Neopets Premium & Toolbar now available to the public!

[Scream]

Actually, they have mentioned many, many times (through editorial and such) that keeping the site free is something they strongly believe in and when they decided to make Neopets they made the decision to always keep it free.

Runescape (another good online game) has a Free to Play and Pay to Play (Members) version. Both sides can interact with each other, its just that the members get more perks/features/skills. And although Members get most skil/quest updates, they are not forgetting about the Free players either.

Neopets will always keep a free version...its natural that when they get as big as they are, they would have a pay version as well since many people WOULD pay...especially in an age of online RPGS like Everquest and all the other pay games. Since Neopets has such a big fanbase, they would be able to keep the price affordable as well.

I see this as a positive note...they can buy more servers/hire more people. Since most people say "Neopets is free, you can't complain", once they start charging, Neopets better run GLITCH FREE

[raudf]

Both sides can interact with each other, its just that the members get more perks/features/skills. And although Members get most skil/quest updates, they are not forgetting about the Free players either.

Neopets will always keep a free version...its natural that when they get as big as they are, they would have a pay version as well since many people WOULD pay...especially in an age of online RPGS like Everquest and all the other pay games. Since Neopets has such a big fanbase, they would be able to keep the price affordable as well.

I see this as a positive note...they can buy more servers/hire more people. Since most people say "Neopets is free, you can't complain", once they start charging, Neopets better run GLITCH FREE

Firstly, if they did give out more free stuff to the "paying members" this means that there would be people who would sell these things in their shops, just to those of us who don't have it would buy them.

There is a difference between Neopets and an MMORPG like Everquest and City of Heroes and that is the fact that the later two are not really aimed at kids, more to teens and older. Neopets is aimed at kids now, whether we "old folks" like it or not. I refuse to pay for Neopets for myself, so why would I want my child to have it? Not happening.

As for the glitch free? That would probably be for the "members" only, as they have proven time and time again that the free stuff isn't something to worry about.

Yes, this is rubbing salt in the wound as far as I'm concerned. Having anything that requires paying to play on a child's site is.. pointless and stupid.

[Moogum]

I see this as a positive note...they can buy more servers/hire more people. Since most people say "Neopets is free, you can't complain", once they start charging, Neopets better run GLITCH FREE

As for the glitch free? That would probably be for the "members" only, as they have proven time and time again that the free stuff isn't something to worry about.

They can't promise something to be glitch free, as glitches aren't things that they plan on doing. They are accidents. Accidents will happen whether you pay for the site or not.

[TheClone]

JXPop, Livejournal's system only gave codes to paying members, and they stopped doing the codes a long time ago.


Edit:

Guys, as to the cost. I'll summarize.

They're offering a dialup internet service. It's 15.95 a month. It sounds like they're going to use some sort of compression feature to help send html files faster. This doesn't really work for pictures/movies. So it shouldn't really help you have an unfair advantage over others on Neopets.

They're offering a webmail service for $40 a year. It's just webmail like what is offered by Yahoo except you (I think) are @neomail.com. It's a big "cool factor" thing. Everyone and their mom can have a Yahoo e-mail. I have a Neomail e-mail!

Finally, they have a service that just gives you access the neomail and to the portal but it's not an ISP. It's just access to the special webpage. It doesn't seem like it gives them an unfair advantage (except the 2x random event, which can be just as big of a negative. Yay! I run into the Pant Devil twice as much now!).

Honestly, I don't see why there is try cry over. The Portal, while it does look interesting, doesn't seem like it would give an extremly unfair advantage to anyone.

[everconfused]

OK, yes, the email and the ISP are optional...but they're making sound like people who sign up and pay for this WILL have an advantage. Whether that's true is to be determined, I guess. That's one thing. Having neomail or the ISP and paying for it won't guarantee no glitches -- nothing can. The ISP is not part of the site, it's a separate company and a separate thing. What it will probably do is make some people think that because they're now paying for something, that it WILL make the site work better and they'll get things back if there's a glitch. Don't think so.

Scams are already being perpetrated using the @neomail.com by people who got their hands on the trial and are sending emails to people who didn't know there was such a thing, claiming to be part of the new Premium Neopets and telling them that they've been selected to participate, but they do need their information to be able to.

And why, when you have email with your current ISP, yahoo, hotmail, gmail, etc. would you pay $40 a year for a web-based email? It's cool to have an email that's @neomail.com? I think the novelty would wear off quickly, we don't know how secure it is (most web-based email services are not very secure).

The ISP...well, it's dial up. I don't know about all this compressed stuff, but if it's anything like the aol topspeed and other dial-ups that claim to be faster - they aren't. Yes, the $15.95 is cheaper than many, but again, what security features are there? Or do you have to d/l the toolbar to get any added features (pop up blocker, etc.). The biggest thing I have against this whole ISP is this:

taken from SierraRaven's post in Neopets Toolbar topic (thank you again SierraRaven!):

Quote:
No Confidentiality

Information transmitted through Provider and through the Internet in general is not confidential. Provider can not and shall not guarantee privacy or protection of any User. Provider reserves the right to monitor any User's transmissions when deemed necessary for providing proper service and/or to protect the rights and property of Provider.
Customer Information

Unless required by court order, subpoena or other legal request, or upon the advice of counsel, Provider may publish User's name and other consumer information in one or more directories that may be accessed by other Internet users. In addition, unless User notifies Provider to the contrary as provided above, Provider may make such information available to third parties from time to time. User understands further that merchants on the Internet may have access to such information and may make it available to third parties in accordance with their normal practices unless User notifies those merchants directly that User does not wish such information to be made available.

Emphasis (bold, underline) added.

Note that it's the Provider who's protected, NOT the user. Note also that user names and other information can be made public. This is child-safe? Or safe for anyone for that matter? Is that something you want to pay for for yourself or your children?

Speaking of, how are children supposed to get these without getting their parents to agree to fork over their credit card and other information?

The Portal is a whole 'nother matter. If people like that and want to use it, great. There's no download, no fee involved.

The toolbar? Like I said before, I don't like downloadable toolbars, my Spybot went berserk the last time I downloaded one of those, and that was only because I was trying to get the latest Shockwave -- they include Yahoo toolbar automatically now. And yes, Macromedia did get a letter from me about that little trick.

[Melissa]

Geez...you'd think they'd be happy enough with the money they make from all their stuff in the real world stores.

I seriously hope it doesn't come down to having to pay to play...I think they'd lose alot of fans that way as probably many people have said on this thread already. I sure wouldn't hang around if it cost money...I love Neopets but not enough to pay for it on a regular basis.

[Dobbitron]

You would think neopets makes enough money as it is.

[Moogum]

You would think neopets makes enough money as it is.

You need to understand how much a site as large as Neopets actually costs... They aren't making THAT much profit... Much of their earnings go to keeping the site running.

[o_0]

I signed up for it. -_- I got a new avatar.
I love Neomail. x_x
I'm (or was) an alpha tester for the Neopets Portal, and I loved it. But I wouldn't PAY for it.

[Jens]

*sigh* let's see how many members actually will join that who would pay 35 dollars/month just to get mailto:robin5485228neo@neomail.com?

now they really cross the line of free to not-free. plushies is ok, that has nothing to do with the site (except for the rare item codes, but... yeah) but now you have to pay to actually have fun on the site!

[exodiathepowerful]

I am just happy with Hotmail.....

[happysmileyfungirl]

I am thinking about signing up to the portal but I was wondering if anyone can tell me what it actually is, what features does it have that neopets doesn'?

[Shifty]

shifty, what was the url when you put your cursor on that codestone? I'm just very leery of links and attachments in emails, especially after finding out people are using the neo email to try to scam people.

I don't know... I can't get into the account any more....
But it was something like neopets.com/secretcodestone [blah bla]
And the email came from mailto:support@neopets.com... freaky.

[on_diet_cat]

I dun think neomail is cool. My friends will said:"Huh? Neomail? you mean you still play kid's game?". Well, that is not cool.

[mizzy]

I am thinking about signing up to the portal but I was wondering if anyone can tell me what it actually is, what features does it have that neopets doesn'?

I too want to know this. Is it free? Or is it part of the whole internet-rip-off thing? And what is it anyway?