Neopets.com review by Fizzeh

[Fizzeh]

Neopets is currently owned by Viacom.

Status: Neopets is currently one of the biggest names in the pet site industry. It has a history of changing hands, and it is currently free to join. The sign up process is a simple one, full of pleasant images and easy step by step instructions. Email verification is required once an account has been created.

Before I start this review, it is poignant to note that this pet site is probably one of the most highly discussed and reviewed pet sites in the entire industry. A lot of changes have befallen this site over it's lifetime and continued development - issues have been addressed and controversial points dug out and examined carefully. In this review, I will be showing my own opinion based on my time on the site as a youngster with a 6 year old account.

Once inside: The layout of Neopets is bright to say the very least. The user is instantly hit with a huge amount and diversity of art, all geared around updates relating to the site itself and whatever may be of interest to the user. As a new member, I would find this exciting, however it is questionable as to whether the sheer amount of information on that one page is just too much.

Another important note to make is that the front page is almost always advertising the newest PAID feature of the site - that is, of the NC Mall. Already, we are touching on one of Neopets' greatest discussed supposed faults - it's focus on the business side of the site, and in that, the decline of user retention. Immediately, it casts the impression that those who do not pay for the paid aspects of the site do not recieve the full experience - something that a lot of petsites aim to avoid at all costs.

The staff: I'm going to place this bit here simply to get it out of the way. As discussed previously on Virtual Pet List forums, the topic of Neopets' staff member conduct and their treatment toward the users is certainly in the grey area and very much questionable. On Neopets, the staff members either do not have accounts, or they do not communicate with the users at all. They seem to be portrayed as god-like figures that are able to bring the axe down on any suspect user without bothering to take a second glance at the real evidence at hand.

Hmm...

An automated system for banning and warning is certainly not the way to go. If there's such a huge amount of work to do, perhaps those on the staff team who are there to handle complaints about bans should replace the automated system - that way, there would be less complaints about bans and an entire level of employees wouldn't have to be paid, not to mention an increase in user retention. Sense? I've lost all hope.

The Pets: I have to admit myself, the pets on Neopets are some of the cutest critters that I've ever come across.

Ooer, you can tell I don't play much.

There are a huge amount of colors to be obtained for pets nowadays, although the initial color choice is rather pitiful. I've never been one for picking a pet and it's color - it doesn't add enough excitement to the game, and it seems rather like going through the motions than ending up with a real virtual pet. (Oxymoron or what?)

However, there are a massive variety of "paintbrushes" that can be obtained through various methods on the site that give your pet a spiffy looking coat and maybe a completely new graphic altogether. Neopets always was one for pushing the boat out with pet transformations. After all, there's the lab ray and such that really do add a unique swing to things.

D'aww...

Despite this, you will find if you have ever played (and doubtless 90% of members on any pet site will have at one point), you will notice that you have to have a ridiculous amount of NeoPoints to be able to afford and achieve these colors. A lot of members simply give up on this aspect - I know I did.

Communications: I was part of Neopets 6 years ago - back when the site didn't have a flash layout and the commnunity was pretty nicely large but not too huge. Communication with Neopets' current size problems are becoming a huge issue. Take for instance the forums.

From my own previous experience of the guilds boards, the process of trying to find prospective guild members or indeed trying to find one yourself is nothing short of a battle to the absolute death. Post or be drowned in posts - and if you don't bump after counting off the twenty second posting limit, your thread is unlikely to stay on the front page for more than five seconds. This is something that I would love to see Neopets concentrate on - how to handle such huge amounts of people trying to talk to each other at the same time.

NeoMail is something that I have used fairly often whilst playing the site as a younger member. It has been a while now, but it seems that little has changed.

The layout for a pet site that has such a huge income per month is quite disappointing. Grey buttons and boxes? Clunky looking text and poor formatting options that often break your Neomail should you try to paste something in there with a non-compatible font.

Anyone found to be breaking our rules will have their account permanently frozen.

Furthermore, the ever present scaremongering in bright red letters up at the top there. Be good children, you're always being watched. Goodness forbid you accidentally slip the word "flu" into your conversation - the autosystem just might assume that you're talking about people's privates.

Overall Appeal to the Target Audience: Neopets gets a huge round of applause when it comes to this aspect of the site. It is colorful in nature, has boundless amounts of character, and really shows off how to draw in the younger audience. The numerous flash games are perfect for the children of this day and age and provide a good way to gain Neopoints for those who enjoy them.

Unfortunately, it's layout, design, art and general outlook puts off the more mature player - something that a lot of other petsites try to, again, avoid. Neopets is unlikely to gain many members above the age of 13 - then again, this is probably due to the fact that if you are indeed literate in the english language, you will eventually use a word that the autowarning system considers inappropriate - a large vocabulary on this site is normally a bad thing.

Overall Impression: Since the huge mastermind Viacom took over Neopets, sadly the pleasant memories I have as an eleven year old, sat on my floor doodling a red lupe in absolute happiness and complete bliss have been shattered. The site is quite content to draw young children and their parents into spending dollars after dollars at the more or less useless items that it constantly seems to be producing over the top of the less significant mainstream development.

The Cash shop on Neopets has become it's focus, not a nice extra for those who like to donate. The user to staff relations are extremely poor, and there isn't a spot on the internet where you will not find a disgruntled previously frozen member. We've all been there with this site, and it's easy to say that Neopets has indeed lost all human qualities.

Perhaps it is time that they took a look at the attitude that they have toward each individual member. The Neopets Team - your users are not sheep. They cannot be lumped together, and the staffing needs to be closely inspected. Every situation is not the same - something that as a Support staff member on Rescreatu.com I always tell the moderator trainees on their first week. You cannot tar every member with the same brush.

This site will happily keep a ten year old entertained for a few months. That is, until they realise that they are not making much headway in the game, and are convinced that the only way to have fun is to buy things from the NC mall.

Neopets, you used to be so grand! So innovative! So fantastical!

Sadly, Viacom, you have failed to follow the footsteps of it's original creators, and one can only hope for improvements in the future. The site is gradually falling behind other pet sites, and sadly it seems to be becoming a benchmark for what not to do in pet site development. I can only thank the site for the enjoyment it provided for me as a child.

[Pedrolian]

Nice review, I'd just like to point out tho that neopets was originally created for college students so they tried to go for a more mature audience but then with time it was the younger people that came in the most.

http://www.neopets.com/ntimes/index....orial&week=247

I hear so many different stories as to why Neopets was created, and people use these to justify ageism - which is just wrong in my opinion. Some say it's made for college students only, some say for adults, some say for little children. My question is originally, WHY was Neopets created? (My own opinion is that Neopets is for all ages). ~spekje1390
Originally, the site was designed for bored college students. Obviously, however, the site has broadened quite a bit since then, and there are people of all ages who play Neopets. If you are a young player, don't be surprised to hear that many successful players are adults, parents, and even grandparents! There is such a wide variety of things to do, it's quite understandable that people of all ages find aspects of Neopets fun, relaxing, or just a great way to kill time while at home or the office! ;D

[Fizzeh]

That's a really great point to make actually. It really shows how much the change of hands shifted the course of the site and it's target audience. It would be nice if Viacom chose to continue to provide for not only the younger members of a community but also the more mature student. I say that because it's my personal belief that the current version of the site doesn't provide an experience that would feel "worth it" for the older member.

[kristie91]

I remember playing the site when I was young to a long time ago. I decided to play it a little bit yesterday because I do still have an account. But it doesn't seem to have the charm it did when I was younger. I don't plan on playing it again.. even when I was younger it seemed impossible to save up so much money for a paintbrush. But anyways I like your review, its to the point and I think it does point out its issues.

[nobackseat]

Are you sure that there isn't a tutorial?

I believe I remember seeing a flash one.

NBS

[Fizzeh]

I don't believe there is... and if there is, I'm curious as to if it covers all the aspects of play on Neopets. I have a 6 year old account and even as a seasoned 50 monther so long ago half the time I have no idea where everything was still. I still think that the site very much leaves the user to their own devices - there's very little motivation for the player once past the "get a pet, feed pet, go explore" stage.

[cpvr]

An automated system for banning and warning is certainly not the way to go. If there's such a huge amount of work to do, perhaps those on the staff team who are there to handle complaints about bans should replace the automated system - that way, there would be less complaints about bans and an entire level of employees wouldn't have to be paid, not to mention an increase in user retention. Sense? I've lost all hope.

I've been frozen for no reason - after that I gave up playing Neopets. Its ridiculous.

If you do a google search for frozen for no reason neopets
It comes up with:

About 121,000 results (0.18 seconds)

So, it is a problem.

[Jenny Harper]

Yes there is a tutorial. A flash one that shows you regions of the site, how to feed your pet, all the games and how to move around the site. Upon completion you get a wearable certificate item. The tutorial is plain to see when you first start. You are also given quick links under your active Neopet when moving around the site that encourages you to feed your pet, play the latest game and other such.

The NC mall isn't shoved down your throat as much as other sites, and of course they will have a focus on it because it gets the site money to run. If they did not earn money, Viacom would drop them like a hot brick.

The site hasn't passed through many hands in my opinion, from original owners, to another gentleman, to Viacom. That isn't as many as some other sites I could name.

Otherwise, good review.

[Fizzeh]

Thanks for the info, I edited it. <33

[nobackseat]

I knew there was a tutorial...

Great review!

NBS