Has Nintendo just figured out how to shut down a live game in a good way?

Another live-service game bites the dust. Nintendo has announced that it will end service for its free-to-play mobile game Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp on Nov. 28, after which the app, which has been running since 2017, will no longer function. It’s the latest casualty of Nintendo’s slow retreat from its ambitions to become a mobile gaming powerhouse. But, for once, an “end is nigh” announcement isn’t the whole story. Fans of the cute life sim who’ve spent the past seven years tending to their campsites — and game historians worried about the future preservation of online games — can rest easy: Pocket Camp, and players’ save data, will live on in a new form. Nintendo has said it will release a new, paid, offline version of the game that players will be able to transfer their save data to and play far into the future. [Media: https://twitter.com/Pocket_Camp/status/1826502311830860094] In an accompanying FAQ, Nintendo explained that the paid version of Pocket Camp will have the same “basic gameplay and controls” as the current game, but allow players to use all the included features for a one-time purchase fee. It will have no in-app purchases and won’t support the Pocket Camp Club subscription service or the Leaf Tickets microtransaction currency. It will work offline, but won’t have Pocket Camp’s online features, such as gifts and visiting other players’ campsites. Game saves will be transferred between the versions of the game by linking them via Nintendo Accounts. Nintendo didn’t reveal how much the paid app will cost, but as long as the price is reasonable, it seems likely many Pocket Camp players will take advantage of the opportunity to keep playing, or just preserve their game saves. Perhaps the paid app might attract some new players who’d previously been turned off by Pocket Camp’s freemium model. While many players expressed disappointment at the shutdown, many left appreciative replies under the post from the game’s official X account. “Most mobile games will come to an end eventually, this is just the best case scenario for such an event,” said one. “When Dragalia Lost was shut down and I lost EVERYTHING……..I was devastated. This deserves genuine respect because they don’t need to be doing this,” posted another. Nintendo’s Pocket Camp shutdown strategy wouldn’t work for every online game; like other Animal Crossing titles, Pocket Camp has social features but is centered on solo gameplay, and players will still be able to enjoy their collections in an offline context. Still, it’s heartening to see a developer pull the plug on one of their games in a way that respects both their own creation and players’ investment in it. Hopefully others will take note.