Neopets

I’m 25 years old, I’m reasonably intelligent, and I have a social life. Yet at work every day, my thoughts turn to how I can find a poison snowball wand and dominate the Neopets Battledome. With nearly 10 million users, Neopets is one of the latest online games that takes time away from loved ones and real pets; instead, my affections turn toward my Neopet, a wasp-like creature named Spunky_Jones. The brilliance behind Neopets is that it is simple enough for kids to play, but adults can become wrapped up in the more complex aspects of it. And since Neopets revolves around your pet, you must feed and take care of your pet before anything else (like feeding yourself). And you have to buy it plushie toys. And lipstick. What the hell does a wasp do with lipstick?