Neopets definitely dominated the virtual pet world for years! I think for a game to beat it today, it would need amazing mobile integration, social features that connect real friends, and constant fresh content without paywalls. Maybe something combining AR technology like Pokémon GO with the caring aspects of Neopets could finally take the crown.
Combining AR technology would shift the entire culture and wouldn’t even be the same game. AR games and traditional pet games aren’t in the same realms.
I don’t see these two types of tech working side by side in one game. It would take a developer way too much work to combine them, and the end result wouldn’t hit right for either audience.
What type of social features do you think would work? I believe the only thing that would possibly work is a more modern approach with messaging and forums, where users can actually share forum posts to social media. That alone could help the site grow. Right now, you still have to copy and paste the forum link to share it, which just feels outdated.
The main thing is that Neopets is loaded with games and features. But a pet site that focuses on the fundamentals that made Neopets great in the first place could take its crown, especially if it creates a better atmosphere overall.
There are a lot of things Neopets offers that other pet sites don’t, and that’s something any new project would need to address if it’s trying to take the crown. Especially when it comes to merchandise, advertising, and all of that.
If you don’t want to focus on merch, then advertising could work wonders, as long as you focus on the gameplay first and have a quality game that’s actually playable and fun, like Neopets.
For example, Neopets puts out a lot of press releases whenever they introduce something new or want to highlight their “statistics.” That’s something other pet sites could lean on as well. It keeps Neopets in the media cycle and gives them free publicity every time they do it.
