Neopets, an online environment in which users raise virtual pets, has announced that it will begin to sell virtual items to its users. For those who have somehow avoided Neopets, know that it’s one of the most popular online games in the world, with more monthly users (12 million) than WoW, Runescape, Habbo, and so on. It’s not a virtual world but it certainly competes with some of the ones aimed at tweens.
Players will purchase “Neocash” with real money (the equivalent of the “credits” that we sell), and that currency will co-exist with “Neopoints” which is the currency earned in-game by completing tasks and playing mini-games. Interestingly, Neopets has opted not to allow players to trade Neopoints for Neocash, which makes little sense that I can see. By allowing players to trade Neopoints for Neocash, demand for Neocash would increase significantly, since you’re tapping into a greater demand by allowing that trade to happen.
Via Playnoevil.
6 comments
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June 21st, 2007 at 2:16 pm
Cousin Martha
I am not sure about the ethics of selling virtual things to children. It’s certainly something to think about.
The idea of conditioning this impressionable group of consumers to think that buying virtual things is a good idea is and ABOLUTE STROKE OF GENIOUS.
June 21st, 2007 at 11:54 pm
Matt
Well, you’re selling a permission to something when you sell something virtual, no different than selling a kid a movie ticket. Can’t take either experience with you, etc.
June 22nd, 2007 at 8:51 am
Ola Fosheim Grøstad
You have to admit there is something rather odd about online paper-doll sites which present the kid with a page asking her for the parent’s email so they can send the parents a please-please-buy-me-some-virtual-monies email!? Or no?
June 22nd, 2007 at 9:23 am
Matt
Well, depends on what you mean by odd. I don’t think that’s any odder than running tv commercials for toys, which are, after all, designed to get the kid asking the parents for money to buy a toy.
Whether encouraging consumerism among kids is bad is another discussion, but I don’t think there’s any difference between physical and virtual consumerism.
July 4th, 2007 at 5:16 pm
Erick
I’ve actually played Neopets for years, through and now past my “tween” years. I think it’s a horrible practice and is ruining the site that many use as a way to escape the pressures of consumerism. With Neopoints as a currency anyone can be a millionaire if they played well. Now, it’s just another site with evils, that come hand in hand with capitalism, blaring in plain view.
August 28th, 2007 at 12:57 pm
kakakakak
thats fucking stupid LOSERS!!!