IN THIS WEEK'S ISSUE ...
- Club Penguin: A Throwback to the Old Days;
- An OG Beta Perspective on Club Penguin's Development;
- Penguin Art Museum;
...and much more!
THE ERAS OF CLUB PENGUIN
The Island’s Development Throughout the Years
Beta Days (2005 - 2007)
As with any new game, Club Penguin started off with a beta test. However, this one went so well, with so many penguins joining, that the creators decided to throw a Beta Party to show the community their appreciation. And if you thought having a Beta hat was impressive before, you’ll get a whole new appreciation of it when we tell you that the original Club Penguin beta party lasted for only two hours!
Even with the relatively few features available at the time, the game was an instant success. Millions of penguins flocked to their new virtual home, and it only took a month of beta testing altogether before the game was officially up and throwing its first-ever major party - the 2005 Halloween Party. This was followed by the even bigger Christmas party, as well as the addition of several new rooms.
Most of the game's big developments occurred in 2006. For many penguins, the days of no Plaza, no puffles and no pizza are impossible to imagine, but that was enough to draw in a considerable audience. By the time the game turned 2 years old, it had accumulated 3.9 million users, and it even managed to grab the attention of Walt Disney, who in 2007 purchased it. This would mark the beginning of a new era for our beloved snowy island.
Fun fact: Club Penguin originally hadn’t planned to do monthly parties, but the team was inspired to start doing so thanks to the massive success of the first few parties they threw.
The Glory Days (2008 - 2012)
Some have called this period the golden age of Club Penguin, in part due to the mind-boggling amount of new developments the game saw. One of the most notable new additions was the Medieval Party, which the team had reportedly had in mind since 2005, but had wanted to dedicate extra time and effort to it so that it could be one of the most epic parties Club Penguin had seen. Over the years, new parties like the Music Jam, Adventure Party, Earth Day, and Operation: Blackout would also emerge.
The Penguin Style catalogs were updated as well. The catalogs themselves were given a more modern look, and new, more intricate clothing items were released in them. The same was true for the Furniture Catalogs, and both introduced the option of customizing certain available items for the first time.
New rooms continued to be opened, with parties accompanying those events. Such parties included Dig Out the Dojo, the Cave Expedition, the Mountain Expedition, and others. Both old and new rooms were fitted with new games as well, such as Card-Jitsu, Aqua Grabber, the Dance Contest and others.
Fun fact: From 2009 to 2012 non-members could only get head items, pins and background as free items at parties, but the team started offering more things from 2012 on - something we don't have to worry about on CPR!
A Brave New World (2013 - Present)
The start of Club Penguin's third era was a notable turning point for the game. A new artwork style was applied, including the general interface, rooms, parties, puffles, clothing, and other aspects of the game. Some classics were discarded too, such as the April Fool's Party, the Adventures Parties and the Earth Day Party. They were replaced by new events, some of which garnered special attention due to their popularity in general pop culture, like the Star Wars Takeover, or the Monsters University Takeover. New rooms were also introduced during this period, such as the Mall, Puffle Hotel and Puffle Parks, and some of the later days' favorites, like the School and Skatepark.
Sadly, 2015 turned out to be the final year of big developments for the game. It had the largest number of events in any year of Club Penguin history, featuring some favorite classics, a few new parties, as well as the Rainbow Puffle Party, which was only available on the mobile version of the game. This was an important development, as we would soon see the game shifting completely to mobile interphase. 2016 featured the smallest number of parties over a year, marking the inevitable decline of Club Penguin.
The following year broke many penguin's hearts, as it brought us the news of Club Penguin's impending shutdown. However, all was not lost. To our rescue came the Club Penguin Rewritten team, who recreated the game and continue to develop it to this day, allowing some to relive their childhood, and others to continue right where they had left off with the original game.
It is thanks to them that we still get to enjoy waddling around with friends, old and new, and continue to create memories that we will forever cherish. For that, we are eternally grateful!
Fun fact: It is thanks to the CPR team's generosity that there is no membership in the new game. They are all volunteers who are kind enough to spend their free time developing CPR so we can all enjoy it. Make sure to give them a thanks if you happen to see them around!
AN ARTIST AND THEIR FASCINATING STORY
Taking a Trip Back to 08', Discussing Change, and more!
Athena, or best known as Cw700, is a digital artist that began her Club Penguin journey in April of 2008 at the age of 9. Gaining a total following of 1,000 on Twitter through her detailed and impressive artwork, she managed to reach an audience that even included Rocketsnail, a former Club Penguin contributor!
However, Athena is far more than what her artwork portrays. With the use of her Twitter, she makes sure to spread her knowledge and use her platform to spread awareness on various issues. In this case, we brought up the topics of Club Penguins' modern day transition, what her take was on the CP friendships she made throughout the years, among other topics. Here's what Athena shared with us:
She started off with, "When it comes to the early stages of the transition into modern Club Penguin, I remember there was the sudden change of the room design of the Coffee Shop in summer 2012 when Smooth Smash was being added. Then the Town, Dock, and Snow Forts in December that year." At the time, not much thought was put into the changes, but a wave of surprise once more spread across the island in 2013 with the release of the January Penguin Style. Taken off guard by the notable differences, some players found it difficult to adjust to the modernization that came and would follow.
Athena stayed for another two years before quitting in 2015, but she returning in 2018 and joined many CPPSs. Memories and everlasting friendships continued to live on for her throughout that time, and still do. Because of her involvement in the Club Penguin community social media, it was easy for her to notice the changes that followed, in particular the departure of many players. She said, "I definitely cherish the many penguin friends I made and lost in the community. Some I managed to still stay in contact with --- some, I’ve managed to meet in person!"
However, for her, one particular penguin found a special place in her heart. Athena told us, "X Tina X especially, she was one of my oldest and longest friends in the community. We met in 2010 through YouTube (back when I was doing Club Penguin Music Videos or CPMVs) and Xat (a chatting website popularly used by the Club Penguin community from 2008-2014ish)." Although time had made the two drift apart, they kept in contact through their personal social media accounts. The two later reunited after Tina's return to the Club Penguin community in 2017 upon the closure of Club Penguin and the release of Club Penguin Island. "It was amazing seeing her become a good role model too to other penguins! Her recent passing after several years of cancer affected me especially and I especially cherish my many years of friendship with her."
With that, Athena concluded that if there were a specific era of Club Penguin she'd return to, it would most definitely be the Golden Age between 2008-2012, because the most precious memories and loveliest friendships that were created during that time.
Thank you for sharing your story with us, Athena! If you'd like to follow her and support her on her socials, it's @ArtOfAthena on Twitter! One question stands, If you were to go back to a certain era of Club Penguin, would you? Let us know! We'd love to hear what you have to say.
TIPS AND TRICKS ON FINDING YOUR ART STYLE
Candycorn900 Shares her Inspiration and Motivation to Take on Art
Throughout the years, Club Penguin has always encouraged players to explore their skills in the artwork and video editing departments! By featuring artists in the Penguin Times, or through the CPMV culture that was prevalent throughout the majority of Club Penguin, they've always motivated players to let their creativity flow through in any form they prefer. That continued on even after Club Penguin's fatal shut down in 2017. Players moved onto different virtual homes, however, the creative spirit continued on! The CPRewritten community, for example, filled up with extraordinary talent. From creators such as Winterii, Lovebacon56, and far too many more to be named, the art community continues to grow and flourish every day.
We sat down with one of our fellow artists, who goes by the name of Candycorn900, and asked her a couple of questions about her start as an artist. She told us, "I've always been really particular about my handwriting and neatness in general, so I started getting into hand lettering a few months ago because I thought it would be really fun to learn. From that, I started getting into drawing my friends' penguins because of how many wonderful artists are in the CPR community!" With the support of the community serving as motivation to continue, her inspiration and drive only increased, and eventually she was even bring followed by many other CPR artists. With the love and support the community continued to give, it has been easy and fun for Candy to grow, find her own style and showcase her artwork!
BEFORE AFTER
With practice and patience, Candy learned to appreciate her own artwork. "Though I'm still trying to find out my set style, I'm so thankful to the community for letting me trial and error with them. If it wasn't for people asking me to draw them, I wouldn't have been able to get to practice and learn as quickly as I am!" With a few final words, she concluded, "Be proud of your growth! --- There are so many wonderfully talented artists in this community and taking inspiration from them will really help you in bettering your art. --- Rather than striving for perfection, remember that practice will always, without a doubt, make improvement!"
And we couldn't agree more!
OUR OLD-SCHOOL FAVORITES
Outfits and Items We Loved Getting Back and Which We'd Love to see Return
CPR has brought back some of our favorite clothing items over the past few months, allowing penguins around the island to dress up for all occasions and express themselves through their fashion. In this article, we'll have a look at some of our favorite items set to return, as well as some we're excited to see in the future.
A few of the classics that we've enjoyed getting to wear again are the White Diva Glasses, Yellow Scarf, Magic Wand and the Ballet Shoes. All of these are lovely choices for a soft and girly look with a splash of magic, worn together or separately. What would really add to this aesthetic would be the Purple Hoodie and Floppy Hat, two of the most adored items in the game.
Tip: Matching a hoodie with a few girlier items can give you a more casual look.
With the fall season approaching, we're ready to get our warm and comfy outfits out of the closet. The Black Letterman Jacket and Red Sneakers are perfect for that. The black Mask is another classic favorite. We would love to combine these with the Red Ball Cap and Halloween Scarf. And, of course, nothing says cozy like a Marshmallow Stick! In fact, food items are always welcome!
Tip: The Letterman Jackets are an excellent choice for both a feminine and masculine look.
Another fall-appropriate item we were happy to see back was the Denim Jacket, which goes well with the Black Glasses. Make sure to add a scarf to this one too. We would love to see the Big White Scarf return. The Yellow Sneakers would complement the fall colors too, which would be nicely emphasized by a Yellow Balloon. And, of course, the ever-sought-after Flutterby wig is something we can't wait to get again.
Tip: Nothing says festive like a balloon, and you can pair it with any outfit!
For those excited about winter sports, we recommend an easy to move in hoodie, and we would love to have the Orange Hoodie come back. Make sure to keep warm and safe with a helmet or Earflap Hat, as well as some Ski Goggles. The Green Hiking Boots would work well with this outfit. Naturally, some winter gear would be necessary too, such as the Tundra board featured.
Tip: A sporty outfit can look great even if you're not planning on taking out the great outdoors.
Let us know which outfits you were happy to see back, as well as which you're really hoping will return in one of the upcoming Penguin Style Catalogs!
DIGGING UP THOSE DUSTY PICTURES
Old Memories, Pictures, and Videos From Club Penguin!
For this week's Scavenger Hunt, we went out looking for old pictures and memories from the original Club Penguin days.
One of the biggest moments of excitement in the early days of CP was the opening of the lighthouse. The project was funded by the community, with penguins donating their coins to construct the building through the Penguin Times. They also worked tirelessly the night before the big opening to fit the light on top. The Penguin Band was there to celebrate, and penguins got a free red and white striped shirt for donating coins, as well as a red sailor's cap that was free for everyone.
Fast forward a year later, and we once again find ourselves gathering at the beach, this time celebrating the 2007 Summer Party. The decorations, ranging from surf boards, to pineapples, to sand castles, were all humongous enough to match the community's excitement. We once again saw Penguin Band make an appearance too. Do you remember the days when the members of the Penguin Band were just background animations?
In 2008, the island enjoyed the Water Party, whose decorations matched the currently running Summer Luau party on CPR. Penguins enjoyed slides, sprinklers, as well as numerous new summer items. As always, community members ensured that all were staying safe in the new watery environment, with one good samaritan reminding fellow penguins to wear snorkels around the water streams.
Another exciting moment on CP was the appearance of the rumored Orange Puffle in 2010. Puffles came in a relatively limited range of colors in the beginning, but there had been speculation that there was going to be an orange addition to our beloved pets' family. The CP team had brought back the portal box as a secret item in that month's Igloo Catalog, which players later realized was there to get them to the Box Dimension so they could see the Orange Puffle.
And, of course, no CP trip down memory lane is complete without a mascot sighting! Community members got to meet Aunt Arctic during the 2009 Penguin Play Awards, where she chatted with players, discussed the different plays, signed autographs, and answered all kinds of questions (even some about favorite snacks). It's pretty interesting to see how few penguins were there at the time compared to nowadays. Then again, those were also the days when we didn't get notifications anytime a mascot came online. Much has changed since the early days of Club Penguin, but one thing is for sure - the community has continued to grow larger and better with every day!
We hope you enjoyed revisiting some of our favorite memories from the old Club Penguin days with us! If you have any memories or photos you'd like to share, submit them to our email or social media, and you could get the chance to be featured in the next publication!
Take care, penguins!
- The CPRPublications Team 🐧
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