A Closer Look at RockYou’s Zoo World
Thank God, a game that doesn’t involve fish or aquariums. Frankly, Facebook feels way too much like high school. Something gets popular, and everybody does it. That is why Zoo World from RockYou is such a refreshing change. Originally discovered through the social developer’s Hug Me application, this zoo-keeping title has finally received its own stand-alone rendition that has its 1.4 million players creating their own, disgustingly cute, zoos.
The game actually starts out very similar to most Tycoon-style games. Players are granted a small patch of land with some starting animals on it and a few overly cheerful-looking patrons wandering about. They walk in, spend a little cash, look around, and walk out. That’s about all there is to it.
Starting with a small sum of cash, players are tasked with making their zoo worth more by adding new animals, concession stands, bathrooms, staff, and so on. Actually, one’s zoo is measured by a number of statistics, but is generally categorized into the total value of the zoo (based on the animals, tricks they know, and overall assets owned) and the quality grade of A – F (this consists of cleanliness, happiness of workers, parking, animals, etc.). The higher these are the better the player is doing, and the more money they earn.
Unfortunately, money seems to come extraordinarily slow if you don’t leave the game running in the background. Only $1 comes in at a time, and some of the starting stuff you need is incoherently expensive… especially when compared to other purchasable items. For example, how does a bathroom cost $4000 while a friggin’ tiger costs $450?! That’s about as cruel as charging $50 a use for a washroom at Octoberfest.
Another complaint is that players don’t seem to be able to actually control where their purchased animals and attractions go. The game just places it automatically, wherever there is space. Granted, there isn’t that much to decorate with, but it would be nice to have that choice, just to have a little more control.
It is, however, still surprisingly gratifying to see your zoo grow and evolve.
Speaking of evolution, players can actually breed animals. Sadly, this only consists of rare and ultra rare animals with the latter only purchasable with virtual currency that costs real money. Suffice to say, there wasn’t much to check out in that regard, but it certainly is a promising concept.
The game also has a wonderful, visual style. It is very simplistic, and the animals don’t even move, but with the peppy music (which does end up muted because it does not loop properly, by the way) and absurdly cute looking animals, the game is very… happy. It’s hard to get annoyed with any of the problems it has.
All in all, with the exception of denying players a means to directly customize their zoo, the complaints are relatively minor. That said, however, established companies like RockYou! should be held to a higher standard. Should the cost of items be more balanced? Yes. Should players be allowed more customization? Yes. Should the game be all in one Flash module rather than spread out amongst multiple pages? Yes. Could usability and interfaces be better? Yes. Point is, while the game is pretty good, it could be exponentially better.
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I HAVE BEEN TRYING FOR A WEEK TO GET INTO ZOOWORLD i COULD READ A BOOK WHILE IT SAYS LOADING , I GET MESSAGES FEOM MY BREEDING BABIES THEY ARE HUNGRY I CANT GET IN TO FEED THEM. AND IF I HAPPRN YO GET IN I DONT KNOW WHERE THEY ARE BAD MISTAKE TO TAKE THE PLEASURE OUT OF BREEDING OUTSELVES WHEN YOU CHANGED THAT I WAS BREEDING 5 AT ONE TIME SINCE THEN I HAVE NO BABIES FROM THOSE AND NO MORE BABIES FROM THE OTHERS I WANT MY 10 ANIMALS BACK THAT THEY ARE BREEDING AND ANY BABIES THAT HAVE BEEN PRODUCED GET ME IN PLEASE I HAVE TWO ISLANDS AND HAVE NO IDEA WHAT HAS GONE ON FOR A WEEK I HAVE ANIMALS THAT ARE WAITING AND SOME HAVE JUST DISAPEARED BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT PUT INTO ZOO
can someone please help me, I don’t know where my zoo is, cant find it anywhere, obliterated. And I was doing pretty good,please someone help me get it back
dont see my safari hat as to add and recruit zoo mates and wish you would do something to help out the people who cant afford to buy zoo point rewards to buy the exotic animals.and it takes forever for my zoo too load even though I keep my cache cleaned…..I love this game but getting to be a hassle.
I have been unable to get my zoo to load for over a week and have tried everything anybody has suggested even what I was sent by zoo world people. What is up–I am not the only one withis problem. Several have paid to play and are now considering contacting the BBB because they also receive no true help with this. I am ready to leave facebook and go to twitter or back to myspace if they do not do something soon.
I can’t ask for building materials, I can’t add the feed to the bottles. Every time there is a new problems – have reported them but you don’t even answer me. I can’t ply ZOO if you don’t fix the problems. Its costing us a lot of money! Is that want you want out of us all????
Please help. I was on the Zoo World help page following the feed that told us how to remove the “fake zoo world” as this was the issue causing us to receive the “invalid feed” messages when we went to accept our bottles and pacifiers. I went to the site and deleted it. Now I have NO zoo world and when I try to go, even from an outside source such as google… it takes me directly to my facebook home page. Can someone please tell me how I can restore the deleted app? my zoo id number is 100000976039321
one additional note… this is NOT a hidden app… it is deleted. It does not show on my hidden app page
my zoo has completely disappeared from my facebook, cannot find it anywhere.and i cannot readd it the application,,when i try it says fatal error..i know i was sent a gift from someone from the fake zoo and since then i have lost the one i had..i was just ready to enter level 46 too..really irritates me that people have to screw around with others when they have nothing better to do..can you help me by telling me how to find it..ive written 2 notes to the developers but no responce as of yet..been over a week. thanks
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I’m have been stuck on level 22 for a while now and wondered if anyone could help. Thanks in advance.
I can’t send gifts. I can select the but when I click on send, I never get the page to select a recipient. I just get a blank section and done at the bottom of the page.
Also this ONE HOUR adoption window sucks!!! I have friends all over the world so 12 or 24 hour window would be a better option.
I am getting frustrated over these “improvements” that are mucking up a fun game.
guys plez all add me to be my zoo mate plez i need ur help
my mail on facebook is candy_dandy plez all add me for zoo mates
CAN’T GET IN ZOO OR FACE BOOK ,SAID DOING MANTIANCE THAT WAS 10 HOURS AGO,pLEASE GIVE ME A BREAK
love zoo but can’t get on said doing mantiance,that was 10 hours ago
I lost several animals island 9, include recently purchase goat, realized because wanted to fed the goat, include playground.
YOU NEED TO UPDATE THIS!!!! ROCK YOU IS ROBBING US BLIND & NOT FIXING THINGS & SAYING THAT THEY ARE FIXING IT, THE FURTHER ALONG YOU GET into the game, the worse the problems become. I also HATE the way I NOW HAVE to change my email address due to tracking me thru facebook NO MATTER WHAT SETTINGS you apply!!!!!!
Its another company making billions & no doubt will shut down the game soon as there are soooooo many unhappy people.
I have a extremely crappy situation & this game along with the FANTASTIC ZOO FRIENDS ‘WERE’ my ONLY stress relief, now, I waste air time getting no where in the game, & now can’t get in at all. This is how I found you!!!!!!!!!!!
I am about to say ytto HELL with this game!
How are you suoseto lay it when youcan’t een get on!!!!
All weekend it has been this way! VERY UPSET!
MAD, YES!!!!
Now I am going to say to say to H… with it!
You don’t like my language then you should here what I really feel about this game!
You don’t CAPS, tough!
I am losing animals and MONEY while you are sitting there getting richer!
Wron You are losing eople all the time because of this!
when i try to get on to my zoo it just says web-page not available – help!!!
I need ultra rare animals and could really use some wildlife points (badly) could you please help me??
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It takes a long long time to load a page any page.It is very worsen.
DONT play this game, the problems are endless, multiple programming errors, meltdowns, hacks, members are quitting and leaving in such huge numbers Zoo World is at the very bottom of the list of popular social games now and sinking fast. First Rock You Pets tanked, now Zoo World is down more then its workind, whole islands and zoos have just gone missing, disappeared. There is no customer support and its just a money grab for greedy Rock You developers – WORST SOCIAL ON THE INTERNET
ROCK YOU DEVELOPERS, NO CUSTOMER SUPPORT, ENDLESS LIES AND CONS, TRYING TO TELL MEMBERS THEY ARE JUST A SMALL START UP COMPANY, BUT ARE TRADING ON NY STOCK EXCHANGE AND RAKING IN MILLIONS FROM ADVERTISERS, SELLING MEMBERS EMAIL ADDRESSES TO ADVERTISERS, SPAMMING, RIPPING OFF MEMBERS, NO CUSTOMER SUPPORT AT ALL WHICH IS A HUGE VIOLATION OF FB RULES, LAID OFF 70% OF EMPLOYEES IN CA – FOCUSING ALL THEIR ENERGY AND RESOURCES ARE RAIDING ASIA MARKET AND ADANDONING WESTERN COUNTRY MEMBERS. RIGGED SO YOU HAVE TO PAY REAL CASH TO GET AHEAD NOW – MAJOR RIP OFF SO UPDATE YOUR REVIEWS AND STOP POSTING FALSE INFORMATION
Zoo world2 your game has not been loading for me for 2 to 3 days now, nothing can’t get on it for nothing. you call this a game you can’t even play it.
I purchesed both tea cup ride,and cornucopia way back on my first island. After the mess up with all the zoos being lost, I have had my tea cups,and my horns fruit disappear.I worked my butt off for those and would like them put back. Can you do this please?
*WARNING * DO NOT PLAY THIS GAME, THERE IS NO CUSTOMER SUPPORT, MEMBERS ARE CHEATED OUT OF PURCHASES. DEVELOPERS ARE MEAN SPIRITED AND HARASS PEOPLE WHO COMPLAIN ABOUT MISSING CASH, WILDLIFE POINTS, ANIMALS, PURCHASES, ETC THERE ARE SO MANY PROBLEMS WITH THIS APPLICATION IT WOULD BE HARD TO SAY WHAT DOES WORK. THIS GAME IS GOING TO TANK JUST LIKE ALL THE OTHER ROCK YOU APPLICATIONS THAT HAVE TANKED. ROCK YOU IS FAMOUS FOR ABANDONING INTERNET APPLICATIONS AND GAMES. FORUMS HAVE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS FROM PLAYERS, REQUESTS FOR SUPPORT, REQUESTS TO HAVE MISSING ITEMS REPLACED. ROCK YOU APPLICATIONS SHOULD BE AVOIDED COMPLETELY.
What is the point of your site when your reviews of social gaming are SO not accurate? Your review on Zoo World couldnt be further from the truth, this is nothing buy blatant promotion of another piece of crap Rock You application. Your site doesnt even mention that Rock You abandoned My Space, Rock You Pets and other applications and has to all intents and purposes abandoned Zoo World now too – You are publishing LIES to curry favour with developers, conning your members and people who come here to read reviews
This review was written almost three years ago when the game first launched. Since that time, the game and the company have both evolved considerably to the point where gameplay descriptions and company strategy explanations may no longer be accurate or current — however, at the time this piece was written, the information was accurate to the best of our knowledge. We do not simply delete old reviews just because the game changes. We also have no need to “curry favor” with developers as our publication is data-driven with metrics reported by Facebook.
Information on RockYou’s current goings-on can be found here, here and here. We reviewed the most recent update to Zoo World (Zoo World 2, that is) here.
Thanks for reading.