Everyone agrees that the phenomenon that is Animal Crossing: New Horizons grew massively as a result of to the unique global circumstance in which it was released. Now none other than Rob Heiret, who worked on the team localizing the game’s Japanese dialogue for an English-speaking audience, has provided some insight in the form of a Twitter thread into the game’s philosophy and how he believes it contributed to its current level of popularity, as well as a certain key localization decision.
He begins by acknowledging that, while jokingly, the AC:NH team was aware of the power they held over the inevitable memes that would result from their writing. Of course, due to circumstances the team never could have or would have predicted, New Horizons has grown into a cultural behemoth, and even over a month and a half after its release date, is continuing to inspire entire Twitter accounts devoted to New Horizons memes.
The guiding principles behind the decisions that went into translating Animal Crossing, Heiret explains, were cuteness, comfort and positivity. He compares AC to Zoom and Twitter, two other platforms that have helped groups and communities stay in contact under quarantine conditions. Whereas Zoom and Twitter are cold and impersonal, Animal Crossing projects warmth in its details both big and small.
Not only are all of the game’s details comforting, however, but a player’s island is a world they control. The real, pandemic-affected world has taken control from many people. Designing a virtual home, to give one example of an in-game activity, is of course no remedy or solution to the very serious challenges inherent in living under pandemic conditions. However, as a form of escapism, it offers a uniquely safe space for those simply looking for a retreat. Judging by sales numbers alone, this seems to have resonated with many people.
Heiret also addresses the nearly-elephant-sized fish in the room: the sea bass pun. Play New Horizons for any more than a few hours and you’ll inevitably catch an amount of sea bass that can only be described as way too many. Each time this happens the game will delightedly display the following message: “I caught a sea bass! No wait—it’s at least a C+!” Puns are not only groan-inducing by nature but are successful explicitly in being so; that said, in combination with the aggravation of catching yet another sea bass, there’s something that can come off as uniquely insulting every time this happens.
It turns out that the pun is nothing but well-intentioned. Heiret explains that the original joke read “C-,” but the localization team agreed that this may have read as aggravating to a player disappointed by not catching a more valuable large fish. This slight alteration is somewhat emblematic of the overall localization philosophy: even a repetitive, groan-worthy pun that inevitably accompanies disappointment includes its own form of positivity.
Source: Rob Heiret
