Bin Weevils

Bin Weevils

Developer	Bin Weevils Limited 55 Pixels Ltd
Type	Massive multiplayer online game
Launch date	September 24, 2007; 16 years ago (2007-09-24)
Discontinued	January 16, 2021; 3 years ago (2021-01-16)
Platform(s)	Windows, macOS, browsers

Bin Weevils was a British MMORPG (Massively multiplayer online role-playing game) involving a virtual world containing a range of online games and activities.

The game was developed by 55 Pixels Limited (previously Bin Weevils Limited) and launched in January 2004 as a joint venture between Nickelodeon UK, Prism Entertainment Ltd and CEG (Creative Entertainment Group).^[1] Brief animated clips based on characters from the game aired on TV in 2006.^[2] In 2007, Bin Weevils was re-launched as an independent website with a redesign and new content, making way for books, magazines, and products inspired by the game world.^[3]

Bin Weevils was previously ranked as one of the most visited virtual world websites in the United Kingdom, reaching over 20 million users in 2013. Bin Weevils had 2 million monthly users in 2013.^[4][5] The game's publisher, 55 Pixels filed for liquidation in December 2020.^[6] The website was quietly taken offline on 16 January 2021, after Adobe Flash was discontinued.^[7]

Bin Weevils was inspired by the concept of actual insects, specifically weevils. Players had the opportunity to create, personalise, and manage their own avatars within a virtual environment. The game was situated in a bin-themed landscape, featuring various locations meticulously crafted to reflect this, incorporating items typically found in a trash bin, such as mold and orange peels. Each player possessed a "Nest", where they could modify the colour and design of their rooms using various items and decorations. Players had the option to enhance their nests to include all eight rooms by utilising the Mulch currency through a membership, and they could also decorate their nest rooms by purchasing items from the "Shopping Mall", arranging them within their rooms. Nestco served as the primary retail shopping department, allowing players to acquire nest items and bundles for room decoration. Nestco featured over 18 categories of items, the Nestige Range, and a showroom. Items could be removed from an account by selling them in exchange for the Mulch currency. The nest included amenities such as a private cinema, a plaza (a virtual business empire) a garden, a nest generator, and a Bin Bot Portal. Additionally, every player had a "Bin Card" in their nest, which they could stamp daily to earn rewards, including hat coupons, item vouchers, exclusive seeds, Experience Points (XP), Dosh, Mulch, puzzle pieces, and various other benefits. They could also put together each puzzle piece they collected on certain days to unlock rare nest items.

Plazas were situated beneath a user's Nest and housed five virtual enterprises. Among these was a photo studio, allowing members to decorate their Photo Studios with various props, cutouts, decorations, and backdrops for other users to utilise for photography. Players had the option to frame their photographs in a selection of frames and sizes, which they could then display in their nest rooms. A Bin Tycoon would generate income at the ATM Cash Machines for each photo frame sold. Additionally, the plazas included four party rooms (also known as nightclubs), where members could adorn these spaces with an extensive selection of decorations and party supplies for players to party in. Each party room could be personalized with text, colour choices, facades, decorations, and music. For every customer attracted from the Plaza Directory outside the Shopping Mall, members would receive earnings at the ATM Cash Machines. Players would also earn XP for using a Plaza.

Additional virtual enterprises encompassed magazines and racing tracks. Players had the opportunity to create weekly publications utilising text, fonts, page layouts, stickers, and images captured with their personal Bin Tycoon Camera. They could assume the role of journalists, reporting on the latest gaming developments while capturing photographs within the game in various sizes for their magazine editions. Players had the ability to evaluate these magazines, and in exchange, members would receive earnings at ATM Cash Machines for each rating they garnered and for the publication of a weekly issue. The Weevil Wheels Track Builder located in Dirt Valley enabled members to conceptualize and manage racing track businesses through track builder kits. Members could craft their own racing tracks featuring 3D elements for other players to enjoy within the Weevil Wheels Track Builder directory. For each play and rating their racing tracks received, members would earn earnings at ATM Cash Machines, as well as additional earnings upon the approval of their racing tracks.

The primary means of navigation within the game was the Map, which allowed players to traverse various regions of the game world. This world comprised 15 key areas available for exploration: Flum's Fountain, Lab's Lab, Dosh's Palace, Castle Gam, Rigg's Movie Multiplex, Sink's Sub, Rum's Airport, Tink's Tree, Gong's Pipenest, Club Fling, Dirt Valley, Figg's Cafe, Shopping Mall, Bin Pet Paradise, and Flem Manor. Certain locations required players to attain SWS Membership (Secret Agent) for access. Additionally, the Summer Fair served as a seasonal pop-up venue during the summer months, where players could engage in fairground mini-games to earn 'Tokens' and acquire prizes for their nests from the Prize Huts. Attractions at the Summer Fair included the Gunge Tent, the Funhouse Ram's Arcade, Fab's Fortune Teller, Duck Soaker, Bin The Ball, Spin The Wheel, Funhouse, Weekly Challenge, Gong's Hammer, Bin Pet Bounce, and Gam's Cannon.

Within the primary areas, there were numerous smaller sections that included shops and zones dedicated to various games, accommodating one, two, or four players, as well as missions, quests, and other activities. Several shops were available for players to acquire items using either of Bin Weevils' two currencies: "Mulch" and "Dosh." Mulch could be obtained through gameplay, harvesting seeds, running businesses, playing missions, completing puzzles, and other activities, while Dosh served as a premium currency, earned by achieving the status of a Bin Tycoon, purchasing Dosh top-up bundles, or viewing advertisements. Players had the option to engage in several multiplayer games to accumulate currency (Mulch) and experience points (XP). Additionally, there were various educational games, including the "Daily Brain Strain," which players could access daily to challenge their knowledge with a range of questions in math, geography, and puzzles. Participants in the 60-second challenge received Mulch and XP based on their performance. Players could also compete on leaderboards and enter codes to claim rewards.

Each user possessed a garden adjacent to their nest, where they had the option to purchase seeds from the Garden Shop, cultivate them, and harvest them for in-game currency known as "Mulch" and experience points referred to as "XP." Users could either save their currency or invest in additional seeds, while the XP earned contributed to their progression towards the next level. The gardens were expandable to deluxe and super deluxe sizes. XP was also gained by playing games, buying items, rating nest rooms, or completing tasks. There were a total of 80 levels, with additional levels frequently introduced.

Players could adopt a virtua pet called a "Bin Pet." A Bin Pet had its own unique profile and items. Players had the ability to feed their Bin Pet and engage it in various tricks and minigames. Care for the Bin Pet involved feeding and training it to perform tricks such as juggling, fetching, spinning, waving, and jumping. Players could also teach their Bin Pet to climb onto their avatar, allowing it to explore the game world alongside them or ride on their back. Interaction with other Bin Pets enhanced the fitness and endurance attributes of a Bin Pet. Additionally, Bin Pets could acquire skills and mimic the actions of other Bin Pets, including gestures such as waving, jumping, and standing. A well-trained Bin Pet demonstrated its abilities and tricks at a higher speed. Each trick and skill associated with the Bin Pet was characterised by distinct levels, progress indicators, star ratings, and various juggling training pathways. Players could access over 30 commands for their Bin Pets, along with multiple training routes that offered hundreds of juggling levels to unlock, including professional and elite tiers. The Bin Pet profile served as a hub for players to monitor their pet's nutrition, vitality, fitness, and endurance metrics. Additionally, non-paying players had the option to select and care for a virtual pet for a duration of 24 hours, a feature known as "Pet-For-A-Day".

Bin Tycoon was a membership which unlocked gameplay elements such as in game items and activities. Many who subscribed to a premium membership received a monthly Dosh wage that gradually increased, depending on how many months a player had a premium membership. With this salary, the player could purchase hats for their character, items and clothing for their virtual pet, write magazines, access exclusive item bundles, and much more to do.

The currency "Dosh" was introduced in 2012 and replaced high Mulch prices in many areas, although it requires real currency payment. However, from time to time, players could take part in challenges, watch advertisements, or enter codes to earn the currency. It was possible to become a paying member for 1 month with an SMS text in the early stages of the game, but was discontinued in 2013. Players were still eligible to buy Mulch from the subscription section before 2013, the highest amount being £14.99 for 75,000 Mulch.^[8] Players could still acquire the currency in the game, although it was the main currency for a lot of activities. Players could choose to play multiplayer games to win currency or submit codes, etc. Dosh was the only currency to buy on the membership page. Bin Weevils revealed in 2015 that 90% of the content on the site was free to play and 90% of their audience was non-paying members.^[9]

Bin Weevils represented the kidSAFE seal on their website,^[10] as well as this they claim that players chat and buddy messages were moderated 24/7 so that there was no exchange of personal information or inappropriate language. The moderation system was based on a ticket method, according to the Bin Weevils support page. When a player used an offensive term, live moderators were notified and a punishment was imposed on a player's account that ranged from one day to a permanent suspension.^[11] As well as this, the game also had a reporting interface where players submitted reports on another player manually through the player's profile. The report functionality contained reasons that the player decided to report, or a field where the player chose to explain what the other player has done.

Bin Weevils signed a licensing agreement to launch a game-based merchandise range with the toy manufacturer Character Options.^[12] The merchandise consisted of a trading card game that was launched in 2012,^[13] a clothing set, backpacks, figurines, books and toys which launched in October 2012 and books.^[14][15][16] Bin Weevils partnered with Sony in December 2012, releasing a music album entitled 'Bin Tunes'.^[17][18] A competition, in collaboration with Aardman Animations, was held and four children were chosen to produce a music video for the song 'So Much Better With Two', which featured on the Bin Tunes album.^[19][20] The album was launched on 29 July 2013 with a tracklist of 12 children's songs. In November 2013, Bin Weevils partnered with WellChild to help raise money for sick children in the United Kingdom. Users could buy a Bin Weevils T-shirt and choose the design they wanted on their clothes, and 20 percent of every sale would go to WellChild.^[21] A Bin Weevils Magazine launched in January 2012 featuring characters, fact files, puzzles, guides, stories, comics and mysteries inspired by the online world.^{[22][23][24][25]}

Bin Weevils launched collectable creatures known as Bin Bots in October 2012. Each Bin Bot had its own unique name, personality, backstory and character. Bin Bot collectable figures launched in UK supermarkets with codes to unlock virtual goods online. By reaching high levels on the mobile app Tink's Blocks exclusive Bin Bots were earned. Bin Bots were housed in a player's Bin Bot Portal.^[14][12]

Certain Bin Bots could be placed in a microscopic world with zoom in features. Players could obtain a mystery Bin Bot online at the Claw Machine and mix potion bottle combinations together at the Bin Bot Maker to obtain the Bin Bot creatures. Both machines were invented by the scientist Lab and were located online outside his laboratory. Members could swap microscopic Bin Bots with other players in the Bin Bot Portal to complete their collections.^[14]

A mobile app version of Tink's Blocks was released in December 2012, inspired by the popular online puzzle game at Mulch Island. Completing all levels unlocked collectible Bin Bot creatures online. Players could pick up three exclusive collectible Bin Bots by completing all the levels in Beat the Clock Mode. They could also earn bonus Mulch and XP (experience points) every day on Tink's Blocks for their weevil. There was a high score leaderboard and several levels.^[26]

Meet The Bin Weevils was released in December 2012. The mobile app featured over 80 characters and their zany family lines, character fact files, character galleries with artwork, and exclusive extended cartoon episodes.^[26]

55 Pixels Ltd released a beta version of a new game called "Weevil World" in May 2017, which was only available for paying members at the time. The beta ended and the game was released to all players a month later.^[27] The game was a multiplayer unity app for mobile devices and computers, allowing players to cross-play between Weevil World and Bin Weevils using the same account. After signing up, players could customise their weevil profile and navigate their character around the island. Players could purchase character clothing, gift items, level up, earn Gems and Dosh to buy home (nest) decorations in the game and can invite players to get a nest rating.^[28]

55 Pixels Ltd released ''Farm Craft'' in July 2016. The world allows players to farm exotic plants, collect helpers, craft items, decorate houses and trade. Many core elements of the app were inspired by Bin Weevils.^[29]

On 23 August 2016, a new app named "Bin Weevils Connect" was revealed. Bin Weevils Connect was an app which complemented Bin Weevils many features such as the friend list, customizing the created character, playing multiplayer games with friends at quick access, and sending friend messages.

In 2015, Bin Weevils was requested by the Advertising Standard Authority (ASA) to change the wording of their in-app advertising, stating that players were under pressure to purchase items in the game.^[30][31] 55 Pixels Ltd, the company which operates the game, said that "as soon as [we] were made aware of the complaint made to the Advertising Standards Authority about a potential breach, and once we had understood the area for concern, we changed all our membership pages to comply with their recommendations. [The ASA] subsequently upheld the complaint about the original wording but referenced that we now complied, in the text of the ruling."^[32]

In September 2014, Bin Weevils suffered a data breach culminating in unauthorised access to some accounts.^[33] Bin Weevils had been alerted of the vulnerability and had taken the website down for a week to carry out security maintenance. A captcha was added to the website during the breach, which users had to verify before they could proceed.

Bin Weevils was nominated for the BAFTA Awards in 2009. Bin Weevils received the "Best Website" BAFTA Award in 2011.^[34] To celebrate, new nest items were launched in-game. Bin Weevils won the BAFTA Awards again towards the end of 2012.^[35] Bin Weevils won the "Best Website" for the third time in late 2013,^[36] and again in 2014.^[37]

1. Official Bin Weevils Website