Club Penguin (2005)
Date: October 24, 2005
Platform: Mac / PC / iPhone / iPad / Android / Browser
Developer: RocketSnail Games / Disney Canada Inc. / Disney / Interactive
Publisher: Disney Interactive
Genre: Action / MMORPG / Platformer
Theme: Comedy / Espionage
Franchises: Club Penguin / Disney
Adaptation: Inspiration
Summary:
Originally launched on October 24, 2005 by Disney Canada (then New Horizon Interactive), Club Penguin was a popular virtual world browser game aimed at kids and teens. The game featured a chat system, customizable penguin characters, virtual pets, several minigames, as well as quests, often connected to the series’ standalone entries. The game also featured a premium subscription system, allowing monthly subscribers access to a wider array of clothing items, puffles, and igloo customization options.
In 2013, a mobile app for the game was introduced, beginning with iPad before expanding to iPhone and Android in 2014.
On January 30, 2017, it was announced that services for Club Penguin were to be discontinued in anticipation of Adobe Flash’s end of life, as well as to shift players towards Club Penguin Island. Following an in-game party event beginning the day after the announcement, Club Penguin was officially taken offline in March of the same year.
In February 2017, fans of Club Penguin launched Club Penguin Rewritten, an attempted resurrection using files from the original game. The most popular fan-revival of Club Penguin, Rewritten garnered roughly 10 million users, eventually leading the project’s team to add new, original content, and in-game advertising. On April 13, 2022, Rewritten was taken offline in response to a copyright infringement claim by Disney.
