Gaia Online

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Gaia Online (Owned by Gaia Interactive)
man (CEO)[1][2][3]
Type
Founded	{{{foundation}}}
Headquarters
Industry	Internet
Employees	Unknown
Website	www.GaiaOnline.com

Gaia Online is an anime-themed forums-based website. Opened to the public on February 18, 2003^[4] by Gaia Interactive, Gaia first began as an "anime linklist with a small community,"^[4] but it was openly stated by founder Derek Liu (username "Lanzer") that the website was moving towards that of a social gaming one.^[5] It eventually became the forum-based website it is now.^[1] Big-Boards.com reports Gaia is the largest forum on the Internet,^[6][7] with over a million posts made daily,^[1] over a billion posts total,^[1] and over 2.5 million unique users each month.^[1][3] Gaia also won the 2007 Webware 100 award in the Community category.^[8]

Users of the site, known as Gaians, create a customizable avatar for which they can purchase items using virtual currency called Gaia Gold, which is earned by engaging in many activities, including Gaia's selection of Flash games. Gold can then be used to purchase online items, which can be equipped onto the user's avatar or car, stored in the user's inventory, or placed in the user's Gaia Home, a virtual, furnishable house.^[9]

Users may also purchase special, month-specific items called Monthly Collectibles or other items with Gaia Cash, which is bought with real currency.

[edit] Avatar system

When registering an account on Gaia Online, users choose the appearance of their avatar's hair, skin tone, and eyes, as well as the gender. Shown with a speech bubble is a female Gaia avatar.

The avatar system on Gaia Online is one of the major features that sets Gaia apart from many other forums. Unlike traditional forum avatars, which are images provided and uploaded by users, the avatars are characters that can pose, dress up, and hold items. Gaia is distinguished from other dress-up doll sites in that the clothes and items must be purchased with Gaia Gold, Gaia Cash, or American dollars (see Donation Items/Monthly Collectibles).

Users may select the following properties of their avatar:

• Hair style and color
• Eye style and color
• Mouth style and size
• Skin tone
• Gender

Under special circumstances, a non human avatar base can be obtained, usually during the yearly Halloween Event, or with the use of special items. Previous skins have included two types of Zombies, Aliens, and Vampires, and also there is a Monthly Collectible which has Cat, Doll, Puppet, Magma and Metal Man skins, and a Cash Store item that gives the user a skeleton base.

[edit] Virtual economy

Like many multiplayer online games, Gaia features a user economy. Gaia's virtual currency is gold, which users are granted by any form of participation on the site, such as posting in the forums, playing games, writing journals or browsing the site. The amount of gold granted varies from the different actions and how often the action has been performed.^[9]

The gold earned can be spent on clothes and items for the avatars. Gaia users can also buy furniture for their Gaia houses or parts for the Gaia cars.^[9]

Another currency, Gaia Cash, was added in August 2007. This is a different currency from Gaia Gold where the user receives gold from the website. The user receives Gaia Cash using real currency which can buy all items sold in stores as well as Monthly Collectibles and in the gaia Cash store that sells items that are not buyable directly with gold (though may be bought with gold from the Marketplace).Gaia Cash cannot be used in the Marketplace.

[edit] Forums

A post on the Gaia Online forums system

Gaia Online's forums system is a modified phpBB-based^[10] collection of message boards, containing many main forums, which are further divided into subforums. Users' posts usually appear in a speech bubble next to the poster's avatar. Gaia claims that its forums are the largest on the Internet, an assertion supported by Big-Boards.com.^[6][7] The forums generate the most site activity of all Gaia's attractions, comprising 25%^[11] to 30% of site activity.^[1] Gaia Online's forum system also includes a private messaging system.

[edit] Donation Items/Monthly Collectibles

Sealed envelopes throughout the years

Monthly Collectibles (formerly called Donation Items) are limited-edition online items purchased with real currency. In June 2003, users of Gaia Online petitioned for a "donation system" in an attempt to increase site revenue, Gaia Online released its donation system, in which for every US $2.50 a user pays to the site,^[1] the user receives an item known as a "Sealed Envelope" in his or her inventory. On the 15th of every month,^[12] the Sealed Envelope disappears from the user's inventory and is replaced by a "Thank You Letter" for the month in which the user made his or her payment (for example, a "Thank You Letter for August 2004" if the payment was made in that month of that year). Users are then able to "open" these virtual letters to choose one of two or three monthly collectibles to be granted to their inventory from each letter. These items were known as Donation Items until potential legal problems prompted the name change.^[13] Monthly Collectible items and the Thank You Letter items they are found in are specific to the month that they were released in: for example, the items found in the Thank You Letter for April 2006 can only be found in that letter, and one could only purchase that letter in April 2006. Letters can be purchased over the phone or via PayPal, credit card, traditional mail, Gaia Cash, or text message.

[edit] Games

Inside a Gaia House

Gaia Online currently offers eight Flash games: GAIA Fishing, GAIA Towns, Word Bump, Jigsaw, Slots, Cinemas, Cards, and most recently, Gaia Rally (which is sponsored by Scion). These games comprise of 10% to 15% of total site activity^[1].

In most games, users can win different items or online currency that can be exchanged for items. For example, in Gaia Fishing, users catch fish and garbage, which can be exchanged for fish-shaped hats or clothing made out of recycled garbage. Gaia is eventually going to be releasing a battle system, but the release date has not been set.

[edit] Towns

Gaia Towns (often simply called Towns) is an online world on Gaia where users' avatars may move and interact with each other, and collect gold and small items to make rare or common items. Users' homes are placed in Towns. Homes can be designed by getting different house items in the stores or marketplace.

[edit] Rally

On June 18, 2007,^[14] Gaia Online and Scion announced their partnership, allowing users to create virtual Scions that they can customize with options like wheels, decals, fog lights, tail lights, and spoilers^[15] and race and display them to other users in a Flash game called Gaia Rally.

[edit] Cinemas

Gaia Cinemas was released in April 2007, and allows users to sit in a virtual theater, and watch anime, education shorts, cartoons etc. with other Gaians. Users have the ability to throw tomatoes, fireballs, popcorn, as well as other things during a cinema session. The programs shown in Gaia Cinema are anime or cartoons shown with permission from Gaia Online's sponsors, films in the public domain, or films made by Gaia or by Gaians. Gaia has old classic films as well as new anime in their theatres like Suzuka and Moon Phase. Recently Gaia has created its own 3-d films that correlate with the Gaia Manga storyline. Quest movies also take place in cinemas, when you finish watching a trailer for a movie you will be able to get a free quest item. Recently released was Gaia VJ where Gaians can make a virtual living room cinema with playlists composed of videos from video-hosting sites including YouTube.

[edit] Battle System

Gaia Online has announced it is developing an "MMO" where users will be able to battle monsters and participate in RPG style quests. The game will utilize special rings to simulate abilities. While a sub-forum for the battle system has been established, the official release date has not been announced.

[edit] Market

There is a full-fledged Gaia Market. Market is divided into four parts - Shops, Trade, Marketplace, and Gaia Cash Shop.

• Shops: There are various shops where NPCs sell different items for avatars, house, cars, etc. These shops are of all types, upmarket as well as economy. You can buy items using gaia gold or gaia cash.
• Trade: Users can trade items and gold with other Gaians.
• Marketplace: Users can have up to 10 items for sale at once in this eBay like vending system. Any item can be put for sale in the Marketplace, including items from other shops. However, now with the new marketing system there is a 2% taxation on all Marketplace items.
• Cash Shop: The most recent addition to Gaia's economy sells items for Gaia Cash (which itself is bought with real money). It includes high end items and special "evolving" items, that change over time.

[edit] Quests

The Gaia Quest system grants users items for performing certain tasks. Most quests on the site are for promotional purposes, granting items related to the featured movie or anime series for watching trailers. Movies promoted by the Gaia Quest system include Gracie, Nancy Drew, The Last Mimzy and Bee Movie.

Three anime promoted Gaia Quests include the series Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle Volumes 1, 2, 3, 4 , and 5 that rewarded anime based items.

Magic: The Gathering has also been promoted on Gaia.

Naruto: Rise of a Ninja and Blue Dragon for the Xbox 360 has been promoted as well.

Depending on the promotion, the quest may only be available to specific regions. For example, the first two Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle quests were exclusive to North America and United Kingdom and the third was exclusive to North America.

Examples of Quest Rewards are Messenger Bags and Flashlights (Nancy Drew), a blue dragons tail (Blue Dragon) and Goggles and Cloaks (Tsubasa)

[edit] Notes and references

[edit] External links

• Gaia Online
• Media PSFK, and innovations company website, comment on business model
• Report on Gaia's apparent $9 Million investment
• Comment on Gaia Interactive Inc. 2007 finances
• Comment on rise of Gaia's popularity
• Tools for Gaia Online

[edit] Creator interviews

• Interview with Derek Liu, Big-boards.com
• Follow-up interview with Derek Liu, Big-boards.com