video game spaces

For kind of a peaceful and silly game, Animal Crossing: Wild World actually has some things to say about real life. In this post, I’m going to describe the different kinds of selling and recycling that takes place in Animal Crossing and discuss which ones are represented as more or less desirable than the other types of selling and recycling.

So, the reason I was thinking about this is because recently, for a class, I read Sidewalk by Mitchell Duneier, which is about homeless and poor street vendors in New York City, who sell new and used printed materials. In the book, there’s an interesting contrast between the vendors being rooted into place in one neighborhood, and the vendors being treated as out of place by some of the other elements of the city. Animal Crossing represents different types of vending and constructs them differently and as more, or less, out of place than the other types of vending.

In this game, if the player wants to buy a new item, there are two brick-and-mortar stores which the player can visit. These stores are Nookington’s (which sells many different kinds of items) and the Able Sisters (which specializes in clothing). These stores are pictured below. These stores are the most familiar and the most expensive way of purchasing items. They are also represented as family stores; the Able Sisters, Mabel and Sable, run a family business inherited from their deceased parents, and Tom Nook runs his store with the help of his nephews. So, these stores are the most in-place. They’re permanent fixtures… they’re open every day (even Sunday), they’re located in actual buildings, they’re real stores (as opposed to booths or a yard sale), and they’re family-run businesses. However, these stores are also fairly expensive, compared to acquiring items through other means.

I once read Old Grandma Hardcore’s opinions on this game, and thought she was really onto something by indicating that the Able Sisters work in a sweatshop, because their dialogue focuses on how hard they work, and they’re open every day until 11 pm. Some players also dislike Tom Nook, because he gives the player a tiny house and then asks them to pay him back for it. However, I think he’s actually meant to appear generous, because he does give the player a house on no credit and then allows them to pay back this interest-free loan as slowly as they want. Anyway, look below for some pictures of Nookington’s and the Able Sisters shop.

There’s another vendor that comes to town, too: Crazy Redd. He’s sleazier than Tom Nook, and sells his items at very high prices. He also sells paintings, and some of them are real and some aren’t. While some of his items are rare and can’t be found any other way, some items are commonplace and are sold at a higher price than at Nookington’s. He also operates out of a tent, and uses sleazy dialogue to indicate that he’s a shady character. He’s only in town once a week. His store is less permanent than the other stores, and as a result he’s more out of place. He’s also much shadier than any of the local, permament residents of an Animal Crossing town. While there are items worth purchasing from Redd, a customer has to use wits to determine the deals from the rip-offs. Redd’s dialogue patterns and mannerisms might indicate someone who’s selling stolen goods. Also, as you can see in the photos, Crazy Redd’s Tent is located right outside Town Hall, but the interior is still hidden from view of the Mayor and the city employees (Pelly and Phyllis).

Another sleazy character is Lyle, the insurance salesman. If the player starts talking to Lyle, then the player must purchase insurance; Lyle simply won’t take no for an answer. He also waits outside the player’s door on Saturday mornings and follows the player closely, to increase the chances the player will speak to Lyle. The insurance that he sells is obviously, mathematically, a poor deal. For a large amount of money, the player can acquire insurance, but it would take a very, very long time to make the money back through the tiny payments Lyle makes. Further, Lyle doesn’t always pay up, and his insurance only covers 1/4 the cost of medicine. Once insured, the player receives a really tiny amount of money in the mail for some of the times that something bad happens, such as falling over, getting stung by a bee, or buying a fake paiting from Redd. And this is what connects Lyle to Redd: it’s subtly hinted that Lyle and Redd are in cahoots. Lyle is willing to purchase fake paintings from the player, and Lyle is also able to arrange the day of the week during which Redd will visit town. It’s logical to presume that Lyle and Redd know each other and that perhaps Lyle recirculates the forgeries to Redd, who can sell them to someone else in his tent.

Like Crazy Redd, Lyle is also transient. He visits town once a week. And like Redd, Lyle is sleazy. His insurance is a poor deal to make, and his mannerisms (waiting outside the front door, following the player around, not taking “no” for an answer) are those of a salesman who wants to intimidate or force a purchase. As a result, the player will typically walk past Lyle, and try to avoid speaking to him for fear of being trapped into making another purchase. Thus, among the transient salesman, there is Crazy Redd, who sells overpriced commonplace and rare goods, and Lyle, who pressures customers into making a purchase. Characteristically, Redd is a fox and Lyle is a weasel. This is a really negative representation, but Crazy Redd comes off better. Although his dialogue indicates his goods are probably acquired through illegal means, he does sometimes offer rare items that can’t be found elsewhere. Look below for pictures of Redd and Lyle.

Although the selection can’t be predicted, sometimes local animals will offer to give away or sell their items, and the player can also look inside the Recycling Bin and the Lost & Found for items of value. The used items are identical to the new items, and not only are they acquired for cheap from the friendly locals, but they are also items that would otherwise be wasted. In other words, reclycing items is represented as a very positive thing in this game. The items are acquired from locations that are fixtures, or from characters that are rooted in town. While any animal might move away in two days, the fact that they own a home in town and have lived there for some period of time ensures that this animal belongs in town. Similarly, the Recycling Bin and the Lost & Found both are permanent fixtures in town. Further, the recycling bin is located inside Town Hall, in clear view of the city employees, and the Lost & Found is run by the town guards. Look below for pictures of recycling items.

There’s also one other situation in which items are bought and sold. Flea Market day takes place once a month, and during Flea Market day, the player can sell old items from inside the house, or visit the animals’ homes and buy their old items as well. Pictured below are mentions of Flea Market day.

Flea Market offers an opportunity for the player to recycle items not just by acquiring them, but also by selling them. The player haggles with the animals to find a high price that the animal will be willing to pay. From the player’s point of view, Flea Market day makes the most sense if the indoor furniture is replaced with old, unwanted items. While it seems to be intended that you could sell old furniture to start on collecting a new set, once having completed a set the player might not want to sell their belongings. The process is illustrated below, and the article continues after.

First, as shown above, the player greets their visitor at the door. This invites the person into their home and creates a friendly atmosphere.

After being invited in, the guest will find a nearby item they like, and stand facing it. The player can speak to the animal to initiate price haggling.

In addition to selling old, unwanted items, the player can also visit other homes and try to purchase items belonging to the animals. The procedure is similar. The player enters and is greeted. The player talks to the animal to indicate intent to browse, and then interacts with an item to be offered a buying price. What’s really important is that none of the animals will offer an unfair price or pressure the player into making a purchase.

So far, it’s indicated that the Flea Market is represented as a safe and comfortable activity. It only lasts one day, but it repeats each month, it takes place in the homes of local residents, and it’s endorsed by the Town Hall. The player can back out at any time, and can even visit other homes without being asked to make a purchase. This differs from the bricks and mortars store because the houses are transformed into stores only temporarily, and the items are clearly used. It also differs from the transient sales in that the animals offer fair prices, sell items that clearly belong in that home, and do not attempt to force a sale.

The positive representations are characterized by permanence or regularity, endorsement by Town Hall, fairness, and residence or family (implying good will and loyalty to the community, maybe). The negative representations are characterized by impermanence, poor deals, and pressure to make a purchase. Broadly, the more comfortable means of buying and selling belong in town. They are a part of the system. On the other hand, Lyle and Redd are out of place. While both return weekly, the absense of brick-and-mortar buildings indicates that they are merely passing through town; they don’t belong. This game represents the environment of an Animal Crossing town as a system, a comfortable system in which the player can belong and thrive. It portrays rootedness in a positive way, so that the player will view all that belongs in a positive way and all that is passing through as at least somewhat out of place. This encourages more attachment to the Animal Crossing town and a point of view of connectedness to the town and a desire to remain rooted. If I still had time where I would go with this now is to suggest that this has something to do with the appeal of the game, that it draws upon people’s attachment to place to keep them playing, but I’m out of time so I’ll stop writing now.