20 years of Neopets: what I imagine to be next for this classic web game

2019 marks the 20th anniversary of Neopets, the online game that I played obsessively back in grade school and inspired my interest in graphic design.

Neopets reached its dominance in the 2000s, but as time went on, online gaming evolved and it fell behind to adapt.

It just so happened that prior to JumpStart’s official announcement of a forthcoming revamped site and mobile experience for the game in 2019 – and before I discovered that former Neopets creative director “snarkie” published details of a companion app in development that was never released – I had already started brainstorming what it would be like to play Neopets in a mobile-first, app-based world.

The result? A revitalized Neopets that doubles as a fun mobile gaming product for adults and a fresh experience for newer, younger players.

In recent years, popular video games have had success bringing their core products from other platforms to mobile (think Pokemon Go, Animal Crossing, Super Mario Run).

I imagine there’s an opportunity for a similar revitalization of the Neopets gaming experience.

In this “Neopets Mobile” app, the world of Neopia is brought together in a tappable, interactive environment. Players will have complete control of their shops, trading posts, and auctions right at their fingertips. They can customize their pets and Neohomes with drag-and-drop functionality, interact with other players in community forums and contests, and participate in all the plot and event activities they usually enjoy on the desktop game.

Even though I stopped playing the game years ago, Neopets is still instantly recognizable today—for better and for worse.

Of course, it means the site hasn’t kept up with the times, no matter how hard the Meepits have worked. But, more importantly, it means the game still resonates, allures, and charms. It’s still a simple joy to prance around the fictitious, colorful world of Neopia. And it's clear that the classic Neopets aesthetic shines in a modern format.

In the past decade, the internet experience has evolved tremendously. So should Neopets. With every passing day, more and more internet traffic is coming from mobile devices, so a Neopets mobile app could very well be the boon that takes Neopets from bygone Y2K internet novelty to instant 2019 classic.

Happy 20th Anniversary, Neopets! New year, new you?

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For an in-depth look at the concept complete with illustrative GIFs, visit my page at www.calvinqlam.com/neopets-mobile-concept.

#design #uxdesign #gaming