Since the release of “Atsumare Doubutsu no Mori” (Animal Crossing: New Horizons) back on MArch 20th, there has been a huge response of people wanting to get toptier characters “Chachamaru” (Dom) and “Jack” (Simon) online using RMT (Real Money Trading).
Chachamaru (Dom) is selling for Y5000.
For those not familiar with this game, it’s a calming social simulation video game which was developed in Japan originally by Eguchi Katsuya and Nogami Hisashi of Nintendo.
The game was first released in 2001 for the Nintendo 64 and for every Nintendo console since then. And it’s also one of the biggest selling titles for the console to this day.
For the latest version of the game, you choose an island that is planned for redevelopment and you select where your house wants to be placed and pretty much plant flowers, fruit trees, pick up weeds, pick up rocks, ore, clay, sea shells, etc. in the beginning.
Meanwhile, crafting a fishing pole, net, shovel, slingshot, jumping pole, stone ax and steel ax.
It doesn’t sound fun, but as you collect the materials needed, you can sell them and pay your house off and add more rooms, purchase clothing and other items.
Meanwhile, befriending your neighbors who are anthropomorphic animals. Some who are nice, some who are really naive, sporty, etc. and you decided if you want to keep them in your island or tell them goodbye and send them packing.
The game runs in real time (or the time that is associated on your Nintendo Switch) and for those who have the Nintendo Switch online service and don’t have time to dedicate to the game, they can purchase Nook Miles tickets and travel to other island or visit friends on their islands to purchase items using the game’s “bell currency” to be delivered to their home.
But for some people, the villagers they have in the game aren’t sufficient. In fact, with sites promoting polls and rankings, many people want the top tier characters.
Some have done things to get their characters by working on their island for hours to get “Nook MilesTickets” to fly to islands in hope to get a character to come to their village. Others who time travel (changing their date on their Switch) to a day where a character visits a camp and tries to have a character replaced in the game. Others who have found ways to hack the game and offer their services on sites like Discord or Twitter. While others pay a million bells to visit an island featuring a character they want and the other owner willing to let that villager leave their village.
And of course, the other way is via RMT (real money trading) in which there are numerous sites that have items that are being sold by players. Including bells and Nook Miles Travel Tickets.
One account had “Chachamaru” (Dom), “Misuzu” (Judy) and “Mei” (June) for 5,000 yen and “Jack” (Simon) for 8,000 yen.
JCAST News investigated if this interaction is legal, reffering to “Nintendo Network Terms of Service” and “Article 9 Shopping Services, etc.” on the Nintendo official website and customers are asked to confirm that real money trading is legal.
Nintendo defines that RMT as “the act of buying and selling points and other virtual currencies using real currency” and for Atsumare Doubutsu no Mori, people are buying “bells” are legal.
But what about “Nook Miles Tickets”?
Nintendo responded to JCAST saying that it knows that RMT is taking place for “Atsumare Doubutsu no Mori” and it is against the term of use. Nintendo responded, “We recognize that it violates our term of use”.
In addition, for users and companies that buy and sell characters and items, as well as companies that perform RMT, Nintendo will respond to those cases individually.
Comments on SNS have been ramping up about the dark RMT business of “Atsumare Doubutsu no Mori” and those selling characters and items are on the rise.
But as the Nintendo Switch game continues to be popular and continues to be a high selling video game worldwide and more and more people want these top tier characters, people are going to do whatever they can to get these characters.
