2007

Bin Weevils

Welcome to the 3D world of Bin Weevils, an ever changing virtual world where you can chat with friends, play fun games, explore locations, become a Secret Agent on a mission, train your own Bin Pet, grow gardens, decorate nest rooms, level up, crack puzzles, run virtual businesses, and so much more.

Released: 24 November 2007
Platforms: Browser
Genres: —
Developers: —
Publishers: —
Themes: Kids
Engine: Adobe Flash
Age ratings: ESRB E

About

Bin Weevils was a British MMO with a virtual world containing various online games and activities. It was created by Jon Turner and Myke Crosby, co-founded by Amelia Johnson and launched in October 2003 as a 50/50 joint venture between Nickelodeon UK, Prism Entertainment Ltd and CEG (Creative Entertainment Group).

Initially owned by Nickelodeon UK, the game was hosted on the Nickelodeon website from 2003 to 2007. During this time, brief animated clips based on characters from the game aired on TV in 2006. By September 17, 2007, ownership had transferred to Bin Weevils Limited, although it continued to be hosted on the Nickelodeon platform. In September 2007, Bin Weevils was relaunched as its own standalone website, officially operated by Bin Weevils Limited.

The articlegameplay, story, development, reception

Gameplay

Bin Weevils was inspired by insects, specifically weevils. 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 up to eight rooms by utilising the Mulch currency through a membership. Players could also decorate their nest by arranging room items purchased from the "Shopping Mall," with Nestco serving as the primary retail shopping department.

Nestco featured over 18 categories of items, the Nestige Range, and a showroom. Items could be sold by players in exchange for the Mulch currency. The nest included amenities such as a private cinema, a plaza, a garden, a nest generator, and a Bin Bot Portal. Additionally, every player had a "Bin Card" which they could stamp daily to earn rewards.

Reception

In 2015, the Advertising Standard Authority (ASA) requested Bin Weevils to change the wording of their in-app advertisements, stating that players were under pressure to purchase items in the game. 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."

In September 2014, Bin Weevils suffered a data breach culminating in unauthorized access to some accounts. 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.