Gaia is Dying, I know there's other threads.

[chaos butterfly]

dreamsk

If you know there are other threads, that makes this thread essentially spam. Breaking the rules for putting more than one topic of the same subject in the forum.

erm...it's allowed I think, since it's different to those other ones:

GCD Rules

Are repeat threads allowed?
Yes, so long as they are not identical.

[Whip]

Gaia closes down.

I let go. That is life. I refuse to cling to that which is temporary as if clinging will make it more permanent.

I enjoy it now. I will enjoy it when it is here, and I will have fond memories of it when it is not. But it no more sustains my happiness than anything else.

[Naladi]

I'll enjoy Gaia while it's here, miss it when it's gone, and move on.
In my opinion, focusing on whether the site is declining or not and fussing over every little thing that happens on Gaia as being a sign of life or of immanent death isn't going to do anything. Everything changes, and, eventually, everything ends. The key is to make the most of it while you have it. That goes for Gaia and for life.

[OG Meinu]

ROMVLVS

Attrinity

ROMVLVS

During 'prime time' the time that most Americans are relaxing, in the past one ofthe more active periods on Gaia, for close to 10 minutes this thread got 0 replies and yet only 4 threads are higher than it in the GCD.

I can only extrapolate this as proof that the lack of users has led to the cost cutting profit increasing nature of Gaia's death.

How long do you think it will take before Gaia's servers are sold to some Chinese WoW knock-off?

What the hell are you going on about? Go in the GD. That place is crazy fast with replies and there are a lot of users who post there. People don't go in the GCD as much because it's generally a boring forum to begin with.

It's not nearly as active as it once was, and honestly the GCD probably used to be as active as the GD is now.
.

Nope. I post there almost everyday and a couple of my threads can get a dozen replies within seconds. The same can be said for just about every other GDer. I really don't buy in to the idea that "Gaia is dying." People are still very much active on this website. Towns are full, people constantly buy things from the marketplace, I often get PMs about items I am selling or just to chat in general... etc.

[chaos butterfly]

Nope, actually I disagree with the OP, because Gaia is dead, it has been for years. It's been stumbling along, eating users braaains as it goes. (Anyone ever wondered why the quality of feedback keeps worsening? Here is the explanation for that. wink

Gaia = emotion_zombie emotion_omnomnom

[Yorugami]

I think it's basically because there are so many more places
online to hang out in which doesn't require you to pay like Facebook and tumblr.
People get a feeling and sense of community in those places
much like what Gaia had before.

Now it's just one of the many social community sites but sadly
enough not quite as popular. Especially since they are less community driven as a whole
(i.e. they have more things you can do by yourself alone
rather than entice as an entire community to achieve it) and
more centered on individual achievements/events.
Not to mention where everything has gone more RL cash
in comparison.

i.e. where everything before was just one single MC every month,
which Gaia would then give fancy riddles and clues for every one
to puzzle about and endlessly speculate.

Now we have RIGs, Cash Bundles, REIs, MCs and whatever event
items Gaia feels they should release. Don't forget the sponsor
items and the Mecha Neko things a swell.

----and then the somewhat often ignored gold shop update. XD

There's just waaaaaaaaaaaaay too many items released (not that I'm complaining much)
for Gaians to be excited when one comes out anymore.
Too short a time in between released to get the suspense
up and definitely too little clues/actual hints/care in the release of these
items that get Gaians excited for more.

It's gone to the point where Gaians basically sit on their arses,
farm gold/Gcash and wait for the next bunch of items to rain on them.

No anticipation, no NPC interaction but just simple click = Item.
It's a habit now. Something that's hard to stop
*like checking your messages*, and just something to do to waste time.

>>; So from what the new CEO and Lanzer said. I wish
Gaia would go back and focus more on the community interacting
aspect (like the Dragons Be Here mini-event) where we sort of
get to meet the artists rather than event (which may be fun) for
lurkers to do by their lonesome.

I wouldn't say no to being given riddles again to solve
for RIGs. ;D Or maybe a community run NPC Manga
page per month (i.e. let the community vote
on what will happen the next month on the manga)
and just stuff to get everyone into Gaia again.

[ROMVLVS]

dreamsk

If you know there are other threads, that makes this thread essentially spam. Breaking the rules for putting more than one topic of the same subject in the forum.

Defnitely not. You should read the rules again. Before this forum was dead the GCD used to have multiple threads all the time. One month we had three RIG lists.

Adephi

I still don't believe Gaia is in any way dying.
They're a company, they have to do everything in their power to make money of they'll go under. I have no problem with that.
It's not like you have to use the cash features.
Also, websites change. They have to. I may not necessarily agree with all the changes, but I accept them. And I simply stay away from features I don't want, like Towns 2.

-.-" I have always wondered how people could read my entire posts and just miss everything.

I'm sorry, but you've missed the fundamental part of y post. It's not that they're making money, it's that they are absolutely desperate for money, like as if Lanzer is being held for Ransom.

[Jinglybell]

I don't know why they had to lay off Prism. I'm pretty sure her items paid for her employment. Or can someone tell me with a straight face Keikos cake, Ciels and Lucies didn't pull their weight. There has been very few items since the artist lay off I do like crying I know most people are tired of the Kawaii/Lolita crap but im not. (No offense to the artists that are still here, its just I liked her items the most personally. Sorry for the whining)

[ROMVLVS]

Attrinity

ROMVLVS

Attrinity

ROMVLVS

During 'prime time' the time that most Americans are relaxing, in the past one ofthe more active periods on Gaia, for close to 10 minutes this thread got 0 replies and yet only 4 threads are higher than it in the GCD.

I can only extrapolate this as proof that the lack of users has led to the cost cutting profit increasing nature of Gaia's death.

How long do you think it will take before Gaia's servers are sold to some Chinese WoW knock-off?

What the hell are you going on about? Go in the GD. That place is crazy fast with replies and there are a lot of users who post there. People don't go in the GCD as much because it's generally a boring forum to begin with.

It's not nearly as active as it once was, and honestly the GCD probably used to be as active as the GD is now.
.

Nope. I post there almost everyday and a couple of my threads can get a dozen replies within seconds. The same can be said for just about every other GDer. I really don't buy in to the idea that "Gaia is dying." People are still very much active on this website. Towns are full, people constantly buy things from the marketplace, I often get PMs about items I am selling or just to chat in general... etc.

Yeah, there are still people on this forum who post things and reply to stuff. But there are a whole hell of a lot less than there used to be. The creepers still post stalk you and every other GD girl because of your sigpic like normal, there are just less of them. They're still the same old poor decision making pseudo up-all-night more hormones than sense group of teenagers, I'm sure, but there aren't as many as there used to be.

There is less. Less doesn't equal none. Less equals less. Less, as in, not as many as there had been.

And the cost to keep the site up has grown exponentially. It's way more expensive to run this sitethan it was even two ears ago, there are so many more items and accounts, accounts no one is using, BTW. The costs to keep this place open are staggering, and the amount they're pulling in has to have dropped, why else could they be so desperate?

[Z0MGWTFL0L]

I think the users have a lot to do with it, because if you think about it there is actually way more to do now than there was before. When I first started playing Gaia, I used to make a lot of friends in the forums, towns, and even in rally. Now the forums are either dead, or the people are assholes. Towns is a dying cause, which they tried to revive, and honestly they're still working on it and I don't think enough people are giving it a chance. A lot of people are also biased about the rallies, even about items that people in the rallies might wear so a lot of them won't go into there. Also, the users on the site are mostly out to get gold now, it's not even about making friends or anything. I'm pleased with what Gaia has done to the site, mostly. Back in the day I used to post in forums, play the few games that were available (mostly pinball, blackjack, slots, and puzzles), and go into rally when it first came out. Now we have to many possibilities that can keep us entertained but it seems all people want to do is b***h about them. We can Bootygrab, zOMG, the numerous games that Gaia has added, there are also more flash space areas, alchemy, and tons of other things to do to pass time.
If Gaia is dying, it's not because of the company, it's the users.

EDIT: Also, a lot of the users have quit Gaia simply because they have grown up. They developed a lifestyle where they couldn't keep up with an online community on a daily basis. I myself have even left Gaia for years at a time just because I couldn't find the time to go on, lost my internet, etc. With all the older users leaving, Gaia needs to reel in new users. It is hard though because, let's be honest, have you met the teens of today? They want to go on facebook and tumblr and twitter where they can interact with real people that they know in person. And when new users do come to Gaia, they probably don't stick around. Maybe because they go into the forums and see how the CB is just garbage, or they come into the GCD and see threads saying the site is dying so they think, "If it's dying, why invest my time now?". Maybe because the users are not as friendly as they used to be.

This thread is supposed to be about why Gaia is dying, but it seems to be all about Cash Shop sales. Just get over it, if you don't want to spend GC, don't. The items are available in the marketplace. Maybe for a ridiculous price, but still. Also, it is not hard to watch all the daily treat videos everyday and maybe even the GC Tree. I bought a Game On last month and a Monthly Collectible, and this month I have made enough GC just from the offers on Gaia to buy the MLP item, and 2 RIGS.

[Little Coppelia]

I don't really know what to say about it, since I haven't been here all that long in comparison to you guys (Only since '08, so I'm a latecomer I guess), but I think the site's doing pretty well, and there's new releases coming out and there's a lot of activities added, so yeah, Z0MGWTFL0L might be right that it's the users.

But that's just me, and I don't really involve myself in Gaia's affairs, I come in to talk to people, play some games, buy a few items and hang out, not to busy myself with Gaia's economic status. When the day comes for it to shut down, I'll just hope that someone else decides to create a site like this.

[Adephi]

ROMVLVS

dreamsk

If you know there are other threads, that makes this thread essentially spam. Breaking the rules for putting more than one topic of the same subject in the forum.

Defnitely not. You should read the rules again. Before this forum was dead the GCD used to have multiple threads all the time. One month we had three RIG lists.

Adephi

I still don't believe Gaia is in any way dying.
They're a company, they have to do everything in their power to make money of they'll go under. I have no problem with that.
It's not like you have to use the cash features.
Also, websites change. They have to. I may not necessarily agree with all the changes, but I accept them. And I simply stay away from features I don't want, like Towns 2.

-.-" I have always wondered how people could read my entire posts and just miss everything.

I'm sorry, but you've missed the fundamental part of y post. It's not that they're making money, it's that they are absolutely desperate for money, like as if Lanzer is being held for Ransom.

They're a company, they have to do everything in their power to make money or they'll go under.

[meep12345meep12345]

EDIT:...Hmmm....le sigh... I don't think anyone will notice this, but I've had a change of heart regarding the words I once wrote here and have since removed them. As for this thread, my thoughts are no longer clear enough to take a stance in either direction; I will let Gaia decide that direction for me cat_neutral

[ROMVLVS]

Adephi

ROMVLVS

dreamsk

If you know there are other threads, that makes this thread essentially spam. Breaking the rules for putting more than one topic of the same subject in the forum.

Defnitely not. You should read the rules again. Before this forum was dead the GCD used to have multiple threads all the time. One month we had three RIG lists.

Adephi

I still don't believe Gaia is in any way dying.
They're a company, they have to do everything in their power to make money of they'll go under. I have no problem with that.
It's not like you have to use the cash features.
Also, websites change. They have to. I may not necessarily agree with all the changes, but I accept them. And I simply stay away from features I don't want, like Towns 2.

-.-" I have always wondered how people could read my entire posts and just miss everything.

I'm sorry, but you've missed the fundamental part of y post. It's not that they're making money, it's that they are absolutely desperate for money, like as if Lanzer is being held for Ransom.

They're a company, they have to do everything in their power to make money or they'll go under.

The sad thing is, I practically ******** started that propaganda you're mindlessly quoting without any further thought. 'Gaia's a business, at least it means we get better items'. I used to say that, when people would b***h about the cash shop items. I was one of the firsts, when the cash shop came out, to not lament it.

And now I'm telling you that Gaia is going under, because they aren't making money.

They've made the absolutely most ridiculous ways to monetize a site where users have been paying cash money, lots of cash money, for MS Painted dresses and swords.

Apparently they're no longer making enough money selling thousands upon thousands of random number generated MS paint turtle shaped cats, and have had to make money by other means.

You understand how that's not good for Gaia's future, right?
----
@Hi-potion, Winter Hue, Ridley, existential, etc..

Friends, Gaians, Countrymen, lend me your ears;

You know me. You know how long I spent on this forum, and you know that I wouldn't make this post lightly.You know I'm not trying to stir up trouble. You know that I'm right, or at least that I think I am right.

I am not saying this is the end, that Gaia would close tomorrow, but that this is the beginning. This is the beginning of the end of Gaia. It may take a year, or longer, but Gaia, at least the Gaia we know, is dying.

Maybe they spent too much trying to make games on and to emulate Facebook, another dying social media site. I don't know. I don't know what caused it, but I guarantee you, Gaia is officially in trouble.

[Norel Lorre]

In the world of the game industry, typically when something of this size fails, it isn't a slow decline.
They just close.
What Gaia is doing, the layoffs (Not. Firing.) and the attempts to gather more money... They're hoping to cut their losses. This doesn't mean the site has failed or is failing. It means that they made mistakes on the backend. Hiring more people than they could afford. I'm guessing it will continue until they find a balance of the number of employees that a site at this stage can realistically support and be supported by.
It's worth note that a company shy of 100 employees has different tax requirements than one with more than 100 employees. If I'm not mistaken, Gaia Interactive just dipped below 100 with all the layoffs.

For all of the very realistic concerns you have, there are a hundred possibilities that don't point towards closure.