It has been some time since the game Neopets has been in the spotlight, especially since the game changed hands from Viacom to JumpStart in 2015. At that time, Neopets received notoriety for massive layoffs of the original creative team that had worked on the game ever since Viacom acquired it in 1999. The latest news about the classic browser game, however, is about a promising trend in a new direction.
For some, the name Neopets will hold very little significance, but it was actually many players' first introduction to online game staples, including connecting in social chat rooms, accruing collectibles, personalizing accounts, and gathering cuddly friends- the eponymous Neopets. While nowhere near the giant it used to be in its own time, the game is still chugging along, and 2020 is set to expand beyond its PC roots in new ways.
JumpStart, which is famous for creating educational games even before it purchased Neopets, is currently talking to Canadian studio Beach House about creating a Neopets cartoon series. According to Beach House's Donovon Chan, creating a Neopets cartoon has been a dream of his for some time, and JumpStart is eager to bring the game to a new medium for fans to interact with. The show will expand upon the already established Neopets universe, while presumably unveiling or teasing new elements in much the same way the Pokemon series teases content with its show and movies. Specifics about the story and exactly what it will entail are still unknown at this time.
The cartoon series is just one of several ways JumpStart plans to expand Neopets in 2020, with other measures including expanding into apps and merchandise, which is only appropriate considering Neopets is a sort of proto-free-to-play model game. The expansion is an obvious move to keep the game alive, and a well-placed one since the initial popularity and appeal of the game has long since faded. The family-friendly experience provided is perfect for a children's cartoon promoting friendship and learning, which JumpStart and Neopets are already associated with. Furthermore, video game cartoon series having big success is not as uncommon as it used to be, with widely loved Netflix shoes like Castlevania and Wakfu being prime examples.
It is currently uncertain when the animated series will be ready to go or what services and/or channels it will be released on, so anyone who wants to keep up will need to keep their ears open. The runup to its release will provide the perfect time for new and old fans of Neopets to bond over how the game has changed and catch up on old Neopets trivia, much of which will no doubt be referenced in the show to come.
With the hopes of longtime fans that coming changes will revitalize Neopets, and the hopes of JumpStart that the expanded series will reach more children, everyone involved had better hope that the project doesn't go the way of controversial reboots like the recent Crash Bandicoot Racing Nitro-Fueled. Or the Crash Bandicoot cartoon, which was almost a thing.
Neopets is available now in browsers.
Source: Animation Magazine