What’s been going on?

Hello, everyone!

As I’m typing this, I’m beginning to remember how to use this WordPress editor; yes, it’s been that long…

But, you know what, it actually feels good to be back! I have missed the thrill of thinking of a new post to write for this blog. Except, this isn’t going to be your typical Club Penguin Island blog post. This is more of an “update” on what’s been going on with me and why I haven’t been writing posts for a couple of months. To be fair, if you know me well, I take so many “breaks” – accidentally. Sometimes, things get a bit too much for me, so these kinds of posts haven’t been that rare in my blogging journey as a whole.

Here’s my explanation…

Blogging really isn’t my priority. In fact, it never has been. I consider blogging as a hobby to keep me happy. And while it does require time and effort to maintain a good blog (making it feel like a job), it’s always been something I have had a passion for. So what if it means me having to dedicate lots of my time to it? Ideally, I would be blogging all of the time. Being an introverted person, myself, I find it hard to pursue certain hobbies in real life. However, blogging is one of my important vessels to the online world. When you temporarily stop your busy lives to read one of my posts, knowing that really warms my heart. I don’t do it just for that, though. My intent, generally, is to entertain anyone who plays Club Penguin Island. I’ve never been a fan of bringing you the daily news, but I have always tried to deviate and, instead, be more innovative with my posts. When there is something interesting to discuss, I try and get you involved in the comments. Or, when I have a few ideas for the game, I am always curious about what you think of them. Club Penguin Summit has always been about you, primarily. I’ll always be aiming to keep it that way.

The reason why I haven’t posted in ages is that I have so much other stuff on my mind. It’s a simple answer that you will probably understand. It’s not because Club Penguin Island has failed to feed me ideas on what to post. I think the game has been significantly improving during my small hiatus. There would have been lots of stuff to cover if it hadn’t been for my other worries. I guess it’s also fair for me to say that my passion for blogging fluctuates (too often)! Even when I do have the free time, I may not be in the mood. Right now, I am in the right mood to blog, so I thought I might as well make the most of this to let you know what has been going on.

From now on, it will never be easy for me to judge when I will be able to supply more content to the website. My goal is to entertain my readers, and it is a real shame I cannot do it more often. But quality is always better than quantity! I’d much rather spend more time and effort making a post that will intrigue you instead of potentially “exploiting” small, everyday news items that you can literally find on Island News (the official Club Penguin Island blog). There are numerous factors it all depends upon. Do I feel up to it? Will it be worth your time? Is it entertaining? Do I have the time to prioritise this? These questions – and more – are the explanation for my absence. Being bold enough to provide “quality” posts has its problems, but it is all so worth it (I hope).

Speaking of my unprecedented post schedule being “worth it”, I would like to have some feedback on the Community Portfolio. Is it worth it? I do know that a few people out there admire the exhibition of the community’s creations but I, personally, feel that I don’t do a good job at exhibiting them well. This is mainly due to the fact that I don’t pay to keep this website up. Therefore, I don’t get much flexibility in terms of custom design and presentation. It also means I get less traffic, overall. So, is the portfolio worth it? I’m not suggesting I should remove it because there would be absolutely no point in doing so. Really, I’m just curious about what you think of it. Perhaps you would like me to spend more time developing it and creating new ways for people to share their creations to the platform. Please let me know any of your suggestions in the comments below!

Anyway, I think that is all I need to let you know in this post. Something you are probably wondering right now is: when will the next post be? I do have a couple of things I want to share with you all soon. I am hoping that I will be slightly more active, but it all depends on what life demands of me.

Thank you very much for reading!

Let me know if you’re having a good week! Er…a bit random of me to say, but I would like to talk with my audience more and get to know you!

Club Penguin Island | 1.9 Overview

Hello, everyone!

The 1.9 update for Club Penguin Island is now available to download on Android and iOS devices!

Despite being smaller than the previous update, there are several new additions to the game. The main part of the update is an event called the Rainbow Celebration. It is, apparently, that time of year when we get to see a rainbow migrate north across the island; it is a pretty magical (and odd) spectacle.

As soon as you log on, you will get a small cutscene where Dot introduces you to this phenomenal occurrence. The whole of Island Central is decked out with vibrant colour and the skybox is a majestic sunset. Dot informs you of the Migration Shop and the rainbow geysers that appear every 5 minutes in Island Central. At the top of each geyser, there is a new collectible called rainbow drops.

What is there to do at this event?

Obviously, it isn’t as bold as the Halloween Party or the Holiday Party, but it can spark some joy if you enjoy waddling around and taking in the colourful awe surrounding you. Besides that, there are no quests or adventures to get up to; only special daily challenges, I imagine. For example, you could earn coins and XP for riding a rainbow geyser.

Speaking of rainbows, there has been a fair amount of exclusive items added to the game. First of all, everyone can obtain the Rainbow Star Tee (it looks great), as well as new fabrics and decals, by logging in during the event. Members exclusively get a Majesteed tube! It’s promising to see more non-member items on offer. Secondly, there is a new party supply members can purchase at the temporary store: rainbow smoothies! Thirdly, a total of 6 new igloo furnishings are available to buy at the store. In my opinion, that’s a good amount! Unfortunately, they are the only igloo items that have been added in this update…

Fear not, however! One of the exciting parts of this update is the addition of two new levels! It had been way too long since we have been given new penguin levels. Excitingly, the new levels indicate who the “purple mascot” is. A while back, I made a discussion on the “purple mascot” and predicted it to be Dot. Well, I was wrong! It is actually Cadence! It was a 50/50 chance, to be honest…

Level 25 and 26 can only be reached through the gain of Cadence’s XP. How can you get this new XP? There are only two ways, at the moment. You either log back on every day to complete her new daily challenge, or you grind on the Island Central dancefloor by participating in Team Dance Battle. Fortunately, you get new clothing items, fabrics, gear and party supplies after ranking up. For example, you can obtain binoculars, bear slippers and an outback hat by being level 25. Sticking with the wilderness theme, you can unlock a Forest Wand. In addition, a chemistry beaker has been added to the roster of party supplies and can be purchased at any market on the island.

Happy New Year!

Hello, everyone!

Gee, it’s certainly been a while. If you read this blog frequently, I would like to apologise for the fact that only 2 posts were made in December. I did say that I was going to review the desktop version of Club Penguin Island and the Holiday Party. Next time, I shouldn’t say things I won’t keep up with.

On the other hand, I just want to sum up that the open beta of PC/Mac Club Penguin Island has been really positive! To start with, there were some significant bugs such as being invisible to other players but that was all fixed in a patched update. Now, I’d say Club Penguin Island works really well on PC and Mac devices so I would like to give a huge thank you to the Club Penguin Island team for a successful milestone. I still think some features can be optimised for PC and Mac but we may discuss this topic in another post.

The Holiday Party was much better than the Halloween Party. The Halloween Party lacked quests and was highly repetitive, but this party delivered more. The decorations are fantastic! The snowfall makes it so much better too. The festivities were not as grand as I was expecting them to be since they were hardly anything new at all. But, it kept the community engaged as there were prizes to be won throughout the month. I think the system was automatic, but the actual Coins For Change counter was genuine. Did you know that our community has donated over 30 million virtual coins so far? How amazing is that?

I have to give credit to the team for the cutscenes they added with each new festivity. It was epic to see Herbert return with Klutzy and it gave the party more depth. I think this is what distinguishes it from just an “event”.

Overall, the 1.8 update has been successful and I think this puts Club Penguin Island in a good position for this year…

Oh yeah, it’s now 2018!

Happy new year, everyone! 2018 could be a great year for Club Penguin Island. In March, we will be celebrating the 1 year anniversary of the game (it has definitely come a long way since March 29th). I’m sure there will at least be an event for the anniversary although we have the Club Penguin Reunion and So Long CP to look forward to as well! March is going to be a crazy month!

Speaking of the new year, have you made any resolutions yet? One of mine is to learn the piano properly. I don’t know how to read sheet music nor do I know all the basics, but I would love to by the end of this year! If you have any resolutions you would like to share, please leave them down in the comments section below.

As for Club Penguin Summit, I am hoping it will grow a lot more in the community. Our vision is to keep the community happy and unite everyone on one site. This year, I would love to assemble a team of bloggers who can keep this blog active. For quite a lot of this year, I am going to be busy with other projects. So Long CP is one of them, but I have a few more behind the scenes! If you are interested in joining our team, please visit the Vacancies page and fill out the form (there is an eligibility criterion).

Thank you, as always, for reading at Club Penguin Summit and we hope you have a joyous 2018.

Waddle on!

Club Penguin Island Now on PC/Mac!

Hello, everyone!

Club Penguin Island is now officially available to download on Windows/PC and Mac devices!

This is a HUGE step in development and a very exciting time for our community. I know several people who never got the opportunity to try out Club Penguin Island on their mobile device because it wasn’t compatible. Now, the player base is going to expand which means…

More friends!

More opportunities!

More meet-ups!

More fun!

The best part is that both the mobile and desktop platform is a shared user experience, which means we can connect with everyone regardless of the platform they are using!

Club Penguin Island is no longer just an app. It’s beginning to evolve into a game – an online virtual world. Many are excited about this news and I have, yet, to try it out myself! When I do, I will be hunting for as many bugs as I can (and I advise you do too) so that we can make the user experience incredible after it completes the open beta stage.

Make sure you download Club Penguin Island on your PC or Mac now!

Waddle on, penguin pals!

Club Penguin Island | 1.8 Overview

Hello, everyone!

The rollout of the 1.8 update on Club Penguin Island has begun. Android users are currently able to download the update so that they can finally create their own igloo and check out the new ‘Olaf’s Frozen Adventure’ and ‘Big Hero 6’ items! There is also the new Island Live feature (a revamp of the CPI Phone) and some interface adjustments. This is only the tip of the iceberg, however. Starting from the 30th of November, everyone will be able to beta test the new PC and Mac version of Club Penguin Island! This is a huge leap in development and an exciting time for the community. In addition, from December 6th, players will be able to take part in Coins For Change and enjoy the festivities at the Holiday Party! As you can see, this update is huge!

In this post, I am going to be highlighting everything that has been added so far! Please beware for this post contains spoilers of the 1.8 update. If you do not yet have access to the update, you can feel free to read on at your own risk.

To begin with, when you first enter the app, you will see one of the two new home screens for Club Penguin Island – and they pretty much sum up the best parts of the 1.8 update: igloos and the Holiday Party! Below, you can have a look at them for yourself.

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As soon as you log on, your penguin will be rewarded with a ‘Holiday 2017’ pack. This contains a range of holiday-themed: fabrics, decals, a blueprint, a clothing item, igloo music and a bonus 500 coins! Moreover, you are given a new unique item: the Tester T-shirt! Everyone can wear this, which is a nice little surprise. To return the favour, make sure you give feedback to the team during the PC/Mac beta test of Club Penguin Island!

Providing you have logged onto Club Penguin Island before the 6th of December, you will get the opportunity to see some of the construction of the community feast (in celebration of Coins For Change). Firstly, you are greeted with an establishing shot of the construction at Island Central and Aunt Arctic (with a hard hat on her head) lets you know that the festivities will be available soon! This was a lovely touch to the update and the party preparation reminds me of Club Penguin…

Now, let’s talk about the exciting stuff…

…IGLOOS!

Igloos & Interiors is now officially open to all players. Just waddle over by the Igloo Trams and you will see the shiny storefront straight away. Igloos & Interiors is another market on Club Penguin Island, but it sells igloos and furniture instead of food! There is a decent range of items available to everyone. However, purchasing a membership will grant you access to a much larger inventory of furniture items – including a large igloo! Fortunately, you don’t have to be that stingy with your coins because the prices are relatively cheap. That means more coins to be donated to charity – yay!

Igloo Trams are now accessible and ready for travel. If it’s been a hard day’s work at Franky’s, you can pop by the trams and instantly be escorted to your own private zone. There are two other ways you can access your igloo too! You can find it on the map or you can explore the “My Penguin” tab.

Island Central | Sneak Peek: Franky’s

Hello, everyone!

Each week, from now until the next update, the Club Penguin team are going to be releasing a new sneak peek of what to expect from the new Island Central in the 1.7 update. First of all, what is Island Central? Well, it turns out that this is the new name of the “Town” or “City Center” that has been teased. Secondly, it looks like the 1.7 update is going to be HUGE!

Yesterday, Joe revealed one of the new landmarks that are going to be found in Island Central. It is the one teased in the app! It is delicious! It is…

FRANKY’S

This is the island’s premiere pizza stop, featuring a slice that might just be the spiciest food around. It’s a great stop-off with friends after a busy day through the shops of Island Central. And if you’re looking for a job, there’s nothing hotter than serving up freshly baked pizzas for hungry penguins.

If there’s one thing you’ll find a lot of in Island Central, it’s music—and Franky’s is no different! The posters and record on the wall will tell you exactly what the owner is about—rock & roll!

– Joe, Island News

As you can see, Franky’s is a pizza stop/diner that’s open to the outdoors! It is not what I was expecting, however, it certainly caught my attention and I seriously love the way it looks. When I look at the images, I can tell that there are going to be a couple of interactive items. One of them is the cooking tools from the Foodtrekker and a new one appears to be a pizza oven spade. By the way, I just love how big the pizza oven is!

Penguins can also sit down and enjoy their food at the seating areas and I suppose Franky’s is Island Central’s “food booth” because you can see the party hat emoji to the left of the first image. Interestingly, you can also spot a wooden beam to the left as well – a very familiar one. From what I can tell, it looks like that Island Central can be accessed from Mount Blizzard. Here is an image of a gate you can see below the mountain. When you compare it to the beam in the left image, you should be able to spot some resemblance.

In the caption, it mentions how the owner is all about “rock & roll”. This seems to be more evidence we can use to theorise a possible return of the Penguin Band. Wouldn’t it be cool if we could actually meet Franky as well? What if all of the Penguin Band members have their own shop in Island Central and then they band together in the future? After all, Joe did say “If there’s one thing you’ll find a lot of in Island Central, it’s music”.

Overall, I am looking forward to what is going to be arriving in the big 1.7 update this October. I hope you all are too! Thank you for reading!

Is FRANKY’S as good as you were hoping it would be?

New “City Center” in 1.7 Update

Hello, everyone!

The new Club Penguin Island 1.6 update is slowly rolling out to penguins who own an Android device and people are becoming frustrated. This is usually how the Club Penguin team test the new app update just so it is quality assured before it is released to millions of more penguins. On the bright side, Club Penguin’s temporary Community Manager, Joe, has confirmed that the 1.6 update officially arrives this week!

This is strange because the official 1.6 update notes have not even been published to the Island News blog yet.

However, I have been able to get my flippers on the update so I have some things to share with you. Currently, I am a non-member, therefore, I have limited access to the new features the update brings. For this post, I am going to share something very interesting; something that all players can get excited for! Take a look at this.

As you can see, I have combined the Club Penguin Island map with two of the latest loading screens. They all have one thing in common and that is they tease the new “Island Expansion”!

On the map, you can see that the new area is under construction (it’s on the right of Mt. Blizzard). The one thing that stands out to me is the igloo (or at least I think it’s an igloo). In addition, you can see that the “igloo” is on some sort of blue track. My best bet is that penguins will need transportation to get to their igloo. Why?

On 24th July, Joe found this image in the teams’ “TOP SECRET” folder.

You may be thinking why this has great relevance to igloos. Well, first of all, my speculation actually strengthens my conclusion because, secondly, the picture of the transport actually includes a tease of igloos. If you look closely at the left-most carriage, you can see a reflection of an igloo on the doors, which implies that penguins will need transport in order to get to their igloo.