Difference between revisions of "Neopets"

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(news features section, editted environment and games, made premium part of merchandise)
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If a user is caught breaking the rules as stated in the Neopets [http://www.neopets.com/terms.phtml Terms and Conditions], their account will be suspended or ultimatly [[frozen]], which closes all access to the account until it's either deleted from the database or it should be unfrozen by a member of [[The Neopets Team]]. Having [[Multiple account]]s (up to four, according to the rules, can be created) causes the most confusion and problems for users, as  The Neopeats Team is always striving to prevent users from having an unfair advantage over others. If wrongfully accused of missdoings, there is a response form to contact Neopets. Unfortunately, the Neopets team does not always respond promptly, and may sometimes take up to a month or more to reply.
If a user is caught breaking the rules as stated in the Neopets [http://www.neopets.com/terms.phtml Terms and Conditions], their account will be suspended or ultimatly [[frozen]], which closes all access to the account until it's either deleted from the database or it should be unfrozen by a member of [[The Neopets Team]]. Having [[Multiple account]]s (up to four, according to the rules, can be created) causes the most confusion and problems for users, as  The Neopeats Team is always striving to prevent users from having an unfair advantage over others. If wrongfully accused of missdoings, there is a response form to contact Neopets. Unfortunately, the Neopets team does not always respond promptly, and may sometimes take up to a month or more to reply.


Part of the reason why Neopets is so widely-used is its continually changing environment, with new items, games, and [[plot]]s (such as [[Hannah and the Ice Caves (Plot)|Hannah and the Ice Caves]] or [[Curse of Maraqua]]) are introduced on a daily basis. The ability to amass large amounts of Neopoints and rare items is a challenge for competitive players, and someone who keeps up with the latest news has a greater chance of being the first one to obtain a rare item (and sell it before it drops in value) or to earn a top score in a new game.
==New Features==
Part of the reason why Neopets is so widely-used is its continually changing environment, with new items, games, and [[plot]]s (such as [[Hannah and the Ice Caves (Plot)|Hannah and the Ice Caves]] or [[Curse of Maraqua]]) are introduced on a daily basis. These changes are shown on the '''New Features''' page, which keeps a record of all Neopets news dating back to January 2000 when they began to archive their news. The ability to amass large amounts of Neopoints and rare items is a challenge for competitive players, and someone who keeps up with the latest news has a greater chance of being the first one to obtain a rare item (and sell it before it drops in value) or to earn a top score in a new game.
 
Sometimes the New Features will have a ''Random Theme'' for the day, and release items, colours, and other things related to that topic. All past themes as of December 2006 are:
<table width="850" align="center"><tr><td width="350" valign="top">
*'''July 1, 2003''' - Rainbow
*'''July 23, 2003''' - Fire
*'''August 6, 2003''' - Brown
*'''August 13, 2003''' - [[Babaa]]
*'''August 27, 2003''' - [[NeoSchool]]
*'''September 3, 2003''' - [[Pirate]]
*'''September 24, 2003''' - Orange
*'''Ocotber 1, 2003''' - [[Mystery Island]]
*'''October 8, 2003''' - [[Chokato]]
*'''October 15, 2003''' - [[Meowclops]]
*'''October 22, 2003''' - [[MSPP]]
*'''October 29, 2003''' - [[Fuzzle]]
*'''November 5, 2003''' - Invisible
*'''November 12, 2003''' - [[Mootix]]
*'''November 19, 2003''' - Cheese
*'''December 3, 2003''' - White
*'''December 10, 2003''' - [[Snowbunny]]
*'''December 23, 2003''' - [[Snorkle]]
*'''January 7, 2004''' - [[Tyrannia]]
*'''January 14, 2004''' - [[Sloth]] Appreciation
*'''January 21, 2004''' - [[Turtum]]
*'''January 28, 2004''' - [[Eliv Thade]]
*'''February 4, 2004''' - [[Jhudora]]
*'''February 11, 2004''' - [[Zombom]]
*'''February 25, 2004''' - Disco
*'''March 10, 2004''' - [[Mazzew]]
*'''March 17, 2004''' - [[Illusen]]
*'''March 24, 2004''' - [[Snot]]
*'''March 31, 2004''' - [[NeoQuest II]]
*'''April 7, 2004''' - [[Gruslen]]
*'''April 14, 2004''' - Grey
*'''April 21, 2004''' - [[Maraqua]]
*'''April 28, 2004''' - [[Wheel of Monotony]]
*'''May 5 & 6, 2004''' - [[Kreludor]]
*'''May 19, 2004''' - Pea
*'''May 26, 2004''' - [[Neopian Times]]
*'''June 2, 2004''' - [[Fyora]]
*'''June 16, 2004''' - Sketch
*'''June 22, 2004''' - Blackberries
*'''June 30, 2004''' - Jazz
</td><td width="350" valign="top">
*'''July 7, 2004''' - [[Faellie]]
*'''July 14, 2004''' - [[Baby]]
*'''July 21, 2004''' - [[Roo Island]]
*'''August 4, 2004''' - [[Goldy]]
*'''August 11 & 12, 2004''' - Discovery of [[Brightvale]]
*'''August 19, 2004''' - [[Gnome]]
*'''August 25, 2004''' - Mutant
*'''September 1, 2004''' - Carrot
*'''September 22, 2004''' - Toast
*'''October 6, 2004''' - [[Hannah]]
*'''October 20, 2004''' - [[Symol]]
*'''November 3, 2004''' - [[Slorg]]
*'''November 10, 2004''' - [[Broken Toy]]s
*'''November 18, 2004''' - Sloth
*'''November 24, 2004''' - [[Battle Faerie]]
*'''December 1, 2004''' - [[Wreathy]]
*'''December 8, 2004''' - [[Snowager]]
*'''December 15, 2004''' - Garlic
*'''December 22, 2004''' - [[Taelia]]
*'''January 5, 2005''' - [[Tooth Faerie]]
*'''January 19, 2005''' - [[Achyfi]]
*'''January 26, 2005''' - [[Harris]]
*'''February 2, 2005''' - Winter
*'''February 9, 2005''' - [[Snicklebeast]]
*'''February 16, 2005''' - [[Plushie]]
*'''February 23, 2005''' - [[Raindorf]]
*'''March 9, 2005''' - Pink
*'''March 16, 2005''' - [[Slugawoo]]
*'''March 23, 2005''' - [[Hasee Bounce]]
*'''March 30, 2005''' - [[Caylis]] and [[Isca]]
*'''April 6, 2005''' - [[Nova]]
*'''April 13, 2005''' - [[Captain Scarblade]]
*'''May 5, 2005''' - Pinata
*'''May 11, 2005''' - Clay
*'''June 8, 2005''' - [[Petpet]] Appreciation Day
*'''June 22, 2005''' - [[Niptor]]
*'''June 29, 2005''' - Yellow
*'''July 13, 2005''' - [[Geraptiku]]
*'''July 20, 2005''' - Custard
</td><td width="350" valign="top">
*'''July 27, 2005''' - Camouflage
*'''August 3, 2005''' - [[Petpet Lab Ray]]
*'''August 10, 2005''' - [[Scarabug]]
*'''September 6, 2005''' - [[Spardel]]
*'''September 28, 2005''' - [[Nightsteed]]
*'''October 5, 2005''' - [[Doglefox]]
*'''October 12, 2005''' - Starry
*'''October 19, 2005''' - Disco
*'''October 27, 2005''' - [[Werelupe]]
*'''November 10, 2005''' - [[Darkest Faerie]]
*'''November 16, 2005''' - [[Cyodrake]]
*'''November 22, 2005''' - [[Darigan]]
*'''December 7, 2005''' - Snow
*'''December 10, 2005''' - [[Snuffly]]
*'''December 14, 2005''' - Battle Faerie
*'''January 18, 2006''' - [[Anubis]]
*'''January 25, 2006''' - Rainbow
*'''February 1, 2006''' - [[Eliv Thade]]
*'''February 8, 2006''' - Biscuit
*'''February 15, 2006''' - [[Ettaphant]]
*'''March 8, 2006''' - [[Robot]]s
*'''March 15, 2006''' - [[Feed Florg]]
*'''April 6, 2006''' - [[Sophie]] the Swamp Witch
*'''April 20, 2006''' - Gummies
*'''May 10, 2006''' - Speckled
*'''May 17, 2006''' - [[Ghost]]ly
*'''May 24, 2006''' - [[Neogarden]]s
*'''June 1, 2006''' - Water
*'''June 14, 2006''' - Dirt
*'''June 21, 2006''' - Traveling Neopia
*'''July 6, 2006''' - Blizzard
*'''July 20, 2006''' - Kites
*'''August 2, 2006''' - Health and Exercise
*'''August 16, 2006''' - [[Candy]]
*'''August 30, 2006''' - Back to School
*'''September 14, 2006''' - [[Tyrannian]] Rock-Fest
*'''October 11, 2006''' - Autumn Celebration
*'''October 18, 2006''' - Neopian [[Stamp]] Jubilee
*'''December 6, 2006''' - Sophie and Friends
</td></tr></table>


==Environment==
==Environment==
''See also: [[:Category: Neopia|Neopia]]''
:''Main Article: [[Neopia]]''


The whole of Neopets takes place on (or in orbit around) the fictional planet of Neopia.  The main setting is Neopia Central, a city where the main stores are based. There are also different themed settings, called ''worlds'': [[Tyrannia]] (prehistoric), [[Faerieland]] (faeries), [[Altador]] (alternate faeries/Ancient Greece), [[Mystery Island]] (Polynesian), [[Haunted Woods]] (Halloween/spooky), [[Krawk Island]] (pirates), [[Lost Desert]] (Ancient Egypt|Ancient Egyptian), [[Terror Mountain]] (winter/Christmas), [[Virtupets Space Station]] (Space Station), [[Kreludor]] (moon), [[Meridell]] (medieval), and [[Brightvale]] (medieval with an emphasis on knowledge and enlightenment, à la the Renaissance).
The whole of Neopets takes place on (or in orbit around) the fictional planet of Neopia.  The main setting is [[Neopia Central]], a city where alll basic [[shop]]s are based. There are also many different lands or worlds within Neopia, each with their own theme or setting:


There are also mini worlds and sub-worlds, such as [[Roo Island]], [[Kiko Lake]], [[Lost City of Geraptiku]] and the [[Neopets Mobile]] accesible [[Lutari Island]]. Each of these worlds (which are, in reality, more like regions or settings) has unique shops, games, and activities pertaining to its theme.
*[[Mystery Island]] ([[Wikipedia:Polynesia|Polynesian]])
*[[Virtupets Space Station]] ([[Wikipedia:Space station|Space station]]/Technological)
*[[Terror Mountain]] (winter/[[Wikipedia:Christmas|Christmas]])
*[[Maraqua]] ([[Wikipedia:Atlantis|Atlantis]])
*[[Tyrannia]] ([[Wikipedia:Prehistory|Prehistory]])
*[[Haunted Woods]] ([[Wikipedia:Halloween|Halloween]]/spooky)
*[[Faerieland]] ([[Wikipedia:Fairy|Fairy]])
*[[Lost Desert]] ([[Wikipedia:Ancient Egypt|Ancient Egyptian]])
*[[Krawk Island]] ([[Wikipedia:Piracy|Piracy]])
*[[Meridell]] ([[Wikipedia:Middle Ages|Middle Ages]])
*[[Kreludor]] ([[Wikipedia:Moon|Moon]])
*[[Brightvale]] (Middle Ages/[[Wikipedia:Renaissance|Renaissance]])
*[[Altador]] (alternate faeries/[[Wikipedia:Ancient Greece|Ancient Greece]])
*[[Shenkuu]] ([[Wikipedia:Chinese|Chinese]])


These worlds are generally introduced through in-game plots that involve their discovery or destruction.  For example, [[Maraqua]] (underwater) was originally destroyed by [[Captain Dread]] and his pirates in one plotline, but has been rebuilt and reopened as a result of the [[Curse of Maraqua]] storyline.
There are also mini worlds and sub-worlds, such as [[Roo Island]], [[Kiko Lake]], [[Lost City of Geraptiku]] and the [[Neopets Mobile]] accesible [[Lutari Island]]. Each of these worlds (which are more like regions or settings) have unique shops, games, and activities pertaining to its theme.


The other side of Neopia, long promised and long undelivered, became available on the 24th of June 2006. For a very long time before the other side of Neopia was released, its existence was incorporated in many ways into Neopian fan fiction - for example, there was a [[Storytelling Contest]] story that involved a [[Plushie]] land through the mountains behind the Haunted Woods, and some theorised upon the release of the first Darkest Faerie TCG expansion that the other side of Neopia held a massive continent (possibly a [[Wikipedia:Supercontinent|supercontinent]]) called [[Talador]]. This second theory turned out to be true to some extent, with [[Altador]] appearing on the other side of Neopia, the large continent expected did not exist - in this respect, it is something of a Neopian [[Wikipedia:Terra Australis|Terra Australis]]. Interestingly, [[Jelly World]] isn't on either side of Neopia - it is possible it is unmapped, shielded in some way, or exists on a separate plane of existence or timeline - and Lutari Island is non-accessible, as it is only available to members who have Neopets on their Cingular phones. There appear to be cities on some unnamed islands, so there is hope that new civilizations or worlds will be released soon.
These worlds are generally introduced through in-game plots which involve their discovery or destruction. For example, Maraqua was originally destroyed by [[Captain Dread]] and his pirates in one plot, but has been rebuilt and reopened as a result of the [[Curse of Maraqua]] storyline.
 
The other side of Neopia, long promised since ''(need date)'', became available on the June 24, 2006. For a very long time before its release, its existence was incorporated in many ways into Neopian fan fiction, such as a [[Storytelling Contest]] story which involved a [[Plushie]] land through the mountains behind the Haunted Woods. Some users theorised upon the release of the [[Neopets TCG]] the other side of Neopia held a massive continent (possibly a [[Wikipedia:Supercontinent|supercontinent]]) called [[Talador]]. This second theory was true to some extent, with the later renamed [[Altador]] appearing on a [[Wikipedia:Terra Australis|Terra Australis]] with some of the other worlds.
 
Interestingly, [[Jelly World]] isn't on either side of Neopia, either due to it being unmapped, sheilded in some way, existing on a separate plane of existence/timeline or TNT's continual denial of it's existence. Lutari Island is on the other side of Neopia as well, but is non-accessible to non-members of Neopets Mobile. The Neopain explanation for this inaccessibility is the fact Lutari Island is floating rather than being land locked, and is never in the same location twice.
 
There are many unnamed islands and places visable on the other side of Neopia, believe to be released for future plots.


==Gameplay==
==Gameplay==
There are many activities a Neopets player can perform to advance towards a goal.  They can train their pets to become fighters to participate in the occasional wars that occur, usually when new worlds are discovered.  They can also become merchants, collecting and selling expensive items.  People can also send in their drawings or stories and become known for their creative skills. Most of the games on the site are divided into three categories: puzzle, action, and luck/chance.
:''Main Article: [[Games Room]]''


===Flash/Shockwave games===
The mayority of the website resolves around playing games, which there are an aboundance of, all of which reward the user with Neopoints to feed and play with their Neopet or advance towards a goal. As of December 2006, all games come under the following categories:
Most of the games on the site are Macromedia Flash or Macromedia Shockwave games, which require certain software to be installed on the player's computer. Many are similar to older games&mdash;for example, [[Meerca Chase II]] is very similar to Snake while [[Korbats Lab]] is like Breakout.


The action games are arcade-like games.  They include games like [[Hannah and the Ice Caves (Game)|Hannah and the Ice Caves]], a multileveled game where you guide the characters Hannah and her sidekick Armin through increasingly difficult icy caves while collecting treasure and avoiding snow beasts.  Puzzle games are games requiring some thought during gameplay.  Luck/chance games include various slot machine games such as [[Brucey B Slots]] and other gambling themed games.
*[[:Category:Action Games|Action]]
*[[:Category:Adventure Games|Adventure]]
*[[:Category:Arcade Classic Games|Arcade Classic]]
*[[:Category:Board Games|Board Games]]
*[[:Category:Card Games|Card Games]]
*[[:Category:Educational Games|Educational]]
*[[:Category:For Kids Games|For Kids]]
*[[:Category:Luck and Chance Games|Luck and Chance]]
*[[:Category:Most Challenging Games|Most Challenging]]
*[[:Category:Multiplayer Games|Multiplayer]]
*[[:Category:Puzzle Games|Puzzles]]
*[[:Category:Quiz Games|Quiz Games]]
*[[:Category:Sports Games|Sports Games]]
*[[:Category:Strategy Games|Strategy]]
*[[:Category:Word Games|Word Games]]


Scores from these games may be sent three times a day, for up to 1,000 Neopoints per game, proportional to the score.  Highly skilled users may earn a [[Trophy]] or an [[Avatar]].
Most of the games on the site use [[Wikipedia:Adobe Flash|Adobe Flash]] or [[Wikipedia:Adobe Shockwave|Adobe Shockwave]], a software which needs to be installed on users computer in order to play. Scores from these games may be sent three times a day, for up to 1,000 Neopoints per game, proportional to the score the user recieves in a particular game. There are also numerous PHP games which are more accessible to players computers incapable of using flash, such as [[NeoQuest]] and [[Plushie Tycoon]], as well as card games like [[Pyramids]] and [[Scarab 21]]. Many of the games are similar in design and play to older games, such as [[Meerca Chase II]] to [[Wikipedia:Snake (video game)|Snake]], [[Korbats Lab]] to [[Wikipedia:Breakout|Breakout]], [[Neggsweeper]] to [[Wikipedia:Minesweeper (computer game)|Minesweeper]] and [[Snow Wars]] to [[Wikipedia:Battleship (game)|Battleship]]. Highly skilled users may earn a [[Trophy]] or an [[Avatar]] from all the games.
 
===Other games===
There are also numerous PHP games (which are more accessible to players with slower computers), such as [[NeoQuest]] and [[Plushie Tycoon]], as well as card games like [[Pyramids]] and [[Scarab 21]]. NeoQuest and NeoQuest II are classic RPGs where players fight monsters and defeat villains. Plushie Tycoon allows the player to simulate running a business which sells Neopets plushies. Also in this category are a daily crossword ([[Faerie Crossword]]), a dice game ([[Dice-a-roo]]), and a version of Minesweeper ([[Neggsweeper]]).


===Plots===
===Plots===
:''Main Article: [[Plot]]''
:''Main Article: [[Plot]]''


Plots are presented in a comic book format which results in some kind of climax that players can participate in (such as a war or a series of puzzles).  For those plots that have involved wars, players are sometimes given the option to choose a side to support.  Fighters are given a series of enemies to fight in the battledome in order to gain points for their side, and "supporters" could collect items or play games instead of fighting.  The [[Lost Desert Plot]] which began in September of 2005 did not have a war. players were instead invited to solve a complex series of puzzles to help save the day.
Every few months, Neopets will feature a plot or story which is occuring on Neopia, in which users can participate in to recieve prizes. The majority of current plots are presented in a comic book format, which the user can participate in the happenings of the plot as it's presented or in the climax. Participation is different for each type of plot, either being a series of puzzles or fighting a war in the Battledome. Plots usually contain reoccuring characters such as [[Dr. Frank Sloth]], who is prominently featured in several plots.
 
The Neopian arch-villain, [[Dr. Sloth]], is prominently featured in several site-wide stories.  His greatest achievements were the enslavement of the [[Grundo]]s, an alien-like race, and his creation of the [[Transmogrification Potion]]s, which change the appearance or species of a Neopet into a [[Mutant]] version.


==Controversy and criticism==
==Controversy and criticism==
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The introduction of a premium service in which advertisements are removed and special gifts given for sign-up has also sparked controversy, with users stating that Neopets has started "selling Neopoints", something prohibited under the site's terms and conditions.
The introduction of a premium service in which advertisements are removed and special gifts given for sign-up has also sparked controversy, with users stating that Neopets has started "selling Neopoints", something prohibited under the site's terms and conditions.


In October of 2004, while McDonald's Corporation was promoting Neopets plushies in their Happy Meals, a story on the Australian news show ''Today Tonight'' featured a nine-year-old boy claiming that the site requires one to gamble in order to receive enough Neopoints to feed one's Neopet, or else it is sent to an orphanage. While much of this is factually incorrect (gambling is not required, nor are pets ever sent to an orphanage if they are not fed), it is true that the website has a number of games of chance that are directly based on real-life games like blackjack, poker, and even lottery scratchcards. Neopets had prohibited users under the age of 13 to use most games that involve gambling.  
In October of 2004, while McDonald's Corporation was promoting Neopets plushies in their Happy Meals, a story on the Australian news show [[Wikipedia:Today Tonight|Today Tonight]] featured a nine-year-old boy claiming that the site requires one to gamble in order to receive enough Neopoints to feed one's Neopet, or else it is sent to an orphanage. While much of this is factually incorrect (gambling is not required, nor are pets ever sent to an orphanage if they are not fed), it is true that the website has a number of games of chance that are directly based on real-life games like blackjack, poker, and even lottery scratchcards. Neopets had prohibited users under the age of 13 to use most games that involve gambling.  


This article sparked a nation-wide controversy as concerned parents voiced their complaints about the website, prompting McDonalds to pressure Neopets into temporarily blocking Australian accounts from accessing games of chance for the duration of the promotion, which ended on November 5th. When this happened, countless complaints appeared on Neopets itself when even Australians able to legally gamble could not access any game of chance on the website. Complaints quickly died down after users realized that by merely changing the country setting on their user preferences the temporary ban could be bypassed.
This article sparked a nation-wide controversy as concerned parents voiced their complaints about the website, prompting McDonalds to pressure Neopets into temporarily blocking Australian accounts from accessing games of chance for the duration of the promotion, which ended on November 5th. When this happened, countless complaints appeared on Neopets itself when even Australians able to legally gamble could not access any game of chance on the website. Complaints quickly died down after users realized that by merely changing the country setting on their user preferences the temporary ban could be bypassed.
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And because Neopets is based in America, playing certain games like visiting the [[Snowager]] becomes difficult because they are based on Neopets time (which is the same as , the current time in California where Neopets Headquarters is based). Because of this some users feel cheated out of the full Neopets experience, while other users around the world take advantage of the time zone differences, playing [[Count Von Roo]]s [[Deadly Dice]] in the morning, while it take place at midnight Neopets Time.
And because Neopets is based in America, playing certain games like visiting the [[Snowager]] becomes difficult because they are based on Neopets time (which is the same as , the current time in California where Neopets Headquarters is based). Because of this some users feel cheated out of the full Neopets experience, while other users around the world take advantage of the time zone differences, playing [[Count Von Roo]]s [[Deadly Dice]] in the morning, while it take place at midnight Neopets Time.


It has also been rumoured that Neopets is closely affiliated with the controversial Church of Scientology through CEO [http://www.pinkpt.com/neodex/index.php/Doug_Dohring Doug Dohring] [http://www.scientology-kills.org/dohring.htm]. The impact of his beliefs on the site itself is not apparent, though Dohring has been quoted as saying "Having used his technology in every business activity... Mr. Hubbard's organizational concepts are always with me" (according to the [http://www.hubbardcollege.com/mgmtsystem/use_dougdohring.html Hubbard College of Administration]).
It has also been rumoured that Neopets is closely affiliated with the controversial Church of Scientology through CEO [[Doug Dohring]][http://www.scientology-kills.org/dohring.htm]. The impact of his beliefs on the site itself is not apparent, though Dohring has been quoted as saying "Having used his technology in every business activity... Mr. Hubbard's organizational concepts are always with me" (according to the [http://www.hubbardcollege.com/mgmtsystem/use_dougdohring.html Hubbard College of Administration]).


Groups of people believing that Neopets treats users poorly and who are also against the immersive advertising have formed anti-Neopets websites expressing their views. These groups have bought domain names for their movement, talked about their movement on the Neopets forums, and have even reported Neopets for what they believe to be potential copyright violations.
Groups of people believing that Neopets treats users poorly and who are also against the immersive advertising have formed anti-Neopets websites expressing their views. These groups have bought domain names for their movement, talked about their movement on the Neopets forums, and have even reported Neopets for what they believe to be potential copyright violations.


On March 31, 2006, Neopets released their [[April Fool's]] joke called [[NeoCharge]], a new system which would keep inflation down. For every page view users were charged up to 12 NP, which accumulated to a point of 10,000 NP. At this point, users would have to pay, or would lose their property and eventually their account. It made certain areas of the site almost implayable, such as the [[NeoQuest]] games and [[NeoMail]], because of the constant refreshing needed to use them. Those who saw NeoCharge for what it was began to make it into a game to see what happpend at 10,000 NP, and how high they could get it. Others users felt it was a cruel joke on Neopets part as users trust and believe what they say, and were betrayed at the expense of a good laugh.
On March 31, 2006, Neopets released their [[April Fool's]] joke called [[NeoCharge]], a new system which would keep inflation down. For every page view users were charged up to 12 NP, which accumulated to a point of 10,000 NP. At this point, users would have to pay, or would lose their property and eventually their account. It made certain areas of the site almost implayable, such as the [[NeoQuest]] games and [[NeoMail]], because of the constant refreshing needed to use them. Those who saw NeoCharge for what it was began to make it into a game to see what happpend at 10,000 NP, and how high they could get it. Others users felt it was a cruel joke on Neopets part as users trust and believe what they say, and were betrayed at the expense of a good laugh.
==Neopets Premium==
:''Main Article: [[Neopets Premium]]''
Neopets Premium is an extended version of the site, for which members pay $7.99 a month, or $69.95 a year. There are also different packs that include Premium such as dial-up service. With this Premium membership, external ads are completely erased, and certain "perks" are added, such as bonus Neopoints, rare items, premium users only boards, webmail, more [[Random Event]]s, and testing unreleased games. Some groups voice the opinion that the Neopets staff members are transferring some free features to Premium.
To go Premium, a player must first be invited by another Premium member. There is then a 15 day trial. There are even prizes (an [[Avatar]], [[Sidebar]], and [[Trophy]]) for referring people to Premium who have remained after their trial has expired.


==Merchandise==
==Merchandise==
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In 2004 Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. announced the upcoming release of ''Neopets: The Darkest Faerie'', available for the PSone game consoles. However, in March 2005 they confirmed that they had already began remaking the game for the PS2.  
In 2004 Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. announced the upcoming release of ''Neopets: The Darkest Faerie'', available for the PSone game consoles. However, in March 2005 they confirmed that they had already began remaking the game for the PS2.  


In March 2005 it was confirmed that the Neopets team had also begun work on a Neopets film (which the creators of the site had kept secret from their own staff until it was confirmed). When informing the users of this, they also implied that there may be more than one Neopets film in the future (although, of course, this will depend entirely on the success of their first film).
In March 2005 it was confirmed that the Neopets team had also begun work on a Neopets film (which the creators of the site had kept secret from their own staff until it was confirmed). When informing the users of this, they also implied that there may be more than one Neopets film in the future (which may depend on the success of the first film).
 
===Neopets Premium===
:''Main Article: [[Neopets Premium]]''
 
Neopets Premium is an extended version of the site, for which members pay $7.99 a month, or $69.95 a year. There are also different packs that include Premium such as dial-up service. With this Premium membership, external ads are completely erased, and certain "perks" are added, such as bonus Neopoints, rare items, premium users only boards, webmail, more [[Random Event]]s, and testing unreleased games. Some groups voice the opinion that the Neopets staff members are transferring some free features to Premium.
 
To go Premium, a player must first be invited by another Premium member. There is then a 15 day trial. There are even prizes (an [[Avatar]], [[Sidebar]], and [[Trophy]]) for referring people to Premium who have remained after their trial has expired.


==Pop culture references==
==Pop Culture References==
Aside from the fact that Neopets has its own vibrant user culture, there are many references in the site to movies, video games, and more. The [[List of references in Neopets]] article contains an extensive list of such references.
Aside from the fact that Neopets has its own vibrant user culture, there are many references in the site to movies, video games, and more. The [[List of references in Neopets]] article contains an extensive list of such references.


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*A [[Wikipedia:Google search|Google search]] feature was added to the basic Neopets search on November 21, 2006.
*A [[Wikipedia:Google search|Google search]] feature was added to the basic Neopets search on November 21, 2006.


==See also==
==See Also==
*[[:Category:Pet types|Pet types]]
*[[:Category:Pet types|Pet types]]
*[[:Category: Neopia|Neopia]]
*[[:Category: Neopia|Neopia]]
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*[http://www.neopets.com/pronounce.phtml Learn to speak Neopian], [http://info.neopets.com/presskit/index.html Official Neopets Press Kit]
*[http://www.neopets.com/pronounce.phtml Learn to speak Neopian], [http://info.neopets.com/presskit/index.html Official Neopets Press Kit]
*'''Editorial:''' [http://www.neopets.com/ntimes/index.phtml?section=editorial&issue=221 221],  
*'''Editorial:''' [http://www.neopets.com/ntimes/index.phtml?section=editorial&issue=221 221],  
*'''Selected Fan Sites:''' [http://www.neoitems.net/index.php - Neoitems.net], [http://www.avatar.starried.net AvatarLog], [http://www.Neocolours.me.uk/ Neocolours], [http://www.pinkpt.com/ PinkPT], [http://www.neopetshive.com/ Neopets Hive], [http://www.neodaq.com NeoDaq]
*'''Selected Fan Sites:''' [http://www.neoitems.net/index.php Neoitems.net], [http://www.avatar.starried.net AvatarLog], [http://www.Neocolours.me.uk Neocolours], [http://www.nothingbutneopets.com Nothing But Neopets] [http://www.pinkpt.com PinkPT], [http://www.neopetshive.com Neopets Hive], [http://www.neodaq.com NeoDaq]
*'''Selected Pet Pages:''' [http://home.neopets.com/templates/homepage.phtml?pet_name=My_First_Little_Pony List of Neopage Guides], [http://home.neopets.com/templates/homepage.phtml?pet_name=Leto Premium Neopets FAQ]
*'''Selected Pet Pages:''' [http://home.neopets.com/templates/homepage.phtml?pet_name=My_First_Little_Pony List of Neopage Guides], [http://home.neopets.com/templates/homepage.phtml?pet_name=Leto Premium Neopets FAQ]


[[Category:Neopets]]
[[Category:Neopets]]

Revision as of 21:41, 6 December 2006

Jubjub red sad.gif This page is under construction
Rewriting the whole article
Screenshot of the Neopets homepage in Mozilla FireFox taken in November 2005

Basics

After creating an account, users (sometimes referred to as Neopians) can own up to four different Neopets. As of November 2006, there are 54 Neopet species, with most being fictionalized versions of real animals. For example, the Nimmo is a stylized frog, the Blumaroo kangaroo-like and the Pteri a bird-like species. There are also Neopet versions of popular fantasy creatures, such as dragons (Draiks) and unicorns (Unis). Users can customize their Neopets by selecting gender, colour (with base colours red, blue, yellow, or green for all Neopets with the exception of the Grundo which can be painted purple, brown and white as well), personality, and name (which must be unique, because all Neopets must have names that are different from all other Neopets).

After creating their selected Neopet, users can play with and feed their pets by collecting Neopoints and items by playing games and buying from shops, the Trading Post or Auction House. Neglecting a Neopets health will not kill their Neopet in any way, but it's viewed as a mean and cruel by the Neopets community, and may also result in a users Neopet turning blue or red. All these functions can be done and learned from Neopets Jr., a simple version of the site catering to those new to Neopets or the very young.

Once Neopians become comfortable with the basics of caring for their Neopet, they can begin spending their Neopoints on items beyond Neopet care. Popular goals include obtaining Paint Brushes and and the Lab Ray which can customize a Neopets appearance beyond the basic colour choices upon a Neopets creation. Petpets, pets for a users Neopet, are also quite popular, as are Petpetpets, small critters which can be attached to a Petpet. Any of these goals can cost an enormous amount of Neopoints, and dedicated users devote months to their acquisition.

Users can use their collected Neopoints and items in many different ways, such as collect certain items (often those that are rare or expensive) and place them in an Item Gallery. Other types of collections include Collectable Cards, Trading Cards (digital versions of the real life Neopets TCG cards), and stamps/coins/sea shells, all of which can be collected in specific albums. A Neohomes can also be created and filled with Furniture and additional features (lights, insurance, etc.). The goal of both ventures is usually to try to win a spotlight award or to show off items and collections. And of course, users can create a shop, where they can resell the items they collected in return for Neopoints.

Neopets also offers different writing and art contests, such as the Neopian Times, a weekly newspaper which includes short stories, a question-and-answer editorial, comics (animated and traditional), story series, and articles created by users. There is also a Poetry Competition which runs approximately twice a week and a Storytelling contest where users submit the next part of a short story. Players can also contribute pictures of their Neopets for voting in the Beauty Contest, or create their own levels of certain games.

Neopets is a thriving community, allowing its users to chat and contact each other since its creation through many different means. The most basic form is through Neomail (on-site email) or NeoBoards, the Neopets forum, which are often treated like chat rooms than internet forums. Users can also battle other users in the Battledome in a style akin to popular Computer role-playing game such as Pokémon. As with all internet communities, there is possible danger in giving personal information to strangers. Therefore, players who register as under 13 must submit a document by fax or letter with a parent's signature to the website's address in order to access any of the site's communication features, in compliance with COPPA.

If a user is caught breaking the rules as stated in the Neopets Terms and Conditions, their account will be suspended or ultimatly frozen, which closes all access to the account until it's either deleted from the database or it should be unfrozen by a member of The Neopets Team. Having Multiple accounts (up to four, according to the rules, can be created) causes the most confusion and problems for users, as The Neopeats Team is always striving to prevent users from having an unfair advantage over others. If wrongfully accused of missdoings, there is a response form to contact Neopets. Unfortunately, the Neopets team does not always respond promptly, and may sometimes take up to a month or more to reply.

New Features

Part of the reason why Neopets is so widely-used is its continually changing environment, with new items, games, and plots (such as Hannah and the Ice Caves or Curse of Maraqua) are introduced on a daily basis. These changes are shown on the New Features page, which keeps a record of all Neopets news dating back to January 2000 when they began to archive their news. The ability to amass large amounts of Neopoints and rare items is a challenge for competitive players, and someone who keeps up with the latest news has a greater chance of being the first one to obtain a rare item (and sell it before it drops in value) or to earn a top score in a new game.

Sometimes the New Features will have a Random Theme for the day, and release items, colours, and other things related to that topic. All past themes as of December 2006 are:

  • July 1, 2003 - Rainbow
  • July 23, 2003 - Fire
  • August 6, 2003 - Brown
  • August 13, 2003 - Babaa
  • August 27, 2003 - NeoSchool
  • September 3, 2003 - Pirate
  • September 24, 2003 - Orange
  • Ocotber 1, 2003 - Mystery Island
  • October 8, 2003 - Chokato
  • October 15, 2003 - Meowclops
  • October 22, 2003 - MSPP
  • October 29, 2003 - Fuzzle
  • November 5, 2003 - Invisible
  • November 12, 2003 - Mootix
  • November 19, 2003 - Cheese
  • December 3, 2003 - White
  • December 10, 2003 - Snowbunny
  • December 23, 2003 - Snorkle
  • January 7, 2004 - Tyrannia
  • January 14, 2004 - Sloth Appreciation
  • January 21, 2004 - Turtum
  • January 28, 2004 - Eliv Thade
  • February 4, 2004 - Jhudora
  • February 11, 2004 - Zombom
  • February 25, 2004 - Disco
  • March 10, 2004 - Mazzew
  • March 17, 2004 - Illusen
  • March 24, 2004 - Snot
  • March 31, 2004 - NeoQuest II
  • April 7, 2004 - Gruslen
  • April 14, 2004 - Grey
  • April 21, 2004 - Maraqua
  • April 28, 2004 - Wheel of Monotony
  • May 5 & 6, 2004 - Kreludor
  • May 19, 2004 - Pea
  • May 26, 2004 - Neopian Times
  • June 2, 2004 - Fyora
  • June 16, 2004 - Sketch
  • June 22, 2004 - Blackberries
  • June 30, 2004 - Jazz
  • July 27, 2005 - Camouflage
  • August 3, 2005 - Petpet Lab Ray
  • August 10, 2005 - Scarabug
  • September 6, 2005 - Spardel
  • September 28, 2005 - Nightsteed
  • October 5, 2005 - Doglefox
  • October 12, 2005 - Starry
  • October 19, 2005 - Disco
  • October 27, 2005 - Werelupe
  • November 10, 2005 - Darkest Faerie
  • November 16, 2005 - Cyodrake
  • November 22, 2005 - Darigan
  • December 7, 2005 - Snow
  • December 10, 2005 - Snuffly
  • December 14, 2005 - Battle Faerie
  • January 18, 2006 - Anubis
  • January 25, 2006 - Rainbow
  • February 1, 2006 - Eliv Thade
  • February 8, 2006 - Biscuit
  • February 15, 2006 - Ettaphant
  • March 8, 2006 - Robots
  • March 15, 2006 - Feed Florg
  • April 6, 2006 - Sophie the Swamp Witch
  • April 20, 2006 - Gummies
  • May 10, 2006 - Speckled
  • May 17, 2006 - Ghostly
  • May 24, 2006 - Neogardens
  • June 1, 2006 - Water
  • June 14, 2006 - Dirt
  • June 21, 2006 - Traveling Neopia
  • July 6, 2006 - Blizzard
  • July 20, 2006 - Kites
  • August 2, 2006 - Health and Exercise
  • August 16, 2006 - Candy
  • August 30, 2006 - Back to School
  • September 14, 2006 - Tyrannian Rock-Fest
  • October 11, 2006 - Autumn Celebration
  • October 18, 2006 - Neopian Stamp Jubilee
  • December 6, 2006 - Sophie and Friends

Environment

Main Article: Neopia

The whole of Neopets takes place on (or in orbit around) the fictional planet of Neopia. The main setting is Neopia Central, a city where alll basic shops are based. There are also many different lands or worlds within Neopia, each with their own theme or setting:

There are also mini worlds and sub-worlds, such as Roo Island, Kiko Lake, Lost City of Geraptiku and the Neopets Mobile accesible Lutari Island. Each of these worlds (which are more like regions or settings) have unique shops, games, and activities pertaining to its theme.

These worlds are generally introduced through in-game plots which involve their discovery or destruction. For example, Maraqua was originally destroyed by Captain Dread and his pirates in one plot, but has been rebuilt and reopened as a result of the Curse of Maraqua storyline.

The other side of Neopia, long promised since (need date), became available on the June 24, 2006. For a very long time before its release, its existence was incorporated in many ways into Neopian fan fiction, such as a Storytelling Contest story which involved a Plushie land through the mountains behind the Haunted Woods. Some users theorised upon the release of the Neopets TCG the other side of Neopia held a massive continent (possibly a supercontinent) called Talador. This second theory was true to some extent, with the later renamed Altador appearing on a Terra Australis with some of the other worlds.

Interestingly, Jelly World isn't on either side of Neopia, either due to it being unmapped, sheilded in some way, existing on a separate plane of existence/timeline or TNT's continual denial of it's existence. Lutari Island is on the other side of Neopia as well, but is non-accessible to non-members of Neopets Mobile. The Neopain explanation for this inaccessibility is the fact Lutari Island is floating rather than being land locked, and is never in the same location twice.

There are many unnamed islands and places visable on the other side of Neopia, believe to be released for future plots.

Gameplay

Main Article: Games Room

The mayority of the website resolves around playing games, which there are an aboundance of, all of which reward the user with Neopoints to feed and play with their Neopet or advance towards a goal. As of December 2006, all games come under the following categories:

Most of the games on the site use Adobe Flash or Adobe Shockwave, a software which needs to be installed on users computer in order to play. Scores from these games may be sent three times a day, for up to 1,000 Neopoints per game, proportional to the score the user recieves in a particular game. There are also numerous PHP games which are more accessible to players computers incapable of using flash, such as NeoQuest and Plushie Tycoon, as well as card games like Pyramids and Scarab 21. Many of the games are similar in design and play to older games, such as Meerca Chase II to Snake, Korbats Lab to Breakout, Neggsweeper to Minesweeper and Snow Wars to Battleship. Highly skilled users may earn a Trophy or an Avatar from all the games.

Plots

Main Article: Plot

Every few months, Neopets will feature a plot or story which is occuring on Neopia, in which users can participate in to recieve prizes. The majority of current plots are presented in a comic book format, which the user can participate in the happenings of the plot as it's presented or in the climax. Participation is different for each type of plot, either being a series of puzzles or fighting a war in the Battledome. Plots usually contain reoccuring characters such as Dr. Frank Sloth, who is prominently featured in several plots.

Controversy and criticism

While some educators and parents affirm the value of Neopets as a place for children to learn the basics of things like supply and demand, economics, stocks, and even HTML, others criticize it for its liberal placement and promotion of their sponsors' products, a technique they have dubbed "Immersion Advertisement".

Much of the company's revenue is gained through promotion of sponsors and their products and they have long accomplished this without a single banner or pop-up advertisement. However, in October 2004, a considerable number of banners that link to external websites such as eBay (instead of linking to various areas on the Neopets website itself as they had previously) were introduced. These banners are displayed on many site pages in three places, one at the top of the page, one at the bottom, and the other on a sidebar, making avoidance of advertisements increasingly difficult. However, the creators of Neopets have promised never to allow pop-up ads on the site.

The primary method of advertising is still through creating items based on sponsor products (such as "Baby Bottle Pops", a real candy found in many American stores) or offering rare items, Neopoints, or, in one case, a special pet (the "Ice Bori") in return for signing up for sponsors' services. Neopets also features many games for sponsors, such as "The Incredibles Split-Shot".

While immersive advertising is doubtlessly effective, some believe this constitutes subliminal advertising and is therefore immoral, particularly considering the target demographic is children. Others disagree, pointing to the fact that not only are many of the sponsors' offers now grouped on one page and are somewhat avoidable, but that no user is ever required to sign up for these offers. Neopets claims these offers and sponsor ads are only to keep the site free.

The introduction of a premium service in which advertisements are removed and special gifts given for sign-up has also sparked controversy, with users stating that Neopets has started "selling Neopoints", something prohibited under the site's terms and conditions.

In October of 2004, while McDonald's Corporation was promoting Neopets plushies in their Happy Meals, a story on the Australian news show Today Tonight featured a nine-year-old boy claiming that the site requires one to gamble in order to receive enough Neopoints to feed one's Neopet, or else it is sent to an orphanage. While much of this is factually incorrect (gambling is not required, nor are pets ever sent to an orphanage if they are not fed), it is true that the website has a number of games of chance that are directly based on real-life games like blackjack, poker, and even lottery scratchcards. Neopets had prohibited users under the age of 13 to use most games that involve gambling.

This article sparked a nation-wide controversy as concerned parents voiced their complaints about the website, prompting McDonalds to pressure Neopets into temporarily blocking Australian accounts from accessing games of chance for the duration of the promotion, which ended on November 5th. When this happened, countless complaints appeared on Neopets itself when even Australians able to legally gamble could not access any game of chance on the website. Complaints quickly died down after users realized that by merely changing the country setting on their user preferences the temporary ban could be bypassed.

Still others believe that the users of Neopets are poorly treated and considered nothing more than mere statistics, that the site has lost its friendliness over the years, and that the level of customer service has degraded considerably. Many users believe that the Neopets staff freeze accounts too often and without good reason; data from Yamipoli.com, which rates virtual pet sites, shows the frozen user amount is 45%. Users are allowed to report one another; some of these "reports" are not thoroughly checked and thus, unnecessary freezing occurs. Bugs and glitches on games can also account for some of these freezings.

Accounts are also often frozen because of the actions of someone else—other than the original account number—using the account. Because many Neopets players are young or relatively new to the Internet, they can be particularly vulnerable to "scams" that attempt to trick them into giving out their passwords.

Some dispute Neopets' registered users count, which has reached over 99 million, a figure Neopets often cites in promotional campaigns. A large percentage of these users are multiple secondary accounts owned by one person, frozen accounts or accounts no longer in use. Such accounts are never deleted, and even accounts that have not been accessed since the creation of the site linger. The actual number of active accounts is around 11 million [1] and the number of individual users is almost certainly less than this.

And because Neopets is based in America, playing certain games like visiting the Snowager becomes difficult because they are based on Neopets time (which is the same as , the current time in California where Neopets Headquarters is based). Because of this some users feel cheated out of the full Neopets experience, while other users around the world take advantage of the time zone differences, playing Count Von Roos Deadly Dice in the morning, while it take place at midnight Neopets Time.

It has also been rumoured that Neopets is closely affiliated with the controversial Church of Scientology through CEO Doug Dohring[2]. The impact of his beliefs on the site itself is not apparent, though Dohring has been quoted as saying "Having used his technology in every business activity... Mr. Hubbard's organizational concepts are always with me" (according to the Hubbard College of Administration).

Groups of people believing that Neopets treats users poorly and who are also against the immersive advertising have formed anti-Neopets websites expressing their views. These groups have bought domain names for their movement, talked about their movement on the Neopets forums, and have even reported Neopets for what they believe to be potential copyright violations.

On March 31, 2006, Neopets released their April Fool's joke called NeoCharge, a new system which would keep inflation down. For every page view users were charged up to 12 NP, which accumulated to a point of 10,000 NP. At this point, users would have to pay, or would lose their property and eventually their account. It made certain areas of the site almost implayable, such as the NeoQuest games and NeoMail, because of the constant refreshing needed to use them. Those who saw NeoCharge for what it was began to make it into a game to see what happpend at 10,000 NP, and how high they could get it. Others users felt it was a cruel joke on Neopets part as users trust and believe what they say, and were betrayed at the expense of a good laugh.

Merchandise

Neopets now produces a range of merchandise, including plushies, stickers, and hand-held video games. The merchandise retails at many mainstream outlets such as Wal-Mart, Target, and Limited Too. There are also exclusively online retailers involved, such as 99dogs.com, which was the first outlet for Neopets merchandise.

In September 2003, Wizards of the Coast released the Neopets Trading Card Game, a collectible card game, based on the online characters and setting. It is distributed by card shops, as well as Wal-Mart and Target. To date, there have been six individual "sets" of cards (a base set and five expansions), with the sixth set recently released. Most of the card releases are associated with "plots," or stories, on the site. This is another controversial marketing move, which has at once managed to endear and estrange players from the site.

In 2004 Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. announced the upcoming release of Neopets: The Darkest Faerie, available for the PSone game consoles. However, in March 2005 they confirmed that they had already began remaking the game for the PS2.

In March 2005 it was confirmed that the Neopets team had also begun work on a Neopets film (which the creators of the site had kept secret from their own staff until it was confirmed). When informing the users of this, they also implied that there may be more than one Neopets film in the future (which may depend on the success of the first film).

Neopets Premium

Main Article: Neopets Premium

Neopets Premium is an extended version of the site, for which members pay $7.99 a month, or $69.95 a year. There are also different packs that include Premium such as dial-up service. With this Premium membership, external ads are completely erased, and certain "perks" are added, such as bonus Neopoints, rare items, premium users only boards, webmail, more Random Events, and testing unreleased games. Some groups voice the opinion that the Neopets staff members are transferring some free features to Premium.

To go Premium, a player must first be invited by another Premium member. There is then a 15 day trial. There are even prizes (an Avatar, Sidebar, and Trophy) for referring people to Premium who have remained after their trial has expired.

Pop Culture References

Aside from the fact that Neopets has its own vibrant user culture, there are many references in the site to movies, video games, and more. The List of references in Neopets article contains an extensive list of such references.

Trivia

  • The New Features Page wasn't added until January 12, 2000.
  • A Google search feature was added to the basic Neopets search on November 21, 2006.

See Also

External Links