Post by RielCZ on Aug 21, 2023 18:32:48 GMT -5
I wrote a satirical article about the "new era" that attempts to bring the event into Neopia (Central) proper and makes numerous callbacks to some of my previous NT works. It has been TMGE'd twice and "real world references" rejected twice. (It originally contained a fairly lengthy section about the BOROVAN incident on the Neo!Reddit discord but I killed all that save for one summarizing sentence after the first "real world references" rejection. 
And posting that version on a petpage gave me an official warning.)
Its most recent incarnation (prepared for the Underground NT) is below. It's not too long at just under 3k words.
Admittedly, I'm not sure I'm crossing the line more so than any of my previously published works, and though it's somewhat scathing/jesting in some places I'm trying to remain relatively optimistic throughout the piece. If anyone has any suggestions for content that could/should be removed I am certainly open to it. Thanks!
Its most recent incarnation (prepared for the Underground NT) is below. It's not too long at just under 3k words.
Under New Management (For Underground)
NEOPIA CENTRAL—Neopia Central is under new management, marking the dawn of a new era for the city and Neopia in general.
At least according to Ms. Iris and Ms. Wisteria – respectively, the Draik and Aisha marketing managers for the (former) Neopia Central Chamber of Commerce as well as the co-hosts of “Rabbling Riffraff”, a recent weekly Neovision+ talk show to attempt to distract Neopians from Neopia’s societal ills and daily financial struggles. Iris and Wisteria, alongside some core members of the Neopia Central Chamber of Commerce, announced that they have wrested municipal, corporate, and creative control of both Neopia Central and the self-dubbed The TNT Team away from the recently defunct Sloth-Sway Enterprises, subsidiary of Dimensional-Draik Commercial Holdings (NEODAQ: NEGG). They are incorporating with The TNT Team – headquartered in Neopia Central, headed by the (in)famous Poogle Mr. Rackatackatackata, and overseeing many Neopian properties – as a new business entity, “Neopia World Enterprises, Inc.” (NEODAQ: NWEI).
The news as to Neopia Central being effectively under new management has likely been in the works for months, but kept underground, waiting to sprout in a giant display of marketing and revelry – specifically, coinciding with this year’s Comic and Hero Convention (Comhecon), hosted in the bottom floor convention centre of the NeoLodge between the 20th and 23rd this past Month of Swimming.
Many of the combined team’s members were present at Comhecon. There was also a classical futurist-themed Comhecon after-party, hosted by Iris and Wisteria and aptly dubbed the “New Wild Era Infinity” (NWEI) party, at the Chocolate Factory’s Choxolate Baar club and lounge. (Unfortunately, many members of NWEI came down with the still-circulating Evil Fuzzles Virus during Comhecon and/or the after-party, and members of the Neopets community who attended their booth and/or the party were advised to self-isolate and/or self-monitor for its symptoms.)
In the leadup to its platform at Comhecon – in a likely attempt both to bury how close The TNT Team was to bankruptcy as well as to offer goodwill to the remaining community within Neopia Central and beyond – NWEI announced that it had raised millions of NP from a list of undisclosed and apparently dedicated investors to help improve the Neopian experience and foster community growth. These included the hiring of new staff so to accelerate the Neopia Improvement Roadmap initiative published by Rackatackatackata late last year, a 2 million NC giveaway in conjunction with a new community ambassador sponsorship program, regular “ask me anythings” (AMAs) and progress updates from the staff, corporate social welfare initiatives to advocate for Luxina to receive a seat representing New Faerieland in the Council of Neopian Nations (much to the Faerie Queen’s quiet consternation as she continues to try to bring the rogue nation under her direct sphere of influence), allocating charitable donations and sponsoring a charity drive to help the still devastated Dacardians rebuild, and a new Trading Card Game product line with a new avatar.
Furthermore, a partnership was reached with AAA (@aaagamestudioz) to breathe new life into the years-decayed Games Room on Roo Island following the retirement of its chief maintainer, Chet Flash. The new arcade went live on the 25th of the Month of Swimming, albeit to mixed reviews, with many community members praising the kept promise but saying the improved arcade neither went “far enough” in terms of its modernization nor were the games sufficiently error tested.
For the first time since the era of Neopia Central’s original founders – Mr. Adonis and Mrs. Donessa, portmanteau’d affectionately (at least until goodwill between them and the Neopian community was completely destroyed this past Month of Swimming, when the former acted very flippantly toward the Neopian community and the latter publicly castigated and renounced the community for an out-of-context comment) as “Adonissa” – Neopia Central is now unto its own, with no corporate parent to support her enterprises and intellectual property should matters go awry. Though daunting, this means that NWEI now has complete creative control, free from the corporate baggage that may have plagued Neopia Central’s growth and development whilst under previous management.
In a stunning example of this creative control that many Neopians hailed as vindication, the CEO of the newly incorporated NWEI, Mr. Maverick – a Shoyru and resident of Neopia Central – claimed that, during the negotiations with Dimensional-Draik Commercial Holdings, a deal was made to cease production of the much-maligned InfiniWeb, Inc. project. The project led to the creation of the controversial non-fungible token (NFT)-based Neopian Fun Stamps (NFS) product line.
The NFS project – a collaboration between NEGG and the Stamp Board, ongoing for nearly 2 years – was riddled with allegations such as bigotry, general toxicity, and being anti-rainbow pet; the project’s social and environmental implications united the philatelist community and general Neopian community against the NFTs, seen as incongruous with the Post Office’s family-friendly brand values as well as general Neopian values. Although some of the original InfiniWeb team was later replaced, the contempt many Neopians felt toward the project, though eventually cooling to begrudging uneasy coexistence, never waned and was ultimately irreversible. Many Neopians continued to protest InfiniWeb’s existence up until the day before the announcement of its closure.
“We are not pulling the rug out from under you,” asserted the official statement regarding the cancellation of the InfiniWeb project, delivered by Ms. Clair, a JubJub. The statement went on to say that the InfiniWeb team fulfilled numerous objectives of their project and delivered and iterated upon multiple project milestones. The release ended by stating, “Our investors are extremely supportive of the direction we are taking the IP. They believe in a bright future for us, and we hope you do too. See you at the Post Office!” In a response to frustrations and lamentations expressed by a Buzz loyal to the InfiniWeb project who wanted to remain nameless, Clair asserted that owners of NFSs would likely be compensated for their loyalty to the doomed venture, but the nature of said compensation was yet to be determined.
There are plans to repurpose some of the NFS’s gamified components into “World of Stamps”, a mobile device augmented reality adventure where one can explore the Post Office and Neopia Central from the perspective of a stamp. There are also talks to incorporate elements of KeyQuest, Habitarium, and NeoHomes.
In a striking albeit yet to be verified claim, there are multiple reports that the millions of NP investment into the newly incorporated NWEI was originally planned to support the InfiniWeb project. If true, it shows that NWEI’s investors were capable of being convinced that the Neopia Central brand could have a higher return on their investment should the crypto elements be expunged – further cementing a galaxy-wide “crypto winter”.
“It’s very surreal,” said Mr. Prima, a Kougra who was present at the original InfiniWeb protests. “We’d all originally been worried about InfiniWeb funnelling money from the Post Office Proper... but it seems the opposite actually happened. The Neopoints have gone from supporting NFTs to supporting Neopia. We are no longer under the threat of becoming NFTs. We somehow wound up in the good timeline after all.”
Sowing skepticism in the otherwise optimistic Neopian air, however, was the revelation that Maverick had been head of InfiniWeb, Inc. Though his motivations for ceasing the InfiniWeb project as well as the promises made by NWEI seem genuine at face value, many Neopians are understandably reserving judgement until tangible progress in Neopia Central is actioned and more information about World of Stamps is released. Yet, there are certainly Neopians who see Maverick as a saviour of sorts, knowing that Neopia Central’s future would have been far bleaker had Neopia Central enterprises at large gone the way of Sloth-Sway.
There have already been exciting changes for Neopia Central and beyond. The city entrances have been redone to be “friendlier” in terms of readability and accessibility, and many sectors continue to see quality-of-life and tidiness updates. Although Neopians are somewhat divided about the quality and somewhat gaudy design of the new city entrances and concomitant paraphernalia, most are happy for the seeming progress and hopeful that promises will continue to be fulfilled.
Additionally, new promotional material that better unifies previously disparate The TNT Team properties have been produced. Perhaps most interestingly, in an effort to increase transparency and build community rapport, NWEI has released a new Neopian Mission Statement declaring their core values: community-centric design, high standards of quality, innovation and improvement via adaptability and flexibility, and acceptance and inclusivity.
Incredibly, in what many have seen as a positive outreach and a gesture of goodwill, the NWEI team made formal ties at Comhecon with “Grundos Gym”, or Gym for short. Started by a handful of disenfranchised Grundos, Gym was an effort to recreate the Adonissa period of Neopia and Neopia Central in an isolated, small-scale environment; they have since attracted many Neopians who long for this “golden age” to join their venture. While many citizens appreciate the Grundos’ efforts to provide nostalgia, others despise the “clone world” for luring citizens and therefore potential resources away from Neopia proper. The extent to which Gym will be impacted by Maverick’s attempts to revitalize Neopia Central – and/or whether NWEI endeavours to bring Gym’s citizens more under its control – is yet to be determined.
In what some have said is evidence that Neopia has become “chaotic good,” the NWEI team has managed to recruit famed singer-songwriter, Joan Mith – the stage name of the Chia of Jazzmosis fame – to be a Neopia Central Brand Ambassador. This has already led to some former Neopians who have since moved to other planets to return, or at least to discuss the happenings in Neopia, given the popularity of Mith and to a lesser extent their wife.
However, not everyone is pleased by this news. “This huge marketing push seems like a waste of the investment money NWEI has accrued. They should be doing this after they fix more of Neopia Central’s problems,” opined Ms. Chrissie, a Bruce. While others have expressed similar sentiments, it should be noted Mith’s monetary compensation has yet to be disclosed; though likely much larger, it may only be 1000 NC per month.
1000 NC per month is the compensation that ambassadors under the new sponsorship program are set to receive. Many analysts regard this as a pittance and merely an attempt to more directly legitimize, and to an extent to also empower (or subjugate depending on one’s level of cynicism), the existing Neopian talent of community builders and content creators – individuals who currently do their work effectively for free because they love Neopia and Neopia Central and want to see success for the world (or success for themselves in terms of eyeballs and advertising revenue streams, again depending on one’s level of cynicism).
In summary, despite some misgivings regarding Neopia Central’s new management, the commitments by NWEI to revitalize Neopia Central are being hailed by the Neopian community as an all around positive.
***
“Even after my friends and I moved out of Neopia Central,” started Maverick in an anecdote that opened his Comhecon after-party speech, “even off to other planets in some cases, we knew we could always meet back together on Neopia and in Neopia Central. And sure, the corporate city and crown jewel of our planet has declined... But we can rebuild and restore it to its glory days!” the Shoyru exclaimed to general applause from the audience (except one anonymous individual who jeered a complaint regarding the state of the Battledome). “I want Neopia Central to be a city that I can be proud to raise my family in, that my children can play in freely!”
Although his remarks and general enthusiasm toward restoring Neopia Central have invigorated and excited the Neopian community to various degrees, there are some who still see him and his past in a more negative light.
“(Maverick) is an entrepreneur and businessman first and foremost,” opined an individual who wanted to remain anonymous. “He’s merely trying to appeal to us like a Councilmember tries to appeal to us on voting day.”
“Yes, Maverick saved Neopia Central. But the InfiniWeb team hasn’t been canned, they’ve been promoted to a far larger role in Neopia Central affairs than they ever had been before,” complained Mx. Jinny, a Bori.
Nevertheless, most Neopians are abuzz with speculation and anticipation over the future.
“Between Neopia Central going bankrupt and having a fighting chance of surviving another day, of course I’d take the latter,” stated Ms. Kurima, a Koi. “There is no way that things can get worse than the trajectory they were on (under Sloth-Sway).”
“Thus far, I’ve been impressed by the new team,” stated a Dandan and Neopia Central mailpetpet who wished to remain nameless. “They’ve demonstrated a capability to reach a wide audience, have gotten celebrity endorsements, and their press releases have even been picked up from non-Neopia news channels. I hope they get the returns on their investments they need to keep moving forward.”
“I’m cautiously optimistic,” opined Shelley the Shoyru of GNPO fame in regard to Maverick and NWEI. “InfiniWeb failed, which is a victory for Neopia. But Neopia Central no longer has the support net of a large company, which has allowed it to survive, though not thrive, for the past many years. InfiniWeb and creeping plans to bring NFTs beyond the Post Office were going to drag down the city and planet... cancelling his baby couldn’t have been easy for Maverick. That’s a major favourable point for him.”
“For years, the Neopia Central community has wanted Neopia’s creative control to be under one of its own,” said Ms. Naat, a light faerie. “Now that’s kind of happened?”
“I’m very excited by this new direction for Neopia,” stated Ms. Pennington, a Kyrii. “However, I hope the NWEI team focuses on the core part of the brand – Neopia and Neopia Central herself – rather than on periphery like tangential games or non-core experiences.”
“I’m so glad Neopia Central will now be managed by Neopians who understand the core brand,” opined Mx. Neemende, a Gnorbu. “And we all need to remember that for Neopia Central to survive, the brand does need to branch out.”
“If the NWEI team wants to make new properties and experiences, like World of Stamps, fine,” expressed Mx. Blaine, a Uni. “But it had better connect with my account and daily life on Neopia, or else there’s no chance of me participating, even if it’s the greatest offshoot ever.”
“There is such a large and diverse Neopian community... but most of us gather and discuss in unofficial channels,” declared Mr. Faff, an Ogrin. “If NWEI can better integrate community life and interactions into Neopia Central and Neopia at large in a more legitimate fashion, that would do wonders to breathe life into Neopia and Neopia Central.”
“All I want from the new team is for them to stop treating us citizens like children,” asserted an Acara who wanted to be nameless. “You know, maybe let us cuss every now and again, or at least say the U-word on the Public Forum Boards.”
Will Maverick be able to fully shed his past and win over his naysayers? Is he promising far more than he and his team can possibly deliver? Will there be a “Neopian renaissance”, or is this “new era” rhetoric empty marketspeak? Will NWEI and Neopia Central be a success, or will they ultimately go the way of Sloth-Sway? Is Neopia truly ready to be under new management, and is NWEI ready to lead the rebuilding?
***
This is the first time since the Adonissa period that Neopia Central is again self-owned and managed, free(r) from higher corporate interference and income redirection, with near-ultimate creative freedom – a scenario that is both liberating and daunting. That the unified NWEI team could seem to accomplish more for Neopia Central in two weeks than was apparently possible in the last few years under Sloth-Sway is especially telling. Neopia Central and Neopia at large, under Maverick rather than under a large corporate hierarchy, certainly appear to be on the cusp of a new era; many Neopians are calling for the 20th (or thereabouts) of the Month of Swimming to be a new holiday proclaiming “Neopia Central Independence”, and for an “I survived the Sloth-Sway era” avatar to be released.
Maverick will need to balance the nostalgia entrenched in many Neopians’ collective experience with innovating and providing new games, products, and services – brand growth. But many of Neopia’s most loyal defenders have stuck around for reasons that go far beyond the nostalgia factor. Neopia cannot thrive on nostalgia alone, and Neopians generally want to see their world grow and welcome new platforms and citizens. Nevertheless, especially after years of duress and neglect from various parent companies, Neopians generally and understandably want Neopia Central and Neopia at large to be well and truly repaired before NWEI’s envisaged brand growth starts in earnest – lest it never come at all, which would be the worst possible outcome for Maverick and NWEI as well as Neopia Central and her loyal and longtime citizens.
For the sake of Neopia Central and the world of Neopia in which we reside, may Neopia Central and NWEI not ultimately join Sloth-Sway to be buried six feet underground. Let us come together as a community to work to ensure this new era flourishes and, in the timeless words of The TNT Team, make Neopia “the best it can be!”
NEOPIA CENTRAL—Neopia Central is under new management, marking the dawn of a new era for the city and Neopia in general.
At least according to Ms. Iris and Ms. Wisteria – respectively, the Draik and Aisha marketing managers for the (former) Neopia Central Chamber of Commerce as well as the co-hosts of “Rabbling Riffraff”, a recent weekly Neovision+ talk show to attempt to distract Neopians from Neopia’s societal ills and daily financial struggles. Iris and Wisteria, alongside some core members of the Neopia Central Chamber of Commerce, announced that they have wrested municipal, corporate, and creative control of both Neopia Central and the self-dubbed The TNT Team away from the recently defunct Sloth-Sway Enterprises, subsidiary of Dimensional-Draik Commercial Holdings (NEODAQ: NEGG). They are incorporating with The TNT Team – headquartered in Neopia Central, headed by the (in)famous Poogle Mr. Rackatackatackata, and overseeing many Neopian properties – as a new business entity, “Neopia World Enterprises, Inc.” (NEODAQ: NWEI).
The news as to Neopia Central being effectively under new management has likely been in the works for months, but kept underground, waiting to sprout in a giant display of marketing and revelry – specifically, coinciding with this year’s Comic and Hero Convention (Comhecon), hosted in the bottom floor convention centre of the NeoLodge between the 20th and 23rd this past Month of Swimming.
Many of the combined team’s members were present at Comhecon. There was also a classical futurist-themed Comhecon after-party, hosted by Iris and Wisteria and aptly dubbed the “New Wild Era Infinity” (NWEI) party, at the Chocolate Factory’s Choxolate Baar club and lounge. (Unfortunately, many members of NWEI came down with the still-circulating Evil Fuzzles Virus during Comhecon and/or the after-party, and members of the Neopets community who attended their booth and/or the party were advised to self-isolate and/or self-monitor for its symptoms.)
In the leadup to its platform at Comhecon – in a likely attempt both to bury how close The TNT Team was to bankruptcy as well as to offer goodwill to the remaining community within Neopia Central and beyond – NWEI announced that it had raised millions of NP from a list of undisclosed and apparently dedicated investors to help improve the Neopian experience and foster community growth. These included the hiring of new staff so to accelerate the Neopia Improvement Roadmap initiative published by Rackatackatackata late last year, a 2 million NC giveaway in conjunction with a new community ambassador sponsorship program, regular “ask me anythings” (AMAs) and progress updates from the staff, corporate social welfare initiatives to advocate for Luxina to receive a seat representing New Faerieland in the Council of Neopian Nations (much to the Faerie Queen’s quiet consternation as she continues to try to bring the rogue nation under her direct sphere of influence), allocating charitable donations and sponsoring a charity drive to help the still devastated Dacardians rebuild, and a new Trading Card Game product line with a new avatar.
Furthermore, a partnership was reached with AAA (@aaagamestudioz) to breathe new life into the years-decayed Games Room on Roo Island following the retirement of its chief maintainer, Chet Flash. The new arcade went live on the 25th of the Month of Swimming, albeit to mixed reviews, with many community members praising the kept promise but saying the improved arcade neither went “far enough” in terms of its modernization nor were the games sufficiently error tested.
For the first time since the era of Neopia Central’s original founders – Mr. Adonis and Mrs. Donessa, portmanteau’d affectionately (at least until goodwill between them and the Neopian community was completely destroyed this past Month of Swimming, when the former acted very flippantly toward the Neopian community and the latter publicly castigated and renounced the community for an out-of-context comment) as “Adonissa” – Neopia Central is now unto its own, with no corporate parent to support her enterprises and intellectual property should matters go awry. Though daunting, this means that NWEI now has complete creative control, free from the corporate baggage that may have plagued Neopia Central’s growth and development whilst under previous management.
In a stunning example of this creative control that many Neopians hailed as vindication, the CEO of the newly incorporated NWEI, Mr. Maverick – a Shoyru and resident of Neopia Central – claimed that, during the negotiations with Dimensional-Draik Commercial Holdings, a deal was made to cease production of the much-maligned InfiniWeb, Inc. project. The project led to the creation of the controversial non-fungible token (NFT)-based Neopian Fun Stamps (NFS) product line.
The NFS project – a collaboration between NEGG and the Stamp Board, ongoing for nearly 2 years – was riddled with allegations such as bigotry, general toxicity, and being anti-rainbow pet; the project’s social and environmental implications united the philatelist community and general Neopian community against the NFTs, seen as incongruous with the Post Office’s family-friendly brand values as well as general Neopian values. Although some of the original InfiniWeb team was later replaced, the contempt many Neopians felt toward the project, though eventually cooling to begrudging uneasy coexistence, never waned and was ultimately irreversible. Many Neopians continued to protest InfiniWeb’s existence up until the day before the announcement of its closure.
“We are not pulling the rug out from under you,” asserted the official statement regarding the cancellation of the InfiniWeb project, delivered by Ms. Clair, a JubJub. The statement went on to say that the InfiniWeb team fulfilled numerous objectives of their project and delivered and iterated upon multiple project milestones. The release ended by stating, “Our investors are extremely supportive of the direction we are taking the IP. They believe in a bright future for us, and we hope you do too. See you at the Post Office!” In a response to frustrations and lamentations expressed by a Buzz loyal to the InfiniWeb project who wanted to remain nameless, Clair asserted that owners of NFSs would likely be compensated for their loyalty to the doomed venture, but the nature of said compensation was yet to be determined.
There are plans to repurpose some of the NFS’s gamified components into “World of Stamps”, a mobile device augmented reality adventure where one can explore the Post Office and Neopia Central from the perspective of a stamp. There are also talks to incorporate elements of KeyQuest, Habitarium, and NeoHomes.
In a striking albeit yet to be verified claim, there are multiple reports that the millions of NP investment into the newly incorporated NWEI was originally planned to support the InfiniWeb project. If true, it shows that NWEI’s investors were capable of being convinced that the Neopia Central brand could have a higher return on their investment should the crypto elements be expunged – further cementing a galaxy-wide “crypto winter”.
“It’s very surreal,” said Mr. Prima, a Kougra who was present at the original InfiniWeb protests. “We’d all originally been worried about InfiniWeb funnelling money from the Post Office Proper... but it seems the opposite actually happened. The Neopoints have gone from supporting NFTs to supporting Neopia. We are no longer under the threat of becoming NFTs. We somehow wound up in the good timeline after all.”
Sowing skepticism in the otherwise optimistic Neopian air, however, was the revelation that Maverick had been head of InfiniWeb, Inc. Though his motivations for ceasing the InfiniWeb project as well as the promises made by NWEI seem genuine at face value, many Neopians are understandably reserving judgement until tangible progress in Neopia Central is actioned and more information about World of Stamps is released. Yet, there are certainly Neopians who see Maverick as a saviour of sorts, knowing that Neopia Central’s future would have been far bleaker had Neopia Central enterprises at large gone the way of Sloth-Sway.
There have already been exciting changes for Neopia Central and beyond. The city entrances have been redone to be “friendlier” in terms of readability and accessibility, and many sectors continue to see quality-of-life and tidiness updates. Although Neopians are somewhat divided about the quality and somewhat gaudy design of the new city entrances and concomitant paraphernalia, most are happy for the seeming progress and hopeful that promises will continue to be fulfilled.
Additionally, new promotional material that better unifies previously disparate The TNT Team properties have been produced. Perhaps most interestingly, in an effort to increase transparency and build community rapport, NWEI has released a new Neopian Mission Statement declaring their core values: community-centric design, high standards of quality, innovation and improvement via adaptability and flexibility, and acceptance and inclusivity.
Incredibly, in what many have seen as a positive outreach and a gesture of goodwill, the NWEI team made formal ties at Comhecon with “Grundos Gym”, or Gym for short. Started by a handful of disenfranchised Grundos, Gym was an effort to recreate the Adonissa period of Neopia and Neopia Central in an isolated, small-scale environment; they have since attracted many Neopians who long for this “golden age” to join their venture. While many citizens appreciate the Grundos’ efforts to provide nostalgia, others despise the “clone world” for luring citizens and therefore potential resources away from Neopia proper. The extent to which Gym will be impacted by Maverick’s attempts to revitalize Neopia Central – and/or whether NWEI endeavours to bring Gym’s citizens more under its control – is yet to be determined.
In what some have said is evidence that Neopia has become “chaotic good,” the NWEI team has managed to recruit famed singer-songwriter, Joan Mith – the stage name of the Chia of Jazzmosis fame – to be a Neopia Central Brand Ambassador. This has already led to some former Neopians who have since moved to other planets to return, or at least to discuss the happenings in Neopia, given the popularity of Mith and to a lesser extent their wife.
However, not everyone is pleased by this news. “This huge marketing push seems like a waste of the investment money NWEI has accrued. They should be doing this after they fix more of Neopia Central’s problems,” opined Ms. Chrissie, a Bruce. While others have expressed similar sentiments, it should be noted Mith’s monetary compensation has yet to be disclosed; though likely much larger, it may only be 1000 NC per month.
1000 NC per month is the compensation that ambassadors under the new sponsorship program are set to receive. Many analysts regard this as a pittance and merely an attempt to more directly legitimize, and to an extent to also empower (or subjugate depending on one’s level of cynicism), the existing Neopian talent of community builders and content creators – individuals who currently do their work effectively for free because they love Neopia and Neopia Central and want to see success for the world (or success for themselves in terms of eyeballs and advertising revenue streams, again depending on one’s level of cynicism).
In summary, despite some misgivings regarding Neopia Central’s new management, the commitments by NWEI to revitalize Neopia Central are being hailed by the Neopian community as an all around positive.
***
“Even after my friends and I moved out of Neopia Central,” started Maverick in an anecdote that opened his Comhecon after-party speech, “even off to other planets in some cases, we knew we could always meet back together on Neopia and in Neopia Central. And sure, the corporate city and crown jewel of our planet has declined... But we can rebuild and restore it to its glory days!” the Shoyru exclaimed to general applause from the audience (except one anonymous individual who jeered a complaint regarding the state of the Battledome). “I want Neopia Central to be a city that I can be proud to raise my family in, that my children can play in freely!”
Although his remarks and general enthusiasm toward restoring Neopia Central have invigorated and excited the Neopian community to various degrees, there are some who still see him and his past in a more negative light.
“(Maverick) is an entrepreneur and businessman first and foremost,” opined an individual who wanted to remain anonymous. “He’s merely trying to appeal to us like a Councilmember tries to appeal to us on voting day.”
“Yes, Maverick saved Neopia Central. But the InfiniWeb team hasn’t been canned, they’ve been promoted to a far larger role in Neopia Central affairs than they ever had been before,” complained Mx. Jinny, a Bori.
Nevertheless, most Neopians are abuzz with speculation and anticipation over the future.
“Between Neopia Central going bankrupt and having a fighting chance of surviving another day, of course I’d take the latter,” stated Ms. Kurima, a Koi. “There is no way that things can get worse than the trajectory they were on (under Sloth-Sway).”
“Thus far, I’ve been impressed by the new team,” stated a Dandan and Neopia Central mailpetpet who wished to remain nameless. “They’ve demonstrated a capability to reach a wide audience, have gotten celebrity endorsements, and their press releases have even been picked up from non-Neopia news channels. I hope they get the returns on their investments they need to keep moving forward.”
“I’m cautiously optimistic,” opined Shelley the Shoyru of GNPO fame in regard to Maverick and NWEI. “InfiniWeb failed, which is a victory for Neopia. But Neopia Central no longer has the support net of a large company, which has allowed it to survive, though not thrive, for the past many years. InfiniWeb and creeping plans to bring NFTs beyond the Post Office were going to drag down the city and planet... cancelling his baby couldn’t have been easy for Maverick. That’s a major favourable point for him.”
“For years, the Neopia Central community has wanted Neopia’s creative control to be under one of its own,” said Ms. Naat, a light faerie. “Now that’s kind of happened?”
“I’m very excited by this new direction for Neopia,” stated Ms. Pennington, a Kyrii. “However, I hope the NWEI team focuses on the core part of the brand – Neopia and Neopia Central herself – rather than on periphery like tangential games or non-core experiences.”
“I’m so glad Neopia Central will now be managed by Neopians who understand the core brand,” opined Mx. Neemende, a Gnorbu. “And we all need to remember that for Neopia Central to survive, the brand does need to branch out.”
“If the NWEI team wants to make new properties and experiences, like World of Stamps, fine,” expressed Mx. Blaine, a Uni. “But it had better connect with my account and daily life on Neopia, or else there’s no chance of me participating, even if it’s the greatest offshoot ever.”
“There is such a large and diverse Neopian community... but most of us gather and discuss in unofficial channels,” declared Mr. Faff, an Ogrin. “If NWEI can better integrate community life and interactions into Neopia Central and Neopia at large in a more legitimate fashion, that would do wonders to breathe life into Neopia and Neopia Central.”
“All I want from the new team is for them to stop treating us citizens like children,” asserted an Acara who wanted to be nameless. “You know, maybe let us cuss every now and again, or at least say the U-word on the Public Forum Boards.”
Will Maverick be able to fully shed his past and win over his naysayers? Is he promising far more than he and his team can possibly deliver? Will there be a “Neopian renaissance”, or is this “new era” rhetoric empty marketspeak? Will NWEI and Neopia Central be a success, or will they ultimately go the way of Sloth-Sway? Is Neopia truly ready to be under new management, and is NWEI ready to lead the rebuilding?
***
This is the first time since the Adonissa period that Neopia Central is again self-owned and managed, free(r) from higher corporate interference and income redirection, with near-ultimate creative freedom – a scenario that is both liberating and daunting. That the unified NWEI team could seem to accomplish more for Neopia Central in two weeks than was apparently possible in the last few years under Sloth-Sway is especially telling. Neopia Central and Neopia at large, under Maverick rather than under a large corporate hierarchy, certainly appear to be on the cusp of a new era; many Neopians are calling for the 20th (or thereabouts) of the Month of Swimming to be a new holiday proclaiming “Neopia Central Independence”, and for an “I survived the Sloth-Sway era” avatar to be released.
Maverick will need to balance the nostalgia entrenched in many Neopians’ collective experience with innovating and providing new games, products, and services – brand growth. But many of Neopia’s most loyal defenders have stuck around for reasons that go far beyond the nostalgia factor. Neopia cannot thrive on nostalgia alone, and Neopians generally want to see their world grow and welcome new platforms and citizens. Nevertheless, especially after years of duress and neglect from various parent companies, Neopians generally and understandably want Neopia Central and Neopia at large to be well and truly repaired before NWEI’s envisaged brand growth starts in earnest – lest it never come at all, which would be the worst possible outcome for Maverick and NWEI as well as Neopia Central and her loyal and longtime citizens.
For the sake of Neopia Central and the world of Neopia in which we reside, may Neopia Central and NWEI not ultimately join Sloth-Sway to be buried six feet underground. Let us come together as a community to work to ensure this new era flourishes and, in the timeless words of The TNT Team, make Neopia “the best it can be!”
Admittedly, I'm not sure I'm crossing the line more so than any of my previously published works, and though it's somewhat scathing/jesting in some places I'm trying to remain relatively optimistic throughout the piece. If anyone has any suggestions for content that could/should be removed I am certainly open to it. Thanks!
