Rather than discuss matters back and forth endlessly in the Foop proper - with the concommitant risk of significant input being lost in the crowd, Forum-style - we are trying to formulate an overview of what is needed (and NOT needed) to help the site survive and flourish. The one thing I believe we all agree on is that everyone - members and management alike - is, and should be, trying to work towards that outcome. What is needed is for us all to work TOGETHER - not at cross-purposes for whatever reasons.
I will be doing my best to keep any type of factionalism out of this - these will be strictly observations and suggestions intended to benefit the site as a whole. That includes insuring that FooPets, and the people who run it, make enough money to operate comfortably. Money is an ugly topic, as a rule, but a necessary one, and must be dealt with realistically. So does what the site IS.
First and foremost, I believe that the original site concept - which was never designed for younger players - needs to be upheld. This is what brought FooPets its original popularity, the lion's share of its income, and has the potential to do so still. Adult players are a wide-open market, capable of appreciating the tremendous effort that goes into creating and maintaining a site this complex and unique, and are the most likely to have the discretionary income to support it adequately...and voluntarily.
Children, however indulgent their parents, do not : and as there are far too many child-oriented sites already extant that WERE designed for that purpose - and are free - FooPets in its existing form is not equipped to compete for anything resembling a fair share of this market, much less survive on it as an income source.
Therefore, we ask - no, we PLEAD - that a separate child-friendly division of FooPets be created to cater to their specialized requirements. (MyFooPets, FooPetsJunior, FooPetFriends, or etc.) Be realistic - children cannot function successfully in a site that was designed for adults (and is still dominated by them), no matter how many mandated "safeguards" are put in. Adults will rapidly grow disenchanted with a site that is forced by these same mandates to treat them (after they have in many cases supported the site for long periods of time, financially and otherwise) as second-class citizens at best. Nobody wins.
Ideally, a MyFooPets (or whatever) would be free to use, have neither Forums, sales, nor breeding - though I believe that Friending and Message Boards would be useful - and should have something like a 5-pet limit. It should not be oriented around site tender of any kind - supplies, items, and additional pets should be a reward for good care and citizenship. Scene and profile decor could also fall into this group, as site-provided items - while receiving necessary supplies (food, water, meds) would be ongoing, a progressive series of special item rewards would be an incentive for them to learn and grow in the site. Overall it should be a scaled-down, easily used and comprehended version of the main site, where children 13 and under learn about pets and pet care - not capitalism. A mentoring system would also be a good feature, whereby the site a's guide them and ultimately prepare them to "graduate" to the main site.
(And no, sadly I have no real idea how to resolve this with whatever number of under-13 members we have on the main site at present. As it is, my personal feeling is that the "adult" FooPets ought to be 18 and up - necessitating in the long run an intermediate level for 13 - 17 year olds...which is where RolePlay belongs, by the way. All the teen-oriented sites appear to have it with great success.)
A great many of the issues rankling the adult membership would be alleviated by this move, and it would clear the playing field to see what else genuinely needs to be addressed. Now, the big pickle...site income.
No one likes enforced pay-to-play...including, I expect, those running the site. Still, this takes money, and it has to come from SOMEWHERE. At the moment, that's the only "where" in town, for various reasons. That is not to say it HAS to be. Even while the system remains in place, there are ways to make it more workable for all concerned, including but not limited to any or all of the following :
#1 - offer subscription options at lower cost WITHOUT foodollar perks. we already have an enormous problem with runaway inflation as it is : and this would reopen the door to foodollar package purchases, as well (my initial accounts spent well over $100 apiece in the first six months onsite buying foodollars, back in late 2009/early 2010). odds on, volume will more than make up for the lower per-account fees.
#2 - create a sliding payment scale based on either number of pets per account, or number of accounts per IP, with or without foodollar awards.
#3 - institute a system that would allow the "haves" to gift memberships to the "have-nots", legally and without having to exchange any information to do so.
And for when "ClubFoo" as it stands can begin to be phased out,
#4 - charge for opening a new account - or, alternatively, for its first pet - rather than an ongoing "rental" fee for having one.
#5 - create a new membership level or levels, whereby those who can afford to contribute $100, $250, $500, etc, to the site receive contributor medallions for their profiles and some sort of special gift.
#6 - create a new member subscription program with a totally separate site tender, issued daily either in fixed (if there are various levels) or random (if there is only one - I foresee something similar to the Spinner) amounts, redeemable in a special shop for items available nowhere else on the site.
There are a plethora of other ways that the site can generate income with little or no additional programming, that can be gone into at another time. I know that prior to pay-to-play I personally spent five times or more as much on the site as I do now. Since its advent, I have spent only the minimum I had to...and since April 2011 when it was instituted, spent well over $1500 on other sites. What can I say ? I put my money - sometimes more than I can really afford - into sites and causes I believe in.
I want to believe in FooPets again. Can't we all - members and management - work together to make that happen?
No one expects instant results, and it is acknowledged that nothing can be done that will please everybody, but if plans can be made for the future and shared with a committed and concerned membership (and we want to HELP you - please let us...), it would be a major step in healing all the damage that the past has done.
Thank you!
Bravo. YES we all need to work together.
ReplyDeleteYou seem to me to have the large issue of finance basically covered. I would like to add the possibility of a "free" account which is paid for, or at least partially so, via advertising. An online game of this nature with no free-to-player element makes no sense.
I too think that the site should return to Adult-only state, and that younger players should be given a "Foopets Lite" version. I think that the current "adult dashboard" system is very inadequate and that kids should have their own game and forum which can be monitored properly. I think you have that covered.
As regards the large issue of the forum and the unpaid staff who are meant to keep watch on players, look on the FOOP, at AnonNotHeardFrom's contribution. I personally think that she or he has those covered. Regarding Ambassadors and helpful players, "Every last one of them is burned out to a cinder. Whether they know it or not." We need a completely new system with new rules, and Foo needs to change the uneasy retrofit of young players into an adult game. I believe that this could be done fairly quickly and at minimal cost, if they are willing to "go for it" and let us all help with ideas. We all love the game.
My main thoughts apart from those have to do with the game itself and bringing back some of what the actual game used to be before the Rivet draconian measures were put in place. What it used to be was a pet-care game with the focus on friendly discussions and rivalry regarding, mostly, care of pets and the creation of scenes for them. Removing the FooGem cap and re-allowing the fostering of non-friended accounts would please many older players. I do not know how much major coding change would be needed to bring the scene creation back to the profile page tabs, but I do think that it would reduce the load on the servers and would appease customers.
I disagree with the feelings of Foo should be only for those 18 and up . I am under 18 and I have been on foo for 3 years , have a BB of 425 days , and 62 foobabies I love . I don't want too lose all of that and be stuck on a junior site . I think there should be a junior site , directed towards those around the age of 9 and under . I just think forums shoulen't be allowed for those under 13 . I mean , even 13 year olds are still kids , but there not little either . I mean , I am very scared at the thought foo might become a 18 year old and up site and I might lose all this i worked for . Foo shoudl stay a all ages game if you ask me . There are peaple my age who have been on since 2009 and deserve too stay .
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry, but this is slightly OTT. Sure, you want adult features on the site, such as roleplaying, adult chat, etc. But this is a KIDS SITE. There may be a large appeal to adults on Foo, but when you join a kids' site, you should bear in mind that that is what it is! You can't turn it into DeviantArt, a website that revolves around forums or anything else! FooPets revolves around the virtual pets; the social side to it is important, I agree, but it's not so important that it's worth splitting the site for. A kids site and an adults site.. it's sensible, but what about the teenagers? We don't want to be stuck on a kids site because we're under 18, and not all of us will be comfortable with just adults!
ReplyDeleteFoo's PERFECT the way it is!
I agree absolutely with working together, believing in FooPets, and even having a separate site for kids. What makes no sense to me is that you said it was aimed at adults. If a website was aimed at adults, would it really focus on fluffy kittens and puppies and a bright easy to use layout, or have everything inside it designed to lure children in? I've been a member since '09, and the original sign-up process required you to be 13+, not 18+. By kicking the teenagers ; who ARE (although may not have the same amount of money at their disposal as adults) the vast majority of the community ; onto a little kiddie version of the site, you would ensure the company shutting down for good.
ReplyDelete(sigh) nice to see both of you are mature enough to read and follow directions...to wit, NO anonymous posting here, and discussion of possible changes to the body of the text - which, as i said, i am more than open to discussing, and doing - conducted in the Foop, to be transferred here once a consensus is reached.
ReplyDeleteGo-Pokey and subsequently FooPets ran as an almost-exclusively adult site - successfully - for quite some time before its ToS were modified to admit over-13's, and more recently to remove ALL age barriers (and we see where THAT got them). speaking personally as one of those adults, i have found that we are more likely to become involved with the realism of FooPets, as opposed to the more brightly colored, fantasy-derived pets featured on sites devoted to teens and children. as i mentioned, i have looked around quite a bit, and joined a number of these sites and got to know their memberships.
my suggestion that the site be segmented is intended to be in the interests of all members past, present, and future - they would be CHOICES, offered to best suit the needs of various demographic groups. the big idea is to get RID of the Big Bad Wolf telling you who and what you should be on any of them. the midgroup for teens was put forward as the best way to reintroduce RPing. the site for 13 and under offers the best way to give them an enjoyable experience with Foo without hobbling the other players. anyone who wishes could join any or all of them...as long as they are willing to abide by the different rules and conditions the target group for each would dictate.
(and, Anon #2...as i said to many teens in the past who have tried to bully adults off the site who had been there far longer than they had, long before all the problems began...it's NOT a "kid's site". it was adult only to begin with, and when over 13's were finally allowed on, most adult did their best to welcome, work with, and help them. i have many FooFriends under 18, and have never had a problem with them - they love Foo as it was, as i and the other adults who predate them do...and feel no need to try to monopolize Foo for "kids".)
ReplyDeletei think this is wonderful, i could never have thought this out so well, and i LOVE the idea of contributor medals or gifts etc. bravo, word perfect and im a hundred percent behind you
ReplyDelete