New Editorial

[larph]

Because we(or at least I) like complaining.

dude. i'm so with you on that.

[Moonlight Flower]

That editorial made me very mad. The Editorial was filled with people complaining about how you have the OPTION to purchase supplementary items for your Neopet. What is so bad about that? Neopets needs to make money too. They should all be thankful TNT doesn't charge them just to play! Look at Runescape, World of Warcraft and other sites that charge you just to play, but Neopets is still free, and NC Mall, Premium and the other stuff is just a way to keep Neopets free.

It's made by Nexon. Ever played MapleStory? Nexon runs that game, too. The Cash Shop there started out exactly like the NC Mall, with them claiming it wouldn't affect gameplay. Guess what? Over time, items were added that slowly impacted gameplay more and more. Now, there are Double EXP and Double Drops cards, that last 1 month. The Double EXP card is $20, and only functions for 4 hours per day.

What happens when they release a special training school, for NC Mall users only? One where you buy a 1-month pass for $20, and you can train your pet there for 1 stat every 2 hours, without requiring codestones or dubloons? Will you still support it then?

You're forgetting something. Neopets =/= Maplestory.

Nexon runs very little on Neopets, it just helps them handle the NC Mall. In the end, it is up to Viacom (and TNT on a much smaller scale) wether or not these items affect the game. If it happens, it will NOT be because of Nexon.

Maplestory wound up with items like that because the people who made it WANTED it to. There's a very big difference in the amount of control a company like Nexon has over Neopets as compared to Maplestory.

[Erin]

Because we(or at least I) like complaining.

Well that's the root of the issue, isn't it? People who would rather complain will continue to do so regardless of what TNT or anyone else says about the matter. Personally, as this is a game and I come here to relax and enjoy myself, I would rather adopt a positive viewpoint about the new changes, accept the things I have no control over, and continue to enjoy myself. For the record, I do subscribe to Premium, I do plan to purchase NeoCash when the Mall is established out of beta, and I have purchased plushies from Claire's and Ltd Too. Neopets has provided me with free entertainment for 6 and a half years, it has been one of my favorite and most-visited websites, and I have absolutely no problem contributing to the company financially. I personally don't believe that TNT has a sinister hidden agenda behind their statements in the Editorial. I very much appreciate the amount of effort they put forth (towards something they obviously care about as much as we do). I also don't begrudge Viacom wanting to make a profit. You spend $160 million on something, you're obviously looking to glean a great deal of money out of it again. If there is any one person connected to the company who I feel animosity towards, it's Doug Dohring. But that's a whole other kettle of fish.

[Dustin]

Is Doug Dohring even around anymore? I know he's still in the press kit but I haven't heard much about him lately.

[zorg]

I think Doug was removed (Fired) from his position. I think its a woman CEO now?

I'm not sure, but I remember there was a bit of a dealio because Viacom relocated most of its scientology following senior staff.

EDIT - just had a quick look around, I might be wrong actually. Someone care to back me up/shoot me down?

[Erin]

When Viacom acquired the site, I read Dohring was staying on to manage the company from Glendale. I haven't heard anything since about him quitting or being fired.

[Mongrel]

I recall hearing that he was staying on in some sort of consulting position, but I probably heard that here so I can't be sure of its accuracy.

[Teelie]

He was kept as a consultant of some sort and the woman who revamped Nick's website took over so they can capitalize on getting more children interested in the site, and by extension, get their parents to fork out the money for little extras like they've begun doing.

[Runevalkyrie]

He was kept as a consultant of some sort and the woman who revamped Nick's website took over so they can capitalize on getting more children interested in the site, and by extension, get their parents to fork out the money for little extras like they've begun doing.

The woman, Kyra Reppen, was actually involved in Nick Jr.'s site.

It's interesting I was looking for her name and came across this article about some virtual goods conference and the fact that it has some mentions of both Nexon and Neopets (among other virtual communites) and how to apply with younger auidences.

[neobeth]

I really fail to see how this 90 day "renting" thing is going to raise any real money. Want to rent me a H4000 Helmet for $10 ? I might be interested, if not no thanks. Otherwise this whole thing does not bother me at all

[GIR]

There's already an avatar available from the NC Mall now. Told you that it would spread beyond pet customization... it'll continue to affect more and more of the game.

[Ange]

Yes, but the news emphasizes this:

(We also want to assure everyone that the avatar does not count toward your collection total, and therefore does not count for winning the Avatar Collector trophy. Since it is not available to all Neopians, it wouldn't be fair otherwise! )

So, not really an "avatar"...at least, not one that counts.

EDIT: Also, it seems you can get it from just trying things on, and not necessarily purchasing.

[B55B55]

Yes, but the news emphasizes this:

(We also want to assure everyone that the avatar does not count toward your collection total, and therefore does not count for winning the Avatar Collector trophy. Since it is not available to all Neopians, it wouldn't be fair otherwise! )

So, not really an "avatar"...at least, not one that counts.

EDIT: Also, it seems you can get it from just trying things on, and not necessarily purchasing.

The whole sudden interest in only allowing avatars that "everyone" can get seems odd since there have already been several that are only available to specific people in specific areas. Coco roller is the best example of this, since not only did it cost money but it was still only available to people in north america with specific cell phone plans. And that avatar certainly counts towards your collection total.

[afyapardess]

The whole sudden interest in only allowing avatars that "everyone" can get seems odd since there have already been several that are only available to specific people in specific areas. Coco roller is the best example of this, since not only did it cost money but it was still only available to people in north america with specific cell phone plans. And that avatar certainly counts towards your collection total.

As was mentioned on the New Avatar thread, you can get that one if you know someone who DOES have that plan and is willing to give you a code. Although I agree that the Coco Roller avvie is not entirely fair. However I think this is more a sign that TNT is MORE aware than before of the need to keep the game fair while balancing the need to make money for their Viacom bosses.

[GIR]

Yes, but the news emphasizes this:

(We also want to assure everyone that the avatar does not count toward your collection total, and therefore does not count for winning the Avatar Collector trophy. Since it is not available to all Neopians, it wouldn't be fair otherwise! )

So, not really an "avatar"...at least, not one that counts.

EDIT: Also, it seems you can get it from just trying things on, and not necessarily purchasing.

Except... it does count. It counts towards the high score table, even though they said it wouldn't. It isn't included on the total on your userlookup, but it IS counted towards your total for the high score table.