EDIT: AUSSIES.. YAY>> Luck and Chance games are BACK
Mon Nov 08, 2004 6:30 am
Hey everyone,, Since the McDonalds/neopets promotion is now officially closed, Im wondering if anyone has any updated news on what will become of us Sad Aussies who still cannot access the Fruit Machine, Tombola, etc...... *sniffle*
I wondered about changing my country , but then again they could tell where Im from by my IP lookup each time I access the site, and I certainly dont want to get frozen, or do the wrong thing,,,
Does anyone know anything about when this awful ban might be lifted?
Many thanks in advance
EDIT: ALL WORKING as of 11/11
SS:)
I wondered about changing my country , but then again they could tell where Im from by my IP lookup each time I access the site, and I certainly dont want to get frozen, or do the wrong thing,,,
Does anyone know anything about when this awful ban might be lifted?
Many thanks in advance
EDIT: ALL WORKING as of 11/11
SS:)
Last edited by ssandgirls on Thu Nov 11, 2004 1:21 am, edited 2 times in total.
Mon Nov 08, 2004 6:45 am
It wont be lifted. Legal issues. Some kid in austrailia lied through his teeth saying the only way you could feed your pets was to gamble, and that your pets would "Run away" if you didnt feed them.
That OBVIOUSLY both lies. You ar ethe only one who can abandon your pets, they dont just "Run away".
And 120 of the games on NON gambling games.
That OBVIOUSLY both lies. You ar ethe only one who can abandon your pets, they dont just "Run away".
And 120 of the games on NON gambling games.
Mon Nov 08, 2004 6:55 am
Just change your country to antarctica, neo wont freeze you for that. Think about it, hundreds of people did and not even one got frozen for it, its safe. 
Mon Nov 08, 2004 7:06 am
Taken from...
http://www.pinkpt.com/index.php?page=rr ... ingneopets
"Defending Neopets.com
Written by Phenylalanine
I never thought I'd be in the position where I was outraged to the point of actually defending Neopets. But it's happened.
<snip>
Here goes:
MEDIA REPORT RAMPANT WITH LIES
Half truths and outright lies abound in an article issued by Australia's Today Tonight show.
This article, http://seven.com.au/todaytonight/story/?id=16887, attacking the children's activity website Neopets.com, and one of their sponsors, McDonald's Inc., contains blatent untruths and abysmally poor research.
Neopets.com is a free online game, where users can create or adopt virtual pets. There are tens of thousands of virtual items as well; food, grooming supplies, toys and medicines for use on their pets. Items are obtained through 'Random Events' or can be bought from shops in the virtual world. Currency for buying items comes in the form of Neopoints, which can be earned from buying, selling, and trading items, or scoring in any of the approximately 150 games included on the site. The site also boasts player driven competitions, such as art, poetry and web design, (users are allowed to use HTML to improve the appearance of their pet's identity pages).
<snip>
The 'controversy' arose when McDonalds Corporation of Australia put Neopet soft toys, or 'Plushies', in their Happy Meals, as part of their promotion. Drawing attention to Neopets.com, some parents were allegedly upset to see that some of the games on Neopets.com were gambling games, where the player can choose to bet some of their Neopoints.
The Today Tonight Show then published this 'investigative' article, http://seven.com.au/todaytonight/story/?id=16887, on Neopets.com's alleged encouragement of gambling activities in minors.
Quote: Among the activities the site offers are virtual pokies, roulette games, and card games where one of the cute characters teaches children the rules of poker and blackjack.
Out of the over 150 games available on Neopets.com, 2 games are 'pay' Slot Games, and 1 is a once-a-day free slot. There are a total of 5 'Spin the Wheel' games, inaccurately stated as roulette in the article. There are 8 card games available, several of which are variations on Solitaire. Less than 30 of the games total require an entrance fee of Neopoints, the fee laying anywhere from 5 to 500 Neopoints.
Quote: As Michelle's son Harley explains, you need to gamble to raise points to feed your virtual Neopets.
This statement is blatently false. There is never a 'need' to gamble on Neopets.com. As stated above, less than 30 of over 150 games available on the site require a Neopoint entrance fee. That's over 120 games available free of Neopoint charges, and the potential to earn Neopoints in all of them, every day. Games aren't the only way to earn Neopoints. Virtual items can be found, bought and sold for profit. There's a virtual stockmarket, where you can invest, and track the performance of virtual companies within the site. There are multiple art and logic competitions, all for item and Neopoint prizes, without ever gambling or betting.
Quote: He says if you don't gamble up enough points to feed your pet, it goes to the "orphanage".
This is another lie. Neopets do not ever leave or get sent away from their owners by force. Unfed neopets become unhappy, and can be subject to negative events if they remain unhappy. Players do not even need to spend their Neopoints on food, because there are a few locations on the site where they can receive completely free food items once a day. These locations are very well known, are advertised around the site, and are often listed on gaming Fan and Help Sites.
There is no orphanage anywhere on Neopets.com. There is an Adoption Centre, or 'Pound', where players can leave their pets for other users to adopt if they are leaving the game, or if they find the responsibility of looking after their Neopets is too great. Players are highly discouraged from ever leaving a pet there, with everything from messages explaining the responsiblity of owning a pet, to their pet begging them not to leave them, if they decide to proceede.
Quote: Players who don't win enough points gambling to buy food actually have to send their Neopets to a "virtual soup kitchen".
Again, "who don't win enough points gambling" is untrue; as stated above, there is never any need to gamble on Neopets.com. The phrase "have to send" is also speculative, because there is no reason why players 'have' to send their Neopet anywhere. <snip>
This statement in the article clearly condtradicts the statement directly above it. If you have to 'gamble' to keep your pet fed, and therefore out of the 'orphanage', then why are there multiple locations where players can feed their pets for free?
Quote: "A nine-year old boy doesn't have the ability to question," Michelle said. "He doesn't even know what a virtual soup kitchen is."
This statement would make the entire paragraph above it speculative. If nine-year old Harely doesn't have 'the ability to question', does he then hold the ability to properly assess a complex game without assistance? Is the entire investigative stance of the article dependant on a nine-year old? Surely his mother was assisting and supervising his online playing time, and could easily have corrected his misconceptions about the rules of the game?<snip>
Quote: Child psychologist Michael Carr-Greg says this is a sure-fire way to turn our kids into gambling addicts. "I don't think there would be any parents in Australian who would be very happy to know that Ronald McDonald is getting into the casino business," Mr Carr-Gregg said.
<snip>
The article does not state whether Dr. Carr-Gregg personally and thoroughly investigated Neopets.com before making his statements, or whether he just listened to the speculative information presented to him about the issue. How is Neopets.com a 'casino business'? The site has completely free membership, there is no real money involved, and as stated twice before, there is never a need to gamble at any time on the site. Also as stated previously, the majority of games on the site cannot be considered gambling, as there are no Neopoint entrance fees for over 120 games.
Quote: He says children just don't have the critical facilities needed to understand the dangers of adult-style gambling.
This statement can be challenged in two ways. Once again, if children 'don't have the critical facilities needed', then why did the article rely so heavily on a nine-year old's assessment of the game, especially if he 'doesn't have the ability to question'? It is also very arguable that children can understand the dangers of gambling. They infact, easily understand that there is a very small chance of winning, and that if they bet, they will most likely lose their Neopoints. <snip> educational tool about the dangers of gambling.
Quote: "As far as I'm concerned, this is sanitising, normalising and glamourising gambling," Mr Carr-Gregg said.
'Sanitizing' and 'Normalizing' are questionable - gambling, even in children, has been around for thousands of years. Gambling amongst youths can take such forms as: card games, 'dares'; playing trading card games, pog, tops, or even marbles 'for keeps'. 'Glamourizing' seems to be an entirely false assessment. Is having 2 Slot Games, 2 Poker Games, and 1 Blackjack game, out of over 150 games available, really that glamourous? Nowhere on Neopets.com is there any claim that these few games are a necessity, or that they are somehow better than all the other games.
Quote: No Pokies MP Nick Xenophon says this is yet another example of a junk food giant failing to act in the best interests of children.
"Let's listen to those people who've dealt with gambling addiction who say there's a very clear link between people exposed as kids to these sorts of games and developing gambling problems later on," Mr Xenophon said.
<snip>
Quote: Marketing expert Con Stavros says the pro-gambling message could be even more powerful because it was coming from McDonalds, a supposedly family-friendly brand.
"I'm surprised at the naivety of McDonalds to let themselves fall into this particular kind of situation," Mr Stavros said.
<snip>
The only 'naivety' seems to be the ignorance to the truth protrayed in the biased TT's article. The only 'situation' is that presented in the biased TT article.
Quote: Mum Michelle says she was surprised to see McDonalds associated with the games.
"I wonder if McDonalds is as informed as we are now, recognising that there is gambling on this site?" Michelle asked.
As mentioned before, the actual ammount of gambling available on the site is extremely small, and it is never necessary that a user participate. Also, as previously stated: Since there is no 'real' money involved, one could actually use the few gambling games available on Neopets.com as an educational tool about the dangers of gambling.
Quote: Apparently not, because late this afternoon, McDonalds Corporation told Today Tonight it was taking the issue seriously and shutting down the gambling components of the website.
This is a very odd statement, in that McDonalds does not own Neopets.com, and yet they can 'shut down components' of the website. Neopets.com is still 100% functional, with all the 'questionable' games intact. This is yet another example of poor research and poor reporting in the article.
Quote: "As a parent you can never be too careful," Michelle said. "You think you're doing the best you can and supervising everything, but some things still slip through and my son has been playing this for months."
Surely, if nine-year old Harely was properly supervised when he was online, his mother would have noticed he'd been playing on Neopet.com, with it's many bright and colourful graphics, before months had elapsed?<snip>
"
http://www.pinkpt.com/index.php?page=rr ... ingneopets
"Defending Neopets.com
Written by Phenylalanine
I never thought I'd be in the position where I was outraged to the point of actually defending Neopets. But it's happened.
<snip>
Here goes:
MEDIA REPORT RAMPANT WITH LIES
Half truths and outright lies abound in an article issued by Australia's Today Tonight show.
This article, http://seven.com.au/todaytonight/story/?id=16887, attacking the children's activity website Neopets.com, and one of their sponsors, McDonald's Inc., contains blatent untruths and abysmally poor research.
Neopets.com is a free online game, where users can create or adopt virtual pets. There are tens of thousands of virtual items as well; food, grooming supplies, toys and medicines for use on their pets. Items are obtained through 'Random Events' or can be bought from shops in the virtual world. Currency for buying items comes in the form of Neopoints, which can be earned from buying, selling, and trading items, or scoring in any of the approximately 150 games included on the site. The site also boasts player driven competitions, such as art, poetry and web design, (users are allowed to use HTML to improve the appearance of their pet's identity pages).
<snip>
The 'controversy' arose when McDonalds Corporation of Australia put Neopet soft toys, or 'Plushies', in their Happy Meals, as part of their promotion. Drawing attention to Neopets.com, some parents were allegedly upset to see that some of the games on Neopets.com were gambling games, where the player can choose to bet some of their Neopoints.
The Today Tonight Show then published this 'investigative' article, http://seven.com.au/todaytonight/story/?id=16887, on Neopets.com's alleged encouragement of gambling activities in minors.
Quote: Among the activities the site offers are virtual pokies, roulette games, and card games where one of the cute characters teaches children the rules of poker and blackjack.
Out of the over 150 games available on Neopets.com, 2 games are 'pay' Slot Games, and 1 is a once-a-day free slot. There are a total of 5 'Spin the Wheel' games, inaccurately stated as roulette in the article. There are 8 card games available, several of which are variations on Solitaire. Less than 30 of the games total require an entrance fee of Neopoints, the fee laying anywhere from 5 to 500 Neopoints.
Quote: As Michelle's son Harley explains, you need to gamble to raise points to feed your virtual Neopets.
This statement is blatently false. There is never a 'need' to gamble on Neopets.com. As stated above, less than 30 of over 150 games available on the site require a Neopoint entrance fee. That's over 120 games available free of Neopoint charges, and the potential to earn Neopoints in all of them, every day. Games aren't the only way to earn Neopoints. Virtual items can be found, bought and sold for profit. There's a virtual stockmarket, where you can invest, and track the performance of virtual companies within the site. There are multiple art and logic competitions, all for item and Neopoint prizes, without ever gambling or betting.
Quote: He says if you don't gamble up enough points to feed your pet, it goes to the "orphanage".
This is another lie. Neopets do not ever leave or get sent away from their owners by force. Unfed neopets become unhappy, and can be subject to negative events if they remain unhappy. Players do not even need to spend their Neopoints on food, because there are a few locations on the site where they can receive completely free food items once a day. These locations are very well known, are advertised around the site, and are often listed on gaming Fan and Help Sites.
There is no orphanage anywhere on Neopets.com. There is an Adoption Centre, or 'Pound', where players can leave their pets for other users to adopt if they are leaving the game, or if they find the responsibility of looking after their Neopets is too great. Players are highly discouraged from ever leaving a pet there, with everything from messages explaining the responsiblity of owning a pet, to their pet begging them not to leave them, if they decide to proceede.
Quote: Players who don't win enough points gambling to buy food actually have to send their Neopets to a "virtual soup kitchen".
Again, "who don't win enough points gambling" is untrue; as stated above, there is never any need to gamble on Neopets.com. The phrase "have to send" is also speculative, because there is no reason why players 'have' to send their Neopet anywhere. <snip>
This statement in the article clearly condtradicts the statement directly above it. If you have to 'gamble' to keep your pet fed, and therefore out of the 'orphanage', then why are there multiple locations where players can feed their pets for free?
Quote: "A nine-year old boy doesn't have the ability to question," Michelle said. "He doesn't even know what a virtual soup kitchen is."
This statement would make the entire paragraph above it speculative. If nine-year old Harely doesn't have 'the ability to question', does he then hold the ability to properly assess a complex game without assistance? Is the entire investigative stance of the article dependant on a nine-year old? Surely his mother was assisting and supervising his online playing time, and could easily have corrected his misconceptions about the rules of the game?<snip>
Quote: Child psychologist Michael Carr-Greg says this is a sure-fire way to turn our kids into gambling addicts. "I don't think there would be any parents in Australian who would be very happy to know that Ronald McDonald is getting into the casino business," Mr Carr-Gregg said.
<snip>
The article does not state whether Dr. Carr-Gregg personally and thoroughly investigated Neopets.com before making his statements, or whether he just listened to the speculative information presented to him about the issue. How is Neopets.com a 'casino business'? The site has completely free membership, there is no real money involved, and as stated twice before, there is never a need to gamble at any time on the site. Also as stated previously, the majority of games on the site cannot be considered gambling, as there are no Neopoint entrance fees for over 120 games.
Quote: He says children just don't have the critical facilities needed to understand the dangers of adult-style gambling.
This statement can be challenged in two ways. Once again, if children 'don't have the critical facilities needed', then why did the article rely so heavily on a nine-year old's assessment of the game, especially if he 'doesn't have the ability to question'? It is also very arguable that children can understand the dangers of gambling. They infact, easily understand that there is a very small chance of winning, and that if they bet, they will most likely lose their Neopoints. <snip> educational tool about the dangers of gambling.
Quote: "As far as I'm concerned, this is sanitising, normalising and glamourising gambling," Mr Carr-Gregg said.
'Sanitizing' and 'Normalizing' are questionable - gambling, even in children, has been around for thousands of years. Gambling amongst youths can take such forms as: card games, 'dares'; playing trading card games, pog, tops, or even marbles 'for keeps'. 'Glamourizing' seems to be an entirely false assessment. Is having 2 Slot Games, 2 Poker Games, and 1 Blackjack game, out of over 150 games available, really that glamourous? Nowhere on Neopets.com is there any claim that these few games are a necessity, or that they are somehow better than all the other games.
Quote: No Pokies MP Nick Xenophon says this is yet another example of a junk food giant failing to act in the best interests of children.
"Let's listen to those people who've dealt with gambling addiction who say there's a very clear link between people exposed as kids to these sorts of games and developing gambling problems later on," Mr Xenophon said.
<snip>
Quote: Marketing expert Con Stavros says the pro-gambling message could be even more powerful because it was coming from McDonalds, a supposedly family-friendly brand.
"I'm surprised at the naivety of McDonalds to let themselves fall into this particular kind of situation," Mr Stavros said.
<snip>
The only 'naivety' seems to be the ignorance to the truth protrayed in the biased TT's article. The only 'situation' is that presented in the biased TT article.
Quote: Mum Michelle says she was surprised to see McDonalds associated with the games.
"I wonder if McDonalds is as informed as we are now, recognising that there is gambling on this site?" Michelle asked.
As mentioned before, the actual ammount of gambling available on the site is extremely small, and it is never necessary that a user participate. Also, as previously stated: Since there is no 'real' money involved, one could actually use the few gambling games available on Neopets.com as an educational tool about the dangers of gambling.
Quote: Apparently not, because late this afternoon, McDonalds Corporation told Today Tonight it was taking the issue seriously and shutting down the gambling components of the website.
This is a very odd statement, in that McDonalds does not own Neopets.com, and yet they can 'shut down components' of the website. Neopets.com is still 100% functional, with all the 'questionable' games intact. This is yet another example of poor research and poor reporting in the article.
Quote: "As a parent you can never be too careful," Michelle said. "You think you're doing the best you can and supervising everything, but some things still slip through and my son has been playing this for months."
Surely, if nine-year old Harely was properly supervised when he was online, his mother would have noticed he'd been playing on Neopet.com, with it's many bright and colourful graphics, before months had elapsed?<snip>
"
Mon Nov 08, 2004 7:27 am
That article on Today Tonight is completely stupid. I hope that Neopets fights back and proves the stupid morons (excuse my language) wrong!
I can't believe they'd take the word of a 9-year old kid and his mum, rather than asking Neopets about it, or going onto the site and checking out the supposed "issue" themselves.
I can't believe they'd take the word of a 9-year old kid and his mum, rather than asking Neopets about it, or going onto the site and checking out the supposed "issue" themselves.
Mon Nov 08, 2004 9:46 am
i think ledi mentioned she's changed back and is having no problems, but i changed back on mine, and i couldn't access the scratchcard kiosk, i didn't try any other dailies really, but my account is listed as being 17, which is under the legal gambling age in australia.
TT is just an example of not to take the media too seriously, especially if they attempt to make you form an opinion, rather than a neutral and unbiased perspective which leaves you to form your own opinions.
TT is just an example of not to take the media too seriously, especially if they attempt to make you form an opinion, rather than a neutral and unbiased perspective which leaves you to form your own opinions.
Mon Nov 08, 2004 11:48 am
So thanks to that nine year old liar and a program that just dearly loves to twist the truth around, we Aussies are now devoid of practically every game listed on the Luck/Chance section bar the Wheel of Excitement?
...
This is the kind of thing I was hoping would not pop up on Neopets's doorsteps as I came back to the site after a long absence (with a new computer!) and now find myself and other Aussies banned from these games which otherwise did no mental harm on us AT ALL.
The world is breeding idiots at a vastly superior rate than last calculated...
...
This is the kind of thing I was hoping would not pop up on Neopets's doorsteps as I came back to the site after a long absence (with a new computer!) and now find myself and other Aussies banned from these games which otherwise did no mental harm on us AT ALL.
The world is breeding idiots at a vastly superior rate than last calculated...
Last edited by Marinnai Kasaraki on Mon Nov 08, 2004 11:54 am, edited 1 time in total.
Mon Nov 08, 2004 11:52 am
Now, now, violence isn't the answer, especially to a kid who was obviously paid to say that... his mother, however...
Mon Nov 08, 2004 11:56 am
162 wrote:Now, now, violence isn't the answer, especially to a kid who was obviously paid to say that... his mother, however...
Yes, just what I was thinking. His Mother looks like the type who would lie outright on National Television and pay her son to say the things he said.
But really...what was he doing online at Neopets in the first place if she's such a strict Mother against "gambling"?
The matter is obviously smarter than the mind...
>_<;
Mon Nov 08, 2004 11:58 am
Well, obviously she's not the best parent in the world. She said it herself- her son had been playing for months. And she only just picked up on Neopets?
*Tuts*
*Tuts*
Mon Nov 08, 2004 2:49 pm
hmmm wat a sTo__Opid parent tsk tsk tsk shame on you!
Mon Nov 08, 2004 3:32 pm
That is so not fair! Im glad im not Australian..but I feel really bad for them .. it's all because of one phsyco parent and lying kid!
In my school, at lunch time, me, a couple of my girl and guy friends play a nice game of blackjack, and we use pennies to bet.. or maybe candy XD
but, our teachers says its ok if no real big money is lost... i just wanna know.. whats the difference?
Mon Nov 08, 2004 4:35 pm
I guess the bottom line is, no one is forcing anyone to go to neopets or eat at McDonalds.
Mon Nov 08, 2004 4:37 pm
Pets don't run away, and I'd be glad to point that out for anybody. I didn't get on for almost a year except for the occasional Library visit, and yet, my Eyrie is still there, safe and sound, eh?
Mon Nov 08, 2004 9:23 pm
i changed my thing a few weeks ago to australia and was able to play the luck and chance games but then a few days later i couldn't play them ..so weather it was a glitch or something i don't know