National Geographic Animal Jam
| Animal Jam | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | WildWorks |
| Publisher(s) | National Geographic Society WildWorks |
| Engine | Flash |
| Release date(s) | September 10, 2010 |
| Genre(s) | MMO, Virtual World, Zoology, Science, Educational game |
National Geographic Animal Jam is a (massively multiplayer online/MMO) virtual world (fantasy) launched in 2010 by WildWorks, in partnership with the National Geographic Society. The game, which has experienced 500% year-over-year growth, already has millions of registered players, and is one of the fastest-growing online kids properties worldwide.[1] Animal Jam is free from outside advertising and adheres to a strict privacy policy.
Animal Jam takes place in the world of Jamaa, where players can travel through various ecological environments. Each environment features different interactive facts, games, and virtual shops. Players are represented in the game with customizable animals. Players can accessorize their animals, decorate their dens (virtual houses) and adopt virtual pets. Each animal is given a three-part name chosen from a name generator (e.g. "Happy Snowybunny" or "Rosey Peachywinner"). Players can interact with one another through chatting, trading/gifting, or by participating in multiplayer games and parties. By collecting facts in the game, players are rewarded with achievements. Accessing Animal Jam does not require any paid material, however players can purchase memberships, which allow you to buy special animals, den items, or clothing. Players can also earn the in-game currency, gems, by completing various activities such as games and adventures, where players must battle the enemy phantoms, which represent pollution. Gems can be used to purchase additional avatars, accessories, dens, and den items. Diamonds, another form of currency, are received less often than gems and are never offered in mini games. They are used to purchase rare items, animals and pets in a store called the Diamond Shop. While interacting with other people, players cannot tell other people their personal information, including passwords, or any profanity.
Development
The game was developed in 2009 by WildWorks (Formally Smart Bomb Interactive). A beta version was launched on July 27, 2010 with the purpose of receiving players' feedback on how to improve Animal Jam. In May 2011, Animal Jam announced it had surpassed 1 million registered players.[2] By August 2012, the game surpassed 6 million players worldwide. In 2015, it was announced Animal Jam has reached 30 million players worldwide. [1] and in March 2013 the game had surpassed 10 million players.[3]
Environment
Animal Jam is divided into multiple lands and parties. Players are normally placed first in the world of Jamaa Township and travel by clicking on a location on a map of Jamaa. Each player is provided with a den for their avatars, decorated with den items (obtained by purchasing with gems, trading, or earning from Adventures; small RPG-style games). Club members are able to play all Adventures (unless their avatar which they are currently using is not on a high enough level), own more than two avatars and purchase additional Members-Only den items. Gems can be earned by playing mini games and doing adventures. Jammers can travel to underwater locations when using underwater animals (penguins, seals, dolphins, sharks, octopuses, turtles, otters, and polar bears).
Membership
Animal Jam has several membership offerings (1 month, 6 month, or 12 month), as well as various gift card options available at retailers throughout the world. Each retailer has a special code with an exclusive type of playable animal or a bonus diamond pack with gems. Membership grants players' access to member-only animals to play as, virtual pets to care for, additional customization options, dens to live in and customize, and more.
Communication and safety
There are several forms of communication in the game that are all monitored by a safety chat filter, each with a variety of parent controlled safety chat options for their child's accounts. These options can be set using the Parent Dashboard associated with the child's account. New accounts start out with Restricted Chat, which allows players to type from a pre-selected dictionary of words. There is a Bubble Chat option that does not allow the player to type, although the user can select from a limited list of sayings. The third type of chat option is Safe Chat, otherwise known as Free Chat, where the user may type their own messages. However, it is still filtered through a safety chat and a warning will appear if the user tries to use potentially unsafe words that could be inappropriate. This is the only chat option in which only members can switch to. Players can also send "Jam-A-Grams," which is the in-game messaging system. Each Jam-A-Gram includes a background image selection, a stamp image selection and a list of sayings you can send. Only members can type in their own messages, however all Jam-A-Gram messages are limited to Restricted Chat. Any message that includes certain words or phrases will not be seen by other users.
Educational Elements
Animal Jam is, in some aspects, educational as it includes a few readable content in-game for very young children to learn about animals.
Sarepia Theater
The Sarepia Theater is a location where Jammers can watch educational National Geographic videos. "Geckos!" was the first video released to the theater.
Tierney's Aquarium
In Tierney's Aquarium, Jammers can go to the workbench and watch educational videos about sea equipment. In the theater, Jammers can watch answers and ask questions by clicking on the "Ask a Question" button. There is a touch pool in the aquarium where Jammers can touch certain animals. If you have a water animal, then you can get to the underwater section of Jamaa through a second touch pool. There is also a minigame of spotting fish and sea creatures.
Conservation Museum
In the museum, Jammers can look at facts of animals depending on the category (e.g flight, speed, etc.) and watch movies of that specific category.
Games
At the end of certain games, it shows a fun fact with the window that shows you how many gems you have won. For an example, "You won! Fun Fact! Bears hibernate in the winter!"
Other media
Mobile apps
Tunnel Town is a city-building mobile app released in 2013 by Smart Bomb Interactive. In Tunnel Town, players have to care for their bunnies, get furniture, plant crops to feed the bunnies, and earn achievements.
Jamaa Jump is Smart Bomb Interactive's second game on the app store and a parody of Doodle Jump. It is a game where players jump on to platforms as a kangaroo, get gems, decorate and give powerups to their kangaroo. There is also a setting to link to a player's Animal Jam account. If you win a certain amount of gems, you can earn a pet Joey. When you link to your account, when you log in you will get a pet Joey if you've reached a certain height in the app.
Play Wild is doing beta testing now, and is the same as Animal Jam but in 3D, and is only available on the Android v4.1
Merchandising
National Geographic Animal Jam has their own line of merchandise called Animal Jam Outfitters[4] involving from T-shirts to membership certificates.
In 2013, Animal Jam had their own line of Sidekix plush toys, stuffed animals which can "flip" into a ball.[5]
In March 2015, it was announced that WildWorks has registered Commonwealth Toys and Novelty as master toy licensee.[6] Currently, they're producing a new toy line called "Enchanted Earth".
Animal Jam Academy
Animal Jam Academy is a site which contains educational downloads such as activities and coloring pages dealing with the STEM fields. There are also videos.
Books
Animal Jam currently has only one book out in print, a handbook called "Animal Jam: Official Insiders' Guide" which was released on July 22, 2014.
Game economy and trading
The in-game monetary system is the use of gems that you can earn by playing mini-games and buddy games. There are also gem gift certificate codes that can be purchased in the Animal Jam Outfitters Shop. There is a daily gem bonus that you get during your first daily log on that you spin for a random amount which is multiplied by how recently you logged on last (times 1, 2, or 3). However you earn your gems, they can be spent at the various shops throughout the lands and parties of Jamaa for den items, pets, clothing and accessories. There is no option to trade or gift gems to other players. Every two weeks or so, a game in the land is updated to 'double gems'. If you play that game, when it is on the double gems setting, you can earn twice as many gems than when you play it on a regular setting. There is a Gem Donation area in the Conservation Museum that you can donate any gem amount towards helping an endangered animal of your choosing. The trading system was introduced into the game in March 2011 after players petitioned the designers to create a safer way for trading items between players. The new currency is "diamonds". Members get them weekly but non-members can win them in the daily spin.
Gem donations
The Gem donation box in the Conservation Museum is one way that Animal Jam helps support the mission of the National Geographic Society to inspire kids to care about the planet. A significant portion of all revenue Animal Jam collects goes to support National Geographic's worldwide conservation efforts. By June 2012, players enabled the Animal Jam creators at Smart Bomb Interactive to contribute over $3 Million to the National Geographic Society's work. The Play Wild Fund was introduced in November 2011 to allow players to choose which animals and conservation efforts they wanted to donate to.
On April 12, 2012, monkeys went endangered in Jamaa. Jammers could no longer create monkeys during this time. Players donated 100 million gems, to help save the endangered monkey population. The monkeys were saved and returned to Jamaa on August 30, 2012. Recently in November, 2014, Animal Jam has removed the cheetah from the Diamond Shop. Jammers donated gems to the cheetah in the Conservation Museum in order to restore them to Jamaa. On March 5, 2015, snow leopards were endangered. Jammers are currently donating gems to help the snow leopards.
Gameplay environment
Animal Jam is divided into multiple lands, oceans, parties, and games. Each account is provided with a free basic den (Small House), which is a lockable home that can be decorated with den items. Players are able to shop for den furniture and clothing. Only members can shop for different dens, apart from an underwater one for everybody called 'Sunken Ship'. Each location in Jamaa features different habitats, shops, pets, games, journey book animals, educational videos, and reading information. There are even a few hidden areas and Easter eggs for explorers to find.
Awards
| Award | Recipient |
|---|---|
| Mr. Dad[7] | National Geographic Animal Jam |
| National Parenting Publications Awards[8] | National Geographic Animal Jam |
| Mom's Choice Awards[9] | National Geographic Animal Jam |
| Life Buzz Award[10] | National Geographic Animal Jam |
| About.com Readers' Choice Awards[11] | National Geographic Animal Jam |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "National Geographic Animal Jam surpasses 6 million young players". PRNewswire. August 2012.
- ↑ Takahashi, Dean (May 2011). "National Geographic virtual world Animal Jam hits a million kids". VentureBeat.
- ↑ Grubb, Jeffrey (March 2013). "National Geographic’s Animal Jam reaches 10 million players — iOS spin-off in the works". VentureBeat. Retrieved October 2014.
- ↑ Animal Jam Outfitters site
- ↑ http://www.sidekix.com/products.php
- ↑ "Animal Jam lands master toy Iicensee". March 10, 2015.
- ↑ "Seal of Approval Winners, Father’s Day 2011". Mr. Dad. June 2011. Retrieved October 2014.
- ↑ "National Parenting Publications Awards :: Virtual". National Parenting Publications Awards. Retrieved October 2014.
- ↑ "Mom's Choice Awards - Store". Mom's Choice Awards - Store. Retrieved October 2014.
- ↑ "Jodie Lynn's Life Buzz Award Program". Jodie Lynn's Life Buzz Award Program. Jodie Lynn. Retrieved October 2014.
- ↑ Matte, Christy (2011). "Best Website for Elementary School Kids - 2011 Readers' Choice Award Winner". About Parenting. Christy Matte. Retrieved 2014-12-28.