How far will you go to fully play Neopets?

[Q]

Merchandise...you can buy a plushie to sit on your bed or desk, and a few other little things to amuse yourself. The video games coming out sound cool, and I do seem to remember them talking about earning a few np by playing them and unlocking codes.

But reading this upsets me a little. I don't like the merchandising intruding upon the innerworkings of our Neopian lives. This is regarding upcoming cellphone applications:

Players will be able to log-on from their handset and access exclusive new areas, pet species, characteristics, items, rewards as well as additional ways to earn Neopoints, the currency of Neopia.

New pet, who cares, but new areas? Items? Rewards? Hmm, I'm not too sure about that. What could they mean by 'characteristics'? I've been toying with the idea of going Premium, but cellphone playing is something I'll never do (maybe I'm just too old ) because I use my cellphone to make calls and then toss it back in my purse. Just can't imagine myself playing Neopets via a cellphone -if I have the time/opportunity to play it's always just at my desk, and why log on with a cellphone when you have a computer in front of you?

I just hope they don't make it so that someday you just have 'basic' Neopets unless you are able/willing to go all out and pay for access to extra special stuff through various ways. I despise being all doomy gloomy, but reading that put a little pout on my face

[sparkygoesforth]

Hmm... hopefully those of us who stick with basic free Neopets will not lose out too badly to those who have Premium, cell phone access etc.

Some kind of Neopets functionality on a cell phone sounds kind of fun - feed your pet when you're away from home, buy stocks and shares, play with them, collect your bank interest, etc. Just little basic things that you do on the site that could be easily translated to fit on a mobile phone's screen.

The real issue I see is that anything to do with getting data onto and off a mobile phone is still hideously expensive compared to doing it on a real computer - certainly it is here in the UK. Want to send an SMS message (a string of 160 ASCII characters, less than 1kbyte)? That'll be 12p. Add a very small picture? That'll be 25p. Want to surf the net using WAP very slowly on a tiny screen? That'll be between £2 - £5 per Megabyte! To be honest it'd be cheaper to lug a laptop or PDA around with you, find a Wireless access point in a McDonalds or something, and do it all on the real site.

[stampsyne]

As a bored adult (I admit it) who carried her gameboy advance SP in her purse, I can see how some people would diddle around with neopets on thier phone. I just HATE cells and don't want to have one out of personal choice.

Gah! A way for my BF to foist a cellphone on me in a way I cannot refuse. Neopets!

[rageaholic]

I don't own a cell phone. I don't want a cell phone. I am certainly not going to run out and get a cell phone for the sole purpose of paying ridiculously high prices to play neopets.

Now to be honest I don't really know enough about this to have a proper opinion yet, but I can say it doesn't sound good at all. I mean, exclusive pet species? That just isn't right. I can only hope this is one of those half baked ideas that ends up falling through. Hey, nothing says thanks for years of support like turning you away at the door.

[Qanda]

The preposterous and oppressive Terms and Conditions were already making me contemplate quitting. If Neo becomes too merchandise-based, I'm out.

[tigerlily]

I'm another one who doesn't own a cel phone. So far, I've found no reason to buy one, and if I do, it'll be pre-paid. Some of us simply can't afford to dump all our money into Neopets. It's already sad that their Premium service costs twice as much as my image host. I did buy some of the toys, but those are something you can get when you have the extra lying around.

Ok, I'm done with my "poor adult" rant. I still have this sinking feeling that Neo is going down the drain.

[!Xabbu]

Neopets is, after all, a comercial enterprise, not a free service that gets its kicks from seeing how truly happy it makes its players. I'm there for the fun (mostly). If it ever costs me anything besides my time, I'll just quit playing.

There's plenty of fun free stuff online and in the real world that doesn't require celular phones, premium services, plushie purchases, or annoying banner ads.

--!Xabbu

[atomicblonde]

Honestly, I'm not too bothered by this. If people want to go get this, more power to them. I'm having fun with what I'm doing for free now, and I'll continue having fun with it even if they do have exclusives.

[blues-maroo]

Well, the news piece is certain a press-release. That means, not all things wrote there are factual. Even so, Neopets in cel phones are a natural development. The market is huge - just read on the last Business 2.0 that 33% of the users of those phones play small games in it.

Now, if I would put that on my phone, is another matter entirelly...

I guess we should get used. Video-games, movie, ... neopets will get more and more popular and will always look for new oportunities.

[Q]

Honestly, I'm not too bothered by this. If people want to go get this, more power to them. I'm having fun with what I'm doing for free now, and I'll continue having fun with it even if they do have exclusives.

I'm not too bothered either, just a little worried that this is a sign they might go too far. It's hard to tell until it actually goes live. I buy merchandise, so I support the site in my own way, but they don't know I do, save for those few rare item codes I used.

Reading that bit just made me start thinking that one day basic Neopets might get TOO basic unless you want to let them send you a monthly bill. And I despise bills, lol. I went to a prepaid cellphone to get rid of the bill, and it ended up being a lot cheaper too because I don't use it on a daily basis. Anyhow, even if you have a cellphone it'll have to be the right kind, and how many people are going to get a new cellphone just so they can get a cool pet called an Oinky? I'd rather spend my money on the magazine, plushies, and little trinkets for my desk like I do now

Though, if by 'characteristics' they mean we will be able to dress our pets in tutus, I'll fork over my paycheck for it

[everconfused]

is sitting here picturing a draik or hissi in a tutu Ohhhh. A kacheek might look cute though

This is something they announced a while ago, and it doesn't seem fair. It is only one carrier (that I'd never heard of) and I can't imagine what it could potentially do to your cellphone bill. I also can't imagine sitting on a cellphone playing on a site (and how would that work?)

The idea that if you use this particular phone you get access to things no one else can is disturbing.

People think that about premium, which isn't really true. Yes, we get a space faerie scratchcard once a week, yes we (some more than others - I average maybe 1 every couple of weeks) get Something Has Happened emails - usually just a few hundred np from a lottery.

We get to beta test games, but we don't get np for that. And we have the premium board, which lately has become very clique-like. So I lurk there more than post, just like all the other boards.

But having to get a cellphone to get a particular pet? I don't have a cell, it's just too expensive and I wouldn't use it enough. If I did get one, you can be sure that I'd go with a well-known company with many options for support, etc. Not some company I've never heard of and no one here even offers.

[Lorcanwolf]

I hope you don't have to have a cell phone to get a Mok/Odder/Luntari . . .

[matchbow]

If they make a neopets virtual reality or a neopets DDR game, then they've gone too far. Of course, i'll still waste endless amounts of money on those things

[some1onhere]

Im getting pretty frustrated too..... A Neopets movie? You're joking.

[matchbow]

Im getting pretty frustrated too..... A Neopets movie? You're joking.

The movie has the potential to be great if it's written well with good music and voices and isn't overmarketed as a kids movie.