The Web Evolution of Club Penguin
Back when I was in third grade, I would play Club Penguin every single day. I took care of my puffles as if they were my real pets and I would play the penguin tubing game for hours so I could accumulate enough coins to furnish my igloo with the coolest things. Needless to say, I might have had a slight obsession with Club Penguin when I was a kid. However, this obsession did not last that long because by fifth grade I was all about the Webkinz lifestyle. I chose to research the web history of Club Penguin because I used to spend a lot of time on this site when I was younger and unfortunately the whole Club Penguin virtual world is closing on March 29, 2017.
This is the original website for Club Penguin that was established in 2005. As you can see, there are definitely more words than pictures and the website creators wanted to demonstrate to parents that the site is safe for their children.
By February of 2006, the site received a facelift. There are more animations and more penguins which makes the site more appealing for children. The creators again highlighted the safety of their site, this time by showing the Better Business Bureau- Kid’s Privacy Seal of Approval. The upgrades made to the Club Penguin site reels in more children because of the animations and also draws in parent’s approval due to the seal of approval. The site now focused on Club Penguin memberships which entails a monthly a fee but allows a Club Penguin user more freedom and fun on the website.
By the end of 2006, Club Penguin became a popular site across the United States for children. Children loved to interact with other penguins, play games, buy new clothes for their penguins, and throw parties in their igloos with their puffles. It was a sensation, and children could not get enough of Club Penguin. As you can see, Club Penguin now had on online store where users could buy Club Penguin merchandise. People could now buy gift cards that users could spend on the site either buying fancier igloos of clothing for their penguins. Club Penguin was also awarded the “Editor’s Choice” award from Children’s Technology Review Magazine which in turn created more approval from parents to allow their children to play on Club Penguin.
In April of 2008 the site had some major cosmetic changes. Compared to the original site, this site is almost all animations. This update demonstrates how a Club Penguin user actually interacts while on the website. I think this version draws in the most children because looking at all those penguins makes me want to join right now and start playing and I’m 20 years old. This version of the website stayed pretty consistent over the next three years, there were slight changes made to the main animation adding more penguins or making them holiday themed were the main changes.
By the end of 2011, the Club Penguin website began to promote the Club Penguin app. This was an era when smart phones and iPod touches were beginning to be very popular. Now, children didn’t have to wait to play Club Penguin until they got home to use their desktop computer; they could play on their iPod touch, tablet, or parent’s phone.
In 2014, Club Penguin’s site became very simplistic. During this time children spent more time on tablets and smart phones rather than desktop computers or laptops. This new version of Club Penguin did not have very many words and it was very user friendly. At this point in time, Club Penguin was not as popular as it used to be it definitely was in a declining cycle. The creators had to appeal to simplicity because they were now facing tons of competition due to the popularity of smart phones and tablets.
This is the latest Club Penguin website. It is very similar to the version from 2014 except this version has a PSA that Club Penguin will be closing on March 29, 2017. Due to technology constantly evolving, Club Penguin had a difficult time reeling in new users. This site peaked in 2006–2008 before everyone used tablets and smart phones. With these inventions Club Penguin faced too much competition from other apps and could not successfully rebrand its image in a tech-savvy world. Club Penguin will always have a special place in my heart and I am sad to see it go. Go play with your penguins and puffles before they’re gone forever. RIP Club Penguin.
