| URL | See Current services below |
|---|---|
| Slogan | Hangout for teens |
| Commercial? | Yes |
| Type of site | Social network service |
| Registration | Yes |
| Available language(s) | Multilingual |
| Owner | Sulake Corporation |
| Created by | Sampo Karjalainen Aapo Kyrölä |
| Launched | Finland (2000—) Spain (2003—) English (2010—) UK and Ireland (2001–10) United States (2004–10) Australia (2004–10) (See full list) |
| Alexa rank | 16,095 (January 2012[update])[1] |
| Current status | Active |
Habbo (previously known as Habbo Hotel) is a social networking site aimed at teenagers. The website is owned and operated by Sulake Corporation. The service began in 2000 and has expanded to include 11 online communities (or "hotels"), with users in over 150 countries.[2] As of August 2011, over 230 million avatars have been registered.[2] There are an average 10 million unique visitors monthly.[2]
Contents |
Habbo stemmed from a 1999 hobby project by creative designer Sampo Karjalainen and technologist Aapo Kyrölä entitled Mobiles Disco, for a Finnish band. It was a virtual chat room running on Aapo's Fuse technology. After having been contracted to design a virtual game and chat called Lumisota (Snow Wars) for a Finnish internet service provider, they were contracted for another project. They developed Hotelli Kultakala (eng. Hotel Goldfish) with a small team of developers. It launched in August 2000 on the ISP's web portal.
Aapo, Sampo and Dee Edwards, an entrepreneur from the UK, wanted to create an international business based on the virtual hotel concept , drafting a plan in Autumn 2000 and raised finance. By the end of January 2001, Habbo Hotel had been launched in beta mode. The new hotel exited beta a few weeks afterwards, aimed at the teenage market, with marketing and payment partners in place, run from a HQ in London. It featured a new credits system with community and safety features.[3] The next hotel was launched in Switzerland a few months later, in four languages. It has since been expanded to over 31 countries in five continents, including Hotelli Kultakala in Finland which was made into a Habbo Hotel and has been invested in by venture capitalists.[4]
In May 2006, the service, along with its domain names, were changed from www.habbohotel.com (.co.uk, .com.au, etc.) to www.habbo.com (.co.uk, .com.au, etc.). In August 2007, Habbo's Chinese community closed down temporarily, the first time a Habbo website has closed. The challenging Chinese market and high operational costs led to the decision of closing the service. Customers in China were redirected to other Habbo communities.[5] In December 2008, Habbo's Russian community announced it was closing in February 2009 as a result of low numbers. Those on the site with "furni" (virtual furniture that can be used to furnish rooms in the hotel that are bought with the use of Habbo Credits or Coins, that can be purchased with actual money) have been told they will receive credit codes for use on the USA Habbo community.
In late May 2009, Habbo opened a new beta version of Habbo, with a select group of Habbos acting as beta testers, before launching it officially. In the new version of Habbo, the client uses Flash instead of Shockwave, resulting in a change of hotel interface.
In January 2010, it was announced that Habbo US and Habbo Canada would undergo a merger, to be finalized in April 2010.[6] However, in April 2010, it was announced that all English-speaking hotels will be merged as one.[7] On May 5, the merger for Habbo US and Habbo Canada was complete.[8] On June 2, the Australian site merge was completed.[9] The Singapore site was officially merged on June 4.[10] On June 10, the final Hotel, Habbo UK, was merged and that completed the set, making Habbo.com the only English speaking site.[11]
Many activities and features are available on Habbo's website that do not appear in the Hotel itself. The community section of the website features regularly updated news and events regarding the service. Recommended chat rooms, popular group pages and user pages and user interest tags are also accessible from the website. The website has seen over five different versions. Over the past three years, the website has become more intergrated with the hotel. Before 2006, users logged in on the hotel, now they log in via the website, which links them to the hotel. The website provides information on users' credit balance, groups, rooms and even friends.
This is a feature allowing users to customize their own web page displayed on the website, colloquially named Habbo Home. The web page can be accessed from inside the hotel,[12] and allow for user interaction with the home page of the user, as well as interaction within the Hotel. The web pages are displayed with the user's character appearance and motto. Users can customize their web page with a selection of widgets, stickers and backgrounds. Various widgets, stickers and backgrounds can be purchased with credits to add to the small default range of features.[13]
Groups are special "clubs" that users can join. They have a very similar format to user pages. While users can join groups for free, a ten credit fee is required if a user would like to create their own group. In groups, owners can change the badge (a small image to symbolize the group), customize the page, give/take away admin rights (the ability to change the badge, change the page, kick members out, give/take away other members rights, etc.) to members, delete/change discussion forum threads, or change the group's settings, such as the URL, the group name, group description, and even the ability to make the group exclusive or available to everybody. Users can join up to 50 groups. Many of the hotel's community pages (such as the monthly News) are featured on groups.
Within groups, there is a discussion forum, where users can post various threads and topics. In order to post in these forums, users will need to verify their e-mail address first. Users can post virtually anything they wish. Since many people enjoy spamming the forums, Habbo has included a "security code" system, where users must enter a randomly generated string of characters (e.g. jsiqnsp) before their message can be saved, to prevent spam.
Users can also download the Habbo toolbar. The Habbo community toolbar allows users to stay on top of what is happening in Habbo, even when they are not there. Powered by Conduit, the community toolbar lets users see their messages, friends, news, and links to groups.
Habbo's main feature is the "Hotel", and consists of a client made using Adobe Flash technologies. The Hotel can be accessed by logged-in users via the Habbo Homepage. When a user accesses the Hotel they are brought to a screen colloquially known as Hotel View. From this screen, members can contact one another via the Habbo Chat, which acts as the main form of communication throughout all areas of the Hotel, and use the Navigator to navigate their way to a chat room. Originally, communication was conducted through the Habbo Console, which was recently replaced by Habbo Chat and by Habbo Mail, which is accessible via the Habbo Homepage.
Public Rooms are rooms which are available to all members. They often depict scenes such as restaurants, cinemas, and dance clubs. Most Public Rooms contain automated robots which shout pre-recorded messages and can give members drinks and food items. Public rooms are designed by Sulake and are not customizable by users. Some rooms used to contain games called Battle Ball, SnowStorm, Wobble Squabble and diving, but these games were removed due to coding issues when they upgraded from Shockwave to Flash.
In June 2011, most Official rooms were removed from the hotel. Bots are now much less commonly seen. The popular games BattleBall and SnowStorm were replaced with Freeze and Battle Banzai to coincide with the new Flash client. By buying certain furni, players can build their own rooms for other players to play these games.
In December 2011, SnowStorm made a return to Habbo in the new Flash client.[14]
Guest Rooms are special rooms which users can customize to endless lengths with Habbo Furni, wallpaper and floor patterns, which can be purchased with credits. Users can also choose from a range of room templates that determine what shape the room is. Guest rooms can be created by any member and can be locked to allow access only to specific users or password holder. Many users create their own games in their guest rooms, which give furniture or coins as a prize. These rooms are categorized on the navigator in many categories such as "Trading", "Parties", and "Role Playing". Virtual pets can be bought and kept in Guest rooms. Users can interact with the pets, which will obey certain commands as long as they are kept happy and fed.[15]
There are 2 types of currency on Habbo. Credits (or coins) which are used to buy furniture in the catologue and Pixels (free currency, you get 10 every 15 minutes) where you can buy effects and 'Hello Furni' (furniture similar to a new user's "starter" furni) Also, seasonally themed currencies (E.g.: "Snowflakes" for Christmas) are given out to players by the hotel for completing certain quests which can then be used to buy seasonal Furni for a short time.
Credits, (also called Coins on some hotels) can be purchased using a variety of different services, such as credit card, a telephone service, a Ukash card and via SMS. They can also be redeemed into Exchange, which displays the Credits as an item of virtual furniture; the furniture can then be traded among users, and redeemed back into Credits. Users can join Habbo Club (HC), which is a premium subscription purchased using Credits. Features of Habbo Club membership include a badge, new selections for a player's avatar, new room designs, and a free piece of furni exclusive to club members every month. In April 2010, a new group called VIP was implemented, which has upgraded many of the features of HC, and costs more credits.[16]
Pixels were introduced in November 2008. Unlike credits, they are not purchased with real money, and cannot be traded in any form. They are given out when users satisfy certain conditions (such as logging in, being friendly, etc.). They can be used to purchase effects for avatars and rent special furniture that causes "effects" in their rooms for a short time.
There are 18 office branches globally operated by Sulake employees; these office branches are the workplace of the respective Habbo's senior operators - These staff generally include a "Hotel Manager", or Content Manager, who oversees the community as a whole by communicating with users through newsletters, creating competitions, and managing the content of the website; a Community Manager, who is responsible for moderation and guidance throughout the virtual community by managing in-game Moderators and a Country Manager, who manages the business side of the community such as sales, finance and administration.
Office staff may also consist of customer support staff, who respond to queries sent via contact forms by users; and graphic designers who create the vast amounts of pixel imagery used both in-game and on the community's website.
Automatic moderation exists in Habbo's language filter, the "Bobba Filter", which replaces offensive text with the simple word "bobba". Replacement applies to anything from mild to highly offensive words, phrases, and even websites. In this way, the filter assists in the moderation of Habbo. A feature added on February 27, 2008, enables users to turn the Bobba Filter on and off. With this feature enabled, however, users cannot report to moderators any other users who may be using offensive language. In December 2010, the word 'bobba' was replaced with the more internationally recognized '*****'.
Habbo's moderation is covered by paid moderator staff who are police vetted Sulake employees.[17] Tools utilized by moderator staff allow them to send messages to individual Habbos in the hotel, which appear as in-game popups. As well as this ability, moderator staff can also kick Habbos from any room, mute them (prevent them from speaking) and ban them from the hotel entirely.[17]
From August 2000 to 31 December 2005, there existed a program for experienced members of each Habbo community to become a 'Hobba'. Hobbas were non-paid, volunteer moderators with limited powers that acted as Hotel Guides. On December 31, 2005, Sulake suspended the Hobba program due to major security issues and the rapidly growing Habbo community. It was decided that Habbo needed a stronger, more professional moderation team, that would be employees of Sulake.[18]
As a website geared towards teenagers, Habbo often attracts sponsorship from outside entities and organizations. This sponsorship includes visits by musicians[19] (such as The Veronicas, Gorillaz),[20] Skye Sweetnam,[21] Little Birdy, Stephanie McIntosh, Operator Please, Chingy, Evermore, Avril Lavigne, Ashlee Simpson, Cole and Dylan Sprouse, and more recently David Archuleta, Tokio Hotel, The Ting Tings, DJ Ironik, Alesha Dixon, The Take, Same Difference and Eoghan Quigg as well as various corporate giants. Sulake has also recently teamed up with Fremantle Media, the company that produces American Idol. Contestants that are voted out of the final 12 (final 13 this current season) were invited to the hotel for an interview following their departure from the show. American Idol furniture was also added to the hotel. Habbo has recently sponsored Night at the Museum 2 on Habbo UK releasing the rare "Golden Tablet" exclusively. Habbo AU has recently signed up with wrestling giant WWE holding events to win merchandise and live tickets to shows, featuring wrestler Dave Batista as a guest to Habbo AU.
As Habbo is targeted at teenagers, and 90% of its users are between the age of 13 and 18,[22] it receives much attention from youth organizations, who educate users on many topics.
In November 2001, The Daily Telegraph listed Habbo as a top-10 chat and instant messaging site, describing it as "great-looking" and "proving popular with teenagers."[23] In 2005 and 2006, Habbo Australia received the NetGuide Online Web Award for "Best kids’/youth website".[24] In September 2006, Sulake won Deloitte's Fast 50 competition.[25][26] However, Common Sense Media gave the website two stars, saying "Filters don't catch foul talk at virtual hotel".
In December 2004, a 36-year-old man was imprisoned after using Habbo to persuade a 13-year-old girl to visit him.[27] On 14 November 2007, a 17-year-old in the Netherlands was arrested by police for allegedly stealing virtual furniture bought with real money worth up to €4000. Five 15-year-olds were brought in for questioning.[28]
Habbo has been a target for various Internet troll groups, most prominently by the members by the name of Anonymous and the Patriotic Nigras. Every July 12 since 2006,[29] users sign in to the Habbo site dressed in avatars of a black male wearing a suit and afro and blocked entry to the pool declaring that it was "closed due to fail and AIDS".[30] (A fix was put in place in which a habbo can walk "through" someone standing in front of the pool, making it harder to block the pool, unless there are a total of six people standing at each entrance.) In another raid by the group, several of these avatars were strategically placed in the public pool area, forming the shape of a swastika.[31]
In October 2011, the Habbo Help Tool, created for users to be able to seek assistance from a player support representative, was compromised by a group of hackers.[32] In November 2011, a 21-year-old man was imprisoned after using Habbo to persuade young teenage girls to perform sexual acts on webcam in exchange for Habbo coins and furniture.[33]
There are currently 19 websites in operation, serving 30 local communities.[22]
| Country | URL | Opening date | Closing date | Country | URL | Opening date | Closing date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (links to Habbo English due to the Merge) | habbo.com.au | November 2004 | June 2, 2010 | Malaysia (links to Habbo English) | habbo.com.my | July 2006 | — |
| Austria (links to Habbo Switzerland) | habbo.at | May 2006 | — | Mexico (links to Habbo Spain) | habbo.com.mx | July 2006 | — |
| Belgium (links to Habbo Netherlands) | habbo.be | May 2006 | — | Netherlands | habbo.nl | February 2004 | — |
| Brazil | habbo.com.br | February 2006 | — | New Zealand (links to Habbo English) | habbo.co.nz | August 2006 | — |
| Canada (links to Habbo English due to the Merge) | habbo.ca | June 2004 | May 5, 2010 | Norway | habbo.no | June 2004 | — |
| Chile (links to Habbo Spain) | habbo.cl | July 2006 | — | Philippines (links to Habbo English) | habbo.com.ph | October 2008 | — |
| People's Republic of China (Closed/Bankrupt[5]) | habbo.cn | July 2006 | August 24, 2007 | Portugal (links to Habbo Brazil) | habbo.pt | March 2006 | — |
| Colombia (links to Habbo Spain) | habbo.com.co | July 2006 | — | Russia (used to link to the Habbo English) | habbo.ru | September 2007 | February 6, 2009 |
| Denmark | habbo.dk | December 2004 | — | Singapore (links to Habbo English due to merge) | habbo.com.sg | December 2004 | June 4, 2010 |
| Finland | habbo.fi | August 2000 | — | Spain | habbo.es | September 2003 | — |
| France | habbo.fr | November 2004 | — | Sweden | habbo.se | December 2003 | — |
| Germany | habbo.de | March 2004 | — | Switzerland (links to Habbo Germany due to merge) | habbo.ch | August 2001 | October 4, 2010 |
| Italy | habbo.it | September 2003 | — | United States (links to Habbo English due to merge) | habbo.com | September 2004 | June 10, 2010 |
| Japan (links to English) | habbo.jp | February 2003 | April 16, 2009 | Venezuela (links to Habbo Spain) | habbo.com.ve | July 2006 | April 16, 2009 |
| Netherlands | habbo.nl | February 2004 | — | UK & Ireland (links to Habbo English due to the merge) | habbo.co.uk habbo.ie | January 4, 2001 | June 10, 2010 |
| Peru (links to Habbo Spain) | habbo.com.pe | — | — | India (links to Habbo English) | habbo.com | February 2011 | — |
| English-language UK & IE, US, CA, AU, NZ, SG, RU, MY, JP and PH merged into one | habbo.com | May 5, 2010 | — | Poland (links to Habbo English) | habbo.com | February 2011 | — |
| Romania (links to Habbo English) | habbo.com | February 2011 | — |
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