what happened to neopet's popularity?

[Sophie's_Warlock]

trading cards plushies t-shirts even video games'......were all being produced under the neopets name yet something happened that just destroyed the magic that once made
neopets extremely popular with children and teenagers....what caused the fall of neopets? could it have been as simple as neopets risking it all for a bigger gain or did the neopets boom end because the products weren't selling and with little to no products under it's label it had to be sold out this past year

maybe it's something more than that but i just can't help but think about how neopets seemed like the greatest thing ever when i was 14 years old it had everything and the trading cards just made me super excited(being a tcg freak you might know why)unfortunately i just dropped off the site and forgot everything now that I've returned(email address is no longer active so i can't recover my password) i find a website that is a sickening shell of it's former self...no fun plot driven events no cool tcg games being promoted no t-shirts or plushies just poorly put together neo-cash gimmicks

what happened?! neopets had been on the rise for a long time and suddenly everything just stopped.....i don't even know how neopets can recover from such a fall they were once at the top of their game and unfortunately these days it looks like they'll never return to those glory days without a lot of help

[Musical_Shoyru]

Neopets actually still has merchandise in the store, mainly target. They have plushies and trading cards still. At least in Texas and Michigan (Which I have been in recently).

 

Neopets has no events going on right now as they just went through a major staff change. For us people who have been playing true and through the staff change, lag, etc, we're still having fun. The key is to stop looking at all the negative and try and see the positive about Neopets.

 

The user lookups use to be down and now they're back up, TNT is working on getting things fixed and I can only imagine how hard it is to fix and manage a website while there are THOUSANDS of users.

 

Remember, you're getting neopets for free, hosting a website is expensive, so try and look at the good that is still there.

[Sophie's_Warlock]

i understand there's still merchandise to be found but much of that(if not all of it)is unsold merchandise from the neopets boom saga(such as old packs of the tcg series and old plushies)i haven't really heard any plans about anyone really looking to promote neopets in anyway similar

 

i guess the problem i have is that i was an active user on the website when neopets was going through a pokemon style boom in popularity i was amazed when they started giving out some tcg cards in cereal boxes it spoke highly about how well neopets was marketed and how big it had gotten when they managed to appear inside mcdonalds happy meals....

 

i just want things to go back to the way they were before the big decline i want neopets to be a known name again and not something i gotta educate people online about all the time

[Whimsu]

I'm not sure exactly what happened, but I agree, I miss those days.

My mom used to drive me all the way to the mall to get Neopets plushies from Justice :) lol. And then to Barnes and Noble I think? For when the Neopets magazines were released that month. ; ~ ;

I'm hoping that with Jumpstart being a company that puts out video games, and stuff like that for kids, hopefully they'll have some sort of advertising tactic they're hoping to implement. Even if it very kid-friendly games for PC or consoles, I'm cool with that! Whatever brings positive attention to the site in my opinion. :) It would be very exciting to see an influx of newbies dazed and confused by the wonders of Neopia. *-*

[Sophie's_Warlock]

i have some hopes that maybe one day neopets will go through another popularity boom...after all if some crappy mobile game can get commercials on television why can't neopets? it's gonna take a long time before neopets is at the stage where happy meals toys are a possibility again and probably even longer before wizards of the coast thinks about another tcg

[triadinfinity]

I think one of the issues is that the world is constantly evolving. People are drawn to sites by different things now. It feels like we all grew up and became interested in loads of new things but, neo failed to evolve and grow with us. As such, it's harder to market an old product when everyone wants something new, even if it's something old with a new twist. Neo hasn't introduced anything new in a long time.

[Sophie's_Warlock]

I think one of the issues is that the world is constantly evolving. People are drawn to sites by different things now. It feels like we all grew up and became interested in loads of new things but, neo failed to evolve and grow with us. As such, it's harder to market an old product when everyone wants something new, even if it's something old with a new twist. Neo hasn't introduced anything new in a long time.

you see...the problem i take with this comment is that neopets risks abandoning it's loyal fanbase if they tried to become modern and hip with the facebook hipsters when everyone's playing some god awful game like candy crush on their phones you really don't want neopets to go down that route of specializing in content for the selfie tweeting crowd

[Whimsu]

I have to agree with Triadinfinity, in a sense that virtual pet sites used to be really popular. And Neopets was THE top one probably, with a lot of others who tried to follow. But these days I'm not so sure virtual pet sites are that "cool". :/

 

I can't help but to wonder how a MMORPG would turn out if they tried to make a really good one. :3

[Shane for Wax]

Wow there's a lot of negativity and anti millennial rhetoric in here.

 

But virtual pet sites are still cool. People still use Neopets.

 

The thing is a lot more people are busy doing other things. And I find a lot of people base their ideas of how popular neopets is by the broken counter on the mainpage or whatever else. Neopets has gone through a lot of changes. And it kinda wallowed after Viacom decided to go do whatever. Viacom went downhill rather sharply the past few years and took Neopets with it which is why we had to move to Jumpstart.

 

Personally I don't worry about popularity so long as I still have people to talk to about it.

 

Before you start the death knells, I'd wait for everyone at neopets/Jumpstart to get back on track and figure out how to go forward.

[hrtbrk]

It seems fairly likely that they stopped creating those types of items (video games and other merchandise) because it was no longer bringing them a good enough profit margin to continue producing.

 

In turn, they brought in Neocash which is likely far cheaper to produce and brings in an equal or larger profit. Margins are everything and no one can deny that was a smart business model move for them to make.

 

The game is still very popular in my opinion. I know it's not a direct correlation to activity but it has nearly 250k likes on Facebook, so that still suggests that the user base is there in on way or another.

 

I do agree that the game needs some updating and Jumpstart has been VERY vocal about accomplishing that.

 

At any rate, just because you're not perceived at being on top, doesn't mean you're not the best.

[Sophie's_Warlock]

facebook is an angry confused cesspool however.....lots of parents putting up random baby pictures and teenagers whining about their crappy day it's not exactly a good indicator of popularity as I've seen people like posts randomly just because one of their friends liked it

 

all I'm asking for is that neopets step out of the shadows and become that website that people recognize instead of something that nobody remembers....i feel really old when nobody remembers or even knows what I'm talking about

[faerie1811]

I like seeing Neopets change but I like that some things still stay the same (dailies, games, holidays/events) I played on and off for quite awhile (usually coming back for the advent calendar) before dropping for a few years. This past advent calendar got me back on Neopets full time. During the times I was gone, many events happened that I was unaware of (fall of Faerieland was a bit of a shock for me; was totally unaware of the Altador Cup), wearable clothes and NC were sudden things to come back to and the biggest change was that Jumpstart had taken over. Personally I don't mind that Neopets isn't the thing anymore as that means more people who really care about it stay while the rest of the bandwagon moves on.

 

The only thing that terrifies me is the possibility of loosing Sutek's Tomb to the game graveyard. I love that game. LOVE IT. I will crave playing it and it will drag me back to Neopia, time and time again. Does anyone else have something like that? Something that will bring you back to it no matter how long you've been away?

 

Either way, I'm glad that Neopets is still alive and kicking after all these years. It brings back a lot of good memories for me and I'd hate to see it just die. I played TinierMe when it was barely a month old for a year before going into the occasional on/off again routine as the site gained in popularity when the site just stopped. It died in the blink of an eye, so I'm really happy Neopets is still here!

 

 

all I'm asking for is that neopets step out of the shadows and become that website that people recognize instead of something that nobody remembers....i feel really old when nobody remembers or even knows what I'm talking about

Is Neopets really in the shadows? They still have products in stores (I think that says something). My boyfriend teases me that I still play Neopets which was something we played as kids. It does make me feel a little old, but I have too many good memories of playing Neopets to really care. (just flip though my middle school journal, I talked about what I was doing every day on Neopets :P )

 

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[pulpfreeoj]

 

neopets risks abandoning it's loyal fanbase if they tried to become modern and hip with the facebook hipsters when everyone's playing some god awful game like candy crush on their phones you really don't want neopets to go down that route of specializing in content for the selfie tweeting crowd

See, I disagree with you because the site's in dire need of an update. "Pandering to this newfangled twittering generation get off my lawn" is one thing, but there's a definite need for a LOT of streamlining as far as Neopets usability, layout, navigation, etc. etc.

 

And if some fans would get upset at THAT, how loyal could they possibly be? Neopets shouldn't have to be stuck in the late 90s; we live in 2015, a time when computers can do crazier things than ever before, and the site should be free to reflect that and make the most of it.

[Sophie's_Warlock]

i just don't want neopets to die because they tried too hard to modernize it and make it cool for kids in school today....that's not the way to do things at all not now not ever

[starsandskulls]

How many active members do you think are on Neopets these days?

[faery]

 

...And then to Barnes and Noble I think? For when the Neopets magazines were released that month. ; ~ ;

 

Oh gosh, the magazine! I remember getting an issue once... they weren't that easy to find where I lived. It had an Island Uni on the cover and I think there was a big poster too. Ahh, why did I get rid of it all those years ago?!

 

I never got a hold of any of the plushies when I was younger... I've been tempted to buy some on eBay. :P

 

Neopets has been around for a really long time and I definitely think it's heyday is over but I wouldn't say it's dead. A lot of people are returning (and staying) for the nostalgia. I do think the site needs to make a lot of changes and updates if they want to gain new players though. I really don't think it will ever be as big as it once was; gaming has changed a lot, especially with things going mobile. Nothing can stay popular forever...

[Shane for Wax]

i just don't want neopets to die because they tried too hard to modernize it and make it cool for kids in school today....that's not the way to do things at all not now not ever

Neopets will only fully die if allowed to stay stagnant and does not adapt to things as they are now. Unless of course you simply want it to be a more exclusive club for people who joined in the 90s and early 00s. The company that fails to realize they can't subsist on 'the old guard' is the company that really goes down in flames.

[Sophie's_Warlock]

the issue i take is neopets becoming something it isn't....a crappier version of facebook or a poorly thrown together mobile phone game sure it might be more modern and acceptable than a virtual pets site but it's not what neopets needs to be

 

the plot driven events were what made neopets so special and different compared to similiar sites it had it's own lore and stories just waiting to be told unfortunately if neopets does go through with a more facebook mobile approach i doubt those events would resurface at all

 

people these days want brainless mobile games with little to no story that they have to remember

[jellysundae]

Sophie though, you're worrying about things that haven't happened, and likely never will. You're talking as if these things will change for the worst/end, when there's no indication that that's going to happen. Be positive, yeah? :)

[Shane for Wax]

You are really attached to your whole 'everything these days is bad. twitter and facebook and selfies are awful. edison was a witch' thing.

 

I honestly have no idea how you can even believe neopets to be at all like facebook. Also? We already have a mobile game-- Ghoul Catchers. But nothing is being taken away from the main site for the sake of the mobile game. They are very distinct.

 

Little less bah humbug, a little more looking to the future and waiting to see what the new owners come up with plotwise. Expecting something right now is a little silly, they're still trying to settle into things. The site already suffered from the other small events that were done. I can't imagine what would happen with a full blown plot.

 

As jellysundae said, be positive. I hate change but you seem to take it to the next level with wanting to dig your heels in the dirt.

[Sophie's_Warlock]

i guess so but there's always a chance jumpstart changes too much and ruins everything....I'm gonna remain pessimistic until i see some proof that they got bright ideas for the future i mean we're exactly in the hands of people with a undeniable reputation all i can remember about them is they did a series of educational games in the 90's....i realize neopets target audience was probably children and tweens but that can't possibly be where JS is gonna go in the near future...making everything Neopets Junior

[Shane for Wax]

I don't see why they'd have to make one, there technically already is a neopets junior. There's no reason for them to dumb their model down for the rest of us who don't need parents permission to be online.

 

Usually I'm pessimistic as all get out. But I find that cautious optimism is a lot healthier and isn't as much of a gamble as being completely optimistic nor does it feel so hum drum as straight up pessimism.

 

But you feel/think how you like, I suppose.

[Sophie's_Warlock]

it's natural to not have faith in a company that seemingly dropped off the face of the earth in most people's eyes only to resurface to purchase neopets from viacom

[jellysundae]

I guess if you have a naturally pessimistic viewpoint it's going to be tough to not think the way that you do, Sophie, about anything. Must make life less enjoyable, but what can you do? Generally takes an epiphany of some kind to be able to change. I hope you discover your personal sunshine though, it makes being alive better :)

[Sophie's_Warlock]

it's not that I'm naturally pessimistic it's just that there isn't a whole lot to expect from jumpstart when it comes to anything