Neko Atsume

About

Neko Atsume (Japanese: ねこあつめ; English: Cat Collection), known in English as Kitty Collector, is a mobile game and app created by developer Hit-Point for iOS and Android. Following the game’s release in Japan, with no intention for a Western translation; the game gained unexpected popularity in both Japan and the West, resulting in the game eventually being translated to English.

History

Neko Atsume^[6] was first only released as a Japanese game on October 20, 2014, by Hit Point Co. Ltd.^[7] Originally it was a game intended to feature a “look and enjoy” style for players who like cats, according to the game’s developer Yutaka Takasaki.^[1] Since it’s release, the game has stayed true to its formula, with the updates mostly featuring new cats and items.

Gameplay

The game features a simple formula in which the goal is to attract cats using a variety of food, toys and furniture. The game’s various cats are attracted by different toys, with certain cats only appearing when using specific toys based on their nature; alongside the special cats, which have more unique characteristics and will only appear when using certain toys or furniture. When the cats appear, the player can watch them, take photos of them, and receive gifts from them.

The game’s currency consists of regular fish and the more rare gold fish, both which are given by the cats after they leave. These fish can then be used to purchase more toys and furniture or even house rebuilds. The game knows no end, with the closest being a complete catbook, but cats will only appear so long as the player puts out food for them.

Reception

According to the game’s developer Yutaka Takasaki, Neko Atsume had easily become the most popular game by his company Hit Point Co. Ltd. since it was founded in 2007.^[2] By July 2015, the game had received over 5.5 million downloads since its release on iOS and Android combined,^[2] with up to 40% of the downloads coming from the West despite the game having no English translation at the time; which had increased to 6.5 million by September.^[5] On August 27th, 2015, Neko Atsume won the CEDEC Award for best game design.^[3][4]

Google Live Video Event

On September 15th, 2015, Google and Hit-Point teamed up for Google’s Game Week with Google Play in a live 11-hour long video event called Real Neko Atsume (リアルねこあつめ),^[10] which was broadcasted on YouTube from a Cat café in Osaka (shown below). The event featured a video stream in which cats were released in a setting similar to Neko Atsume, allowing viewers to watch as the cats interacted with the items laid out for them. Despite being a Japanese event, Western media also reported on the event; such as Polygon,^[8] PR Newswire^[5] and The Verge.^[9]

Online Presence

[WiP]

Search Interest

External References