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Type of site | Internet games |
|---|---|
| Available in | English |
| Founded | 2001 |
| Dissolved | January 2011 |
| Owner | Post Consumer Brands |
| Created by | Post Consumer Brands, Skyworks Technologies |
| Founder(s) | Post Consumer Brands |
| Commercial | Yes |
| Registration | Optional |
| Launched | 2001 |
| Current status | Defunct |
Postopia was an American advergaming portal established by Skyworks Technologies in partnership with Post Cereals in 2001.
Work on the website started at Skyworks in 1999, continuing until 2009, [1] with the website open in the summer of 2001; [2] its games featured tie-ins with its cereal mascots and characters. [3] As of a June 2001 Nielsen survey, the website attracted an audience of 254,000 unique users ages 6-11, ascending to 260,000 counting users under the age of six. [4]
The first version of the website was developed by Scient, was heavily advertised on television and was featured in more than 17 million Post cereal boxes. [5] The initial version was divided in four countries, each one with its own main character: Futuria, a futuristic city inhabited by inventors known as the Gadgetrons, [6] led by Zander, [7] the Ice Burbs, a wintry location dedicated to fashion and trends, its inhabitants being the Ice Breakers [8] led by Kiki, [9] Space Nation, a space station located above Postopia, populated by a team of explorers known as the Galaxy Busters, [10] led by Chelsea, [11] and the underwater Wet World, inhabited by professional athletes known as the Water Loggers, [12] , led by Nick. [13] In 2004, the site was made by Razorfish, with two million unique users visiting the website per month and up to 30 minutes a day per user. The website's development was largely due to the implementation of broadband connections, pivotal for the development of interactive websites. [14]
In November 2005, Skyworks started delivering USB-ported Dance Dance Revolution -inspired dancing mats, these mats were also available from sister website NabiscoWorld. [15] That same year it was heavily targeted by a new Kraft policy to promote only healthier foods, which would affect the website by the end of 2006. [16] In 2006, Congress went after advergames sponsoring unhealthy foods, prompting them to detach from their previous sponsors in order to continue being playable. [17] The website attracted a million child users in the second quarter of 2006 alone. [18] In December 2007, Postopia received the most traffic from outside advertising on Nickelodeon's website (87%), Disney's website (74%) and Runescape (67%). [19] As of 2009, the average number of visitors per month had fallen to 264,000. [20]
A 2011 study said that only a limited number of kids were aware that the games were made to advertise cereals — the study targeted the Honey-Comb-sponsored Be a Popstar. [21] [22] At the bottom of its homepage, it included a fine print message saying that the website contained commercial advertising related to its products. [23] It also had the Postokens where users unlocked new levels or features to existing games using passwords found in cereal boxes. [17]
The website was discontinued in 2011, likely as an effect of the reduction in child-based advertising online. [24] Another cause was Kraft's sale of Post to Ralcorp, which hampered the creation of a new website. [25] The website was replaced by PebblesPlay.com, an advergame website promoting Fruity and Cocoa Pebbles, [26] Unlike what happened with Postopia, PebblesPlay did not generate the same amount of impressions. [27]