10 Years

 Hey Jammers! Just today, it seems we got an update on Animal Jam Classic:

Y'know, it really doesn't actually feel like 10 years of AJ. That's probably because this update doesn't feel proportional to how big a deal 10 years of AJ is (if that makes sense)

We have a bundle for members. I gotta say, that top hat with horns looks cool, but I don't know about the pointlessly spiked items :/

Rainbow raccoons are leaving very soon, and to take their place is the autumn coyote! I wouldn't get one, but I think they're pretty.

Here we have the returning Autumn Armor, which actually looks really cool! I think I'm excited for the changing seasons in the Northern Hemisphere.

And then, a little reminder that Journey Books exist! And that the Conservation Museum exists, too! We're due for a new exhibit there, AJHQ. Why not an exhibit talking about reforestation, in honor of Wildworks' accomplishment with WeForest?

The Conservation Museum is actually one of my favorite rooms in Jamaa. It's just so peaceful there...

I ran into a buddy there and had a heated conversation about the impacts of the spike economy on the experience of trading. You'll definitely be seeing a bigger post about this from me soon, because I have some ideas...

Happy World Rhino Day! Wait, actually, World Rhino Day is on the 22nd-- but wait, every day should be World Rhino Day, so go ahead and celebrate!

Go to worldrhinoday.org to learn more :)

Some new pets have arrived! Or, more accurately, returned for the season. 

Aaaand, last but not least, (but probably out of order), a little fun fact about Animal Jam during beta. 

AJHQ seriously didn't do much of anything to celebrate 10 years of AJ, but of course there could be a variety of reasons for that. Namely, the current pandemic making everyone's jobs more difficult, and you can't blame anyone for that. 

Particularly, it seems like there hasn't been enough support for the people who design new items. If you look at the newer items coming out, they're all pretty flat and basic, some even looking like a few bits of clip art stitched together:

 I wonder if some people were laid off, or if the people designing items are just overworked or struggling. I know how that is.

I'm personally of the opinion that it's ok if AJHQ stops doing the new-item-every-day thing if they just redirect that work towards new, better updates.

Or AJHQ can just go through their giant list of unreleased items and figure out something cool to do with them:

This is the E-bookshelf, also known as the Minibookshelf. Presumably meant to be a bookshelf where you can read the various minibooks found in the Chamber of Knowledge, all from the comfort of your den. I posted about this some time ago, but I thought I'd bring it up again!

Even if that feature wasn't specifically embedded into this item, it's a really cute looking item that should seriously be released soon! Perhaps AJHQ can give it a role in their Playing For The Planet initiative, and have it store new minibooks about the environment.

All of these underwhelming new items make me wonder why AJHQ is releasing them while sitting on a treasure trove of really cool unreleased designs. You can view some more here on the Animal Jam Wiki.

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Ten whole years of Animal Jam... that's a big deal.

In my view, there have been a lot of steps forward, but also a lot of steps back. Such is the history of an influential game.

Moving forward, I feel like the most important thing for Wildworks to do is to remember that their games mean more than items to most people who play them.

These games are about community, especially during this pandemic where kids have to unfortunately distance themselves from friends for safety. What can be done to maintain a more positive community environment?

These games are about creativity, not just of the players themselves with Masterpieces, but of the people who work on the games, too. If ideas are running low, why not use some of the many suggestions that pour in every day from Jammers?

And most importantly, in my view... these games are about animals. They should strive to bridge the gap between kids and this natural world they inhabit. I know it's possible, it happened for me in the earlier years of AJ, but since then Wildworks seems to have strayed away from this. How can Wildworks incorporate more nature into what they create?

I'm planning on putting a poll on the sidebar about an idea I have... stay tuned.

See you in Jamaa!