Steve Webkinz here, as we wind down 2017, I thought this would be a good opportunity to look back at the evolution of the Webkinz mobile app!
Several years ago, some select Webkinz arcade games were converted to work as standalone apps on the Apple App Store. Each of those games had to be completely re-written in a new code format (“Objective-C”) because the original version, coded for Adobe Flash Player, was too “memory heavy” to work on mobile devices. And because all of Webkinz.com was written in “Flash”, it wasn’t possible for it to work in mobile app web browsers.
By this time, it was apparent that Flash Player had a limited future, which meant that Webkinz had to change in order to survive. We began investigating Adobe’s mobile coding system called “AIR”, which would allow for an easier conversion of Flash programs.
In 2013, we launched the Webkinz Pet Care app, a companion app to Webkinz World which allowed players to interact with pets on their Webkinz.com account using a mobile device. This initial version was very limited, with the ability to feed and dress your pet outside of the room. It has its own mobile Wheel of Wow and a small arcade with just three converted games which could award KinzCash when it synched up to an account.
The following year, we added bathing, a mobile WShop, and even a new pet room that was able to show the pet and a limited number of room items.
From the beginning, the Webkinz Pet Care app was intended to be the first step in a larger evolution for the game. In 2015, on the 10th anniversary of Webkinz World, we launched “Webkinz X”. It introduced the new concept of the Pet Care Heart, Family Score and milestone prizes, along with Pet Requests.
It also involved moving the new mobile room engine onto web and creating a new Dock. This was a massive undertaking, which required every item on the site to be converted into the new code format. With tens of thousands of items already in existence, third party contractors were brought in to help convert everything. Unfortunately, due to the complexity and scope of the work involved, the process wasn’t as efficient as planned. Many items that were supposed to be fixed either didn’t work properly or weren’t even appearing.
Since then, our team of artists and programmers has continued to fix items while converting and adding more features into the Webkinz mobile app. Most recently, we’ve added a new bath and sink activity, along with a brand new Adoption Center. Our mobile Arcade now also features a large number of games that can be played on the go!
This past year, it was officially announced by Adobe that they would be discontinuing Flash Player for web browsers in 2020. For Webkinz, once that happens, the mobile version of Webkinz will be the only version of the game. For those that still prefer to play on desktop or laptop computers, in 2018 we will be launching a version of the Webkinz mobile app that can be downloaded onto your computer and played without using a web browser.
Over the next two years, we will continue to move features over to the Webkinz mobile app, so that as much of the current game as possible can be enjoyed for years to come. Keep watching Webkinz Newz for all the updates about the continuing evolution of Webkinz!
This has been Steve Webkinz reporting for Webkinz Newz! What would you like me to report on in 2018? Let me know in the comments below.
Steve, thank you so much for such a detailed report, and for giving us some general timelines on when to expect changes. Like so many others, I LOVE Webkinz!! It is my main form of fun and relaxation, and I’ve been playing daily for 8-9 years. It’s great to know Webkinz will continue even if it looks and runs differently, and I appreciate all of you wonderful folks at Ganz who are making it all happen. Thank you!
I have to say, this post did make me a little nervous, but I am very grateful that they are coming out with a downloadable version in 2018 for us to try out and hopefully fix anything before 2020. I am kind of excited for the new downloadable version! I wish there was something we could do to help you guys with the transition! I bet a lot of us would be willing to donate our time to do anything to help :D
Thank you for keeping us updated during this process. Please continue to do so. We do have the mobile app on our ipads but we much prefer to play on the big screen of our laptop/computer desktop. We do hope really hope you are able to get the app to work for play on a laptop/desktop computer and able to bring all the things that the web version offers that currently the mobile app doesn’t have. Thank you for under taking this big project to ensure Webkinz continues. It was sad to see amazing hamsters go and then webkinz friends and tail towns go, all games my family loved and played so please do not let webkinz go away.
Wanted to add we have used ipad minis but do not play on iphones, even with a iphone 6/7 bigger screen it is hard and not fun trying to play on a small screen. So please make sure you focus on being able to play on a computer since the larger screen is the optimal way to play webkinz.
Will we still be able to chat and visit with our friends? Park, parties and games are important to visit with our friends!
this was actually a very interesting article
I survived webkinz x I hope I can survive 2018!!!!! I love webkinz and I am not giving up!! I hope you guys at Ganz won’t either!! Good luck! I am all in for the next bumpy ride!!! lol
I do not like the new bath set up, the shampow just do not bubol up
Will the Webkinz Stadium and Kinzville Academy survive in 2020?
I am unable to scroll through my entire dock on the mobile app. This makes decorating my rooms impossible. I am not sure if it is because of my fat fingers, or perhaps it is that my device is too slow. It would sure be nice to have a “search dock” function so I can decorate my rooms on the app. Thank you!
I am hoping that for players like me that do not have a computer or tablet of my own/ internet provider or a smart phone, that the Webkinz mobile app will one that will be allowed for down load on my community’s public libraries’ computers! Please keep us posted for updates. ♪♫LadyBeauty♪♫