Author: Slanted Fish

Those of you who signed up for Poptropica’s island release notification should have received some great news in your email inbox today – early access Steamworks Island will be available to members on August 12, 2010; and officially released for free to the public on September 9!

If you did not receive the email, you can view it on your internet browser by clicking here. The message reads:

Steamworks Island available with Membership on August 12!
Gear up for the next Poptropica Island adventure and discover what happened to the inhabitants of Steamworks Island. Steamworks Island opens to the public on September 9, but Members can begin their steamy journeys on August 12. Not a Member yet? Purchase Membership today! Not only will you get Early Island Access, you will also have unlimited use of the items in the Poptropica Store. Take the Poptropica Membership Tour now to learn more about Membership. Keep up with the latest island launches, news, and cool stuff through the Official Poptropica Blog. -The Poptropica Creators	Steamworks Island Info

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Continuing Binary Bard’s new friendship with the strange sprocket from the upcoming Steamworks Island, he tried some different approaches…

Getting to know you

The robot and I eyed one another warily. It seemed we were each waiting for the other to make the first move. After a few moments of awkward silence, I attempted to break the ice with a joke.

“Why was six afraid of seven?” I asked.

(Dramatic pause.)

“Because seven eight nine!”

Success! The robot grinned. Clearly he was programmed to understand humor. Maybe he was capable of other emotions, as well.

Perhaps this little robot would be impressed, or even moved, by the arts. I don’t often admit this, but I’ve got something of a background in dance (three years of jazz, six years of modern). Hoping to entrance the robot with my charm and grace, I busted out some acrobatic maneuvers, finishing with a flurry of high-leg kicks.

Not exactly the reaction I was hoping for.

Pride got the better of me. “I’d like to see you do better!” I huffed. “Stupid robot.”

And then, well — the robot did something better.

It’s a nice robot and all, but don’t forget that it has feelings too – and you don’t want to hurt it!

Hijuyo: Hey readers, this is “Steamworks in Sketch”, starring our special guest speaker – Hades from the Poptropica Creators’ Blog!
Hades: Look, I saw what you guys did to Captain Crawfish. And anyone who dares touch me now will be sent to the Underworld… forever!

(A loud gasp comes from the audience and several scared kids try to run away.)

Hades: Not so fast! I haven’t even begun! *zaps finger in your direction* CHARON!

(Hades’ ferryman, Charon, scoops up the now dead kids and carries them away.)

Hijuyo: O_O
Hades: Okay, I think you guys get the point. Captain Crawfish may have been a weakling, but not me. There’ll be no messing around with ME, the great Hades!
Hijuyo: Uh…
Hades: ARE YOU CHALLENGING ME?! Yes? No? Well, the show must go on. As I was saying, I, the great Hades, mightier than all you midgets, will be presenting you “Steamworks in Sketch” – amazing, never-before-seen sketches of the upcoming STEAMWORKS ISLAND, where I will be RULING ALL OF POPTROPICA!!
Hijuyo: Ahem.
Hades: Oh right, here it is:

Evolution of a Steamworks Island monster

For Steamworks Island, the we’ll pit you against a variety of mutated plant monsters. But how did we make the creepiest, crawliest, ickiest plant monsters around?

We started by brainstorming.

These are just some of the sketches we drew to help us visualize what our monstrous creations would look like. Not all of the sketches will make it into the final product — in fact, most won’t — but this allows us to try out different ideas. Then we’ll take the very best concepts and work them into Poptropica.

Hijuyo: This island sounds… dangerous? Full of evils and deaths and all things scary? Those poor plants! Innocent life turned to killers! D:
Hades: Yeah! This is the perfect island to take over, to cause fear and death and destruction and…

(One day later…)

Hades: …oh, when this island’s ready, it’ll be MINE! Mine to take over, to rule, every inch will belong to ME! Those plants are my minions! I…
Hijuyo: You were saying…?
Hades: …Right. Anyway. You probably need to see more of the Steamworks stuff that I’ll be colonizing:

Steamworks monster sketch

Yesterday, you saw some of the earliest ideas for the plant monsters that will appear on the next Poptropica island, Steamworks Island. This one seemed appropriately icky.

It’s still no more than a sketch — just an outline of an idea. But we’re already thinking about how the plant will look when it’s colored and detailed, and how it will move. The next step is to take this sketch and Poptropica-ize it!

Hades: Got that? This enhanced plant monster is gonna be colored and detailed! It’ll move! It’ll be Poptropica-ized! Oh yeah, and just look at that pic’s name – BolasSketch! Its name is Bolas! And it’ll be all mine to control! MUAHAHAHAHAHEhehehe…

Da bomb! Da bomb! Who knows what dangers this could hold?

New island sneak peek week: It’s the bomb

Yesterday to keep the sneak peeks rolling out the door, we showed concept sketches of dynamite for the new island.

Here is the finished version. This is something that you are not allowed to hold while chasing your brothers around the campfire.

Look at all those gauges and wires. I had to read a 500 page manual to learn how to use it properly. Though, I accidentally discovered that throwing it works too.

Now that you’ve seen a glimpse of the design style of some of these items, can you guess what kind of island this is going to be?

Don’t forget to come back tomorrow for the announcement of the new island name!

And the end still looks like a rat’s tail… wait… could this stick of dynamite be, in fact, a rat? A live cheese-eating mouse…? :O JK. xD

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Long awaited poll results about Poptropica membership! The question was, simply: “What do you think of Poptropica’s membership?”

• HOW COULD YOU, CREATORS?! Worst update ever! D: | 4,019 votes | 57%
• Meh. I don’t really care. | 1,136 votes | 16%
• Awesome! I already have it. 🙂 | 895 votes | 13%
• Great idea on Poptropica’s part. I’m going to get it soon. | 779 votes | 11%
• Uh, what does that mean? -.o | 249 votes | 4%

Looks like our PHB readers are mostly anti-membership. Wise, very wise. 😀

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In other news…

• Check out this Xat chatroom owned by Fred9005 – http://xat.com/fred9005!
• We’re all sad to have one of our “original 3 PHB authors” – Codien – end his time with this blog. But of course, this gives him the opportunity to start new journeys in life and we wish him all the best.
• A new staff member will join the PHB’s Poptropica Help Team soon enough.
• We’re getting close to July 26th, 2010 – and that means the PHB’s 2-year anniversary is coming up! Stay tuned for more. 🙂