Investigating Tom Nook's predatory lending practices in Animal Crossing

Is Tom Nook actually a bad guy, or does he just have a bad reputation? We look at the history of Tom Nook’s attitude throughout the Animal Crossing franchise and figure out what his deal is.
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#animalcrossing #tomnook #video

[@polygon]

Fully anticipating a bloodbath down here but please be kind to each other

[@24601st]

thank you polygon 🙏

[@sylghouls]

NO ONE CLOWN ON SIMONE'S VERY GOOD VIDEO

[@Spice8Rack]

No, big up this. Top shelf stuff

[@galaticghost1220]

Polygon thank you for making my comment come true my dream is now reality

[@axeldornelles5292]

The Polygin crew once again supporting and informing us, one video about unfair retirement prospects or abusive landlords at a time... Endless kisses and hugs for my fellow comies!

[@yahooanswers4843]

someone on tumblr put it very well: "the debate over whether or not tom nook is evil fails to take into account that he is a small and fat little creature"

[@melonysnicket]

that's really my opinion on it, nook makes me angry because i gotta pay him off and he also makes me happy because he's cute and round

[@tinseltina]

he's just a lidol creaturr he cannt change that

[@vacuousbard6410]

So you can exploit your tenant as much as you want as long as you're short and fat.

[@FormThisWay]

So is Wario

[@print1ng]

Where does Danny Devito fall then,,,

[@oniamot]

"tom nook is a bad guy" "tom nook is a good guy" actually he is a tanooki

[@bwagner23]

he's a tanook guy?

[@Hawwwlucha]

I'm sorry but every time somebody brings up that fact, it's usually along another trait tanuki have: big fat nuts

[@datboiii1495]

A GOOD tanuki

[@Gothstana]

But is he THE bad guy? duh

[@bamweasel]

DA BIG TANOOKI !

[@lizardbigkneeman1811]

Tom nook is just trying to get away from his divorce

[@EmissaryofWind]

Tom has moved on 10 years ago but Redd keeps trying to come back into his life through cajoling you, Tom's favorite client

[@marche800]

With Crazy Redd

[@tobysinbad]

Crazy Redd broke Tom Nook’s heart and turned it to stone, they could’ve been adorable lawless criminals but Redd left him and now, because Redd didn’t give him the (business) proposal they both wanted, Nook doesn’t pay taxes and is colonising the entire Pacific

[@EmissaryofWind]

@@tobysinbad Nook doesn't evade taxes, he just donates most of his revenue to orphanages so he gets a rebate

[@ander2317]

Mable was his wife, and Redd his lover. Or was it the other way around, lol 😂

[@nerdpiggy]

making a video disguised as meaningless tom nook discourse, but it's actually secretly about rent strikes. now THAT'S what i like to see

[@tobysinbad]

nerdpiggy every time I click a Simone video my adoration is further justified

[@punkitt]

THAT's the Polygon I know. If the video wasn't encouraging me to rise up against my oppressors through some video-game-themed framing I would have seriously doubted its credibility as a Simone vid.

[@Solnai42]

We have no choice but to stan

[@tobysinbad]

Solnai42 lambs to the banter

[@bobbymccabe2825]

You can’t skip over Wild World - that’s where the majority of Tom Nook’s canonical backstory is revealed and it is very relevant to judging his character. EDIT: Also, he’s not a landlord.

[@wrenpaw]

I agree! Its not 'judging him once and for all' without it.

[@warhawk3972]

Yeah I cant believe she glossed over all of the Tom Nook lore in Wild World and Happy Home Designer. Really telling that she doesnt want the whole story to come out.

[@chrism3267]

He a good man but hardened by the cruelty of reality

[@RobertJW]

His past doesn’t change the nature of his actions, and his story doesn’t excuse his behaviour.

[@Vienamarie]

As someone who hasn't played: what's the story?

[@highwaycavalier]

So I understand why people joke about Tom being evil (which seems like hes meant to be like that in the earlier games!) but when people get actually upset about him I get confused, his character is the way the game keeps up tasks and enjoyment for the player, if you didn’t have anything to pay off, the money system in the game would be kind of pointless. And, in the early games, even though he’s kind of mean, his tasks for you act as the tutorial for the game in a fun immersive way :) I think it’s a cool way to work game mechanics into an actual in-game character, even if he is a greedy landlord! Problematic fave 😂

[@7tmo]

I'm confused because... It's a video game, if you're upset by this, I think you should stop playing

[@rmdcade1717]

"If there wasn't a hierarchical system that centered on debt and control of labor, there would be no incentive to perform meaningless tasks that enrich those at the top of the hierarchy."

[@dongvermine]

“If you didn’t have anything to pay off, capitalism would be kind of pointless”

[@theundeadgentleman4998]

@@rmdcade1717 Well, yeah, video games are fundamentally about performing meaningless tasks. It's a shitty system in reality but when you opt-in to a fictional hierarchy that holds no real-world repercussions it's completely fine because it's impossible to actually enrich Tom Nook (since, you know, he doesn't actually exist nor does he actually keep what you provide him, he's just a void you throw fake money into until he upgrades your house).

[@highwaycavalier]

RMD Cade I can’t tell if you’re being joking or not, but it’s supposed to be a nice fun game, it’s not exactly meant to be a commentary on labor control and capitalism, it’s just a game mechanic that makes sense in the context of the “story”. You could argue that any game has meaningless tasks, if it’s not your cup of tea then you don’t have to play it :) I think trying to make it seem more strict and propaganda-y is unfair to the people who enjoy it for what it is, just catching bugs and fish for a cute animal in a video game

[@ScreechTheMighty]

Counter point: Tom Nook is a yokai and is not bound by the laws of human morality.

[@curlybrace314]

100% this. He is a tanuki and plays by the tanuki trickster spirit rules.

[@rajavlitra]

PARACHUTE BALLSACK

[@missmoshirosey]

Why would you think he’s a yokai? They are demons.🤔Tanuki is a raccoon that Tom nook is

[@clutterbot7279]

^ dude tanuki are literally canine yokai. he's a tanuki. (tanuki --> tan nuk --> tom nook)

[@DeathnoteBB]

missmoshir rosey Tanuki aren’t raccoons... they’re tanuki. In Japanese myth tanuki were also yokai

[@VictusUnus]

I love Polygon's new genre of asking real world experts about video game things tangentially related to their expertise.

[@alphajackal6648]

To be fair that's unavoidable because Brian David Gilbert is tangentially an expert on everything.

[@MxAmericanPi]

Simone de Rochefort presents a slightly less chaotic Unraveled

[@harrylane4]

Unraveled without Brian's crazy eyes

[@warhawk3972]

Slightly?

[@Jelly-lc2db]

Very much less chaotic

[@beretperson]

Simone de Rochefort Ravels Tom Nook

[@The_Jovian]

@@beretperson that seems oddly sexual

[@calibunnyVT]

To be fair y’all decided to move to a new town with literally NO previous plans of where you’d live and with an equivalent of 10 dollars in your pocket, and Tom swoops in and gives you a place to stay for like 200 dollars. A whole house!! No rent no interest no due dates! Nothin!

[@benedictjlarkin9296]

So like a loan shark or Triad who will have you in servitude? I don't know, but paying him back through your labour and being exploited for shelter isn't nice.

[@coastersplus]

Tom Nook is _not_ a landlord, he is a contractor. He gives you, effectively, free housing. The only reason to pay up after each step is because you're set on getting another expansion. Your neighbors are content with simply _having_ a house. You insist on more to flaunt your wealth, and he'll happily take larger and larger amounts of money from you if you refuse to settle. You're subsidizing the costs of cheap housing, free public transit, one-day delivery, and so on. In modern Animal Crossing, _you_ become the capitalist. Tom Nook is redistributing wealth.

[@Nate303]

interesting perspective

[@Marconejo]

Simone you glossed over the Happy Home Designer dialogue where he does all of this to donate his money to an orphanage! (And implied -yet inconsistent- lore implies that it might be because he adopted the Nooklings off the street and may even himself come from a similar background). I mean he still exploits his worker in that game but you know he has good intentions! Also I may be dumb but isn't it only a landlord if you pay rent. There's no rent in Animal Crossing. (Unless it literally just refers to "owns land").

[@Marconejo]

Also I wholly disagree with the conclusion but I'm still liking the video love you guys

[@Marconejo]

Oh also theres dialogue from Happy Home Designer where he thinks about his reputation and he thinks it's good that people have a "Boogeyman" to rally against, and if he must be villanized in order to teach people to learn that debts must be repaid so be it. Sorry I'm a Nook apologist

[@littlemissprettybird]

Yeah right, Marco. I won’t believe it until I see this “orphanage” he donates my hard earned money to.

[@Marconejo]

Guys I can blink and make 5 million bells in Animal Crossing he literally doesn't need the labor have you considered not everything has to be as dreary and bleak as real life

[@Vulpilux]

@@CountyofWilts, nooo... he actually doesn't tell anyone except you. He wants to look tough and scary and bad so everyone pays their debts.

[@mothmansboyfriend]

I wouldn’t be so bothered by having to pay for inclines and bridges if any of the villagers pulled their weight at all. I paid for your house can you at least donate like 1,000 bells so YOU can cross a river?

[@StephireGG]

Villager donations to infrastucture are directly tied to friendship score with each individual villager. If your NPC donations are low, probably need to work on your relationships :)

[@isabelchmontuenga]

@@StephireGG so... im doing an overtime experiment. All of my friendship is at best friend lvl, and i do daily check ins. Its an exponential donation curve. 500-1200 daily in two weeks.... So yeah, not viable unless you want to wait incredibly long for them

[@StephireGG]

@@isabelchmontuenga since friendship point and infrastructure donations have already been datamined either your experiment is flawed or you're misusing 'exponential'.

[@AnakhaSilver]

Congrats, you paid... $2000 for a bridge. (The most expensive bridge is 198K bells, IIRC, which, given bells are YEN, is incredibly goddamn cheap.)

[@pwojo9776]

Bells, like all currency in Japanese-made video games, are loosely based on the currency Japanese people are most familiar with, yen. Going by exchange rates of how much the loans for each basic house in each game is worth, each house costs: - $186 (Animal Crossing/Animal Forest) - $186 (Wild World) - $173 (City Folk) - $468, factoring in both down payment and actually buying the house (New Leaf; also side-note, this is the highest of all loans, but you also play the mayor in this game so you're literally a politician or celebrity who pays more in taxes) - New Horizons took the most math since you technically pay with Nook Miles, but after taking bell vouchers into the equation, the down payment on a house costs 30,000 bells/yen which rounds out to $282 - or if you just want an average cost for down payment on a Tom Nook house, it's around $259 or $324 if you discount the duplicate values. average that out, it's now $292 So, you literally buy a house with no interest, with full plumbing, heating, AC, electricity, etc. At best all you have to do is run a few errands for him, all for under $300. A Switch costs $300. You could in-theory buy a house for the price of a Nintendo Switch. Any structural upgrades are completely optional and do not effect your quality of living. In New Horizons, he gives you a cot and a lamp to start out with. He was hardened in his youth by being scammed by his friend and trusted business partner (who was more than likely Redd), he went through some hard times, and came out the gracious and generous business-owner you see today. Happy Home Designer helps support his proof of change, he states he donates most of his profits to an orphanage, but likes to play the role of "scary landlord" if it helps people pay off their debts. I wouldn't say he's totally innocent, but he's atoning for his past.

[@haughtygarbage5848]

once cancelled, always cancelled

[@saronsterstudios5646]

BDG ghostwrote this

[@thegreensunsetgroup2501]

>A Switch costs $300. You could in-theory buy a house for the price of a Nintendo Switch. You do need a switch to play the game, but there's no way that was intentional pricing.

[@yamantaka9306]

You have to place your own plumbing and ac units. Theory busted

[@pwojo9776]

@@yamantaka9306 Yes, but they are instantly functional upon setting them up in your home. No waiting for it to work or any other extra steps like in other sort-of base-building games. This would imply that your home already has indoor plumbing, duct-work and ventilation, heating and cooling, gas, and electricity ready to go.

[@rajavlitra]

"I will no longer stand the accusations of land lording and capitalism levied against Mr Nook for his ownership and operation of Nook Incorporated. Nook is not a capitalist, he is not a landlord. In truth, Tom Nook is an upstanding practician of Proudhonian Mutualism. Everything in his towns, islands, pocket camps, etc. works on the core concept of free, voluntary interaction. You wanted to move to an island, so he moved you to an island. He charged you for it, yes, but not at an exhorbinant rate, and with no interest, mandatory deadlines, or late fees. Credit is always good. He builds you a house. He charges you for building your house. This is mutual interaction. He builds house, you pay for house. Again, he does not charge you interest for it, nor does he enforce deadlines or late fees. He does not demand payments of rent as a dreaded landlord would. You merely pay off what you have purchased. Is the home builder not owed payment for his services? Further more, though many in his place would use their wealth and position to create authority and lord over their neighbors, Tom Nook imposes no threat of force or cumbersome order upon his compatriots. Those who come to his land are free to live in whatever way they choose, without the hinderance of burdensome, controlling state regulation attempting to dictate their lives. Rather, he works with the community and uses his wealth and position to create vitally important infrastructure, and to improve the living conditions of all who live there. Tom Nook is a Mutualist Icon, and we should all look to his example in building a better tomorrow. " -lonelystarspidey on tumblr

[@jor3122]

this is literally the only take that matters

[@IsomerMashups]

Also, Tom Nook isn't forcing you to pay for upgrades to your island - he just doesn't pay for it, himself. Refusing to donate money toward infrastructure changes doesn't make you bad.

[@clutterbot7279]

this this this !!! i wish i could put my take on all this more eloquently but i certainly feel like Simone glossed over a lot in this video.

[@videobeetle8]

Haha funny capitalist raccoon take money

[@docyukiohattori]

While it's true that Nook is simply collecting payment for things he built, it's also the case that he apparently has monopolistic control over the means of production and the fact is that you CAN'T do the work yourself, you need to debase yourself catching bugs to pay him to get it done.

[@uss_04]

Zero interest loan for a home? And he’ll buy whatever crap I find on a beach? Yes please

[@puddingj9406]

And it's based on yen, the first loan is around 200/300 dollars.. you could buy a switch lite for that price

[@videobeetle8]

I mean, the first game he forces you into the loan without your knowledge, that’s still pretty bad.

[@videobeetle8]

@WhiteFlagsFly YT okay but have you considered: its fun to play up

[@comicsans1689]

@Pinstoice Wow, you move to a place but don't have the money for a home. It's just so horrible that Tom Nook hears of your plight and gives you a house of your choice, no questions asked. The loan isn't even that big anyways, and he offers you work to help pay off your debt. Tom Nook was just being fair. The alternative is your character being homeless or having to drift to another town.

[@videobeetle8]

@@comicsans1689 Okay but consider: he is the only source of employment on the island. he controls the money, the currency, and profits off of all your work. Also consider: Nice Nook is lame as hell, greedy boy Nook is way cooler.

[@sylghouls]

3:07 "whose deeds cry out for a strong union response" .......comrade simone

[@polygon]

did you start watching the video the second i set it public???

[@sylghouls]

@@polygon perhaps.jpg

[@stygiaxe]

he isn't a landlord though!! you're paying for the construction of your home, not rent :( don't slander my boy nook like this

[@KalonOrdona2]

So much this!

[@paulipaz]

Yes, but each time the price triples for the same amount of construction! You pay more than the initial house just for one additional room. Nook is an adorable little crook! lol

[@magusperde365]

We are litteraly free labor for him to exploit the natural ressources of an untouched deserted island. The entire economy of your island is controlled by him and he makes all the profit from your work

[@MorganMcCauley11]

I love all of this, I really do, and I think the underlying message is fantastic (JOIN TENANT UNIONS, PEOPLE)... except that Tom Nook is actually a contractor who builds your house and the structures around your island, not a landlord. The repayment is, ostensibly, for work and materials, which explains why your tiny house at first basically costs very little and then, as the size expands and the rooms get larger, the price gets more and more costly. Especially if Nook's doing all the work himself, or if he's bringing in enough (possibly unionized?) workers to do all of the work - building a house/bridge/steps overnight, and a museum with multiple wings in a day and a night? - then that fee breaks down to a pretty reasonable amount, considering. A contractor who bills you and lets you pay back the bill at whatever rate you can? That's pretty great. I seek justice and a better understanding for my raccoon buddy. That's all I ask. I would think commenting on the Stalk Market, especially on how it can be manipulated by time travel and the new friend system in NH, would be a far more scathing pathway to a commentary on current capitalism and the rich.

[@RedesignatedClockwork]

this is a good comment, thank you

[@drazzie22]

my thoughts exactly! of course we have to pay him to build things, he needs to be paid for his work!

[@AnakhaSilver]

Also. Bells are yen. They're LITERALLY yen. He builds you a house for $100.

[@lfarkham]

It's also worth noting that the reason that you pay for all of this is because you're clearly the only big earner on the island. Have you SEEN the villagers try to catch bugs? It's no wonder their houses are single-room affairs and they can only afford to donate 100 bells to inclines and bridges. And having the rich pay for things that benefit everyone sounds like rudimentary cute animal socialism to me.

[@literallyglados]

@@AnakhaSilver I no no longer trust tom nook. it is impossible to build a house for that cheap unless you are a wizard. I do not trust wizards.

[@scrambled5948]

It really says something when the most evil character in your franchise is a landlord who gives you a loan with no interest and gives you a house, despite you being a complete stranger.

[@GONEmypurpleflapjack]

All Landlords are evil

[@Wet-Milk]

@@GONEmypurpleflapjack he isnt a landlord, he BUILDS YOU A HOUSE, thats a constructor, you dont pay any montly payments at all, you never have to pay off your loans.. thats not a landlord.

[@coastersplus]

Tom Nook has never sold me counterfeit art.

[@ChesireHeart]

@@GONEmypurpleflapjack hes a contractor

[@AbsolXGuardian]

@@Wet-Milk yes! That's the most annoying part. He's the owner of a construction company, not a landlord. We don't know how much of that money he keeps for himself (he adds value through managerial work), and how much goes to materials and funding the wages of the construction workers. Although it is pretty shady how he owns every utility in New Horizons

[@wrenpaw]

You're completely forgetting his backstory and all the great things he's done! - He was scammed by Redd at one point. - He adopted Timmy and Tommy. - He donates 90% of his money to an orphanage. - Sable (I don't even have to go into it-).

[@puddingj9406]

And your first loan (bells are based on yen) is about 200 dollars. For a house. A house.

[@jasj122]

Pudding J oh shit-

[@I_was_a_Bullfrog]

What about Sable?

[@wrenpaw]

@@I_was_a_Bullfrog Mhm, she is absolutely relevant to judging his character, too!

[@puddingj9406]

@@I_was_a_Bullfrog look up their backstory if you're curious, especially the city. Though knowing about the able sister's backstory is probably a good idea too if you don't already.

[@thebenjcrew]

I love just how much of unraveled is slowly seeping into polygon’s other videos

[@Mr_Mimestamp]

Think of it like a BDG Virus

[@sarahmaryja7152]

As it should!!!

[@aimelle3]

I shared Polygon's previous Animal Crossing video, the one about about interior design, with some colleagues on Slack (we have an AC:NH channel at work, haha). The first response was "I don’t know the host of this video, but she has clearly studied at the Brian David Gilbert School Of Videomaking."

[@moeflamelord6900]

I acutally clicked because i thought it was an unraveled video.

[@slauthordraws3363]

“story editing: bdg”

[@sylghouls]

3:55 "a bit more brusque" yeah all the people on twitter who are writing tweet essays about how they're being emotionally manipulated by animal crossing villagers in Hew Horizons would NOT have survived the earlier games. You'd get straight up FLAMED by your villagers back then

[@lorenam.2660]

there's essays about players being manipulated by the villagers? I don't have twitter and had no idea that was a thing, wow

[@TheLegoPerson]

Yeah, they should have gone back to that. I also miss the nighttime rude desk agent at the mail office

[@sylghouls]

@@TheLegoPerson those were the days 😔

[@katsucandy]

LOL I can't play the new game bc no switch so I dusted off my old ds copy and just. Started getting fucking roasted left and right. Like holy bejeezus you motherfuckers sure acted WAAAAYYYY nicer when you were having a vacation in pocket camp, huh????? The old animal crossing villagers are a bunch of dicks and it's a m a z i n g

[@Vulpilux]

Oh... I watched an AC Let's play and boi... everyone was just rude ALL the time.

[@jacksonbendele2479]

She skipped over Timmy and Tommy *GUYS SHE SKIPPED TIMMY AND TOMMY*

[@a.redwood]

Jackson Bendele And his backstory and redemption arc

[@GuyWhoWatchesStuff]

So Brian calls a advisor to find out when Mario can retire and Simon calls a housing specialist to see if what Tom is doing is legal

[@wormedw]

The only reason I liked this is because you typed in the word "Brian"

[@Sarah-fg5fp]

This exact take on video games analysis as political commentary is exactly why I love Polygon.

[@GuyWhoWatchesStuff]

@@wormedw he's 7/8 of the reason I Subed, that and overboard

[@PenguinLord10]

Brian also spoke with a field biologist to find out how to calculate your pet's HP, can't forget that one.

[@ascarletmoon17]

You have to keep in mind that in Japanese culture, being financially secure- and having money on the mind at all times -is a sign of maturity. Tom is supposed to come off as mature and responsible, but generous. Tom Nook is also a good person. He adopts twins off the street and raises them as his own, teaching them how he found success so that they won't end up on the streets again. He donates to charities and the money he makes from your character he invests back into the community. Plus, in New Horizons, you only pay for everything because the other residents won't. All bridges and inclines, the Nook's Cranny improvement, and local decor are all things the community is supposed to donate their bells, resources, and time too. But they don't, and you're character carries that weight all by themselves as a result. Of course, this is just a game. And we're all entitled to our own opinions.

[@mikaujiro]

I agree. He never specifically says YOU ALONE have to pay for it; if anything, it's greedy/lazy neighbors that won't contribute jack-doodley to community costs and end up riding off your success when you end up paying for it all.

[@xandocommando]

I think it's also important to consider that Japanese class conflict is not as prevalent within the Japanese cultural context, and the rich people in Japan are not making Bezos money

[@mikaujiro]

@@xandocommando I never thought about that point either; they do tend to run a more socialist-sort of economy there that seems to work for them. I guess it really is majorly America that makes him out as a capitalist predator because that's where it'd happen.

[@loreleihillard5078]

If you were willing to wait long enough, the other residents would pay off the bridges/inclines. In my playthrough, I sometimes waited up to a week to pay each one off because I wanted to buy other things first and couldn't afford it. Every day, there was another small deposit on it that I didn't make, and if the other animals are poor because I'm up and early stealing the fruit to sell to Timmy and Tommy, then I'm glad they don't have to pay as much as me for it

[@mikaujiro]

@@loreleihillard5078 They still pay much less for it. Not only fruit gives you money, anything can. Whether you're up picking the fruit or not, still gotta wait a week for them to reluctantly help.

[@striggstrix]

Thank you simone for logically breaking that down. But i would still die for mr nook

[@songfreak1745]

same tbh

[@justalittleloser2482]

LOVE simons take on "lemon on a sweet treat," thats exactly why i love redd so much. he's allowed to scoot past being turned "nice" and its amazing. i could listen to him talk about "cousin discounts" and how trusting everyone is all day

[@hanm5092]

yess redd is my fave for this very reason. when I first met him in city folk I felt like I was in a whole different, shadier world of animal crossing! he adds variety.

[@tobysinbad]

So could Tom Nook. That’s how the bastard broke his heart and now he’s going to break yours, you poor fool.

[@punkitt]

I appreciate Polygon vids always have a slight undercurrent of *"Man Capitalism Kinda Sucks Ass, Right?"*

[@DanielGalimidi]

This video ends by telling you where to get information to make a rent strike. I'd say the undercurrent is anything but slight.

[@callumfinlayson-palmer8393]

Polygon is in the based department!!

[@punkitt]

@@DanielGalimidi Yeah, this one is definitely more upfront about it than most Polygon vids, haha

[@pallasproserpina4118]

“Slight”

[@guilhermeshiba3135]

@Black but does it tho

[@kireitsun3893]

I don't know why we're pretending Tom Nook is the villain of Animal Crossing when Sea Bass exist

[@PenguinLord10]

See? Bass!

[@ironencepersonal9634]

So we're glossing over the no-intrest no-pressure thing then?

[@puddingj9406]

And the first payment costs around 200 dollars, and this is the only payment that is required to advance the game. (Bells are based off of yen)

[@AnakhaSilver]

Or that bells are yen, yes.

[@laurafrakinroslin]

Tom Nook is no landlord, he is a contractor who’s owed wages for his labor

[@unemilifleur]

In the last event in New Horizons Rover said something along the lines of: Tom Nook and I go way back. He sure has made a name for himself now. He came a long way from when he was just a little raccoon with little more than a apron. That stuck with me, I love Tom Nook now.

[@Oceanatornowk]

Guess it turns out I enjoy being exploited

[@cwovictor3281]

Your kink is valid

[@oliviamanning2344]

we’re all bottoms here

[@SixCubitMan]

Tom nook sells you your first house for 200 dollars. A whole ass HOUSE. He's an alright dude.

[@puddingj9406]

You could get a switch lite for that price

[@melanie8ee]

People really can’t fathom a game without a villain or a life where they’re not a victim so much they take LEAPS and BOUNDS to false conclusions trying to vilify an absolutely wonderful raccoon WITH a very tragic background that polygon made zero attempt to look into. No. In this house we RESPECT TOM NOOK.

[@kennysteen5092]

10 seconds in and it's already wildly inaccurate. tom nook isn't a landlord, he's a contractor

[@Snowleaper101]

He's a good guy who's recovering from a traumatic betrayal. His character, over the years, develops a more open personality. I would actually kill a man for Tom, okay. I would literally get into a fist fight for him.

[@jillianlampman8639]

this kicks ass, the ability to touch on real issues, real solutions, real communities, through video game journalism. love simone, love polygon, stay safe.

[@shrympcryptid]

I KNOW ITS JUST A GAME BUT--This video made me incredibly salty and I can't let you do my fat tanuki man dirty like that I am, very bothered at the fact that you skipped both Wild World and City Folk, just because they are "the same", a very foolish decision on your part. While in some ways they are, they do have their differences, but that's not what I'm focused on. I'm focused on the fact that you just skipped important lore/information that those games had, that involved Tom Nook, *crucial* details to his person and why he is who he is. Tom Nook went to the big city to get himself into the business world, but those he worked with there ended up backstabbing him, and once he came back to the town, he had changed, causing him to lose his dearest childhood friend Sable. Despite the horrid experience he had in the city, he swore not to do such vile things such as cheat and backstab to others as others did to him, which is why he lets you take your sweet sweet time paying your loans and a bunch of other things. In HHD, Tom Nook is aware of his reputation and is fine being seen as the big bad, as it helps others join together on something. Most of the bells he gets from his businesses go to orphanages, and considering its rumored that he adopted both Timmy and Tommy, that's awfully sweet and generous of him. I'd like to think/say that Tom Nook had some character development throughout the years when each game came out, trying to better himself and fix his relationship with Sable and such, and I absolutely love him in New Horizons... He's not perfect, no one is, but at least he's better than any real life landlord.

[@PanicoCalico]

The persona that create this video is a Redd worshiper. !!!

[@runedoom]

Of course he's better than any landlord. After all, he isn't one himself. He just runs a shop, construction business, as well as a few new ventures.

[@shrympcryptid]

@WhiteFlagsFly YT this video got me fuming man holy shit

[@alexscriabin]

@WHITEFLAGSFLY YT an creator saying "this evil character I created isn't evil" isn't relevant to whether you think they're evil or not.

[@cometgravity]

simone this is the first time you have ever made me sad with one of your videos. like, great job on the video, but i cannot believe you would slander tom nook like this. again tho great vid thank you for your hard work in these tough times

[@sansfromkingdomhearts3]

Aww, leave my man Nook alone. He’s trying to get better for the sake of his adopted kids. He had it hard enough when he had to take Redd to court in that nasty divorce.

[@charliera1larklight]

Bold of you to assume they ever actually legally finalized a divorce

[@tobysinbad]

Rebecca Ashby bold of YOU to assume they got married legally, considering the civil rights issues Nook faced when he started his business venture. What they had was at best a civil partnership

[@heybulldog1589]

0:37 if one has to insist that they’re a “great guy”, they’re probably not a great guy

[@polygon]

this is a fair point

[@heybulldog1589]

Polygon yoo!!! keep on rockin, you guys make awesome vids

[@Vulpilux]

Ummm... Nook doesn't say that. His creators do. YOU ABSOLUTE CHILD!

[@heybulldog1589]

Beagle 102 i’m sorry Mr. Nook.... i mean Beagle 102!! you just remind me of someone i owe a massive debt to

[@puddingj9406]

@@heybulldog1589 bells are based on yen, and the first house payment in new horizons I think at least comes to around 200-300 DOLLARS

[@n14d14]

didn’t he work with redd but then redd scammed him out of their money ?? and now nook is trying to help timmy and tommy not become as jaded as him ? i’m pretty sure that’s what the cannon is?

[@isthiscereallife]

yeah basically, but not a lot of people know about tom's and sable's story episodes in wild world i guess?

[@warhawk3972]

@@isthiscereallife yeah and sadly people are either unwilling to research the lore or unwilling to share what Nook's side of the story

[@tobysinbad]

Redd stole his money and more importantly BROKE HIS HEART

[@Loregamorl]

Still, honestly the fact that Tom is really relaxed with his costs makes him a saint in my eyes

[@laurafrakinroslin]

Kaiden Smith he doesn’t even mention your remodel loans after he completes work on your house. Not so much as a weekly letter in the mail. How can anyone hate this good good community leader

[@bluester7177]

He doesn't have to, he has a monopoly if you don't pay him, he can just kick you out. You're somewhat coerced into paying him to have a home, if we are seeing this as a real-life scenario and not a cute game.

[@laurafrakinroslin]

Andriele Silva but it IS a game. You can’t just disregard that fact because it’s inconvenient to your argument because it is a key fact. And Nook never kicks you out. Or threatens to. Or even would in game because he’s a contractor and not a landlord.

[@puddingj9406]

@@bluester7177 there's no deadline or interest, he mentions this in the game, and he never threatens to kick you out

[@BlamofBirthday]

@@bluester7177 you could not pay him, quit the game, come back ten years later, STILL not pay him, and he wont say a DAMN THING .

[@andrewdurden5230]

Nook gives interest free loans that can be paid back whenever you like, or never paid back if you don’t want additional loans. Seems like the opposite of an evil money grubber.

[@legendofFranktheTank]

But you fail to take into account the he doesn't have to because he is the economy. He has it set up so that all of the money in town goes through him, he can let you wait to pay off your debt because what else would you do? Where else would u go?

[@andrewdurden5230]

Frank Da Tank But this is no different than any video game that doesn’t have player online trading of resources. The economy is fixed and you will only ever get one price from a vendor for your bronze knife. Nobody really grumbles about those vendors but people don’t like paying Nook’s “loan” back and think he is evil. Would it be better if he only sold house upgrades if you had the cash on hand? That is the way it usually works in games and everyone is fine waiting and saving money until they can afford the item. If anything Nook is doing us a favor by letting us have the upgrades interest free before we can pay for them.

[@carsonroach-howell6945]

Nook miles are not an invented currency because you can trade them for bells as well as items. In this way they're really not different than bells. In this game he pays for your travel and everything then only charges you 5,000 nook miles which take less than an hour to get. Any upgrade from there is your choice. And the public works projects and such can be seen as taxation (which there is none of). It's the other dang residents who should be chipping in, why should nook pay for those island improvement projects on his own? He hires the construction crew and everything for you.

[@ThomRatkos]

they're a fake currency if you can only use them at the company store, even if that store will give you real money for them

[@razzeka]

nook miles are a cryptocurrency

[@BlindErephon]

@@ThomRatkos Animal Crossing: West Virginia Coal Mine, TBA. XD

[@palateswap]

tired of this bs, not a landlord, not rent, you're buying a house, you're paying the workers who build the infrastructure, he's basically your employee. dont you want to pay your workers?

[@_g_h_]

You sound like a mobster

[@Commander6444]

It floors me how anyone could consider an interest-free mortgage with no repayment schedule to be capitalism run amok. Even people in socialist countries have long-term liabilities with accruing interest.

[@_g_h_]

@@Commander6444 Animal crossing is an all ages video game

[@Commander6444]

@@_g_h_ Never claimed it isn't. Your point?

[@puddingj9406]

@@_g_h_ yes, but they never said it wasn't.

[@yk3907]

Tom Nook is just Nintendo’s Duolingo Owl.

[@The_Jovian]

I thought that was fi

[@Jukajobs]

duolingo owl is blathers's lost cousin actually

[@UshioKiss]

can't believe you just ignore the happy home designer game AND the lore you get in the other games. smh.

[@callistified]

the fact that you don't actually HAVE to pay him back unless you want your house to be more than basic necessities proves he is a good person.

[@Toribell1928]

“Tom Nook is an evil landlord” pretty sure he’s not a landlord or I’ve been getting cheated out of house expansions everytime I pay rent...

[@toastthatsbread]

I feel like Tom Nook has the best character development in Animal Crossing history

[@shotgunshells2]

You mean the only character development?

[@dinolandra]

@@shotgunshells2 sable, mable and label have character development too

[@dinolandra]

@@shotgunshells2 and isabelle

[@fearless_cloud]

I honestly just don't get it at all. Tom Nook is a sweet struggling shop owner turned successful business mogul. He's a father figure to Timmy and Tommy and a guiding hand in every game. I literally do not see how anyone could consider him mean, even in the very first game. Then again, some of my earliest memories are of playing GC Animal Crossing, which I've continued to play up until 2 weeks ago when I bought New Horizons. I mayyyy be a tad biased.

[@ProtoMekka]

I will not accept this tom nook slander

[@patrickpugh7495]

Are we just skipping over the fact that he's a dedicated father?

[@jm3267]

I mean to be fair, I'm sure lots of real life landlords/property developers are also dedicated fathers: doesn't mean they're not also exploiting people's need for housing.

[@missmoshirosey]

Timmy and tommy are not related to Tom nook found on the animal crossing wiki and he says that in wild world “there more of my pupils and who calls there dad mr’ quote from Tom nook

[@missmoshirosey]

HylianGamer oh in wild world he says they are his pupils...🤔🤔 It’s wired there’s character development website that say that they are pupils and same with a Nintendo site, but then a new leaf website says that his nephew😫😝 maybe it’s both Thanks😋it’s confusing hehe

[@a.redwood]

missmoshir rosey They are not related in any way but that doesn't matter because he essentially adopted them and acts like a father to them. Tom Nook is a Dad

[@missmoshirosey]

Aimee Redwood true that’s is a very kind act and there cute boys🥰... and why do you want to see on some website saying that they are related by being his nephew??? I see that one some sites and it annoys me cause I know that’s not true but it’s ahh😝😝😭🤣 I’ll just stick to the wild world quote from Tom nook😂

[@victoriakathleen01]

Tom is a GOOD MAN with a GOOD HEART and that's what the creators have OUTRIGHT STATED therefore it is canonical and I won't be accepting any further arguments at this time

[@Fishmen64]

Bells are like yen so, bridges and stairs are pretty cheep.

[@Lu4455]

we’re just poor

[@electricstyrofoam9607]

plus there are other ways across water and cliffs

[@electricstyrofoam9607]

plus there are other ways across water and cliffs

[@RudeMyDude]

he's a good person that gives a large majority of his profits to charity, not just a tax write off, and doesn't take advantage of anyone! please don't do this to my dad : ((((

[@AuntBibby]

Rude My Dude *The English bourgeoisie is charitable out of self-interest; it gives nothing outright, but regards its gifts as a business matter, makes a bargain with the poor, saying: "If I spend this much upon benevolent institutions, I thereby purchase the right not to be troubled any further, and you are bound thereby to stay in your dusky holes and not to irritate my tender nerves by exposing your misery. You shall despair as before, but you shall despair unseen, this I require, this I purchase with my subscription of twenty pounds for the infirmary!" It is infamous, this charity of a Christian bourgeois!* Friedrich Engels, 1845

[@RudeMyDude]

​@@AuntBibby bitch i can't read but if this german philosopher calls my dad bourgeois for donating to orphanages, when I see him it's on-sight, and that's on praxis

[@hectorsjourneys8249]

Great job glossing over Wild World and Happy Home Designer, amazing research honestly, the best i've seen in gaming history. No one's asking you to go full MatPat but damn at least acknowledge a bit of the man's history.

[@mikaujiro]

That is the craziest way I've ever seen anyone write 'acknowledge.' And I agree with your point.

[@hectorsjourneys8249]

@@mikaujiro Lmao i never noticed it! It's fixed up now but thank you for telling me!

[@mikaujiro]

@@hectorsjourneys8249 Ye of course lol! Hope you have a good day :-)

[@masongadhia7430]

Me, going into New Horizons "AAAA THE CAPITALIST DICTATOR!" Me now, with 100,000 Nook Miles "I will pay you anything, I need more BRIDGES!!!"

[@aly-6373]

We're all talking about Tom Nook but we're not talking about the real bad guy Crazy Redd

[@punkitt]

I KNEW THIS WAS GONNA BE A SIMONE VID THE SECOND I SAW THAT TITLE

[@simona.4673]

Polygon culture is knowing which person the video is from just from the title and subject Pat's are the easiest ones to decipher

[@tobysinbad]

I’m so in love with Polygon for linking to rental strike organisations in an Animal Crossing video

[@youllaskforme]

I always saw it as Tom Nook trying to teach you the meaning of currency and how to earn and work for the things you want. I will defend papa Nook to the god damn death. I love him.

[@RenaDeles]

Exactly. He gotten taken advantage of in the past, lost everything, and really learned how important being smart with your money is from that. He still does all he can to help you and others, but he wants you to learn to fish, not have you crash at his place

[@DangerDurians]

Counter point, Nook will never force you to pay unless you want more things from him

[@boriskalashnikov489]

Why do people hit the like or dislike buttons when it's been about 2 seconds since posting?

[@purplechaos1238]

Because I love polygon

[@guytorie]

I don't always do it, but if I already know I'm probably gonna enjoy the video based on what it's about and who made it, I'll hit like right away. Even if I don't end up agreeing with everything they said, I usually overall enjoy the videos, and I consider my like to be more of an expression of support, rather than of total agreement. It's rare for me to hit the dislike button, but sometimes in an effort to keep my integrity, I actually will unlike a video if it turned out to get real awful halfway through or something.

[@KathARaptor]

Because if I see Simone, I’m already loving it

[@pletato4729]

because it good

[@slauthordraws3363]

i see simone i hit like

[@0BucketMask0]

He adopted two orphans off the streets and considers them a part of his family, calling them his nephews. Also, you have to take into account that bells function the same as yen- 100 bells is $1. Also, unless you want your house to be bigger, you don't even have to pay your loan at all. I just disagree with people who think he's a bad guy.

[@beanogames7182]

Ya know yo do never need to pay him back fast forward 300 years into the future and he doesn't care you haven't paid him. Just saying

[@katsucandy]

Yeah paying him is more for the benefit of getting a bigger, better house, bc in the end we're all simple monkeys who want two floors, a living room and three extra rooms to turn into a kitchen/garage/torture chamber/bathroom/massage room 😂 There's villagers who are way more hardcore about paying them for shit/getting chores done on time than goddamn tom "here's a house for you. what's a mortgage? Anyways you owe me like 20k bells pay me back whenever" nook

[@Megan-ii6vj]

Communist Animal Crossing baby

[@HeyJinx]

A M A Z I N G

[@georgewilson7432]

Animal Crossing is textbook mutualism.

[@axeldornelles5292]

YES!

[@HORSEMANFOREVER]

That's called Animal Farm, buddy.

[@BlamofBirthday]

"I want a house" *okay i'll build you a house* (Builds a house) *you gotta pay for that* " i cant" *k well heres some work to help you pay off your debt* *also you can pay me back literally whenever you want* HOW DARE YOU REEEE!!!!1!11!!!

[@KaibaTheKing]

This seems to gloss over the fact that he donates 90% of the income he makes from you to the orphanage he got Timmy and Tommy from

[@silaseaster7091]

Ok but it seems like everyone looks over the fact that he donates 90% of all the money he owns to orphanages.

[@vinylcomets]

Convenient how when you cut out parts of the story, it makes him look bad. -The adoption of Timmy and Tommy -The donations of 90% of his money to an orphanage -His relationship with Sable

[@Beairstoboy]

I'm loving all the Animal Crossing content on Polygon during this quarantine!

[@JamesonMcLeod]

Nook literally donates 90% of his profits to charity

[@briannacargile8308]

See I always look at the "is Tom Nook evil" argument from a lore standpoint, like throughout the games it gives you a bit of his backstory, a business man who knew the able sisters, took in Timmy and Tommy for speculated reasons, got screwed over by his business partner (a fox aka Redd) and he gives a majority of his profit to charity. I dunno, seems like a pretty chill dude to me

[@zareklordofthefries7858]

Can't believe Simone would refuse to see that Tom Nook has improved himself but defends Pietro smh

[@louie.4047]

tom nook had such a character arc tho!! it’s so upsetting that so many people just call him evil and put him alongside villains like sephiroth. like he got so much nicer, and everything that he “makes” you pay for in acnh are just things YOU want. he doesn’t make you pay for his land plots, you wanted the land plot. you wanted the villagers. you wanted the lighthouse. you didn’t need to buy it, but you did. so he has to charge you, because that stuff doesn’t come cheap

[@nschwartz311]

I won’t *STAND* for this Nook slander!

[@twoeggs2760]

Tom Nook is like the mythical "good and fair capitalist" that people think exists. Cute and reasonable, but absolutely not at all based in reality.

[@L3X1N]

This is the rightest take on the matter. Tom Nook isn't _exploiting_ the player, but he sure as hell would be if the circumstances were only a little bit different.

[@katsucandy]

The fact that his backstory p much tells you that he went to the city as a young lad all bushy tailed and bright eyed and got absolutely taken advantage to and had a Bad Time, which made him eventually go back home and make his current policies so nobody would have to go through the shit he went through is just,,,,,,,,,,,,,bruh Fucking wish we had more tom nooks in the world (and probably less redd's. Where the _fuck_ did you even get that overpriced fake replica of the Mona Lisa. Where the fuck did you get this _actually legit_ painting that's still ridiculously expensive even with your "family discounts". Sir wtf)

[@nothanks645]

you put my thoughts about it in words exactly

[@twoeggs2760]

@@L3X1N Yeah, like sure, the capitalist class could be like Tom Nook, in a world where capitalism wasn't inherently exploitative, like the world of Animal crossing, but that's not our world lmao. If Tom Nook were real, he'd probably be corrupted by the system and calling the cops on people who couldn't pay their rent or mortgage. But his world goes by different rules, therefore my commie ass doesn't have to feel bad about liking him.

[@axeldornelles5292]

Perfect take, really.

[@Dostoron]

"alright kiddo, here's your loan for the house, yes you can move in and decorate as you like right now, pay it back whenever, no interest no time limit."

[@Michaela_ZC]

OMG I love the casual gesturing towards the Rent Strike there at the end. Radical

[@sethmcbride8490]

Why do you keep calling him a landlord? He's not a landlord. He doesn't charge rent, he sells you the property.

[@JeremyBell97]

You’re buying into the Nook smear campaign throughout your entire video, trying to play that you’re ‘neutral’ and laying down facts! I expected better from you, Polygon

[@shalashasker3326]

Can we talk about that set of starting villagers in the New Leaf clip? Lucky, Lolly, Diana and Static! Talk about blessed!

[@PatientBean]

I think what always struck me was that with you in debt, if you ever went into his shop to buy something, instead of being like "Hey ummm....I know you want that sweet flooring, but you do remember you owe me 18,000 bells right?" He's cool with it. And that's because it's just more money for him. He's bad, but it feels so good.

[@MrBluebrry]

This just ignored his lore ):

[@AnimeDreamer141]

working title of this polygon video: The Bimbofication Of Tom Nook

[@arcturusplays7773]

"In a perfect world" It's not a perfect world! Tom Nook is an incrementalist working within the system. He has literally gotten less fiscally conservative as he's gotten older, which is better than folks who become more so with age. He should be spared when the revolution comes.

[@Panic_Pickle]

-No credit check -No interest -No time limit. You could never pay him back. -Cost is meaninglessly small -No payment up front, all upgrades given without deposit -The money used to pay for it all comes from his sons’ shop, so you pay him back using his money. He doesn’t actually profit (in bells). The only thing he charges, ultimately, is labour. And we’re not talking hard labour. We’re talking a couple hours a day of whacking rocks, swinging a net, or picking up sticks and fruit which all fall from a tree based on a gentle bump. You don’t even need to do this labour; you can get bells from miles, and you can get miles from just getting out of bed each day and chatting to your neighbours.

[@carlamitce443]

Im a simple girl, I see Simone, I like

[@daello8227]

Tom Nook is Jeff Bezos' fursona.

[@valaleria6523]

lmao

[@herb_rolls3929]

that is the hottest take that i didn't know i needed

[@tomnook1341]

Better shut your mouth before you must be silenced

[@randorando7955]

Isabelle is the fursona of all that is good in the world.

[@haughtygarbage5848]

something something unions something somethng owo something something uwunions

[@valknight5748]

Appreciate you for featuring that end message (and managing to get it past your corporate side)

[@daxter956]

Thank you Simone for including such a rad guest in your video!

[@SpookyDeerArt]

y'all hes still trying to get redd to sign the divorce papers, give him a break :(

[@meow-px6kk]

i love that fat little middle aged guy

[@connorshields7558]

But it's also, like, canon that he donates over 90% of the bells that he makes to charity. He's an amazing guy

[@BrandG.]

Way to keep it fresh and relatable Polygon! You are good people.