But this time, the “the end is nigh” announcement isn’t the whole story. Fans of the charming life sim who’ve spent the last seven years tending to their campsites — and gaming historians worried about the future of online gaming — can rest assured: Pocket Campand saved player data will be available in a novel form.
Nintendo said a novel, paid offline version of the game will be made available, to which players will be able to transfer their saved data and play it long after the game ends.
IN accompanying FAQNintendo explained that the paid version Pocket Camp will have the same “core gameplay and controls” as the current game, but will allow players to employ all included features for a one-time fee. It will have no in-app purchases and will not support the Pocket Camp Club subscription service or Leaf Tickets microtransaction currency. It will work offline, but will not have Pocket Camponline features such as Gifts and visiting other players’ campsites. Game saves will transfer between versions of the game by linking them via Nintendo Accounts.
Nintendo hasn’t revealed how much the paid app will cost, but if the price is reasonable, it’s likely that many people will buy it. Pocket Camp players will take the opportunity to continue playing or simply keep their saves. Perhaps the paid app will attract novel players who were previously discouraged Pocket Campfreemium model.
While many players expressed disappointment over the closure, many left grateful responses under the post from the official X Game account. “Most mobile games will eventually end, this is simply the best-case scenario for something like this to happen.” one said“When Dragalia Lost closed and I lost EVERYTHING……..I was devastated. That deserves real respect because they don’t have to do that” I posted another one.
Nintendo Pocket Camp the shutdown strategy won’t work for every online game; as with other Animal Crossing titles, Pocket Camp has social features, but is focused on solo play, and players will still be able to enjoy their collections in an offline context. Still, it’s nice to see a developer pull the plug on one of its games in a way that respects both its own work and the investment players have in it. Hopefully, others will take notice.
