Goomy's Thoughts Article II: Does Neopets exhibit real city structures?

[~Ğǿǿmy~]

Sorry about posting this today and not yesterday on its scheduled time. I will have to change the date, as I do not have time to do these every Friday, so with that here is this week's article! :)

 

You can read last week's article here: http://www.tdnforums.com/index.php?/topic/41534-goomys-thoughts-article-i-does-neopets-exhibit-real-governments/#entry748303

 

~Article II: Does Neopets exhibit real city structures?~

 

Neopets, a friendly, fake world where people play flash games to gain fake currency when people can buy fake clothes, food or shops. This website couldn't possibly have any real world connection right? Wrong. Many neopian worlds are structured just as real world cities are.

 

There are three world city structures. These three structures are the Concentric Zone, the Sector and the Multiple Nuclei models. Here are the facts about each model. The Concentric Zone model was created by sociologist E.H. Burgess in 1923. His model states that the CBD (or central business district aka downtown) is in the center, and various zones, such as Zone in Transition, Working Class Zone and Residential Zone grow symmetrically from the CBD in rings. It does not let any of the other rings to expand. The Sector Model was created by Homer Hoyt in the 1939. This model contrasts Burgess's CZM as he states the CBD is in the center, and the sections (Factories, Low Residential, High Residential, and Middle class Residential) all grow in sectors from the CBD. This lets expansion of all the sections. Finally, the Multiple Nuclei model states that there is no one center, but are many. This model shows how there might be one nucleus here of the CBD, where shops and businesses grow. However, there are other nuclei such as a college, where businesses such as coffee shops and book stores thrive. So how does Neopets' worlds relate to these models?

 

First let’s look at the Concentric Zone Model. The first example of the CZM is Altador. You have the Hall of Heroes in the center, where all the action occurs in the plot. Then you have the Zone in Transition which is shown through the low quality house and the long houses that can hold a lot of people. Then, as you move farther away, you have larger and a lot more room in between house right outside the walls of Altador, signifying the Commuter Zone, which is where all the rich people reside. Another example of the CZM is Mystery Island. Notice how you have two large buildings in the center of MI. Then as you move farther from the two large buildings, the buildings first become smaller and smaller, until by the coast, the buildings get larger and larger, signifying the Zone in Transition and the Commuters Zone respectively. The Concentric Zone between Altador and Mystery Island are shown in Los Angeles, as the CBD is in the center, while the underclass, or poor people live near the center, which signifies the Zone in Transition, and as you get farther and farther away from the city, there are very affluent suburbs, such as Beverly Hills, signifying the Commuter Zone.

 

Next, let’s visit the Sector Model. The first world we will visit is Faerieland. Faerieland has various sections, Faerie's cities, Jhudora's Bluff, and the Poogle Races. While the CBD, Faerie City, is not technically in the center. It is the center of attention in Faerieland. Notice how the rich residential of Faerieland grow from a spin in the center of Faerie City, with castles and large shops in this spine. Then notice to the left of the center of Faerie city, how the castles and residential houses become much less affluent and more in ruins, and Jhudora's Bluff signifying the low residential class. Finally, notice how all the economic shops are on another spine, signifying the Industrial sector. Another world that shows the Sector Model is Roo Island. Roo Island has everything needed for the Sector Model, a CBD, a spine of high class residential, a large section of low and middles residential, and an economic spine. The CBD can be considered as the Game Room, as that is the center of activity in Roo Island. Then, to the right of the game room, there are houses that seem barely stable, signifying the Low-Class residential. Then, on the spine of the high class residential, there is the large castle and lavish buildings. Then, the other spine going from left to right on the CBD includes the economic sector of Roo Island. Finally, the middle class residential is just under the CBD, with larger and more stable houses than the low-class residential. A good example of the Sector Model is Chicago, as the CBD is the center of activity, and the city is split into sections, such as the industrial/economic sector going to Lake Michigan, and the low-class residential living near the economic/industrial sector in search of jobs.

 

Finally, let’s visit the Multiple Nuclei Model. Many worlds of Neopets use this model, but the best examples are of Haunted Woods and Neopia Central. Let's begin with Haunted Woods. Haunted Woods has three nuclei, the city of Haunted Woods, Deserted Fairground and the Gypsy Camp. These three nuclei each attract their own people and have their own economic and residential sectors. This is what the MNM is about, one or more areas that contain their own economic and residential area, apart from the CBD. Next, let’s visit Neopia Central. Neopia Central was in my last article, and it is in it again, as it explains many things in the real world. Neopia Central has four nuclei, Neopia Central, the market place, Neopian bazaar, and Neopian plaza. All of these nuclei are rich in economics, while few people actually live here. A city example of a Multiple Nuclei model is Detroit, as there are many nuclei, such as downtown, then Wayne State University, then the airport near Detroit.

 

Many worlds in Neopets do not fit into one model, but into two or three, such as Meridell and Shenkuu, but this is a story for another time.

 

Neopets is not just a fun child website, but an intellectual and smart game if you analyze each world or dig deeper into the history of the game.

 

 

~

 

 

Here is Article II of Goomy's Thoughts! Please tell me how you think this article was!

[HomuraAkemiTheHero]

I found this article interesting and it was really good. Also I like these articles because they contradict the argument that some video games for children don't have anything in relation with the real world and that they should be treated as such because from the two articles so far it seems Neopets does have a bunch of things similar to the real world and it isn't only for kids but for everyone because Neopets now seems like something you can learn from if you just look at it the right way.

[leverhelven]

Wow, Goomy, I'm really impressed by your articles! What's your major? You seem like a very knowledgeable person, I salute you!