Club Penguin
From Cpnn
 | Due to recent vandalism, editing of this article by anonymous or newly registered users is currently disabled]. Such users may discuss changes, request unprotection]], or create an account. |
Club Penguin is an online game, developed by New Horizon Interactive where players take on the role of penguins, and converse in chat, games, and activities with one another in a snow-covered world. Club Penguin was first made available to the public in October 2005 New Horizon Interactive (Adobe Flash required) URL last accessed on August 29 2006, and has since expanded into a large online community.
Club Penguin shares similarities with other popular online environments like Habbo Hotel and RuneScape. Though Club Penguin is a game designed for children of a young age (8-14) Q & A for Parents Club Penguin URL last accessed on August 24 2006, the game attracts people of many ages. Club Penguin has been qualified for the Better Business Bureau - Kid’s Privacy Seal of Approval Club Penguin Secures BBB OnLine Kid's Privacy Seal of Approval Club Penguin Published April 24, 2006 (URL last accessed on August 24, 2006.
Though the game can be played for free, many of the features are not available unless a subscription is purchased. Gutner, Toddi, Teaching Internet Safety to Kids, BusinessWeek Online, July 27, 2006 (URL last accessed on August 30, 2006).
Contents |
Gameplay
Each player must create a Penguin Avatar in order to use Club Penguin in ordoer to explore the Club Penguin world and take part in activities in the local area on the world map. Players may also choose to purchase a membership, in which they can purchase a variety of items and upgrades for their igloo that non-paying members cannot acquire.
The player can accumulate coins by participating in games. Coins can be used to buy certain items in the catalogue for members, such as puffles, clothing, furniture, and igloo upgrades. Nonmembers are limited to purchases of a blue puffle, backgrounds, post cards, or different colors for you penguin. Approximately once a month, the staff hold parties celebrating a holiday or special event. Often, they give away free clothing and items at these events. Every two weeks, the staff of Club Penguin hide a "pin" for the player to find and collect. These pins can be placed anywhere in the Club Penguin world. Every Thursday, the an updated newspaper is posted, which contains information on events, places and the game in general. It also displays riddles, jokes, poetry, secrets, and comics submitted by other players.
Secret Agents
Secret Agent Penguins are moderators who help enforce the rules of Club Penguin. To qualify for being a Secret Agent Penguin, a player's account must be registered for at least thirty days. The player must then click the 'M' badge in the corner of the screen, then click the smaller badge that appears. After this, a player must fill out a quiz. If the questions are answered correctly, the next time the player logs in they will have a "Spy Phone". The Spy Phone allows access to the Secret Agent HQ, the ability to sign up for Secret Agent Quests, and to teleport anywhere on the map instead of using them map button on the bottom right of the screen. Unlike the map, a player who uses the Spy Phone can go directly into buildings within the areas of Club Penguin.
Servers
There are currently 36 servers in four countries.
Criticism
Club Penguin has been criticised for a number of things; including the poor quality of the graphics, due to the format in which the game is presented; and the fact that loading time is severely affected as game popularity increases.
