Has Neopets been reduced to just a pay to win game?

[Henrywrites]

I have been playing Neopets for a while now, and in my last encounter, I was trying to understand why players address the game as a "pay to win" game.

I see it as a fun part of my life. I'm just logging in to complete my daily routine, like completing certain quests and building a gallery.

I have not really seen it as a game that you play to win, but it's purely a game where you customize your favourite pets. I get it when they sell merch and all that because it is a means to raise funds for the site sustainability, but looking at Neopets as a winning game? I have a different opinion.

I mean, what does "winning" in Neopets really mean to you? I am here to read your views.

 

[Baw$e]

Neopets has definitely monetized it's site more for paid users over the years, but you can still grind for free, and get cool items, pets without paying for it.

 

[cpvr]

With the direction Neopets has been taking lately—especially with rolling out a new Monopoly game and selling it to users for $80, along with many other monetization tactics instead of focusing on new feature, it’s safe to say they’re trying to make as much money as possible.


Their increasing amount of new merchandise with reward codes, alongside the Monopoly game, only reinforces the idea that Neopets is becoming a “pay-to-win” game. Many of these items, which are sold at high prices, could instead be released as rare random items or daily drops in the Money Tree feature. However, Neopets hasn’t done that. Most of the customization/wearable items for pets are behind a paywall, meaning if you don’t pay for the subscription or purchase new wearables, you’ll have to rely on other users. Wearables shouldn’t be locked behind a paywall; they should also be accessible through the main shops. A lot of their updates are also focused on the NC Mall rather than regular site updates.



They’ve also introduced ads for paid subscribers, even though those users are supposed to be ad-free as part of the subscription. There are also various ads on the site that trigger malware warnings on users’ computers, causing some to switch to browsers like Brave or use ad-blockers just to play Neopets.



It’s starting to feel like the Viacom days when a flood of sponsored games was introduced, but this time, it’s different, they’re actually charging users a lot of money for in-game codes strictly tied to merchandise.

 

[uptrendfinancialsignal]

Neopet is a very interesting game and it's not only about winning, it's a game that brings out creativity in pet care. However I understand that there is introduction of premium features and that has actually created a divide between players. Those who have money to spend more have an unfair advantage which is what I detest.

 

[Henrywrites]

Neopets has definitely monetized it's site more for paid users over the years, but you can still grind for free, and get cool items, pets without paying for it.

"Neopets has definitely monetized it's site more than paid users over the years..." is enough sign for any players who are not ready to spend to know that they've got to just take what they see while using Neopets.

 

[Baw$e]

"Neopets has definitely monetized it's site more than paid users over the years..." is enough sign for any players who are not ready to spend to know that they've got to just take what they see while using Neopets.

Neopets has always been about the money. I remember when they had plushies in Mcdonalds. They even had/do have games that promote their sponsors too.

 

[Ja sa bong]

It have always been about the money for Neopets. Although, I will admit they also give gamers value of what they are paying for. The only problem I see is them overdoing it because it's going push away a lot of people playing it.