My Little Pony Friendship is Magic

My Little Pony Friendship is Magic is the classic battle between good and evil, light and dark, Wi-Fi hotspot and dead zone.

Because while the developer, Gameloft, claims in the description of the game in the Microsoft app store that an internet connection is “never compulsory to progress through the game,” the game inspired by the animated TV series is severely limited without one.

“My Little Pony Friendship is Magic is playable offline, but is built with a robust online component that is intrinsic to the game,” a Gameloft spokesman said in an email in response to a TINA.org inquiry.

Our inquiry was sparked by a TINA.org reader’s complaint that an internet connection is required to progress through the main storyline of the game, citing the fact that certain ponies can only be unlocked online. The spokesman acknowledged that an internet connection is needed “to unlock ponies that are purchased exclusively with Gems,” but stood by the statement in the description in the Microsoft app store.

“It is not compulsory to progress through the main game with an internet connection, but like many other titles on mobile devices, PCs, web browsers, and consoles, if it is played offline players will miss out on features, such as social tools, hard currency purchases, and advertisements (for in-game items),” he said.

But unlike other titles, he added, gameplay will not come to a halt in the sudden absence of an internet connection, such as in a dead zone. By way of example, he offered a personal anecdote.

“For example, I play games on my phone on my commute to work each day. In a game like My Little Pony, I can keep playing the game even when I go underground and lose my cell signal, still able to progress through the game, whereas other titles will stop gameplay altogether.”

But with a number of features that are only available online, can you really say you’re playing My Little Pony if you’re not connected to the internet?

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