Have you heard the news?! It is October 24th, which means Club Penguin officially turns eleven years old today!
That's right, eleven years ago today, a small team of three men decided to make a game about penguins on a snowy island... they put that plan into action and now, all these years later, we've ended up here.
Over the times, a lot has happened and a lot has definitely changed, the game is almost completely different now compared to its humble beginnings back when it started. But Club Penguin doesn't and never will fall short of fun even after over a decade, and today on this very special day -- penguins will do what they do best -- party like it's 2005!
All cheesiness aside though, Club Penguin is one of the best MMORPGs of the 00s, and it has inspired kids and teens across the world to explore their creativity and find their inner strengths. And for some penguins like Trainman1405, it has even affected their future, such as applying for a job.
Trainman1405 is one of the most influential bloggers of our time, but all things have to come to an end, and as he prepares to leave the Club Penguin world this year and venture into the deep dark depths of the real world, he is creating job applications.
In a tweet posted on October 22, Devin talks about how much 'Club Penguin has impacted [his] life'. He says 'not only has it helped me develop the skills necessary for writing [for a] customer support job, but it's also given me the skills at a much younger age, helping to jump start a potential future career.' Devin adds, 'Without Club Penguin, I wouldn't be qualified for these kinds of jobs due to not having the required skills or prior experience.'
This is bewildering, bewildering how much a simple online game can affect our lives, bewildering how much of a community has been built from this, and bewildering to see how some people that have grown up with Club Penguin are using it to launch themselves into a career.
But, I do realise I am talking to an audience of young people, or at least the majority of, who probably don't want to hear about jobs or growing up, so let's kick it down a notch and let's just focus on what Club Penguin themselves are doing to celebrate.
If you log into the game today, you will see that the 2016 Halloween Party is still on, but that doesn't mean we can't have a good time. Aunt Arctic will pop up on your screen, and offer the 11th Anniversary Hat, and the background to go with it. Pick them both up and you're ready to roll.
Bonus: If you manage to meet Aunt Arctic on Club Penguin this year, you can get her lovely Aunt Arctic's Press Giveaway background.
The Coffee Shop looks totally decked out with balloons and banners, head over there to see where all the fun is at.
In the Coffee Shop, you can pick up your party hat if you haven't already, and sit and reminisce on the past year with the 2015–2016 Yearbook with your cup of juice and a slice of cake.
Before I close off this year, I just want to mention that Riyita has made an incredible video called It's Our Game, which is a special he has released for Club Penguin's eleventh anniversary.
I feature in it with a voice clip, along with many other wonderful penguins from the community. If you'd like to watch it, here is the link: Club Penguin Space Presents: It's Our Game. It truly is a great video.
Thank-you for reading my small tribute to the past eleven years of a groundbreaking game.
As always, waddle on.