Club Penguin (franchise)

Club Penguin was a massively multiplayer online game (MMO) that ran from 2005 to 2017, created by New Horizon Interactive (later known as Disney Canada Inc. after the game's acquisition by Disney).

As of mid-November 2016, Disney Interactive advertised a related but separate mobile gaming environment named Club Penguin Island, to become available in select languages and areas in 2017. Pre-registration was available for reserving player names.[2][3] On January 30, 2017, it was announced that the original game would be discontinued on March 29, 2017.[4] The game was released worldwide for mobile devices on March 30, 2017, the same day Club Penguin shut down. On November 30, 2017, the game was released on Windows and macOS. On September 27, 2018, Disney confirmed the imminent discontinuation of Club Penguin Island in a letter obtained by the website Kotaku,[5] and in a blog post.[6]

Club Penguin: Elite Penguin Force was released in the US on November 25, 2008,[7] in Europe on March 13, 2009, and in Australia on April 16, 2009.[8] In September 2009, a Collector's Edition was released and included upgrades to the game and extra features. Club Penguin: Elite Penguin Force was released by Disney for the Nintendo DS on November 25, 2008. As members of the "Elite Penguin Force", players solved mysteries around Club Penguin. The game features mini-games from Club Penguin; coins earned by the mini-games could be transferred to the player's Club Penguin account.[9]

Club Penguin: Elite Penguin Force – Herbert's Revenge is a sequel to Club Penguin: Elite Penguin Force. It was released on May 25, 2010 in North America, June 25, 2010 in Europe[10] and July 8, 2010 in Australia and New Zealand. The game starts off as the player and former members of the PSA are recruited to be part of the EPF. They are put in 6 different PSA missions, starting with Secret of the Fur, and 4 game-exclusive EPF missions featuring the main antagonist, Herbert the bear. Herbert's Revenge was announced on February 13, 2010 with a release of May 2010. A "mysterious penguin" resembling previously established character Dot the Disguise Gal was a major character in the game.[11]

The Sports Shop (where the PSA HQ was formerly located) was changed to the 'Everyday Phoning Facility.' Players who were PSA agents and had taken 'the test' became agents of the EPF. Players who were already EPF agents (and were able to access the EPF Command Room through the wardrobe in the PSA HQ) no longer had any benefits whereas members who had entered a code from 'Herbert's Revenge' can call the elite puffle 'Flare' from the game by using the puffle whistle button on the EPF phone, and performed a special action when they sit or dance with the puffle, although they were able to get more puffles through the EPF phone.

In 2010, Disney Interactive Studios announced plans for Club Penguin: Game Day!, a game for the Wii. It was reported that the game was released on September 21, 2010 in the U.S.[12] Reportedly, the game would involve players working as a team trying to earn sections of land on an island, with the objective being to conquer the island. The game was based around several interactive games, some of which were 3D versions of games then played and games which appeared only at the Fall Fair (such as Puffle Paddle) in Club Penguin. Players were able to customize their penguins and choose their team (blue, red, yellow, or green). Any points earned in the Wii game could be synchronized with Club Penguin.[13]

Club Penguin: Game Day! was developed by Artoon[14] and released in September 2010.[14] The game can be played by up to 4 people at once. There is also a single player mode. Club Penguin: Game Day! and its rating were first found on the ESRB site on April 2010, but it was taken down before May since the game was not announced at that time. It then was officially announced on June 10th 2010. The ESRB descriptor was put up again on July 2010. In the game, players can create and customize a 3D penguin and compete in a variety of challenges. Each time players beat a challenge, they conquer some territory on the island. The ultimate goal for players is to conquer as much territory as possible. Once, players could transfer coins, items, and stamps to his/her Club Penguin account. However, this is no longer working since May 20, 2014 at 10.30 PM EST when Nintendo discontinued the Wi-Fi support with the Nintendo DS and Wii.[15]

British company Factory produced three TV specials based on the game, a Christmas TV special, titled We Wish You a Merry Walrus, aired on Disney Channel in the UK on December 17, 2014.[16] A sequel to We Wish You a Merry Walrus, a summer special titled Club Penguin: Monster Beach Party was also produced and premiered on Disney Channel in the UK on August 10, 2015. A Halloween special based on the game, Club Penguin: Halloween Panic!, premiered on Disney Channel UK on October 25, 2015.