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Awww, who even keeps count anymore. Okay, big change in my journals - I'm no longer going to post the week(s) that an entry covers in the journal name; it's become pretty clear that I can't keep doing these weekly. I'll keep updating you guys, but with no promise of a particular timeframe xp MTV Lots of users followed a particular thread I was involved in after we released another phase of the MTV sponsorship a week or two ago. I suggested that I might repost some of the stuff we talked about here, so here's the basic breakdown: 1. I am the lead on the PHP side of sponsorship development, so I oversee at least part of most of the sponsorships that hit Gaia. 2. Gaia needs sponsorships because it does not make enough money from user purchases. Yes: Gaia loses more money than it brings in right now. 3. I agree that the execution of the MTV sponsorship in terms of the placement of the sponsored store isn't ideal, and we're looking at solutions - right now we're thinking we'll keep it on the same page, but at least separate from the traditional Gaia shops. No word on when this change will be made (since it requires a small redesign of the shop interface). 4. Feedback from the Gaia Community Discussion forums and Site Feedback do not represent Gaia as a whole. So if you see people upset about a particular issue there, it does not mean "everyone on Gaia hates it". This is true of the MTV sponsorship as well, for which we got a tremendous amount of positive feedback. 5. I am not authorized to say what sponsorships we have turned down. 6. Working with MTV is a major opportunity for Gaia, no matter what anyone's opinion is, and it is a tough opportunity to pass up even if some users don't think it's a perfect fit. There have been numerous times in the past where we've done things that many users didn't feel fit (though like I've mentioned before, the MTV Hills area prompts HUGE participation from our users) but they've always led to things that those same users did like -- like our Anime 101 line of free anime shows, our work with Warner Bros and Sony to bring higher-quality content to theaters, our sponsorships with game companies like Ubisoft to bring you actual licensed Naruto gear, etc. -- and there's more stuff like that on the way. Business isn't as simple as "let's do things everyone likes". In cases of working with other companies and properties, you have to earn the right to do that. 7. Except perhaps in the case of the MTV shop (which as I mentioned, we're looking into alternatives for placement) we try to make sponsorships as non-intrusive as possible. This means that with the exception of seeing the announcements, you're currently not forced to participate in any sponsored material. Some users say "I'm starting to get fed up" or "I don't know how much more of this I can take" -- but I think that stems more from a desire to participate in every item-getting opportunity we present rather than us actually shoving sponsorships down anyone's throat. 8. Some users suggested that they want Gaia users to have say in all the sponsorship decisions we make, but again, sometimes this isn't how the reality of these things work. We often get a very short deadline for making a proposal for a sponsorship, and taking the time to get user response to it would be unreasonable. 9. I try to be as forthcoming with this information as I can, but obviously we are a business working with business partners, and a business with competitors. I try to reveal only what I've gotten permission to reveal, and I try not to reveal anything that a competitor could use to harm us. Wow-wee that's a lot of information. Hopefully it clears a few things up for some of youse. Don't You Know That You Are A Shooting Star? I just had to mention to everyone that we just got Rock Band in the office for the PS3, which is either the very best or very worst thing that could possibly happen to Gaia HQ rofl At lunch, you already see the crowds forming around it, each person hoping for their chance to take a crack at rock stardom! For those of you who want to know, I do vocals in the game -- though I'm no slouch at guitar or drums, either! pirate Love to love you, baby baby Valentine's Day is coming again soon, and once again I'm on the coding end of it. It's likely that we'll try to do an enhanced version of last year's event, which went over pretty well except for the prizes (Gold + Labu Necklaces * 8 = fail). At the end of 2007, we tried to take all our traditional events and make them more unique than any event that we did prior to that: Summer Festival 2007: In August/September, we had the world's largest virtual water balloon fight, where several hundred thousand Gaians joined with one of four teams (based on the cities of Gaia: Barton, Aekea, Isle de Gambino, and Durem), splashing each other with water balloons and working together to pump a gigantic launcher to drench their opponents' towns. Halloween 2007: Vampires led by the Von Helson family attacked Gaia! Fortunately, Ian Von Helson (whose true lineage was revealed during the event), Edmund, and Gambino were ready to fight back. The event featured RPG-style combat and abilities, a tremendous amount of new art (including a flash-based HUD in the forums), 3 animated storyline clips, a funny random attack description generator, a total of 4 storyline mangas, two teams to join, and a new Vampire skin (which is still available from the event page). X-Mas 2007: Perhaps the most unique of 2007's events, this involved helping Dickensian orphans get adopted. You would pick up a random orphan from the orphanage, they would follow you around the site in the site header, saying funny, cute, and disturbing things - and every once in a while they would need something. If you gave them the right thing, they would become less shabby and eventually look cleaner and happier. Once they were completely cleaned up, you could take them to the Adoption Agency, and in return you would get an orphan-themed/orphan-made event item. (Orphan hair scarf, anyone?) Needless to say, all of these events required a tremendous amount of effort on the part of developers, artists, managers, content writers, and others -- and by the end of 2007 we were just a little burnt out. So with Valentine's Day we're going to try to take a proven concept and see if we can't make it better than before, rather than making something completely different. Egads So that was a wordy update that I didn't expect to write when I set out! If any of you were wondering, I usually just start at the top and write until I don't want to write anymore rofl I often have a vague idea of the topics I want to cover, but I also often forget to include a thing or two. Question Time So to make my next journal update easier (and since I presume you guys are going to have a ton of questions / comments about some of the stuff I wrote here) we're going to do question time again. That's when you guys respond to the journal with a comment on it, and then ask a question to be answered in the next journal update. Just a few rules: 1. Please don't comment only with a question. 2. If you have questions about the MTV thing, please read through the thread I mentioned earlier so I don't have to repeat myself if I already clarified something. 3. Read through a few of the other comments first to make sure you're not asking the same question someone else is. I'll probably try to answer around 10 - 15 of my favorite questions, or the questions I feel are important to address. See you all soon!

Posted by: Fleep Sat Feb 02, 2008 @ 06:30pm

Gaia Isn't Being Money Hungry

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Bria_Teragram
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Commented on: Sat Feb 02, 2008 @ 06:49pm


	I wish more people would understand that Gaia isn't actually making money. I try to tell people they don't listen to reason or are just to young to understand the costs that businesses incur. In any case... Any news on when we might be getting a non-sponsored quest?

Commented on: Sat Feb 02, 2008 @ 06:52pm


	Hi Fleep! Some of the points you've made on MTV are ones that I've grown to understand and accept. It's so easy to assume because you're the most vocal that your opinion is more site-wide than forum-wide. I think it was great to point out certain aspects of Gaia that in actuality are very forumcentric especially ones that we thought most Gaians loved. (Like the plot). Which is why I want to namedrop Pritchard's thread in GCD about sponsor integration because he was able to point out that sponsors are not a bad thing and it seemed that GCD/SF got most upset over how it was integrated. I know I got that way but I think it's important to differentiate what the aspects of a sponsorship we don't like versus the sponsor itself since when MTV first came by we weren't nearly this hostile... Heck I enjoyed this this thread because while those in the thread did not like MTV they're at least trying to offer up alternative companies that they'd enjoy seeing on Gaia... Oh, and the Viacom thing is really annoying me to no end. The majority of Gaia don't seem to know that because Gaia is a private company, Viacom cannot come in and take Gaia. I think they're thinking of public companies and Viacom doing a hostile takeover. In fact, Slanzer and I thought it was so important that we had Leena post it up in her thread with Slanzer's explanations. surprised That's another aspect that needs clarifying because Gaians are now fearing that Gaia has been sold/will sell etc but don't realize Gaia cannot without the sayso of Gaia itself.. I cannot wait to see what happens for the Valentine's event this year. I think it would be totally awesome if we could get a horror aspect this time around since last year was way different. I mean who wouldn't want to see an evil cupid or we receiving odd and disturbing valentines. As for questions, eek It's too early in the morning to think of any...

Sheshira
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dBEf-GAEc-18E-BBAf
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Commented on: Sat Feb 02, 2008 @ 06:56pm


	YES!!! A NEW UPDATE! domokun I love this update. I love it very much. I know a lot of people read your journal, and these sheep are then scrambled throughout the GCD and Site Feedback. Their duty is to repeat what you say, over and over again. Rahahahahah! (I hate being one of those people, sometimes) Quote: w00t (comma) Thanks Fleep (exclamation point) w00t (exclamation point) Thanks (comma) Fleep (exclamation point) Annnnd I have no questions for you gonk* Well, here's one a couple: How're ya doin, Fleep? Y'all have been busy! Maybe you're just working harder, eh? What do you think about FSMs? I've been game deving for a while, and here I am, having never used FSMs. It's embarrassing. Even moreso considering how much I love them at the moment, now that I'm checking them out. I'll probably abuse them like Macros until I begin using them where appropriate rofl More simple than adding methods in types. Just as useful, too. I'm trying to see how I would design an "enhanced" FSM, when dealing with animations with transition smoothly, for instance. You know anything about physics engines? I tried Phy2D, but it's too basic. So I'll be trying ODE/Newton - Probably ODE as there's ODE For Java and excellent documentation. Newton's for C++ styled languages only, atm (no Java bindings), is difficult, and a switch to C++ now would mean weeks of work just getting everything set up. Newton seems great, though O.O;; EDIT: Quote: The thing about the X-Mas event was that you didn't have to sit there and refresh - you could just do your regular Gaia thang and waited for the orphan to change its mind. It was all time-based anyway. Are there any ways to optimize events that occur at "random"? I can understand major load from a full check being made every time you did something on the site, such as how the St. Patrick's Day event was initially. What if we used layers of checks, though? The first layer would be the most basic one possible, say a random from 0 to 4. Then if that returns 0, you go onto the next layer, which is more intense on the server. Since most of the time, people wouldn't get past the first layer, load is reduced an extreme amount! (course I know there's more involved that might just make this kind of thing slow in general, but we strive to optimize!)

Commented on: Sat Feb 02, 2008 @ 06:56pm


	-steal- Where to start, where to start? MTV, I suppose. Seeing as how that IS the largest section of the journal. I'm trying hard to be neutral on the subject. Yes, I don't like MTV. Yes, I do like some of the items. I really do hope that the shop can be moved soon. That's perhaps the only thing that bothers me about the sponsorship. I think Ling was talking about getting Rock Band. I hope no one's started smashing the guitar around yet. x DD The events are definitely getting better (and I'm not just saying that because you're working on them ;O ). Christmas was definitely my favorite. Any possibility of getting orphans back soon? Or are you guys waiting for a chance to have a pet system first? Don't work too hard. <3 Edit: I hope my comment was satisfactory enough for you. x DD

Sgt.PepperHat
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Spirrow
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Commented on: Sat Feb 02, 2008 @ 06:56pm


	w00t (comma) Thanks Fleep (exclamation point) I'd like to think that I am the sole reason for you to write your journal in a Hindu I is you is we is everyone sort of way (dot dot dot) As for my question: I think that working in conjunction with Funimation is one of the best possible ideas ever, because they have licensed some amazing anime. People have asked in the past about whether we'll get the Tsubasa sword or staff as quest items. I remember your response, but I'm wondering if we'll ever see special sponsored items in the cash shop, kind of like the MTV bags... because, I would absolutely love to buy a DBZ based item from the cash shop... I mean, Funimation owns DBZ... and currently they are releasing the seasons in boxsets every 4-5 months (Season 4 comes out February 19th!!)... so please: Can we expect to see more sponsored items in the cash shop??? blaugh blaugh blaugh

Commented on: Sat Feb 02, 2008 @ 07:10pm


	>_>; Glad to see you arn't murdered by all the idiots in sf/gcd mad about the MTV thing. I actually liked most of the items from that sweatdrop loldethklok and I have no questions cause I got nothing to ask atm D:

Dreda
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Rayinte
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Commented on: Sat Feb 02, 2008 @ 07:10pm


	Beh. The MTV stuff annoys me, but I put up with it. I was more miffed than anything else at the MTV Cash Shop stuff--paying to be advertised-at? Ugh. That's nearly as bad as paying $9 to see a movie and sitting through 30 minutes of trailers. xp Anyways. A question for the Fleep: In a Comic Deathmatch, who would win of the following competitors: Mr. Bean (Rowan Atkinson) Robin Williams Colin Mochrie Arrrrrgyle the Sock Pirate

Commented on: Sat Feb 02, 2008 @ 07:20pm


	Hey Fleep! I'm extremely grateful for all the work you and your team put in to quests and events and for you keeping us up to date with as much as you can. I know it's easy to just brush things off your shoulder. I loved all three of the mentioned events, but what I would really like to know is, what was the original idea for the christmas event? The one you actually released was fun, but it was a little bit lengthy for something that only takes a day or two to complete... Lanzer, I think, also mentioned in the ATA that what was intended to happen to Santa was incredibly depressing... Care to elaborate?? Thank you SO much for everything~<3

Fvr
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MrsrachaelSnape
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Commented on: Sat Feb 02, 2008 @ 07:27pm


	oh good glad about the Valentine event . I hope we still kiss people heart

Commented on: Sat Feb 02, 2008 @ 08:07pm


	Oh! I am soooo happy we're getting a Valentine's Day event! ^.^ I think the only reason people were dissapointed with last year's event was that Love-O-Meter. It didn't do anything! And like you said, the only event item was the Labu Necklace. not very exciting...it would've been great to get cool prizes as you went up ranks, and perhaps even get a "Lovesick" skin at the end, where you blushed red from head to toe! (seeing as how Gaians have been asking for oddly shaded skins for quite some time now) Personally, I'm just hoping we get some romantic plot this year! i mean, Ian and Sasha still haven't gotten together yet, and he's obviously still madly in love with her. heart I guess my question is, a question which many Gaians are going to wonder. Will there be any plot update for this event? surprised

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The Last Lord of Time
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Commented on: Sat Feb 02, 2008 @ 08:08pm


	I don't think that the sponsorships are a bad thing. There are, of course, things I would prefer to see sponsored. I mean, I can't STAND MTV, but I know it's a big thing to be sponsored by them. MY question is that: I wonder if you are Super Smash Bros fans at Gaia HQ. If so, are there plans there to import a Japanese wii with a Japanese version of Brawl, or are you going to be patient bunnies and wait another month to get it released in America (Unlike here in the UK where we'll have to wait about fifty years ...) OR has someone already ordered/got the Japanese combo?

Commented on: Sat Feb 02, 2008 @ 08:50pm


	A dragon dreams... Thanks for explaining the MTV thing better. I just had a brilliant idea! How about for the valentines event we earn our orphans back (because we heart love heart them). xd It could be done in the same way as the labu necklaces were.. I think? sweatdrop The story could be that Mr Raccoon kidnapped them. So, they end up being lost and then we find them? Eh never mind, it probably wouldn't work for valentine's day... emo (But maybe for something else?! 0 ) ...of what she might be...

turtlejen
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Arcadian
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Commented on: Sat Feb 02, 2008 @ 09:21pm


	Thank you for that, Fleep. I for one very much appreciate your inside look. While I too don't care for MTV, the Hollywood areas it brought were very cool - I'll admit that in a heartbeat. However, like it was mentioned, it's because the areas were cool - not neccessarily because of MTV or The Hills. I also believe that The Hills was more of a mar on Gaia than just the MTV logo. In fact, almost everyone I talked to around that time said they just muted the show, since they couldn't stand it.Not only did it alienate older (and/or more refined?) users, but I can't see it doing much to actually bring new users to Gaia. Did you guys find the opposite to be true? I didn't realize that the vampire skin was still available. Kudos! Anyway, here's a question I'd really like answered. Do you believe that Gaia - as it currently stands - has enough diverse content, activities, physical structure, and moderation to make the most of the insane surge that will come with the release of the Battle System? The reason I ask this is that I'm very concerned about what the tide will bring in - and what it will take out when it leaves. Going into Gaia VJ and finding Hentai is (obviously) something that works against the site as a whole. Going into Extended Discussion and finding moronic chaos (and chaotic morons) works against the site as a whole. I believe that figuring out a way to solve some of Gaia's biggest flaws, will pay off extremely well in the near future. I'm sure you do as well - I just want to make sure my worries are clear.

Commented on: Sat Feb 02, 2008 @ 09:27pm


	My two cents on the MTV Hills thing -- I dislike The Hills show, but I thought the items earned from the sponsorship were high-quality and usable (as compared to some more intrusive, not matching, or just ugly items of the past). I also really love the Virtual Hollywood feature, because the graphics are gorgeous. I could only hope that Gaia Towns and our Homes could someday look more like that. Plus I think it answered a long-time want of many users to have "hang-outs" or night-clubs in Towns. I definitely think more Anime and Video Game related sponsorships would be great. The Tsubasa items and Naruto items are some of the best Quest related items we've been able to earn lately. (I can't believe I just said I liked a Naruto-related item!) I couldn't help but notice that you often link to [adult swim] images (I've seen Aqua Teen and now Deathklok). So I was wondering, Are you an [as] fan, and what show(s) do you enjoy most?

Smaddy
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Riddle-Me-This
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Commented on: Sat Feb 02, 2008 @ 10:36pm


	I don't mind any of the sponsors. My reactions are more "Oh shi-! They didn't! LOL they did... i have to see the SF and GCD's reaction" looks ".... okay... I'm going to avoid the forums for awhile..." facebooks or watches anime I'm running out of anime to watch though... just because gaians are angry about something all the time. It makes me miss the Anime 101 days... I REALLY loved being introduced to new anime. I probably didn't like half of them... but the few I did love were awesome like Hell Girl and Mushi-shi. So... If you ever get a chance to influence what sponsors the higher ups choose (its ok if you can't, hehe), tell them to definitely accept more anime sponsors! Especially animes planning on releasing boxsets! Because those are the only kinds I'm willing to buy! I also like the book & movie sponsors... even if I hardly ever like the items. So my questions are this... If you're spending more than you're making now.... what will have to happen to Gaia in order to turn things green? Is the answer bigger & more sponsors? Or are there alternatives being thought up? Though I'm aware Gaia has made big strides in order to improve the ways users can spend their real money... I wonder how much Gaia is working to become more self-sustaining and less sponsor dependent? I'm sure its everyone's dream to be more independent, but do you see independence as a possibility for the future? Will Gaia be able to sustain itself for the most part and only require sponsors for growth? As in... will there be a point when the admins can say "We're breaking even without sponsors, but if we accept this sponsor we could afford to expand more if we wanted"? What lines have you drawn in terms of how intrusive a sponsor can be? I guess that question means... will you always keep pushing the line between what users consider intrusive or is there some sort of solid line? As users we now know the forums and NPC shops and even NPCs are not "sacred" or "100% owned by Gaia" anymore (I say this with a neutral opinion, I'm not attacking). We know that forums will be created based on sponsor request and they might request to have their forum "more visable" than past sponsors have... Sure, everything is avoidable... but it does come at a cost in terms of integrity. Its kind of a reality check, some people thought the shops were "untouchable" in terms of sponsors... and then they discover a sponsor with enough money can make their own NPC shop and NPC. Not only that... but they can become apart of the shop list... instead of being a shop in the MTV hills. I doubt anyone would have thought twice about them IF their own NPC shop was in MTV hills on Gaia because that place was created for them and is more avoidable whereas the NPC shop page is something users who might be avoiding the sponsors would still use. Anyone who wants to shop in the Gaia NPC shops will unavoidably see MTV in the list. The only analogy I can think of is that it isn't very different from deciding to place banner ads in the shop listings as users scroll through the shops. Like suddenly there's a Zwinky ad inbetween Agatha's and Sasha's shops. No one HAS to click it. Everyone CAN ignore it. But they CANT HELP but to see it. It breaks the fantasy of Gaia being a world outside of reality... and so people feel like they lost Gaia because they can no longer immerse themselves in Gaia without ads telling them Gaia is "just a website". The MTV shop is just a banner ad pretending to look like a part of Gaia... which should theoretically make users less upset... but its scary because users do not know where the line is anymore. What will always be "100% made by Gaia even if it kills us"? What makes Gaia "Gaia" if the forums, npc shops, items, merchandise, cinemas, vj, OMG widgit, npcs, and games... are all partially "brought to you" by someone that isn't Gaia Online? Especially since.... its really only us hardcore users that fully make use of things like events and the manga and make captions of the staff's pictures for months on end.... and its also the hardcore users that are the most upset by the recent turn of events. Again...I tried to say the above as neutral as possible and not really my opinion as im just curious. I think the sponsors have done a lot of good, but I also think Gaia can do better and can do worse. I never liked the Gaian community that much to tell the truth, I don't see a difference in the community between late 2003/early2004 and 2008. They both look just as whiny and angry as they did back then. The difference is there is just so many more users that it is mostly the rudest and annoying that get the most attention. That's all. I've stayed with Gaia so long because Gaia has always been careful to never go too far with advertising unlike other sites which I quit merely because I had to run virus and anti-bot scans every time I went on... and I really love the Manga and items on Gaia. Though MTV has struck some chords with me, I don't really mind them... but I am concerned about what Gaia values (in terms of integrity) and if they still aim to have Gaia be an independent immersive world (like how the newest layout gives Gaia an immersed feel that is present on every page) . I'm hoping the MMO and quest system will fix at least the integrity of the site and give Gaia a more solid identity. It has always been hard to tell people exactly what Gaia is. Sorry... I probably wrote way too many questions.

Commented on: Sat Feb 02, 2008 @ 10:37pm


	I wouldn't mind at all having the same event for Valentine's Day as we did last year, sans the 500 bazillion Labu Necklaces xd I still have fun screenies from when I kissed all the Zurg >w> And yourself, I believe surprised Besides, it'll give you more time and breathing room to make Easter that much more exciting! I will say that 2007 had some of the most unique and exciting events yet! I played Rock Band drums at Best Buy today. I was trying to convince my brother to pool our money together and get it for the family, but because he wouldn't be able to use it (he's in a wheelchair with Cerebral Palsy), I didn't press the issue too much. I just kept bringing it up >w> I want to play it again, though ;_; I agree that the only intrusive part of the MTV sponsorship is the store being right there, but even so I just glance over its square. I hope you'll update it regularly, though! I do enjoy those items, and find them very pretty. Questions: -When was Word Bump released? I can't for the life of me remember D: -Are you going to add more random picture links to your journals again? I know they take up time but they're so fun! It'd be nice to have just a few per journal. -Are you participating in the beard growing competition? >w>

Tai Naito
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Losaru Taiyo
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Commented on: Sat Feb 02, 2008 @ 10:53pm


	Understandable what you might do for Valentine's Day. Good lord, especially the vampire event. One of the best I must say. So questions. Here we go: If we gets a plot update at some point, can we learn how the LouiexMoira thing really happened? The MMVII didn't really explain it, although it is understandable that there was pressure from deadlines. Speaking of the MMVII, it was a good concept, although the rumor mill has despatched that it didn't do so well. Lanzer once mentioned in an Ask the Admin that he was looking for a good animator. Care to hint that this might mean a traditional animated plot as opposed to CG animations? There were pics from your Corparate Day. Just how casual do some of you dress? O_O How is VO doing? Can we get some pics of some staff rockin' out?

Commented on: Sat Feb 02, 2008 @ 10:57pm


	Hello Fleep. Thanks for your comment on MTV case. Personally, I do not mind them on Gaia. I do not watch The Hills or any other MTV show (and propably never will) but those sponsored items were quite lovely whee Yes, orphan event at X-mas time was quite interesting but please: do not give us orphans again. I know that now some people would like to see them all the time in every possible event, but I think making something orginal again would be better then going back to the same thing all over again. Only one question: Do you know when we'll get any non-sponsored quest? As far as I remember backwings were planned to be relesed through quest system so I'm curious about it heart Thanks for reading and keep up great work. heart you and Gaia ;3

amalath
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Queene of the May
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Commented on: Sat Feb 02, 2008 @ 11:35pm


	Praise= I have loved all of the events you outlined in your post as they are the only three events I have ever been involved in on Gaia. I am really looking forward to the Valentine's Day one. heart Question= Is anyone working to help Gains who lost either gold or items in the big MP glitch on January 5-6th? I lost a lot of gold when an item got sent to the Gaian version of the Twilight Zone and I have filled out the proper forms when told to. Some Gaians have gotten their items or gold back, but many still haven't. (I include myself in the latter)

Commented on: Sat Feb 02, 2008 @ 11:47pm


	Thanks for the info. I'm still unhappy with MTV, but I think you made it clear about the state of things. sweatdrop Here's my question: Who else is good at vocals on Rock Band? ninja Oh and one other thing...the office has a PS3!? scream

Cid High-Wind
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Yeata Zi
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Commented on: Sat Feb 02, 2008 @ 11:47pm


	Yeah... Labu necklaces are a great item... but.... we just got so many D: I was wondering if you knew anything about possibly having another gaia Olympics? Since this is an Olympics year.

Commented on: Sun Feb 03, 2008 @ 12:20am


	Please don't put Sponsor items in Cash Shop again. That's the only thing about the MTV sponsorship that bothered me sad

Kathleen Starr
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Darkfreakoid
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Commented on: Sun Feb 03, 2008 @ 12:33am


	I gotta say that I enjoyed the majority of the events last year. And I appreciate the amount of effort you and the rest of the team put into them. x3 I look forward to the V-Day event, and some better items. XD Question: I heard that you guys might/would be doing an Olympics Event this year, since that takes place around August, I'm curious if that'd mean we'd sacrifice the Summer Festival? I can't imagine you guys doing BOTH. XD

Commented on: Sun Feb 03, 2008 @ 01:14am


	Live And Die Sounds like you guys have been pretty busy, but the events you guys make are always awesome and fun to participate in. And it sucks to hear that Gaia's in the hole. crying I also can't wait to see what kind of bodily fluid swapping we get to do this year for Valentines Day. xd [ x X x ]

xioalander
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Slanzer
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Commented on: Sun Feb 03, 2008 @ 02:43am


	I love the feedback, Fleep! Though I support MTV for the reasons you mentioned, I did find it annoying to see it get its own shop, so I really appreciate the update regarding that. Also not a fan of CS sponsor-items. ninja I hope all is going well with the NPC and Backwings quests. I luffs all quests. 3nodding Question: Sorry for repeating a question, but I noticed you said some events may be augmentations or tweakings of older events. Will there be an Olympics this year? If so, would it be a tweak of the Summer Festival, '04 Olympics, or maybe both? I noticed we could use the Town Joining option of the Summer Festival to really enhance user-participation of an Olympic event.

Commented on: Sun Feb 03, 2008 @ 02:45am


	Greetings Fleep! How've you been? Yea, I completely understand the MTV sponsorship. While I don't like MTV, I am glad the Gaia is getting noticed by some big guns. This place is wonderful and I'd hate to see it go away because of revenue issues. Yay for Spiderwick, btw! I'm glad to see another entry. I always look forward to reading them. lol, I tried those games. I'm not good at the vocal stuff but I kill on the drums. We so gotta face off sometime! I liked the Labu necklaces...I have a lot of them in my inventory. They're cute. I would love to see some more stuff that goes into a set with them. heart 2007 was very very fun. You guys did a great job with the events. I'm excited to see what happens next. OH, by the way, dethklok!dethklok!dethklok! yea...I think I watch too much Adult Swim....spazz Metalocalypse! Here's 2 Qs: I know you guys are busy much of the time, but do you think we could get a small visit from some old friends anytime soon? sweatdrop we miss playing with you all And the other question is, Who decides which items to include in your quests?

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Yen Quest
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Commented on: Sun Feb 03, 2008 @ 02:58am


	Glad to hear about point #3. Putting sponsers in another part of Gaia would help, especially in an area that's dedicated to sponsers, rather than a place that is mainly used for Gaia plotlines. I can understand why people are upset, and while there others who are happy. I wish that more people would remember (and know) about point #4. I think I'm spending a bit too much time with those who do not think of this and I hope that I remember #4 during the times of negative feedbacks. >_>; I was starting to get bugged with sponsers more often lately but now I don't feel so after reading point #7, "a desire to participate in every item-getting opportunity ". I was making myself some weird chore on a hangout site without even knowing. Thanks for saying that. xD 1. When a sponser comes up to you (and it's a good one), do you take into account of what kind of sponser it is? Do you try to keep sponsers from being too repititive in type of interest/themes? 2. Do you feel that you have to spend more and more time every year working on big events? 3. While working on events, quests, and such, will you think of a topic or two, and write it on a sticky note as a reminder for the next journal entry? xD

Commented on: Sun Feb 03, 2008 @ 03:10am


	Hola Fleep! It's so great to hear that you're posting again (and alive XD). I love Point Four. I have said that in the GCD quite a few times during a few time usually when a sponsor is released and no one likes it. Actually, people were hating on the MTV forum, which I found doesn't make sense since a majority of Gaia is teens and MTV is a teen channel. I understand the business model Gaia is trying to strive for as well. Trying to balance need and want must be a really hard thing to do. I remember Gaia being mentioned in the Business Section of a newspaper last year and how the model was working well, so I'm glad that what seems like "SPONSORMANIA" is not actually as crazy as it sounds. xd Question: I actually have a serious question. During the last Valentine's Day event, if you were of the same gender and did the love action, you got a message of disgust. Is it possible for Gaia to tweak the system so that gay people wouldn't get that message if they did to each other (that sounds so wrong XP) and that you could tell with you were about to do the action to?

Wrath of Ezekiel
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Dragostae
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Commented on: Sun Feb 03, 2008 @ 09:52am


	Even though I dislike the entire MTV...crap (hell, I remember when MTV still played music videos all day long, and it makes me feel old), I do highly appreciate what you guys do for us. Business is business, and you have to get paid, and if it takes a sponsorship from MTV, let it be so. I just worry that you guys might make the proverbial deal with the Devil, to be honest. I've been offered those in my line of business, and I've so far avoided them, but I'm also a small business owner, too. Gaia is not, and they're less avoidable with you guys. So, question time: what was your favourite event to play around in/create/etc. as a developer?

Commented on: Sun Feb 03, 2008 @ 04:42pm


	The sponsorships are an overall benefit to Gaia. Benefits: Money Free items New features (possibly a way to test something youd like to use later? Like the pools. [which I hope you're going to do something with]) Negatives: HOMAWGAWD! MTV SUCKS! I think the benefits outweigh the negatives.

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Infamous
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Commented on: Sun Feb 03, 2008 @ 07:43pm


	But it was fun getting so many Labu Necklaces. I think owning the most sort of became part of the event. XD I hope we can send cards to people again. That was fun. XD picture Obliviously, I've kept all of mine. So yeah. I guess my question is, do we get to send kisses and hugs to people this year?

Commented on: Sun Feb 03, 2008 @ 08:19pm


	Thanks for all the info, Fleep! It's nice to hear from you again. As for where I am on the whole MTV thing, I'm mostly neutral. I don't watch The Hills, but the sponsorship items have been very good, and they do work well with our avatars, so credit to those who worked on the items. 3nodding I'm not too fond of having it alongside the main shops myself, but point 3 is reassuring. And again, I actually quite like the items that are in the actual MTV store too, and if you had released them as actual items during a clothing update, they would probably go down pretty well. My question: How is the progress on the non-sponsor quests going?

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Commented on: Sun Feb 03, 2008 @ 08:58pm


	Personally, I'm just fine with whatever sponsorships you guys feel are necisary. It's not like it'll change the site itself. (And, hey. Free items.) Yay! A Valentines event. I thought it was fun, in a weird sort of way, last year. I look forward to it. Asfor my question, do you know anything about the rumor that the Tektek toolbar is getting people banned for botting? Do you know whether or not this is true?

Commented on: Sun Feb 03, 2008 @ 10:32pm


	Oooh, what's the most interesting Idea for an event you've heard? Or considered making? Complex Alignment Systems? Haunted House Investigations? Interacting With NPCs Interacting with each other? Glowstick Raves? o3o

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Mindset
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Commented on: Mon Feb 04, 2008 @ 12:11am


	Thanks for the update, Fleep! Much appreciated. This isn't a question so much as a suggestion, but I remember reading in some dev's journal (don't think it was yours) that they were having a problem fixing the avatar image size squashing in the avatar recreation page. I find that by adding this CSS script to my Stylish add-on: @namespace url(http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml) @-moz-document domain("avatarsave.gaiaonline.com") { #char_image { width: 120px !important; height: 150px !important; } } that the problem is fixed. It looks fairly simple to me -- is there a bug I'm overlooking that would keep it from being implemented? Sorry to post this if it's not under your supervision, but hopefully if it isn't you can pass it on to the right people. smile

Commented on: Mon Feb 04, 2008 @ 12:55am


	But I've yet to see you belt it out on Rock Band at work!

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Commented on: Mon Feb 04, 2008 @ 01:46am


	I'll start out with a question: With the sponsorships currently, is Gaia able to make enough money and not lose money? Or is Gaia still losing money right now even with the sponsorships? As far as the MTV sponsorship goes, I'm glad it's around. It's another way to keep Gaia going. I personally hate the show, The Hills but I liked the items that came from it. Like many of the people posting, I don't care for the fact that a new shop was created and run by one of the Hills characters. I think it'd help if the store was moved out and away from the other stores but another idea would be have a different person run the store. A new NPC would be an improvement. Someone that looked like one of the people from The Hills but someone new. I'm glad we have sponsorships but that are great but I don't want them crammed down my throat. All in all, I'd rather have a sponsorship that I don't like and know it'll make money for Gaia than have no sponsorship at all. As for V-day, I can't wait. I loved last years event and I can't wait to see what you guys come up with. I hope the items are a little better but I did like the labu necklaces. I loved the event last year and I'm glad to hear that it won't be forgotten but improved on!

Commented on: Mon Feb 04, 2008 @ 02:16am


	Quote: I'll start out with a question: With the sponsorships currently, is Gaia able to make enough money and not lose money? Or is Gaia still losing money right now even with the sponsorships? An important thing to note is that, no matter how much money it is, businesses cannot rely on one-time gifts to plan their future. The most important sources of income are regular sources of income. Sure, the Last Mimzy sponsorship may have brought in X-amount of money where X = large, but in a long enough amount of time, sales of Monthly Collectibles and Cash Cards will add up to more than that. So, I guess a good question is, have any of the Sponsorships you've gotten involved regular payments per time period? I suppose Scion and MTV are the most likely to have...am I right in thinking a sponsorship that's just a one-time payoff doesn't really help you become any more solvent in the long term? /added later/ Just thought of something else. Currently Sunset Couture is not on the World Map. If you're moving all sponsor-based Shops to a different area, perhaps they could all be in the same building on the World Map, as a mall or other type of shopping center? I can see buildings in Durem and Aekea that would work for this. The only catch would be if Sam's Body & Parts counts as a sponsor-based Shop, since that Shop already has a place on the World Map.

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The Sexy G
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Commented on: Mon Feb 04, 2008 @ 02:46am


	Is there ever going to be a daily comic? Are we ever going to have a monthly item contest? Any dates on the Battle System yet?

Commented on: Mon Feb 04, 2008 @ 03:24am


	Hi! I wanted to thank you for the work you put into this place... and also: Gaia needing money is the reason I've upped the amount I spend on Gaia. I'm in school for accounting, and it's been really eye-opening for me... Not saying I somehow know Gaia's finances, just that there are probably costs I wouldn't even think of considering. Although, I do have a question: I don't mind MTV. Those people have almost as much money as God and I'm sure I'd prefer to have Gaia with a sponsorship I can ignore than no Gaia. But I am a little worried that Gaia is going away from the fantasy/anime theme. That's not going to happen, right?

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Commented on: Mon Feb 04, 2008 @ 05:56pm


	I like sponsors. Every sponsor means the site will last that much longer without getting shut down. I'd hate for that to happen. Q1: I noticed you didn't mention the quest you did last time. Is it still in development? Q2: I can has guilds update pls?

Commented on: Tue Feb 05, 2008 @ 01:03am


	great points on the mtv thing my question is why was there no plot update for the x mas event?

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Commented on: Tue Feb 05, 2008 @ 02:11am


	A new update! blaugh Thanks for taking the time to let us know what's up. 3nodding I would vote for the sponsored stores to be part of the current shop ring, but in the back, next to the tat shop and the auto body shop. That's not hard to find, but it takes it off the page we all see when we go to the shops. Maybe that's exactly why MTV wants it there, though, and they are very wealthy . . . sweatdrop Anyway, thanks for the fun Spiderwick quest and the simple Dragon Quest one. mrgreen My question is, would it be possible for Gaia to have a partnership with an anime company, which would probably be a better fit for most Gaians? Bandai comes to mind, or possibly NIS. . . I think it's fair to say most of us love Square Enix, too. 4laugh

Commented on: Tue Feb 05, 2008 @ 02:51am


	I most certainly agree. In my opinion I think users tend to forget reality, like take a look at the other gaming organizations. They're little on the user-demand thing while gaia is big on it. Anywho my question (first time in your journal): "Will Gaia ever look into doing a zurg event, and twisting it with a sponsored event. For example, like have the zurg epic battle against some character from a movie IRL"

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Commented on: Tue Feb 05, 2008 @ 04:54am


	I have to say I was very happy with some of the previous Valentine's events (especially the kiss fest, that was cute). I'm looking forward to seeing what you guys are shelling out this time around. My question: How often does Gaia hire new staff? As a current Graphic Design major at the AI of Philadelphia, I've always wanted to broaden my experiences on Gaia by hopefully one day being a member of the staff (( ; A; I can dream... )). So I was curious to know how often throughout the year do you guys pick up new staff, if at all? I had tried to enter the item contests, unfortunantely you guys placed them at the worst possible times for me ; A;

Commented on: Tue Feb 05, 2008 @ 05:07am


	I think this last Xmas event was one of Gaia's best. I would love to see similar events in the future. I am also a pro-cash shop person. I love it. I want to see more items for it. I want to spend my money there. I am one of the people where after work, I have cash to blow, but less time to play Gaia and just "hang out" and gladly will spend cash there for a virtual item. So, please, keep up the good work. I have a question, well, more of a comment. I am constantly surprised Gaia doesn't have what I call 'basics' in sort of japanese/foreign cute things. Strawberry handbags, for instance. A plush rabbit - that isnt the mimzy. Kiki is very close, but beyond that? I see threads screaming for purikura/lolita/candybar-esque things all the time, and I am surprised Gaia hasnt tapped into that market yet. Hell, if those type of items were in the cash shop? I know myself and _a lot_ of other females would be shelling out cash over foot.

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Commented on: Wed Feb 06, 2008 @ 12:13am


	I saw that MTV thread and I certainly think you were under a lot of fire, guess the problem is Gaians are too passionate (maybe they're just happy to argue?) Whilst I guess it can be said MTV's "The Hills" show is not quite what most Gaians want, I still believe MTV offered the company something they couldn't refuse. I won't pretend to be a know-it-all (far from it), I have NO idea how much it would cost to fully run Gaia. I know there are A LOT of costs to be considered from servers to staffing but I couldn't possibly dream up all the various things that require Gaia's money. So I do still believe that dispite its bad reputation in the SF and GD; MTV was necessary and good for Gaia financially! As for the upcoming Valentines I'm just looking forward to some good cheesy fun! rofl make me some cheesy chat up lines Fleep! I look forward to them! pirate As for items, I rather like the Labu~! I thought it was so cute that it had two poses and it was like a poor mans Angelic Pendant (though more red and lacking a shiney pose). Still it was nice. One greedy request; please don't make us a 'deluxe heart-shaped box of chocolates' else I will be teh sad.... :3 Other than that I don't mind what the artists do, or how you decided to lay out the event! I'll face it all and enjoy it!! heart Happy Early Valentines Fleep! heart

Commented on: Thu Feb 07, 2008 @ 01:15am


	I suppose I've been meaning to comment at least once [=P]: Rock Band is awesome. I'm usually the one playing guitar or bass. Besides Umbrella Chronicles and Orange Box, I don't think I've enjoyed a game quite as much. Which leads me to the question: What is your favorite song in game? Rather curious.

Umbrella Corporation
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a409
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Commented on: Thu Feb 07, 2008 @ 06:03am


	Aww, I hope you guys do put in a little something so we can get our orphans back eventually. I loved mine so much I almost cried when I lost her. Heck, she's still in my siggy heart I have a leeetle question for joo... Will Gaia be making any appearances in Texan anime cons at all? I read the roadtrip page and there's nothin near me. Ikki-con(omg, who came up with that name?!) would looove your presence ^.^ Plus it's held in the live music capitol of the world. Have some fun with us crazy austinites, why don'tcha? I'm done now 3nodding Oh! Actually, one more.. What is your band's name on Rock Band? I'm the lead guitarist of the Sexy Muffins xd

Commented on: Thu Feb 07, 2008 @ 10:27pm


	I loved last year's Valentine's Day event!! Will there be a storyline update? Who's your favorite NPC and why? Anyways, my favorite was the year when we could choose to hug or kiss a friend and we got a picture of what their reaction was. Maybe we'll see Cupid emerge as a new NPC Seasonal Mascot. A really good story plot could be about Cupid "screwing up" Ian's engagemnt proposal to Sasha, Gino finally getting a girlfriend, Moira & Louie kissing and opening up a store together, the Von Helson vampire twins fighting over Liam, the possibilities are endless..... redface heart

Akari Kibou
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