Thursday, February 6, 2020
State of the Game: Converting from Flash
Hey Poptropicans, it's time for some important housekeeping!
As pretty much all of you know, the support of Flash is being permanently discontinued this year. However, Poptropica isn't going anywhere! The screenshot that you see above isn't actually taken from the live game. It's from the HAXE JavaScript build that our developers have been working on since last year. It's a HUGE undertaking for a small team like Poptropica, and they've been doing an AMAZING JOB!
So, what's gonna change on the player side?
Pretty much nothing.
Same art style. Same islands. Same Poptropica! As many of our older fans know, there were two different Flash engines that previously ran Poptropica. In technical terms, they are called AS2 and AS3. Some members of the community might know them better as Old School and Sound Updated islands. Our main task right now is converting every AS3 island.
We want to emphasize that the Old School islands are still on the table! But the code that built them is so old that they would need to be remade from the ground up if we were to re-insert them into the live game. We've seen this rumor quite a bit, so we'd like to put it to bed: They will definitely not be playable when the JavaScript build launches.
Believe me, I miss Astro Knights and Skullduggery SO MUCH. But the most important and most exciting takeaway from losing Flash is that Poptropica will remain playable for everyone for years to come!! We can only thank our amazing community for making this game stand the test of time when, as we all know, so many browser games from the 2000's and 2010's are disappearing. With that in mind, we want to say a great big THANK YOU to all of you for your enthusiasm for exploring new waters and patience as we make all of these not-so-flashy updates that make sure this game stays solid.
We will be sure to let you guys know when the open beta is live, and we'll be setting up special rewards for players who try it out! I just got done with another testing session, and the graphics and gameplay are super sharp. We can't wait to share it with you!
Thank you for the update! I can't wait for the old islands to come back!
member time soon then
Im so exited!! At the same time though i just know im gonna fail at the new astroknights whenever that comes out again lol...
You Still Have A Lot Of Time Before Flash Get Banned, So Why Won't You Just Convert The
Old School Islands In Time?
The reality is that there are tens of islands and that converting from one programming language to another (let alone a game engine!) takes a great deal of time, far much more time than you would expect. It also takes a lot of resources. I do really hope they bring back the old islands, because I've pretty much played all of the current islands on normal Poptropica and Poptropica Islands. (Plus, for more incentive for us trying to convince them to bring them back, most of the new players have no clue any of the old levels existed. You can just bring back the old ones instead of spending the extra time building levels from skratch.)
The part where your try to race to the top of the tower in Poptropicon isn't working. Fix please
What about Zomberry? You're still re-releasing that, right?
I hope they are. That was my 2nd fav island
Omg that one used to terrify me! It stressed me out so much I never even got a quarter of the way through it but hopefully they'll re-release it and I can get all the way through. Same with twisted thicket.
this game is soo fun i like it
forever missing the spooky islands :'( rip.
yes! i can't wait for them to be re-released though. i played them so much when i was little
ughhh yess and the haunted house rip :(
yess the ghost hunting one was amazing
how long/hard is it to update/remake the older islands. i played a long time ago and was very young when i played. i recently gotten back to it but since i was so little when the other islands were out i never really got the full experience. liked Astro-Knights and the superhero one i hope that those get remade onto here. also would everything be converted to poptropica worlds?
ASTRO-KNIGHTS AND NABOOTI NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO ;(((((((((, regardless of that great job, i was worried when i saw that flash would be dis-continued
This game was my childhood! Thank you guys for working hard to preserve it. I enjoy still playing this a little bit to this day because it brings back so many memories. It's also a little sad to see some old islands go but I know we're all thankful that Poptropica won't be disappearing.
It's not the same, though...
The old poptropica used to be so much better.
It used to be targeted to kids of all ages, but now it's only for young children.
love this
You would want some help to re-write the old Islands ? I've always wanted to see what the actual code was behind my chilhood game.
You know how to write html?
S A M E
So glad Poptropica is here to stay! It was and still is my lifeeeee. I'm sad about the Old Islands, but I understand how much work goes into creating these islands, so no rush, but I hope they will be back someday.
I love Poptropica <3
yes I did comment before, but I wrote under my email by accident, so if that comment gets approved, I'm taking it down lol
I know this sounds like a lot of work and it would take time away from making new islands, but maybe you could remake all the old school islands with soundtracks like you did before.
Would love to play the beta and can't wait, but i'm still really not sure if the old islands are playable can someone answer this???
Thank you all so much for working so hard so we can get entertained by this AMAZING game <33 we really appreciate it. Please please PLEASE add back the amazing old school islands as soon as one of them is finished converting!! Wait so when you said they will definitely not be playable when the javascript launches, you mean they will never return? Or simply that the old ones will not be playable once it launches on the old platforms?
Using the original code for the islands will be impossible. After they are done converting the existing islands to the new platform they will have to write completely new code for the old school islands, which means they wont be out for a long time but we can expect them! Hope this helped :)
I hope the old islands will come back soon. Poptropica just feels very small without them.
Same! I've been wanting to play Astro-Knights for some time now. When it didn't have sound as part of it, I would listen to my sci-fi Spotify playlist as background music.
omg same
there are ways to play them if you really want to. some fans were able to preserve them. so, again, if you really want to, you can still play them.
Oh my gosh I just want to say thankyou so so much! I've literally been playing poptropica for years and when logged into the site awhile back to find out some of my favourite islands were gone i was incredibly disapointed. However now I am extremely pleased! I can't wait to play old poptropica again!! Thankyou thankyou thankyou!!!
Been playing since 2006 and I'm sad to see more of the older islands go but I'm so happy to hear that poptropica will be sticking around!! Seen it change so much of the years and hopefully it will keep changing for the better!
hey angry tummy. game was created in 2007. so ur lying xx but i feel u
This is just the news I was looking for! Thanks for the assurance.
Can we fix the store too??
So excited, as a poptropica veteran I am upset that you have to redo all the code... but I will wait patiently! Get the top priority done first then you guys can work on bringing back the good ol days :)
wow its a pity that the old islands wont be coming back any time soon.
Im so sad. Ive been playing this game since i was a literal child (like 4-5 years old). I reme,ber all the old islands and im devestated that they arent in the game anymore. I get that its because of the old code and because you would have to build it all again, I just wish there was something us veteran players could do to help you recreate our old memories. I trust that you guys will make our dreams come true at some point i just cant wait to see the day where that is a reality. Keep doing you and if we as the poptropica community can do anything to bring poptropica back to its golden time, then i think i speak for everyone in saying that we will do anything to make it happen. Thank you devs for working so hard and i just hope poptropica can have new and old islands in the future. :)
Yes sir, you speak for me. Long live Poptropica!?
THANK U SO MUCH. I have been an early player from the 2000s. Me and my other 2 siblings. Thank god its still alive today #2020corona
ty
Will we get Ghost Story Island back? I basically cried playing that one. Been playing this since I was 6, thanks for keeping my childhood alive :)
Yes, that is the one I want to play the most right now :'(
if we have a membership will we be able to play like wild west??
I have been playing poptropica for about 12 years, and i love playing new islands and re-playing previously completed islands. All i can say is i really hope the islands come back soon, when they islands were taken some of my favorite islands went with them. I miss the old poptropica...
Yes! I remember my old sister and I playing the Great Pumpkin Map oh so long ago, and it's great that those old maps are still on the table! I have still been playing on them with the old island directory, too. So I can wait for what comes in the future!
I absolutely adore this game. I've been a player for about 8-9 years. I first came across it on a funbrain ad :) I signed up right away.Super power island, 24 carrot, and Nabooti island were the first islands I've ever played. I remember me and my cousins made it a challenge to see who could beat the most islands. I still reign victorious at 32 completed islands. I always wanted a membership but my mom would never cave in lol. It makes me really happy to see that Poptropica is still up and running with future plans to come. This game made my childhood amazing and the problem solving and skill and effort put into this game is both unique and legendary. Ii can't wait to see what's in store.
you could add a few and make them sound updated like 24 carrot, time tangled, mythology, shrink ray, and poptropolis games. (my suggestions are Astro Knights, counterfeit, reality tv, steamworks, game show, and Back Lot)
i suggest Steamworks and Big Nate Those my favs
Mystery train, steamworks, and backlot were my favourites
i also think it would be nice to have the photo booth again
same :o
I'm glad the islands aren't gone for good. I look forward to being able to play them again one day. I'm a veteran player who has played since 2010. I hope all goes well for the developers! If you need any beta players, I'd be happy to play!
Is it not possible for you guys to enable the previous islands while flash is still active for those of us who want to play it? Flash hasn't been deactivated yet, and I don't see why you must keep them hidden, for lack of a better word.
Yes Plzzzzz
Thank you so much for clearing this up!! I was scared the classic islands were gone for good. I haven't played Poptropica in forever so I wanted to experience all the islands again over the quarantine. Hope you guys are able to re-code the old islands and bring them back better than ever :)
I miss the old worlds, but I have hope you'll find a way to get them back! I remember playing Poptropica in 4th grade computer class, I was always so excited fo new worlds and winning games. I decided to come back, I am a bit disappointed, but its reasonable for what happened.
I love this game. I have been playing ever since you guys first created Poptropica, and I was extremely upset when I logged back on for some nostalgia and saw that many of the beloved islands I played as a kid had disappeared. Im so happy that the Poptropica team is willing to put in the effort to rewrite the entire scripts for the older islands. This gives me hope! Thank you guys for keeping my childhood alive
I just curious, are we still going to be able to see our medallions that we've collected in the past?
I know this is super late, but yes! Your account, store, and medallions we still be the same :)
I'm relieved that the old islands are coming back. Even though the "Flash-Apocalypse" is near, you guys still found a way to please us OG players~ :)
Devs, we all appreciate your grueling work as you convert some islands to the new format. Poptropica was a big part of my childhood and I've gotten disconnected after a while because of school and work. I was surprised it was still up and played Shrink Ray island with a wave of nostalgia, remembering Time Tangled, Pelican Rock, (I think it was Bigfoot island or smt), skullduggery, and more. I wouldn't mind seeing these old islands again after a while instead of brand new ones. Just know that we're fully backing you up and eager to relive those long forgotten days.
Ok I was worried for a minute, I was like huhh what happen to the poptropica maps, then I did research that said the old islands need to be fixed, so take your time we all will still be waiting here for the updates
While it is unfortunate that the Old Islands have to be taken down to be restructured, at least the new ones still remain. It's just sad that a lot of the newer ones don't have the same depth and Poptropica heart like the Old Islands. Good luck with it all, and here's to future Poptropica Islands.
P.S. Is it possible to get the Old Island style maps back? I'd rather have a map full of question marks than a shortcut to the Blimp
When will they be available again?
This is great news because I just started replaying the game because this was my childhood. I am glad it's still ok. Thank you too they developers for adjusting the game so it wouldn’t be shut down!!!
i miss islands like red dragon, big nate, diary of a wimpy kid islands, cryptid island, charlie and the chocolate factory island and shark tooth island sooooo much
Could i possibly recommend island ideas to u developers and creators, that would be totally epic, btw also missin Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Wild West and Super Villain...
anyone else remember the glory days when wild west was coming soon? also is there a medallion for this new american girl island that i just found out was a thing?
Aah this is such a relief to hear... I was so sad when I discovered that all my favorite islands disappeared.
Thank you for the update! I know it will be a lot of work, but I do think that remaking the old islands will be worth it, I'd do anything for that piece of my childhood back. It would mean a lot to all of the fans, I know. So please, if you can, I really think you should.
I hope that you will also bring back all the soundtracks. Because without the soundtracks I just can't vibe with the game.
Thank you so much for keeping the game alive! I have been playing on and off since at least 2012 and I just started getting back into it today and found out this terrible news. Hopefully you will be able to keep these old islands alive!
Thank you for updating Poptropica instead of deleting the game, we all appreciate your hard work! When the islands return, will it be available for everyone to play, or for members only?
I truly hope not, I’d have to say goodbye to pop tropics if they do that- the whole reason it was so amazing was because you didn’t have to pay like every other game to do awesome stuff and be included ):
I the game i played it like 3 years ago now i rememberd it yesterday and came back but their was not island i thought their was a update and if we do started maps we will unlock others but that didnt happen so i came serching and found this i am wating for the update and i have 2 questions
1. will the update also mean that we will have to get better pc specs.
2. can u tell us any approx. time like till september or october the islands will come back
Thanku
I will pay money to have Astro Knights, Super Hero, Skulduggery, Greek Myths, Cryptids, &c, &c, &c islands back. So much of my childhood has disintegrated (moved out of my old house, old elementary school being torn down) so let's work TOGETHER to get those islands BACK!! :D
Do you know which islands will definitely be coming back? Time tangled, Skullduggery, Pelican Island, MYTHOLOGY ISLAND, Poptropolis Games, and Mystery Train Island were some of my favorites.
That's what I want to know
I'm rely looking forward to new island but its been extremely sad for me seeing most of the old islands i grew up with go. i started playing this when i was 7 and Im now 16 so this game mean a-lot to me and i cant wait to see whats going to happen, ive enjoyed seeing the game change so much over the course of my life so i really want to say thank you to everyone working so hard to keep poptropica going
Thank you to the Poptropica team for working so hard! I was so heartbroken after learning Moshi Monsters shut down, and soon after, Bella Sara. Those games and Poptropica were my entire childhood, so I am so incredibly relieved to hear that it will be continued for years to come! When I came back onto Poptropica during the quarantine, I was deeply saddened to see some of my favourite islands removed from the map. But I'm so happy that the team is working on it! I'm really looking forward to seeing the old islands again, and hope everyone will go well. <3 Thank you :)
You can still play some, but only some of the old islands if you play on an old account. it doesn't have vamps curse, shark tooth and much more, but its a bigger experience for those who miss the old islands as much as me
When Poptropica gets updated to Haxe, please transfer all data from our Flash accounts. I would really like to be able to play as the same character I've always had.
As much as I would like the old islands back, there's one thing I want even more: Convert all existing Flash accounts to Haxe. I don't want my old account to be shut down. I want it converted to Haxe with all my game data.
i think it will
Do you have an idea about how long it will take to restore all the old islands?
I want the old Islanda!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
We cant access these islands without member ship ):
I WANT MEMBER SHIP NOW!!!!
Ive been playing since 2013, so glad to hear old islands will still be playable <3
how to play poptropia 2020
Hey, so old islands such as Spy and AstroKnights won't ever be back? I miss them as spy was my favorite island but hopefully we can at least add more!
Good luck Poptropica, only 4 days until Flash will disappear forever. At least Poptropica will still survive.
I WANT TO PLAY THE OLD ISLANDS SO BAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
potropica should bring back the old islands
I agree i want to play wimpy wonderland an wimpy boardwalk
I'm glad to hear that the old islands are coming back. This game was such a big part of my childhood. Are we ever gonna get monkey wrench island back as the tutorial world though?
omgggg thank you so much for the hard work :D i love poptropica so much. playing it again after a few years just gives me nostalgia <33