As Nintendo Evolved, So Did Animal Crossing

@grantheaslip: There aren't any elephants to hand-wave. Evolution and iteration don't require massive, earth-shaking changes.

@purplespandex: Thank you, watching it now

Really interesting article as always, Patrick. Just wanted to point out that the designer's last name is misspelled in the second sentence of the first paragraph.

Loved this piece. It's pretty cool that the evolution of Animal Crossing can in part be traced back to specific experiences in Diablo and Ultima Online. This is the sort of inspiration / iteration I would love to see more of in "AAA" titles, rather than going bigger and louder without altering the game design at all.

I don't think that's the point. Diablo and Ultima Online both existed before Animal Crossing on the GameCube. Maybe they did effect the loot aspect of Animal Crossing. But they in no way contributed to its "evolution" over the sequels.