connecting that report with the new numbers highlights that around 16% of the game's total copies sold came from physical sales.
Although Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp was recently released on mobile, many fans still await a mainline follow-up to New Horizons. However, given that the Switch successor is expected to be announced soon, it seems likely that the next Animal Crossing may not hit the shelves until Nintendo's next console is out. Not only would it make sense for the Japanese developer to avoid releasing a major title so close to the end of its current console generation, a new Animal Crossing game targeting the Switch successor would also boost the demand for its forthcoming console.
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See AlsoNier Automata’s Incredible Journey: From Launch to 9 Million Copies Sold | Nintendo Switch News | NintendoReportersWait, how has It Takes Two sold 20 million copies? 
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Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Escape to a deserted island and create your own paradise as you explore, create, and customize in the Animal Crossing: New Horizons game. Your island getaway has a wealth of natural resources that can be used to craft everything from tools to creature comforts. You can hunt down insects at the crack of dawn, decorate your paradise throughout the day, or enjoy sunset on the beach while fishing in the ocean. The time of day and season match real life, so each day on your island is a chance to check in and find new surprises all year round.
Show off your island utopia to family and friends—or pack your bags and visit theirs. Whether playing online** or with others beside you***, island living is even better when you can share it. Even without hopping on a flight, you’ll meet a cast of charming animal residents bursting with personality. Friendly faces like Tom Nook and Isabelle will lend their services and happily help you grow your budding community. Escape to your island getaway—however, whenever, and wherever you want.
Simulation
Systems
OpenCritic Reviews Top Critic Rating: 90/100 Critics Recommend: 99% Franchise Animal CrossingPlatform(s) SwitchReleased March 20, 2020Developer(s) Nintendo EPDPublisher(s) NintendoMultiplayer Online Multiplayer, Local MultiplayerEngine HavokESRB E for Everyone: Comic MischiefHow Long To Beat 100 HoursSteam Deck Compatibility noX|S Optimized noExpansions Animal Crossing: New Horizons — Happy Home ParadiseOpenCritic Rating MightyCross Save noCross-Platform Play no See at Official SiteSee at Nintendo eShopSee at AmazonSee at Best BuySee at Walmart