Mass MMORPG

Club Penguin is a cartoony 2D browser based virtual world for kids. Players create a penguin avatar and are free to explore, make friends, and play various mini games. Earn coins by taking part in various activities and use them to buy new clothes, accessories, and furniture for your very own Igloo!

Club Penguin is an MMOG (massively multiplayer online game) involving a virtual world containing a range of online games and activities, developed by Club Penguin Entertainment (formerly New Horizon Interactive). Using cartoon penguins as avatars, players waddle around, chat, play minigames and participate in other activities with one another in a snow-covered virtual world. After beta-testing, Club Penguin was made available to the general public on October 24, 2005 and has since expanded into a large online community.  While free memberships are available, revenue is predominantly raised through paid memberships which allow players to access a range of additional features, (such as the ability to purchase virtual clothing, furniture and “pets”, also called puffles, for their penguins through the use of in-game currency).

Game features

Emoticons

Players can express their feelings with emoticons. There are numerous emoticons, such as a happy face, a sad face, angry face, winking, etc. The emoticons appear above the avatar’s head in a speech bubble. There are also secret emoticons that may be unlocked by holding down letters on the keyboard (e.g. holding down E and I produces the igloo emoticon). On December 5, 2007, the heart and skull emoticons were removed because players found these offensive, and were replaced with the flower emoticon. On January 9, 2008 the heart emoticon was brought back as a result of popular demand by players, suggesting that it could be used in a positive and caring way.

Items

Members may use the virtual coins that they collect from playing mini games to purchase various items from a wide variety of shops. Shop types include clothing, wigs, stage costumes, igloos, furniture, and sports. Members and non-members alike may also purchase new colors for their penguins and backgrounds for their player card.

Each player has their own penguin card, which is used to manage the player’s inventory. Players may decorate their card by purchasing new backgrounds, clothing and other items. Penguin cards can also be to display “pins” - new examples of which appear within Club Penguin every two weeks. Pins are free, but are hidden throughout the game. On January 4, 2008, Club Penguin hid their 50th pin, a snow shovel. Flags are similar to pins; they also appear in the top left-hand corner of a player’s penguin card.

Clothes are worn by penguins, which can either be bought or given out during parties. Only members can buy clothes, but those given out at parties are wearable by all penguins.

Members’ igloos can be upgraded into many different styles. Some igloo styles are themed for parties, such as the Bamboo Hut or Log Cabin. Furniture may be bought for the igloos of subscribed members and can be used to design and decorate an igloo.Flooring for an igloo (introduced January 19, 2007) is also only accessible by subscribed members.

Puffles

Puffles are small, fluffy creatures that players may have as pets. They are available from the Pet Shop in blue, green, pink, black, purple, red, yellow, and white. Non-members have access to the blue and red puffles only, and may have no more than two; members may adopt up to sixteen puffles Members whose membership has expired are permitted to keep their puffles.

Puffles have health, rest, and energy bar charts to indicate their status. Puffles which are not “looked after” will run away from the player, and will need to be replaced.

There are eight official breeds of puffles, each with a different personality (as described in the in-game “Adopt a Puffle” catalog)

• Blue Puffles are known to be mild-tempered and content. (Available to non-members)
• Green Puffles are very energetic and playful, and “like to clown around”
• Purple Puffles are dancers, and are described as being “usually happy”, but are finicky eaters.
• Red Puffles (from “Rockhopper Island”) are known to be adventurous and enthusiastic. (Available tonon-members)
• Pink Puffles are very active and cheery, and like to exercise.
• Black Puffles are described as possessing a strong and silent disposition.
• Yellow Puffles were added in November 2007 They are depicted as both artistic and spontaneous.
• White Puffles were introduced in March 2009. They play with ice skates and can create a snowfall.