2023-07-20 14:42:59
Neopets won’t be a metaverse filled with Solana NFTs after all
Despite raising millions from the crypto community, stewards of the virtual pet franchise Neopets said Tuesday they are shelving Web3 plans in favor of going back to basics.
As the game nestles into a “new, unified entity,” the call has been made to “transition away from the Neopets Metaverse game,” and direct resources better suited to the game’s “values,” according to a statement.
A frosty reception of NFTs from Neopians led to the pivot away from blockchain, with the game’s leadership now making it their “priority” to appease Neopets’ dwindling player base. Launched in 1999, Neopets is a browser-based virtual pet website allowing players to feed, groom and care for a collection of fantasy critters.
In late June, Neopets’ studio JumpStart Games, headquartered in LA, was shut down by its owner NetDragon. The franchise was then handed over to Dominic Law, a Neopets diehard who had previously been employed by NetDragon. The game is now to be managed by a new firm, The Neopets Team (TNT).
JumpStart, like others before it, had failed to generate any substantial revenue for the franchise, TNT said in a statement. TNT said Neopets had been running at a loss “for over a decade,” and was in dire need of a rescue plan, intended to draw back users that had left disgruntled over its Web3 vision.
“This decision was not made lightly, but it was made for the best reason: we want to design a game that’s more in line with what the community has been asking for,” a statement from the Neopets Metaverse Twitter account said.
Blockworks has reached out to TNT and Neopets Metaverse for comment.
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