I’m back! (not really) + name change + fer.al

Hey guys,

No one is likely going to read this, but here we go!

I’m sorry it’s been so long! Everything’s really crazy right now, and to top it all off I was locked out of my email for the blog (finally got it back! woohoo!)! Anyway, I probably won’t be posting much anymore, if at all, but who knows? Maybe I’ll start back up again. I haven’t been playing AJ as much anymore, but I’m definitely not quitting.

I also started playing fer.al under the same username as AJ. I love it so far, especially the walking-around-and-finding-stuff bit. I’m not playing it very often either (been reading a lot lately), but I really enjoy the art style, although I am a bit disappointed that Wildworks is pushing paid “subscriptions” on us already (season pass). Just to be forewarned, even if I do start posting more frequently it will likely not be about fer.al.

And now to the more substantial thing to discuss. At first, this post was supposed to be no more than one paragraph explaining to you guys where I’d been, but then I remembered the whole name change thing and decided to talk about that. Quick not before we begin: I will be referring to the games by their original names (Animal Jam and Play Wild). 

So let’s start with a quick question to Wildworks.

WHAT ON EARTH WERE YOU GUYS THINKING?!

Now that that’s out of the way, let’s talk about the change itself and its aftermath (or lack thereof, in AJ’s situation). I’m sure that by now, most of you know that Animal Jam’s official name has been changed to Animal Jam Classic, and Play Wild’s name has been changed to Animal Jam. If you didn’t know before, now you do. They’re basically putting all their effort into PW and pushing AJ to the wayside. Oh, sure, we’re getting new items, but where are our new animals that aren’t just the same old ones with some stars slapped on the side? Where are our dens that aren’t cheap recolors? What about new lands and adventures? While PW is over here getting dens the size of lands with secret passageways all over, we get a bundle of items and an animal that already exists! And look at that: it’s another bundle! And another! Every update now looks something like this:

Page one: LOOK! IT’S A NEW BUNDLE! It has a whole bunch of fancy LAMPS!! It also comes with the EPIC arctic wolf and a pet hamster!! Come get it for 40 diamonds today!!

Page two: Seasonal party! Also, seasonal adventure!

Page three: Ya know, Play Wild over here has some really COOL STUFF! This elaborate 67-story den that’s spaceship-themed with 24 secret passageways is brand new! Come check it out!!!

Page four: DID YOU KNOW? Adventures exist!!

And that’s pretty much it for the Jamaa Woodslab (credit for the name to DoomyPanda :P).

I do have to admit, some of the bundles were pretty cool (like the vet one), but the majority are just eh.

Now, when I checked the Daily Explorer that fateful day sometime in late April, as I sometimes do, I saw the first post, and, not gonna lie to you guys, I shed a tear. This felt like the beginning of the end. I was placated a little by the promised in-game celebrations for AJ’s tenth birthday, but... where were they? I know the game’s birthday is in September, but the way it was written seemed like the celebration would be in May. So who knows, it might still be coming. The alternative is that the “massive super fun celebration” was just the release of the few crappy recolors of some older items as “Classic ______.” Also, the Daily Explorer promised some ~exciting new content~ coming to both games, and for awhile, that was true. Updates got better in AJ, until they didn’t. And now we’re back where we started while they put all their effort into Play Wild. We just get new item after new item, but no real new content.

If you go to the homepage, you’re greeted by a variety of colorful animals with colorful, shiny items under the benevolent logo of Animal Jam. Then, to get to the newly-named Animal Jam Classic, you scroll down, down, down, to the banner labeled as such. And then you have to click the Play Now button, which takes to you a new page labeled Animal Jam Classic. This page is adorned with a simple natural background with four fairly plain-colored animals with no items. Now, don’t get me wrong, I like the whole natural aesthetic. But kids are going to look at the shiny, colorful one, and then the harder-to-get-to plain one, and join the shiny one. Wildworks is clearly trying to focus its attention (and money) on Play Wild.

And then the issue of the naming itself. I seriously doubt any of the people who played before the change are going to call the games by their new names. It’s like if Apple came out and said, “Okay, folks! We have renamed the iPhone! It is now called the fluggaboo!” Even if Apple put up banners everywhere advertising the next fluggaboo every year, no one’s going to call the iPhone a fluggaboo. They’re just going to call it the iPhone. This is the issue with Animal Jam, except less extreme.

Okay, well, that was far longer and more pessimistic than I intended that to be. I might post more frequently, I might not. Who knows. Depends on if my email locks me out again.

To end on a happier note, enjoy this adorable picture of a baby zebra with polka dots instead of stripes.

Stay safe, wash your hands, and wear a mask! See you guys around in AJ!

Amhdolphin