The multiple comments added to the post "Why is EA murdering the Pogo site; the HD games suck" reveals the dissatisfaction that many players have regarding the changes being made to the Pogo game site. I myself have added comments sharing my disappointment with the direction EA is taking with this website. People at EA know that I have made criticisms of this website before. They also know I have tried to help other players try to solve problems that players are having here at the EA Answers HQ forum. I can be a pain to EA sometimes with my comments, but I want to see the Pogo website succeed in the future. I would hope that my criticisms in the past and below are viewed as somewhat constructive.
I totally understand why Flash and Java games are being removed and in some cases replaced with HTML5 games. These platforms are being phased out by their developers Adobe and Oracle. I also know that much of the original and current appearance of the Classic Experience of the Pogo website consists of images using Flash, and this too will be gone sometime in 2020.
I have seen a few of the Flash games like Trizzle and Tri-Peaks Solitaire converted to HTML5 versions, which retained much of the original Flash game in appearance especially Trizzle. That is encouraging to see. It's a start, but most of the older games are not being replaced with HTML5 versions of the games, although time will tell if more are brought back with HTML5 versions.
From viewing the Early Access Experience pages, the new Pogo website will look nothing like the current traditional Pogo website. That is VERY disappointing. Why? It's because people who have been here for years have come to enjoy the appearance of the classic website and the features it had. I believe that it is possible to keep the general appearance of the Pogo site similar to the existing classic look if EA wished to do that using HTML5 code. People tend to find comfort in what is familiar to them, not in radical change. However, it appears that EA wishes to totally change the appearance of the Pogo website to the extent that when the classic Pogo webpages are gone, there will be almost nothing that resembles the traditional look. The new Pogo website will be in NAME ONLY. That is not just my opinion. Other members have voiced the same opinion to me.
Already gone from the Pogo website is the regular addition of new mini items in the mini mall, which was a delightful experience when it existed. Gone are the daily and monthly drawings for prizes. Gone are many Flash and Java games with almost no HTML5 replacements for them. Gone are rewards for completing HTML5 games like the Pogo tokens for Flash and Java games, with the exception of completing daily and weekly (Wednesday) challenges. Gone is the Pogo Download Games center. Gone is the chat box on the right side of the game screen for HTML5 games which made chatting with friends easy while playing the games. In its place, the chat box for HTML5 games has been placed under the game screen, which requires scrolling up and down between the game and the chat box to make comments. Not a good change! When I look around the classic Pogo website still available, the landscape and experience is changing so much that it is becoming difficult to recognize the Pogo website I know. Fortunately some remnants of the past still exist, but they will be gone too in time.
I don't know what is in the minds of the EA management team when they think that completely changing this website will be considered a good experience for the paying members that have been here for years. As I said, there is comfort in what is familiar to us. Honestly I have NOT read many positive comments by the majority of members here regarding the changes taking place. Most of what I have read is negative and intensely negative. The positive comments I've read mostly come from EA. That is expected but the non-EA members should also be enjoying the new experience, and many do not appear to be happy. Many have said they will not renew their memberships or they are thinking about not renewing.
I don't want to see the Pogo website fail with a mass exodus of paying members, because if that happens it will the end of this website. I want to see the Pogo website succeed in and beyond 2020. If all the appearance and experience of the Pogo of the traditional website is removed and replaced a totally different look with totally different games, it will still offer games and socializing for players. With few other options for websites providing multiple games like at Pogo, this may still be the best option. But if people stay here, it will not be the same experience. Maybe in time I will change my views of what's going on here, but I will truly miss the old Pogo website each time I come here.
I will step down from my soap box now.
