Dominic Law: Reviving Neopets, Nostalgia Economics & How Community Keeps Games Alive – E637

"Five years ago, I joined a gaming company called NetDragon. Before the interview, I realized they owned Neopets, which they had acquired a few years earlier, and I thought, whoa, that’s amazing. When I checked it out, it was still alive and kicking, looking exactly the same as I had left it. That definitely rang a bell and intrigued my interest. When I joined, my main role was helping them restructure their overseas business. We spun off many of their education assets and did a separate listing. Neopets was a unique asset, hidden in plain sight, and we wondered what to do with it. We came up with the idea to spin it off as an independent indie studio focused on its revival, rather than keeping it under the newly listed education entity or leaving it with NetDragon, since most of the overseas assets had already been divested at that time." - Dominic Law, CEO of Neopets

"In the past ten years, we lost the trust of the community. Rebuilding that trust is now at the center of our strategy. We want to be more transparent about our roadmap and own up to our mistakes—why things went wrong, why there are bugs, and how we can launch better. If things get delayed, we’ll explain clearly what caused it. We’ve overpromised many times and underdelivered on almost all fronts, and we’re here to change that. Our goal is to build more realistic and practical roadmaps. If we can’t hit our targets, we’ll let the community know and explain the business decisions or reasons behind focusing on other initiatives instead. This approach has helped us reconnect and rebuild our relationship with the community." - Dominic Law, CEO of Neopets

"It was the strong community that kept Neopets alive. Even after the decline, there remains less than one percent of core super fans who have been playing nonstop for the past 15 to 25 years. This dedicated community is what sustained Neopets through the years. Although the lack of strategy and management led to a gradual downfall and people began to forget about it, there is still immense goodwill and brand awareness in the IP. That’s where we saw a huge opportunity for revival." - Dominic Law, CEO of Neopets

Dominic Law, CEO of Neopets and Jeremy Au dive into how a beloved millennial-era game evolved from early internet nostalgia into a modern revival story. They discuss the courage it took to spin Neopets out of its parent company, rebuild trust with long-time fans, and adapt a 25-year-old IP for new generations. Their conversation explores the challenges of updating old technology, the role of community-led development, and how emotional attachment can sustain a brand through decades of change. Dominic also reflects on leadership lessons from managing a turnaround, the balance between nostalgia and innovation, and why staying transparent keeps fans loyal for the long run.