Horse Phenomena
Horse Phenomena (frequently shortened to HP) is an online horse and dog simulation game where users can own, train, show, and breed virtual pets. It is heavily point-based, and focuses mainly on players earning the highest possible points for their horses and dogs and earning achievement trophies. There is also a large community-based portion of the game.
It was opened in the spring of 2009, and has steadily maintained or grown its membership since then, with several updates to the game's features. The game's user base is mostly adult players, with a minimum required age of 16 to play.[1]
History
Horse Phenomena opened by Samantha Harbison in 2009 as a basic horse and dog simulation game. The original iteration of the game was very similar to the old Horseland game before it was heavily revamped. The user base grew mainly by word-of-mouth in online communities dedicated to virtual horse simulation games.
Over time, the gameplay has been changed significantly from the original concept, which focused entirely on click-based training to earn points and breeding animals, to a more modern game where players can compete directly with each other on rankings and earn achievement trophies.[2]
Since its opening, various aspects of the game and the founder have been the subjects of criticism and alleged personal attacks by the online horse simulation community, and in the early years of the game were featured heavily on the now-defunct gossip websites The Horseland Blog and SimSnark.[3]
On December 21st, 2017, Horse Phenomena began selling merchandise featuring the site's art and logos.[4]
Gameplay
Training and Showing
The biggest aspect of the game centers around entering virtual horses and dogs in shows, or earning points through using items such as training tickets. High-scoring animals earn awards for their point milestones and for making it onto the game's various rankings. Points from parents are reflected in the points of their offspring when players breed their animals.[5]
Economy
The economy on the game is based on the virtual currencies Horse Phenomena Dollars (HPD) and Horse Bucks (HPB). Players receive a weekly allowance of HPD and are able to earn some interest on their savings of the virtual currency. HPB must be purchased for USD through the game's official cash shop. The game's economy is primarily a free market, with players selling game items and services to other players to support their horses and dogs.
Art and Coding
A large aspect of the game is the creation, purchase, sale, and use of digital art to decorate player homepages and animal pages. There are strict rules about what can and cannot be used in these images and how they are to be credited.[6] Players use HTML and CSS to create layouts on their home pages, and in 2019 the game introduced the ability to add CSS stylesheets to animal pages as well.[7] Due to the significant influence of player-created art, the game itself remains largely text-based, allowing players to customize their animals and pages rather than offering pre-rendered images.
Community
While the game can be played solo, there are several community-based, multiplayer features, such as a forum and various chatrooms where players can interact. There are also features such as breed embassies, HTML5 games, and clubs (focused on different types of horse and dog breeds and disciplines, as well as clubs for people who create art, code layouts, and general off-topic clubs like "Bookworms Anonymous") where players must work with the community to accomplish additional goals. The game also hosts regular, officially sanctioned events and contests for players to participate in. The overall community is very active and has had various offsite communities based around the game throughout the years.
Subscriptions
The game is primarily supported by subscriptions, which can be purchased in one-month, six-month, and one-year increments. Players can purchase these to add extra perks to their accounts.[8] Many players choose to purchase them directly, but some prefer to buy them in "Upgrade Auctions" where they can pay HPD in exchange for another player buying their subscription for USD.
In June 2019, the prices for subscriptions were increased by approximately 15%.[9]
References
- ↑ "Horse Phenomena Terms of Service". horsephenomena.com. Retrieved 2019-06-27.
- ↑ "Horse Phenomena Freshens Up Gameplay". PonyBox.com. 2013-06-09. Retrieved 2019-06-27.
- ↑ "SimSnark, The Horseland Blog, Your Writing Sucks". Pro Sim Union. Retrieved 2019-06-27.
- ↑ "HP Merch! - Forum Topic". horsephenomena.com. Retrieved 2019-06-27.
- ↑ "Apex Web Gaming - Stats - Horse Phenomena". apexwebgaming.com. Retrieved 2019-06-27.
- ↑ "Rules". horsephenomena.com. Retrieved 2019-06-27.
- ↑ "Big Updates: Price Changes and New Perks - Forum Topic". horsephenomena.com. Retrieved 2019-06-27.
- ↑ "Upgrade Help". horsephenomena.com. Retrieved 2019-06-27.
- ↑ "Big Updates: Price Changes and New Perks - Forum Topic". horsephenomena.com. Retrieved 2019-06-27.
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