Neopets is a free-to-play virtual pet browser game. First launched in 1999, the game allows users to own virtual pets ("Neopets") and explore a virtual world called "Neopia." Players can earn one of two virtual currencies. One currency, called Neopoints, can be obtained for free through on-site features like games, events, and contests. The other, Neocash (NC), is purchased with real-world money and can be exchanged for wearable items for pets.
A wireless LAN (WLAN) is a wireless computer network that links two or more devices using wireless communication to form a local area network (LAN) within a limited area such as a home, school, computer laboratory, campus, or office building. This gives users the ability to move around within the area and remain connected to the network. Through a gateway, a WLAN can also provide a connection to the wider Internet.
Tamagotchi is a brand of handheld digital pets that was created in Japan by Akihiro Yokoi of WiZ and Aki Maita of Bandai. It was released by Bandai on November 23, 1996 in Japan and in the United States on May 1, 1997, quickly becoming one of the biggest toy fads of the late 1990s and the early 2000s. As of June 2023, over 91 million units have been sold worldwide. Most Tamagotchi are housed in a small egg-shaped handheld video game with an interface consisting of three buttons, with the Tamagotchi Pix adding a shutter on the top to activate the camera.
Ultimate Spider-Man is a 2005 action-adventure game based on the Marvel Comics character Spider-Man and the comic book of the same name. The game was published by Activision for the Windows, GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox, Nintendo DS, and Game Boy Advance platforms. The PlayStation 2, GameCube and Xbox versions were developed by Treyarch and are drastically different from the handheld versions, which were developed by Vicarious Visions. The Windows version is a port of the home console versions, developed by Beenox. A version for mobile phones was also developed and published by Mforma. A Limited Edition of the game was released for the PlayStation 2, and includes additional content such as a "making of" documentary and an interview with Spider-Man co-creator Stan Lee.
Pokémon Ranger is an action role-playing video game developed by HAL Laboratory and Creatures Inc. and published by The Pokémon Company and Nintendo for the Nintendo DS video game console. The game was released on various dates, varying between continents. The game was released in Japan on March 23, 2006, in North America and Australia during 2006, and in Europe in April 2007. It was released on the European Wii U Virtual Console on February 25, 2016.
A Grand Theft Auto clone belongs to a subgenre of open world action-adventure video games, characterized by their likeness to the Grand Theft Auto series in either gameplay, or overall design. In these types of open world games, players may find and use a variety of vehicles and weapons while roaming freely in an open world setting. The objective of Grand Theft Auto clones is to complete a sequence of core missions involving driving and shooting, but often side-missions and minigames are added to improve replay value. The storylines of games in this subgenre typically have strong themes of crime, violence and other controversial elements such as drugs and sexually explicit content.
Webkinz is a stuffed animal and video game franchise by the Canadian toy company Ganz. Webkinz stuffed animals have online counterparts in the video games Webkinz Classic and Webkinz Next. It was originally released by Ganz on April 15, 2005.
The Sims Stories is a series of video games from The Sims series released between 2007 and 2008, based on a modified version of The Sims 2 game engine. The modified game engine is optimized for play on systems with weaker specifications, such as laptops. As such, its system requirements are lower than that of The Sims 2, but it can still be played on desktops. The series was aimed to cater to three groups of players: players who wish to play The Sims 2 on their laptops ; players who wish to engage in other activities such as instant messaging while playing the game; and players who are new to the franchise. Titles in this series are categorized as "laptop-friendly" since they do not require a dedicated graphic card.
Erin Hoffman is an American game developer, blogger, and fantasy writer. She has published three fantasy novels, and been the lead designer on multiple games such as Kung Fu Panda World, GoPets: Vacation Island, and Frontierville. Her anonymous post as a disgruntled "EA Spouse" in 2004, based on the working conditions of her husband who was an Electronic Arts developer, led to industry-wide awareness of the frequent use of "crunch time" overtime work to complete games in the video game industry.
MapleStory is a Japanese‑Korean anime based on the popular South Korean online game of the same name. It began airing on October 7, 2007.
The Sims is a series of life simulation video games developed by Maxis and published by Electronic Arts. The franchise has sold nearly 200 million copies worldwide, and is one of the best-selling video game series of all time. It is also part of the larger Sim series, started by SimCity in 1989.
"The Lady with the Dog" is a short story by Anton Chekhov. First published in 1899, it describes an adulterous affair between an unhappily married Moscow banker and a young married woman that begins while both are vacationing alone in Yalta. It is one of Chekhov's most famous pieces of short fiction, and Vladimir Nabokov considered it to be one of the greatest short stories ever written.
Pet Society was a social-network game developed by Playfish that could be played on Facebook. The game ranked as one of the most popular Facebook applications. Players could design their pets by choosing genders, names, colors and altering appearances. The user interacted with their pets through washing, brushing, petting and feeding.
Fantage was a MMORPG involving a virtual world containing a range of online games and activities, developed by Fantage Inc. The game featured a customizable anime-style cartoon avatar, called a "Fantagian", that users can customize with items ranging from hair to clothing and accessories. Fantage was released to the general public on March 17, 2008, and had since expanded into a large online community— the game had over 16 million registered users by January 2012 and over 30 million by December 2014.
GoPets was a virtual pet site that involved raising a customized three-dimensional pet downloaded onto a user's computer. GoPets was launched on August 4, 2005 and closed on November 8, 2009.
Go Vacation is a 2011 party video game developed and released by Bandai Namco Games for the Wii and Nintendo Switch. It is the third game in the We Ski series and a spin-off to the prior two main titles. Up to four players can compete against each other in over 50 sport-based minigames that take place in four fictional island resorts. Minigames range from activities such as kayaking and horseback riding, to activities like table hockey and minigolf. Different resorts can be accessed using vehicles such as trolleys and bicycles. Players can customize the outfit of their avatar and decorate their house with furniture.
Hotel Transylvania is an American media franchise created by Todd Durham and owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment. It consists of four animated feature films, three short films, an animated television series, and several video games.
Animal Jam Classic, formerly known as Animal Jam, is a massively multiplayer online game developed by WildWorks and recommended for kids up to the age of 12. It was launched in 2010, in collaboration with the National Geographic Society. As of late 2020, there were 3.3 million monthly active users and a lifetime total of 130 million registered players in 200 countries across both Animal Jam Classic and the mobile app spin-off Animal Jam.
Seventeen expansion packs have been released for the 2014 life simulation video game The Sims 4, the fourth major title in The Sims series. All expansion packs are developed by Maxis and published by Electronic Arts, for the Microsoft Windows, macOS, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One platforms. Expansion packs tend to focus on major new features, with many objects, clothes, styles, worlds and life states are geared towards the pack's major theme. The first expansion pack, Get to Work, was released on March 31, 2015. The most recent expansion pack, Life & Death, was released on October 31, 2024.
Eleven expansion packs were released for the 2009 life simulation video game The Sims 3, the third major title in The Sims series. Of the eleven expansion packs, seven were developed by Maxis Redwood Shores, while the other four were developed by EA Salt Lake. All expansion packs were published by Electronic Arts. Expansion packs tend to focus on major new features, with the addition of many new objects, worlds, and game features geared towards the pack's major theme. The first expansion pack, World Adventures, was released on November 18, 2009. The last expansion pack, Into the Future, was released on October 22, 2013.
