The World Gets Bigger

2011 · CUSTOMISATION At the beginning of 2011, Habbo reached another enormous milestone: 200 million registered avatars worldwide. Just over a decade after the first Finnish hotel opened, the tiny virtual world that began as Hotelli Kultakala had become one of the largest online communities of its kind. But 2011 wasn't simply about numbers. Habbo was entering a new phase in which players were being given more control over their own spaces and identities. One of the most interesting additions was Black Holes, which gave players new ways to customise the shape and size of their rooms. Instead of every room being restricted to the familiar layouts, these new building elements allowed Habbos to create more unusual spaces and experiment with room design. It was another step toward Habbo becoming a platform where players could construct their own little worlds. Pets continued to be an important part of Habbo life too. Turtles were introduced as a new pet, joining the growing collection of animals that players could keep and care for. Meanwhile, new furniture ranges such as Coco continued to expand the enormous catalogue that had become such an important part of Habbo's identity. The way players interacted with Habbo was changing as well. The website's login and landing pages were redesigned, with email login replacing username login and additional social sign-in options appearing. Facebook integration became increasingly prominent, reflecting the wider shift in internet culture toward social-network-based identities. The Hotel itself was also becoming more visually unified. After the mergers of the previous year, Habbo was moving away from the old model where every national hotel had its own distinctive hotel view. By this point, the communities were increasingly connected under a common Habbo experience, even though different language versions still existed. Behind the scenes, Sulake was also restructuring. In March 2011, IRC-Galleria was sold back to its developers, allowing Sulake to focus more heavily on its core virtual-world business. For players, however, the most important thing was still what happened inside the rooms. Furniture was becoming increasingly functional, Wired systems were allowing increasingly complex games, and new room-building possibilities meant that Habbo players could create experiences that went far beyond simply decorating a square room. The old Habbo formula — chat + furniture + rooms — was evolving into something much broader. By 2011, Habbo wasn't just selling players furniture to decorate their rooms. It was increasingly giving them the tools to build their own worlds.