Neopets On Nickelodeon - Starting June 23

[Bacon]

There's a story about this on forbes!

World's First and Most Successful Global, Youth-Focused Virtual World Premieres All New 'Mini-Shows' on Nickelodeon Television One of Many New Initiatives from Neopets, Including Neovision, the Second Annual Altador Cup Global Gaming Event and New Pet Customization Features LOS ANGELES, May 31 /PRNewswire/ -- Neopets.com, the world's leading youth community and online virtual world will launch the first series of animated Neopets "Mini-Shows" on Nickelodeon television, beginning June 23rd. The Mini-Shows will air in between Nickelodeon programming and reveal pivotal story moments from the world of Neopia, such as characters outsmarting each other, escaping dangers, taking chances, or setting evil plans in motion.

Kyra Reppen, Neopets' Senior Vice President and General Manager, commented, "The Neopets Mini-Shows bring together Nickelodeon's powerhouse of expertise in making content for kids and tweens with the talented creative team at the Neopets studio. These animated shorts will bring to life the characters and adventures that make up the virtual world of Neopia."

The Mini-Shows capture the unique voice and quirky humor of Neopets, introducing the brand to the Nickelodeon TV audience. Many of the spots will feature surprise, multiple endings. The Mini-Shows will bring to screen different characters, from the mad scientist Lab Ray creature in its elusive laboratory, to the Trunkard, an underwater Petpet hoovering the ocean floor, to Sophie the Swamp Witch mixing potions in the Haunted Woods. Neopets fans will also find hidden clues embedded in each episode that will help them unlock puzzles and trivia questions on the Neopets site.

The Mini-Shows are just one of the many new initiatives being rolled out from Neopets. The site's interactive entertainment experience is expanding with a variety of exciting initiatives to further engage and entertain the Neopets' global audience, including:

-- Neovision, which launches today, a broadband video player that showcases Neopets-themed user submitted content, as well as Neopets animated originals and upcoming Mini-Shows. -- New pet customization features which provide Neopets owners with new ways to interact with and dress their Neopets, including new clothing and accessories. -- A new website layout with easier to use navigation, rich graphics, an all-new Games Room and a home page that displays special messaging from your Neopet. Neopets is also bringing back the successful Altador Cup global gaming event throughout the month of June. Launching June 1, the second annual site wide tournament brings the global community together to choose one of sixteen teams and compete for the ultimate Yooyuball championship, a fantasy sport loosely based on a hybrid of soccer and lacrosse. Players will earn virtual trophies and prizes. As many as 10.4 million unique visitors participated in last year's Altador Cup, where the Haunted Woods team took home the trophy. The Neoboards are already buzzing in anticipation of this year's challenge.

The Altador Cup gaming event comes on the heels of Neopets' Daily Dare global gaming event which received 7 million unique visitors in March with 10 million virtual prizes claimed, lifting total site traffic by +22%. Neopets averages nearly 300 million game plays per month.

What the smurf is going on?!?

Link

[metalmario]

I think I just died a little on the inside.

Game. GAMEGAMEGAME. Not toy, not food, not movie, not tv show, not game show, GAME. Rrghg.


Edit: Oh, good news, Altador Cup starts tomorrow apparently.

[Rubywinged]

I...... don't even know how i feel about that.

I can't say i really see anything wrong with it. However it doesn't give me hopes of some of the recent changes feedback actually making a difference.

The thing I MAJORLY don't like about it is the idea that I may have to watch to participate in plot type things. Which I DO NOT HAVE CABLE/SATELLITE TV and so would be totally left out of the loop besides maybe someone on ppt mentioning it... *sigh*

[Bacon]

All the mini-videos will be on Neovision!

[Officer 1BDI]

The thing I MAJORLY don't like about it is the idea that I may have to watch to participate in plot type things. Which I DO NOT HAVE CABLE/SATELLITE TV and so would be totally left out of the loop besides maybe someone on ppt mentioning it... *sigh*

This is my fear as well. The whole thing just screams "Lutari Island II" to me, except instead of needing the right phone, you need the right cable company. :\

Edit: Bacon raises a good point. My second sentiment still stands, though. \/

The proposed animated shorts worry me: I shudder to think if they of the same quality as those "commercials" for previous Neopets events.

[Kuri]

Eww. I'm definitely not excited about this. Bleh, maybe I just don't like change, but I really wish things wouldn't change so much, I really miss the old neopets. I really don't like the idea of short cartoons on Nick that may have plot clues or something involved.

[.neko.]

Seems fine enough to me. I mean, they are just trying to bring in new users. Obviously I'm not even going to bother attempting to watch these because I couldn't care less and they are clearly targeted at an age group that still watched Nickelodeon (not me).

[Cerise]

I'll be upset if I cant watch the mini videos and have a chance at seeing potential hidden clues for whatever. I know just about everyone has fast internet these days, but I dont, and Ive always been into participating in whatever site events are going on. Since I'll soon be working most of the day/evening, it isnt as though I can sit around watching commercials in between episodes of Spongebob anyway.

The rest of the article's alright. I wouldnt expect it to include glitches, negative attitudes towards the redraws, and lack of clothing/accessories to go along with the super cool brand new exciting customization!

[Rubywinged]

I'm on dial up so watching the vids on neopets.com isnt going to really happen either...

*pets her computer that is only connected at 44 Kbps at the moment* I usually get 50 but that still doesnt make me able to watch videos on Neo well i can but i have to wait 1/2 n hour for a 5 minute vid to put it in perspective for people with faster connections.

[Mongrel]

Two things from this article jumped up and attacked my eyeballs.
First:

Kyra Reppen, Neopets' Senior Vice President and General Manager, commented, "The Neopets Mini-Shows bring together Nickelodeon's powerhouse of expertise in making content for kids and tweens with the talented creative team at the Neopets studio. These animated shorts will bring to life the characters and adventures that make up the virtual world of Neopia."

That, right there, tells us that for the rest of the time Reppen's in charge, Neopets is going to continue getting fluffier and more kid-friendly. There's nothing wrong with kid-friendly, but...won't someone think of the adults?

That, and this:

The Mini-Shows capture the unique voice and quirky humor of Neopets, introducing the brand to the Nickelodeon TV audience.

There's nothing wrong with the word, but when I hear it used to describe Neopets, an uncomfortable prickle runs up and down my skin like a caffinated spider.

[arogance1]

Surely when plot clues etc appear on the show, it will be posted on PPT won't it?
So it won't matter if you have the right cable company or are even in the US

[Matrinka]

I think the PPT mascot needs to be changed from a chicken to a cow. Why? Because Neopets is being milked dry.

Ugh. I hate the "new" business of expanding into every format possible, selling as much as possible. Not just for Neopets, but everything else as well.

[Unirove]

ehh It would be interesting to see neopets talking

[Scythemantis]

Nearly all of you enjoy franchises that include television shows or movies so why on Earth are any of you bothered by the fact that neopets - a franchise a DECADE old - is finally getting some television content? There's nothing wrong with it at all.

they are clearly targeted at an age group that still watched Nickelodeon (not me).

You obviously have no idea how many twenty to thirty-somethings absolutely adore Spongebob Squarepants. I have at least ten older relatives who watch it religiously.

[MagicalMystery]

I can't believe what I'm hearing... actually I can, as I sort of saw this coming. It was only a matter of time before Neopets got its own Cartoon Show with its owners being Nickelodeon and all... but I feel more alienated than ever before now.

Lately most of the Sponsorship Stuff I've noticed have been for 'US Members only' which makes me feel left out (I don't like the idea of setting my Country to America when my IP Address has and always will be from Northern England) but not too unhappy as it has happened on the odd occasion before - for example, I really wanted an Ice Bori as back then I only had three Neopets - but I thought that eventually they would be things for UK Members, alas no. Now more things for US Members that I'm never going to see means more alienation. Not everyone lives in America. -shrugs- Sure, have sponsorship-things soley for US Members but not all of the time.

Furthermore, I'm also on 44kbps on at the moment (-hugs Rubywinged-) and have never been interested in YouTube (except for the odd Film Trailer that is about 30 secs long) or any thing similiar for that reason and a few more. My Uncle (who lives a little way away) has broadband anyway and it is barely half a megabyte... apparantly. ^^;; I've never been a fan of watching anything on my Computer and found Neovision a waste of space... why would I want to watch something that will only be revelent to US Members only anyway? (That's a guess, but I wouldn't be surprised... I got the general feeling this was exclusively for US Members from the article.)

Meh. Country things like that niggle... but age-aiming-programs are pathetic. I'm not arguing that Nickelodeon is only watched by under 16 but I doubt the little clips will be very sofisticated and scarily dark... meh. I'm just rambling on now; this all just leaves a bad taste in the mouth in my opinion... not that I'll be able to see the said show though.