Varii brings up a great point. Since when has the management been so out of touch with the people that basically create all the money for them?
Since when have they been so ir-responsive and 'confused' about their own demographics? The cell phone thing was a BAD financial move. I don't care that most people HAVE cell phones. They all use or don't like to use them for almost the same reasons, ironically. Totally unreliable to offer as a regular service. Do they think we're so 'addicted' that not only will we play when at home or work computers, we just can't get enough and so want to use some tiny screen on our cell phone when we are not 'busy' with the life things we are presumably supposed to be doing?
How much money can 'ad' revenue really bring in? Seems like sponsor games are the best bet. I even still wonder why companies that make Froot Loops and such could NEED to advertise. I mean you already make a tasty albeit unhealthy product that IF I want, I will buy. No advert needed.
I hate to finally criticise 'Nick Jr lady' (since she is new and I don't know her) but I hardly find the new things happening around Neopia to be to anyone's advantage, even Neopets! Page hits go down when people are unhappy with their game playing experience. Perhaps this is an intermittent "rant about neo" day for me, but I don't think the one thing I use my time to de-stress should eventually turn into another worry for me. TNT was better without so much "management" in my opinion, even though I have only been around for the last 2 years on the site.
From reading older users' experiences, I find that most of the changes resulted in benefit to the user, and hence to the company. We all complain about every new thing (that is only natural, so I should hope)
but then if it ends up helping us, we become okay with the change.
The Lutari Lutari has me stumped. I have been waiting on Lutari Island to open up to all of us ever since .. well, ever since Shenkuu made it first! (And far prior to that with Neopets' magazine article references and such.)
I came across an old, non-updated page, that reiterates that there will never be any pop-ups on neo (despite the annoying and obvious Circuit City and others that used to pop up on me all the time until I took responsibility and control of my gaming experience and eliminated them.)
As I play throughout the day, my AVERAGE for BLOCKED pop ups from NEOPETS ONLY is approximately 100. Yes, 100 for 'average daily occasional playing' and more if I play more. ONE HUNDRED, folks.
If we didn't all have adblock or HOSTS files or find alternative browsers that suit our Neopets-needs, they would perhaps be all be bankrupt now.
I don't know what the HECK they are working on (actually I have a clue, since a programmer semi-recently asked me if an addition to the Battledome of all things would be a good idea -- namely instead of a 'glitch' whenever one was knocked out of a fight, to be able to reselect the challenger again OR withdraw, instead of an automatic forced 'go to the status page' scenario) but these are not the priorities of the users.
Don't flame me for 'hating' the Battledome (Battledomers heh) but .. can't you just go somewhere else to click repeatedly to read "You hit so and so for so many points"? I mean, is it REALLY all that frustrating? If so, you may need anger management, not a Battledome. Sorry to suggest.
If Neopets wants extra income, they should make it SEPARATE from the main free site. This is the best scenario for all of us and for making profit.
I would like to see paid Premium on different servers entirely, and if they want to make Lutari Island THAT EXCLUSIVE, then stop teasing us!
(And sorry this is, well not so much off topic, but not directly on.)