Club Penguin Has Been Clubbed For The Last Time. RIP To A Real One
Few games have a reflective adoration that can even be compared to that of Club Penguin. It followed a lot of the basic rules of online browser games, but it somehow became much more than Bin Weevils or Moshi Monsters could hope to be.
The game defined the generation of kids who were arguably overstimulated by the throes of the internet, and who have grown up enveloped by I Can Haz Cheeseburger and Happy Tree Friends to become one of the first true generations to be chronically online.
But, now, the game has been stamped out all over again.
What Happened To Club Penguin?
Click to enlargeThe game was shut down in March 2017 to a chorus of agony, with players turning up in their numbers on the devastating day to see the game off in style - but thankfully, it didn't all end there. Club Penguin Rewritten picked up where the game left off, still giving players that shot of nostalgia they needed in the space of the original game.
But, it's taken a spiral of sorts - three people have been arrested for copyright offences in their connection to Rewritten, and the City of London Police have taken the site down by the request of Disney, leaving millions of users stranded.
It looks like Club Penguin is officially over. And now all we can do is reminisce.
Club Penguin Was A Treasure Trove For Kids
Click to enlargeEven after Disney acquired the site, Club Penguin remained one of the best online browser titles going. Its charming and quirky approach to how users interacted, and additions like Card-jitsu and the Penguin Secret Agency helped to keep the game interesting for years. It was so simple, yet so consistently addictive to check the shops day after day to kit your Penguin out with the latest drip, or to make pizzas or explore the depths of the Arctic Ocean in minigames.
With so much to do and so many pals to make along the way, the game exemplified exactly what young people were gravitating towards their family computers for. I had to ask a neighbour to gift me one of his few accounts, and as my parents never allowed for me to have a membership for the site claiming that it "wasn't real," I still went through the hassle to get to the end product, because it was such a welcoming and easy to understand game.
Few games garnered its following, and for good reason - because it was as goofy, charming, addictive and welcoming as it had to be. And with the ongoing rumours of the chance to tip the Iceberg, and with more and more goodies to deck your igloo out with by the day, there was more reason to come back every day. Club Penguin was a snapshot of the internet for young people of the time - and it was infectious.
Club Penguin Is Dead, Long Live Club Penguin
Click to enlargeWith the arrests made in connection to Rewritten likely serving as a whopping deterrent to bringing the game back despite Disney's clear unwillingness to do it themselves, it's likely that this has officially spelled the end of Club Penguin - after the first end of Club Penguin. It's upsetting, as it's a warm blanket of nostalgia for many, and frankly, it's like a snapshot in time for a childhood spent online.
Club Penguin is a staple, and deserves far, far more than the end it got. Now, all we have are the memories, and we're not quite ready to let go. Rest in peace, Club Penguin - you were the best of 'em.
