by Doc, Owner, Founder, Man Who Wants a Reason to Redownload New Horizons
Obviously, we’re speculating here, because we haven’t seen the Direct yet. It’s happening in an hour, so these are my last-minute predictions.
It’s Been A Year
We’ve known for almost a year now that all Animal Crossing amiibo cards are eventually all going to be compatible with New Horizons. However… it’s been almost a year now. New Horizons’ updates have been pretty skimpy at best, with many fans leaving the game because it still feels unfinished. It’s the classic cycle of Animal Crossing games – it’s a massive phenomenon for the first month, and then only the hardcore fans are left over.
It seems to me that Nintendo realizes this fact, and is going to try to reignite interest in the game. I have a hunch that Nintendo is planning for a major amiibo update soon, and that it will in fact be announced tonight. Here’s why.
They’re Preparing for a Surge of Amiibo Interest
Nintendo recently announced that the Sanrio amiibo cards were getting reprints. These cards were never sold in the United States, and currently have no functionality in New Horizons – so why sell them to Americans now? Unless they’re going to become functional in New Horizons soon.
In addition, 2020 saw reprints for Animal Crossing amiibo cards series 1-4. Many of these characters are compatible with New Horizons, but not all of them. It’s the same logic as last time – why reprint amiibo cards for characters not compatible with New Horizons?
Nintendo’s Amiibo Card Etsy Competition
Nintendo is effectively stuck between a rock and a hard place. They’ve promised amiibo functionality, so if they make the amiibo compatible with New Horizons but never release the amiibo, they leave a tremendous amount of money on the table. That new demand for amiibo is going to get filled – Etsy sellers will make sure of that – so why not reprint some amiibo?
If they do sell the cards, they’re making more easy money. If they don’t, their customers will go elsewhere. It’s one of the few times Nintendo has ever had competition for their own products.
Ultimately, I think Nintendo is going to be announcing amiibo compatibility in New Horizons. It may not be in February 2021, but it’ll be soon.
Amiibo Doctor 