Recently I spoke with Dominic Law, CEO of Neopets ahead of their NYCC appearance.

• How did the idea for Neopets come about?
  • I played Neopets when I was in middle school and it’s been an important part of my childhood to reconnect with my friends in Canada. I joined NetDragon a few years ago, in particular the education tech arm where Neopets is part of.

• What have been the biggest challenges keeping the brand going over the years?
  • Neopets has been a mismanaged brand for the past decade where it didn’t receive the managerial attention and resources it deserved. It has been a loss-making asset and it’s been hard to build on top of 24 years’ worth of spaghetti codes.

• What is new for Neopets?
  • We have multiple new games that are on mobile with 3D graphics and modernize game play. We have a new unified website bringing all Neopets experience under one roof.

• Where would you like to see the franchise go next?
  • We are about to celebrate our 25th anniversary in 2024 and we would like to celebrate many more years to come and turn Neopets into a multi-generation IP where we can welcome Neopets players old and new.  Also, we would like to build a franchise where Neopets can be so much more than just a game.

• Do you have a favorite game or games from the original release?
  • I remember spending quite a lot of time in the Battledome.

• What do you have planned for NYCC?
  • We will have Faeries appearances tied to the Faerie Festival that is happening in the game. Fans can meet and interact with the faeries in real life. We will have social signs for photo opps and fans can speak with a brand rep!

• What can you tell us about the ambassador program?
  • We would like to build with the community to bring Neopets back to its glory days. We have received more than 700 applications and we are thrilled to embark on this journey of Neopets renaissance with our ambassadors. We will start with an Alpha program and expand our ambassadorship to a larger pool over time.

• To what do you attribute the continuing appeal of the franchise?
  • Our dedicated community and TNT (The Neopets Team), have been keeping Neopets afloat even during the most dire situation. That forms the core of the community and continued appeal. We have been able to preserve the best of the early internet culture as one of the original MMOs where games are built for fun. We have embraced creativity, inclusivity since day one where we have inspired a generation of developers, coders, artists, architects, and traders via the diverse gameplay that exists the in the intricate world of Neopets.

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