Pretty Pet Salon

Pretty Pet Salon is a strategy video game developed by Hong Kong studio Dream Cortex and published by Animoca[1] The game was released on January 26, 2011 for iOS and on May 13, 2011 for Android devices.[2] An HD version was released for the iPad on February 26, 2011,[3] followed by an Android version on May 13, 2011.[2] The iOS versions were taken down for a time on January 15, 2012[4] but since then the franchise has reappeared on Apple's App Store.[5] Pretty Pet Salon titles on the Android Market and on the Amazon Appstore were unaffected.

Pretty Pet Salon
Developer(s)Dream Cortex
Publisher(s)Animoca
Platform(s)iOS, Android
ReleaseJanuary 26, 2011 (iOS)
May 13, 2011 (Android)
Genre(s)Casual
Strategy
Simulation
Mode(s)Single player

In the game, players must run a pet-grooming salon by micro-managing their staff. Pets must be groomed correctly to maintain customer satisfaction and to make sure that the salon is making money.

The game is a freemium application, and it is the pioneering title in the "Pretty Pet" series of apps.[2] The series has earned over 13 million downloads within its first 6 months,[6] with 11 million belonging to Pretty Pet Salon alone.[7]

Gameplay

The game is set in a virtual grooming salon presented in a fixed, third person, one-point perspective view. The player has a full view of the entire salon at all times, where service stations are affixed. Players start off with one staff by the name of Piglina. The objective of the game is to increase the salon's level.

Each game day lasts for approximately 2.5 minutes during which a number of customers will automatically enter the salon with their pets. Upon entering, an icon will appear on top of each customer's pet to indicate which service they require. The player must then drag the pet to the appropriate station, after which an exclamation mark icon will appear on top of the pet. At that point, the player must tap on the pet in order for their staff to attend to it, and only afterward will the service be completed. Each pet may require more than one service per visit.

Customers and their pets have a limited amount of patience, which serves as a time limit for each service. If pets are not served within the time limit, the owner along with their pet will leave the salon without payment.

Once all services for the pet are completed, the customer and their pet will move on to the cashier to pay. Players must then tap on the cashier in order for their staff to collect payment. For each customer that successfully completes payment, the player will gain a certain amount of "happiness" and in-game currency.

Levels

Levels are earned by achieving a certain amount of "happiness" and accumulating a certain amount of in-game currency. Requirements for the next level will be displayed at the end of each game day. As the salon gains levels, the game will also increase in difficulty.

Upgrades

At the end of each game day, players are also given the option to upgrade or purchase more stations, and upgrade or hire more staff. Purchases can be made using premium currency called "Pet Points" or using the free, in-game currency earned throughout regular game play.

Reception

As of November 14, 2011, Pretty Pet Salon has received a user rating of 4.1 out of 5 stars on the Android Market based on 25,053 votes.[8] On the iTunes US App Store, the game earned a user rating of 3 out of 5 stars for all versions of the game on the US App Store (iOS) based on 20,058 votes.[9]

On February 11, 2011, Pretty Pet Salon reached #6 on the global Top iPhone Games chart and #11 on the global Top Apps chart, both based on number of downloads.[10]

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References
  1. "150 apps later, Hong Kong-based Outblaze Ventures closes series A funding round". PocketGamer.biz. Steel Media Limited. Retrieved 2011-11-16.
  2. "Chart-Topping 'Pretty Pet Salon' Launches on Android" (Press release). Gamasutra. 2011-05-13. Retrieved 2011-11-15.
  3. "Pretty Pet Salon HD". AppShopper.com. AppShopper.com. Retrieved 2011-11-15.
  4. "Animoca/Dream Cortex games vanish from the App Store". gamezebo.com. gamezebo. 2012-01-16. Retrieved 2012-02-09.
  5. "App Store Pretty Pet Salon Asian Edition". iTunes. iTunes. 2012-03-15. Retrieved 2012-05-09.
  6. "'Pretty Pet Salon Pro' Launched for iPhone" (Press release). Gamasutra. 2011-07-29. Retrieved 2011-11-16.
  7. "Outblaze's Six-Month Foray Into Mobile Games Pays Off With 21M Downloads for Pretty Pet Salon & Other Apps". Inside Mobile Apps. WebMediaBrands. 2011-07-11. Retrieved 2011-11-16.
  8. "Pretty Pet Salon - Android Market". Android Market. Google. Retrieved 2011-11-14.
  9. "App Store - Pretty Pet Salon". App Store. Apple. Retrieved 2011-11-14.
  10. "Pretty Pet Salon App Rank Graphs". Top App Charts. Headlight Software. Archived from the original on 2011-11-18. Retrieved 2011-11-15.
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