I really enjoyed reading this as Animal Crossing had a big impression on me as a child. It was engaging and full of character, but didn't have the same structure as other adventure/platformer games I had owned. It opened my eyes up to how interactive media could feature content that was exploratory, rather than goal-oriented.
A few weeks ago, a coworker said they were surprised about Minecraft's enduring popularity, as its gameplay seemed somewhat "pointless" to them. I think games like Animal Crossing help show that games don't necessarily need to exist as an existential need or pastime, and that their value can come from simply allowing your to express yourself in some space. Or, The Elder Scrolls has had a lot of enduring popularity, and I think a lot of that comes from making a character and casually having fun.
A few weeks ago, a coworker said they were surprised about Minecraft's enduring popularity, as its gameplay seemed somewhat "pointless" to them. I think games like Animal Crossing help show that games don't necessarily need to exist as an existential need or pastime, and that their value can come from simply allowing your to express yourself in some space. Or, The Elder Scrolls has had a lot of enduring popularity, and I think a lot of that comes from making a character and casually having fun.