From Browser to Download

 Hey Jammers! Well, it's 2021 now... and I'm assuming that everyone stopped being able to log on directly from the website. 

EDIT 1/3/21: For now, you can actually still play AJ Classic through your Chrome browser if you log on with this link: http://animaljam.com/en/welcome Thanks for sharing, Vaiana70!

I actually stopped being able to a lot earlier this month, maybe even at the start of January, but I know at least one Chromebook user who could still log on with the browser method during that time...? It's probably just a browser thing, which is ok.

But what's not ok is that if you try to log into Animal Jam Classic through the browser, you get this pop-up...

...and that pop-up directs you to what appears to be a download button for Animal Jam Classic–

But it sends you to a page where the only option is to download AJ Play Wild. Very misleading.

I told AJHQ about this earlier this month in a Daily Explorer comment, and...

...k then.

I'm not gonna make fun of AJHQ's spelling, because it's clear they were just trying to respond to as many comments as possible, but it's also clear from this comment that they don't see the misleading popup as a mistake. It's just another little way to intentionally steer people away from AJC.

Of course, there is an actual download button in the top right corner of the AJ Classic home page, as well as an actual download button right at the center of the page. It's just that if you miss those and log in as normal, the button the pop-up shows you to download AJC sends you to download AJ Play Wild instead. 

All of AJHQ's weirdly shady attempts to direct people away from Animal Jam Classic and to Animal Jam (Play Wild) have honestly made me really sad this past year. And from your comments, it seems many of you feel the same.

First was the name switch, which probably hurt everyone the most. It felt like WildWorks was literally trying to replace Animal Jam with AJPW, as if AJPW was somehow the superior version, and all the history of Animal Jam's 10 years just didn't matter to them anymore. 

Then it was making AJPW the main focal point of the Animal Jam homepage, and only giving Animal Jam a little button to its separate homepage.

And then, it was all the shady subtle stuff. Taking away the items from the animals on the Animal Jam Classic homepage to make the game look less cool than AJ Play Wild. Making it clear through the updates that AJHQ was putting more effort into AJ Play Wild than Animal Jam. And then, a misleading download button. It's small, but consistent enough with what's come before for me to say that it was intentional.

AJ Play Wild and Animal Jam are both great games in their own way, but they are incredibly different and one cannot replace the other. For me personally, the use of full 3D CGI in AJ Play Wild gives me a headache, and I find it too visually overwhelming. I'd say Animal Jam (Classic) uses 3D graphics tastefully, and they look cute and unique instead of overpowering. 

Whatever your opinion, and whichever game is your favorite, I still think we can agree that the experience of playing both is very different between them. It's not as if AJ Play Wild is the "improved" AJ– it's more like they're just two alternate dimensions. 

So why has WildWorks been doing all this? Why did the name change happen? Why have they been allocating less resources to AJC than their other games?

Well, they haven't honestly come forward, so we don't know why. Maybe WildWorks realized they stretched their team too thin between all their games, so they had to re-prioritize where to focus their attention, putting Animal Jam (Classic) at the bottom. 

That topic probably deserves a post of its own at some point, so I'll leave it there for now.

To continue on about the switch to the download version of AJC...

It's still fairly populated and active in Jamaa, as would be expected. It's not like a ghost town or anything. But still, there are so many Chromebook users who have been forced out because WildWorks has yet to make a Chromebook-compatible download link for Animal Jam Classic.

This is not a problem with AJ Play Wild, which has over 4 ways to download it. You could download the Mac and PC version, you could get it on Amazon, you can get it on Google Play, you can get it on the App Store, and I think you can get it on Steam as well.

But there's just a single download option for Animal Jam Classic. And it excludes Chromebook users. 

I really don't see why it would be impossible for WildWorks to put AJ Classic on Google Play or something, if AJ Play Wild can be downloaded pretty much anywhere. 

That's why I'm gonna keep talking about it until WildWorks actually makes it happen. Like I mentioned in a previous post, I invite you to do the same as well– leave comments on the Daily Explorer, or AJ's official social media pages, and let them know that they need to make AJC Chromebook-compatible as soon as they can.

And if that's not possible, WildWorks should at least be clear with us about why.

So many people have left comments here who are upset that they can't play AJC anymore, and I feel your pain. For me, Animal Jam Classic has always been a safe and peaceful world I can escape to when everything else feels sad and scary, and I want all the people who feel the same to be able to access that world, too. 

Whatever you may be feeling or thinking, always feel free to share in the comments below, even if it's not on topic of the post. I don't think of it as ranting-- just say what's on your mind, and I'm always there to respond if you want someone to talk to. I always try to respond to every single comment c:

It's been a difficult year, and I thank you all so much for making this blog a friendly, positive, and honest corner of the wider Animal Jam community, and internet itself. And whether or not you comment, I'm so grateful for all of you who read what I write! I'm so lucky that you grace this site with your presence :D

That's all for now, and I'll see you in Jamaa <3