Animal Crossing: New Horizons was released exclusively on the Nintendo Switch on March 20, 2020. The simulation game allows players to build up a community from scratch on a deserted island. The Nintendo title was a roaring success, selling more digital copies - five million - in a single month than any other console game in history. Currently, lifetime sales of Animal Crossing: New Horizons sit at 48.19 million units.

Released in March 2020 for the Switch gaming console, Nintendo's Animal Crossing: New Horizons was a smash hit and has accumulated nearly **** million unit sales as of March 2025. The Animal Crossing series of games enables gamers to play a character in a village inhabited by animals. The open-end game allows players to build up a community and take part in activities such as fishing and fossil hunting. The first game in the series was released on the Nintendo GameCube in 2001, selling 2.3 million copies worldwide.

Dataset Card for Animal Crossing New Horizons Catalog

  Dataset Summary





  Context

This dataset comes from this spreadsheet, a comprehensive Item Catalog for Animal Crossing New Horizons (ACNH). As described by Wikipedia,

ACNH is a life simulation game released by Nintendo for Nintendo Switch on March 20, 2020. It is the fifth main series title in the Animal Crossing series and, with 5 million digital copies sold, has broken the record for Switch title with most… See the full description on the dataset page: https://huggingface.co/datasets/osanseviero/kaggle-animal-crossing-new-horizons-nookplaza-dataset.

Context

This dataset comes from this spreadsheet, a comprehensive Item Catalog for Animal Crossing New Horizons (ACNH). As described by Wikipedia,

ACNH is a life simulation game released by Nintendo for Nintendo Switch on March 20, 2020. It is the fifth main series title in the Animal Crossing series and, with 5 million digital copies sold, has broken the record for Switch title with most digital units sold in a single month. In New Horizons, the player assumes the role of a customizable character who moves to a deserted island. Taking place in real-time, the player can explore the island in a nonlinear fashion, gathering and crafting items, catching insects and fish, and developing the island into a community of anthropomorphic animals.

Content

There are 30 csvs each listing various items, villagers, clothing, and other collectibles from the game. The data was collected by a dedicated group of AC fans who continue to collaborate and build this spreadsheet for public use. The database contains the original data and full list of contributors and raw data. At the time of writing, the only difference between the spreadsheet and this version is that the Kaggle version omits all columns with images of the items, but is otherwise identical.

Acknowledgements

Thanks to every contributor listed on the spreadsheet! Please attribute this spreadsheet and group for any use of the data. They also have a Discord server linked in the spreadsheet in case you want to contact them.

In the financial year ending March 2025, Nintendo generated just over 419 billion Japanese yen (2.8 billion U.S. dollars) in revenue in the United States alone. This accounted for over a third of its annual revenues, making the U.S. the largest market for Nintendo. Europe followed, where Nintendo generated nearly three billion U.S. dollars in sales revenue. Overall, Nintendo’s total revenue for FY 2025 was just over 7 million U.S. dollars, marking a decrease of around four million U.S. dollars compared to the previous year. This continues a trend of declining revenue that began after reaching a decade high of around 16 billion U.S. dollars in FY 2021. Nintendo Switch tops the market The Nintendo Switch has been a major revenue driver for the company, accounting for over 94 percent of Nintendo’s revenue in that year. Since its launch in 2017, the Nintendo Switch has sold nearly 130 million units and has consistently outperformed other current-generation consoles in global sales each year, up until 2022. Nintendo’s game consoles have always enjoyed global popularity, with three of its consoles ranking among the top 5 best-selling game consoles of all time. Notably, Nintendo is the only company to have a current-generation console among the top- 5 all-time best-selling game consoles. Nintendo games leading global sales When it comes to game titles, Nintendo boasts three of the top- ten best-selling console games of all time. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has sold over 55 million units, leading the pack as the top-selling Nintendo Switch game based on lifetime sales as of June 2023. Hot on its heels are Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet, the best-selling Nintendo titles in FY 2023 with 22 million units sold since their release in 2022. Other popular titles include Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and The Legend of Zelda, each contributing significantly to Nintendo’s success. Overall, Nintendo sold more than 235 million units of software for its Nintendo Switch gaming console in FY 2022 alone.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons for the Nintendo Switch sold more than ************ units in Japan during the first half of 2020. The game was released in March of that year and became a top-selling title partly due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, which encouraged people to stay at home and seek alternative ways of spending their time.

According to Cognitive Market Research, the global Entertainment Software market Application was USD XX million in 2024. It will expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 18.00% from 2024 to 2031.

North America held the major market share for more than 40% of the global revenue with a market Application of USD XX million in 2024 and will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 16.2% from 2024 to 2031.
Europe accounted for a market share of over 30% of the global revenue with a market Application of USD XX million.
Asia Pacific held a market share of around 23% of the global revenue with a market Application of USD XX million in 2024 and will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 20.0% from 2024 to 2031.
Latin America had a market share of more than 5% of the global revenue with a market Application of USD XX million in 2024 and will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 17.4% from 2024 to 2031.
Middle East and Africa had a market share of around 2% of the global revenue and was estimated at a market Application of USD XX million in 2024 and will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 17.7% from 2024 to 2031.
The Cotton category is the fastest growing segment of the Entertainment Software industry

Market Dynamics of Entertainment Software Market

Key Drivers for Entertainment Software Market

Increase in Gaming Population to Boost Market Growth

The global gaming population is experiencing rapid growth, with millions of new players joining the market each year, encompassing casual, professional, and social gamers across various age groups. The gaming industry's impressive expansion is expected to continue, with projections estimating its value to reach $321 billion by 2026. For instance, Nintendo’s Animal Crossing: New Horizons, released in March 2020, sold an impressive 13.4 million units within its first six weeks. In 2017, video games accounted for only 6.1% of global entertainment and media spending, but by 2026, this share is projected to rise to 10.9% as gaming becomes increasingly mainstream. Additionally, the gaming audience has grown beyond the traditional demographic of young males to include women and older players, fueling the creation of more diverse genres within entertainment software.

Rising Smartphone Penetration to Drive Market Growth

The widespread use of smartphones and enhanced mobile internet connectivity, including the rollout of 5G, has made mobile gaming a significant segment of the entertainment software market. According to the GSMA’s 2023 State of Mobile Internet Connectivity Report (SOMIC), over half (54%) of the global population—around 4.3 billion people—now own a smartphone. Of the 4.6 billion people using mobile internet, nearly 4 billion access it through a smartphone, accounting for almost half (49%) of the world's population. Additionally, 600 million people, or 8% of the global population, still use feature phones to connect to the internet. The global expansion of 4G and 5G networks has enabled over two-thirds (69%) of smartphone users to access mobile broadband via 4G devices, with 17% using 5G-enabled devices, particularly in developed markets like North America and East Asia & Pacific. Many mobile games adopt freemium or in-app purchase models, making them accessible to a wider audience while generating significant revenue for developers.

Restraint Factor for the Entertainment Software Market

High Development Costs Will Limit Market Growth

Developing high-quality entertainment software, especially AAA games, requires significant investment in technology, talent, and marketing. This increases the financial risk for developers, especially smaller studios. Players’ expectations for realistic graphics, AI integration, and immersive gameplay have pushed up production costs, making it challenging for smaller companies to compete. Games-as-a-service models necessitate ongoing updates, bug fixes, and content creation, which further strain financial resources. The widespread availability of pirated games undermines revenues, particularly in regions with weak intellectual property laws. Some countries lack stringent copyright protections or the resources to enforce them effectively, making it difficult for companies to protect their products.

Impact of Covid-19 on the Entertainment Software Market

The pandemic disrupted development cycles, with m...