lilshadowdweller Posted December 30, 2011 Share Posted December 30, 2011 Hey guys. Recently I recall in the editoral someone asking TNT for an adult version of the site. TNT responded that they didn't find it fair to restrict the site and that "everyone" should have the chance to be involved. I understand this. But I can't agree with it. See, here's the thing. I've been on Neopets for 10 years now. I was 12 when I started playing. I even remember that my Dad had to submit a letter to Neopets just to let me use Neomail and join guilds. (This was actually around the first time the law came out requiring users under 13 to obtain parental permissions.) I'm an adult now. I've long time been legal in Canada and I'm over a year older then the US requirement. (22) Because I'm an older user, I basically contributed to Neo's success. I played their games, gave my opinions, purchased some of their earlier stuff, ect. I was a child but now I have grown and so have my tastes. I find it sort of unfair that the children who started Neopets and have grown up can't have their needs catered to! When I was younger, Neopets was actually less for children. I understand it's run by a big co-operation now. They want specifically to appeal to children. Honestly, if it catered to adults, they may actually have more children come on here. Children think it's 'uncool' because it's deemed towards them. I would love to be able to have more mature discussions. Obviously it can work. We've made it work here. I'd also love to have more 'adult' games I suppose. We're in an age now where plenty of adults engage themselves in video games. I know so many older people who play World Of Warcraft! This makes sense - those older people actually began the whole video gaming sensation back in the 80's when consoles first became available. I know that they want to appeal to everyone and not leave other people out but seriously, they already do. Paying players get plenty of advantages over non-playing and technically over "poorer" players. I'm not saying websites can't work out if they aren't geared towards adults but I believe Neopets could draw more adult players in and they should seriously consider it. After all, the 90's children were the ones who started with Neopets and Pokemon and to this day, many still embrace it! I'm not sure what else I would like altered so that it would be a little more 'adult' friendly. So I welcome your views. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emily Posted December 30, 2011 Share Posted December 30, 2011 Frankly, with the exception of the language filters, I find the site does cater to an older audience. Many of the games (Plushie Tycoon, those requiring knowledge of odds and betting for success, even those that require strategy or dexterity) are too complicated for younger players to play successfully (meaning getting a decent score or having any chance of getting on a high-score table). Gambling games are prohibited from child accounts and even things like battling can be difficult for younger players. Heck, Battling and Plushie Tycoon are difficult for me and I'm in my 20s. Plots and other events can also get quite complicated. The site has plenty of adult-caliber content, it's just masked in a cute, child-like exterior. I'm not sure what you'd consider more "adult" games. There's already casino based games and games like Neo-Quest, as well as the ones mentioned above. I like the site the way it is, personally. The only thing I would possibly change would be to ease up on the filters/silencing problems. I understand not allowing curse words or racially, culturally or politically offensive language, but when you start barring words like "assistance" or "teddy bear," that's going a little too far. At the same time, people will always find ways to exploit filters just to be a pain, so the tighter the rules, the less opportunities these people have. The fact that many adults play on the site is a testament to how they still find interesting, challenging things to do, despite the site being for all-ages. I think, as far as content, it's pretty solid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angeló Posted December 30, 2011 Share Posted December 30, 2011 what about the Haunted Woods , Neovia , Gothic stuff , scary-looking items , Halloween and ?? that's not children stuff :skull: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hrtbrk Posted December 30, 2011 Share Posted December 30, 2011 Good post, Emily, I agree. There's a lot of adult/pop culture content on Neopets, they just blend it really well. You can often find meme's hidden in the content, clothing with inspiration taken from adult shows/films/books etc and of course topics of death/love in plots. Would Neopets really be that much better if you could speak more liberally to people in your age group? Ehh, I don't know. I've been in a few adult neopian communties/guilds and most of them had the tendincey to get way out of hand, so much so, I left all of them but one because they were the most sane and could put their differences aside for the sake of the community. Granted, I think it would be nice to speak to a more mature group of people on Neopets wihtout having the be Premium, but that's why there's places like TDN :P Paying players get plenty of advantages over non-playing and technically over "poorer" players. How so? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GlitteryCupcake Posted December 30, 2011 Share Posted December 30, 2011 The language filter is really the only thing that bothers me. I can totally understand the restrictions on the message boards, because everyone has access to them, but what really kills me are the restrictions on neomail. Neomails are private conversations between two people. If both individuals who are neomailing each other are adults, and they have both consented to remove the filters from their neomail, they should be able to have a little more freedom in their conversation! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Kakata Posted December 30, 2011 Share Posted December 30, 2011 I like the site as it is, and it DOES sort-of cater for it's older audience with some of the games and the plots, since they feature more adult themes (like death). The reason I play Neopets is to escape the adult world for a few minutes per day. I LIKE the soft, childish aspect of it and the fact that it's mostly free from trolls and griefers that absolutely LITTER the internet these days Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rachiee Posted December 31, 2011 Share Posted December 31, 2011 I feel like there should be more freedom of language (in Neomails and on the Neoboards, to some extent) for adult members, and maybe an 18+ section of the boards. However, one can easily bypass that by creating another account and setting their birthdate on said account to a date that belongs to someone who's 18 or older. So, even though it may sound like a decent idea, it wouldn't work out because of potential bypassers. Other than that, I think that Neopets does enough catering to an adult audience in the form of plots/other events, games (especially Plushie Tycoon and gambling-related games as Emily mentioned), certain items, etc. (of course you guys can ignore everything i said because i'm not an adult myself) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lilshadowdweller Posted December 31, 2011 Author Share Posted December 31, 2011 The language filter certainly is the main thing. I would enjoy it if they stopped being so nit-picky with it, especially because I don't know what I'd Neomail. But I've never known any adult in my reality who plays Neopets unless they don't openly admit it. Yet I know plenty who play WoW. I know that doesn't mean it's for children but again, beyond knowing other adults who play it online, I had yet to meet one who plays it in my life. I like the site as it is, and it DOES sort-of cater for it's older audience with some of the games and the plots, since they feature more adult themes (like death). I really don't understand why people think death isn't for children. Are you aware of how many Disney movies feature death in them? Aren't they consider for kids as well? Lion King, Snow White had one guy attempt to murder her, Sleeping Beauty had a death curse laid on her before one of the Fairies interfered, Finding Nemo has all of Nemo's brother and sisters killed off including his mother. Featuring death doesn't seem to make it more mature. Even young adult/adult novels like Harry Potter and the Twilight series feature death. Paying players get plenty of advantages over non-playing and technically over "poorer" players. How so? How so do they get an advantage? What about all of those delightful wearables from the mall? Or the "Super Shop Wizard"? If you can't afford it, or your parents won't let your purchase these things, well, you lack a certain edge. what about the Haunted Woods , Neovia , Gothic stuff , scary-looking items , Halloween and ?? that's not children stuff] Halloween isn't for children? Gothic stuff has been featured in kid shows nowadays. I forget the name, but isn't there one about a girl who goes to a gothic themed school? Yes, gambling games are more adult oriented. When I was younger, I actually learned a lot about the real world. (Collecting interest from the bank, saving, checking out my stocks) As for speaking with my own age group, I don't really care but I think TNT uses the children/family as an excuse to be strict. I remember being 14 and having quite a few adult friends. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neeker2 Posted December 31, 2011 Share Posted December 31, 2011 They COULD always do an 18+ section on the boards. But,people always try to bypass that by making fake birth dates on accounts. I find they cater to adults. There are a lot of adults who still play. I don't find death really adult only sort of thing(yes, probably towards younger younger but most of those kids shows don't have violent, gory,death.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lilshadowdweller Posted January 1, 2012 Author Share Posted January 1, 2012 They COULD always do an 18+ section on the boards. But,people always try to bypass that by making fake birth dates on accounts. I find they cater to adults. There are a lot of adults who still play. I don't find death really adult only sort of thing(yes, probably towards younger younger but most of those kids shows don't have violent, gory,death.) I don't find death to be an adult thing either, mainly because it's a part of life and very difficult to hide from children. It's best to get them exposed to it a young age so they comprehend the reality that their hamster isn't going to live forever. Often however, it's pretty much forced into our lives, whether we like it or not. I understand members could easily cheat. When I created another account, I made myself one year older to bypass the task of having to send TNT another letter from my Dad saying I could chat and join the guilds. It's certainly covered by a childish exterior; or I guess because our society views cutesy made up animals as kidish... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trig Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 To be honest, I do think it would be nice to have an older section of the boards (wait...why am I talking? I'm not even 18 yet!) but as people have said...it's not entirely possible. I as well remember having to mail in a letter of permission from my parents so that I would be able to use neomail and the boards when I was younger, but then when I lost that account and started a new account I made a fake birthdate. So according to neopets...I'm like...30 something years old. I do agree that language shouldn't be filtered in neomails..although I could understand some filtering of swear words etc. I am in an 'adult' guild which I find is nice because people speak in proper language Nt lYk tH15 (that's a huge stereotype of younger children. I'm sorry <3) and people understand that we are all busy and don't have the opportunity to get on every day...or even every week. Personally, I find many of the plots and games a bit difficult...and I'm a pretty smart person overall (apparently) so I do think it is pretty adult friendly. But yeah, I guess my opinion is very similar to many others here :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GlitteryCupcake Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 A lot of people have been mentioning how easy it is to fake being older. I've been thinking...if a kid goes out of his/her way to pretend they're older just so they can curse, well...they're not exactly the types that need to be "protected" from cursing. Maybe. Let's say a kid pretended they were older for some other reason; if there was a place on the site where older members still had to turn off the language filter, the kid would still be protected. I'm not saying we shouldn't try to protect the extremely unsheltered kids out there from language, but practically speaking, I dunno...just something to think about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Kakata Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 I really don't understand why people think death isn't for children. Are you aware of how many Disney movies feature death in them? Aren't they consider for kids as well? Lion King, Snow White had one guy attempt to murder her, Sleeping Beauty had a death curse laid on her before one of the Fairies interfered, Finding Nemo has all of Nemo's brother and sisters killed off including his mother. Featuring death doesn't seem to make it more mature. Even young adult/adult novels like Harry Potter and the Twilight series feature death. ... .... ... Considering the massive essay that I constantly am writing about Disney sequels and the amount of times themes like death, age and birth are covered, I am VERY well aware that death is a heavily featured Disney mortif. Even then, Disney is not exactly gruesome (most of the time) and it's Bluth that really draws out the emotional side of death, if not the outright horror (Littlefoots mother for emotional, Nicodemus and MANY of the cast of Secret of N.I.H.M for gruesome). TNT doesn't need to make it adult. Adult players have their own amusement and enjoyment (restockers and snipers come to mind) while the kids enjoy the games and dressing up their pets, and both enjoy plots. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Lyuba Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 I agree with pretty much everyone, Neopets already is pretty much all ages and has plenty of adult content. All the time, kids would pretend to be older if there was an age restricted part of the site, like an 18+ board. I do agree, however, that they should tone down the filtering, mostly for Neomails. You can't even say "cucumbers", and it'd be nice to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
youngrace Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 I do agree, however, that they should tone down the filtering, mostly for Neomails. You can't even say "cucumbers", and it'd be nice to. ita. so many times i've had to paraphrase my mails 100x just to get them to go through. i always get filtered for the oddest reasons, i can't even wrap my mind around it. (also, i find it really odd that you can't say the word "cracker" in neomails, and yet there are items with "cracker" in them. hmm.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angeló Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 I think TNT implement lots of adult stuff into the site already just look at these 2 items :P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GlitteryCupcake Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 You can't even say "cucumbers", and it'd be nice to. I wasn't aware of that! Hahaha, wow. I'd love to see a list of all the mundane words that TNT deems "inappropriate." I think TNT implement lots of adult stuff into the site already just look at these 2 items :P Bahaha, I'm dying - I've never seen either one of those items before! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovedwallflower Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 love the randomness of cucumbers :D ive never been hit with such a burning desire to just type cucumbers wherever and whenever *trololololol* the filters do tend to go a bit crazy. i got sent a neomail once for accidently refreshing keyquest that said "what the hell?!?!" and i swear i thought they would even block me for having received it! haha i should rly get a life at one point. anyway, apart from the filters there are other things that annoy me.. like the fact that you cant pretend that 2 of yr neopets are in a relationship for example. dunno just strikes me as odd. ETA: speaking of adult items, OMG look at this: It's the "Grey Pencil Case", everyone :thumbsup: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angeló Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 It's the "Grey Pencil Case", everyone :thumbsup: if we gonna do this .. i have spotted many other items like that looool Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovedwallflower Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 oooh lets :D :D goodness how i love TDN lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angeló Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 there are still young members on TDN though , not sure if staff approves i'll inbox you some :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annikarose Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 I tend to agree that they are too strict about the filters. But then I think back to my days as a middle schooler trolling chat rooms, and the CREEPY (and annoying) people who are all over the internet and it makes me appreciate what TNT does. So I am torn on this issue. But I definitely don't consider themes of death in plots or gothic/Halloween lands to be adult. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lilshadowdweller Posted January 9, 2012 Author Share Posted January 9, 2012 Yeah, wasn't there a gothic-themed cartoon recently? I swear, I've seen one, where some girl goes to a gothic school and there's bats and weird things. As for the items, should you really be afraid to post them up here if Neopets obviously approves of them? xD It seems kind of silly that they themselves would fail to see those items then ban the word "cucumber". Really, TNT, really? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovedwallflower Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 this is a screenshot of a past editorial where TNT deal with the issue that the OP speaks about Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trig Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 Also, for those who are wondering, the gothic cartoon I believe you guys are talking about is Ruby Gloom :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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