Gaia isn't being money hungry...Updated 12/16/08

Is the thread title accurate?

Yes	67.9%	[ 1187 ]
No, It should be Gaia isn't being greedy	32.1%	[ 560 ]
Total Votes:			[ 1747 ]

[Tidus Guado]

BLOW IT OUT YOUR ASS

I don't see why people have their panties in a bunch over a NEW STORE WITH NEW ITEMS AND A NEW WAY TO PAY FOR THEM.

Granted, it's easier for us Americans than our friends around the world, because we have Cash Cards and there for easier to obtain these exclusive items.

But, people will sell these Cash items in the Marketplace, most likely for ungodly amounts of gold at first but as time goes on and more and more of these items are flooding the MP the prices will go down to a reasonable price.

[Whitescarver]

ISK2:
Gaia has never claimed to be completely free just "Free to Join". As always and as it'll always be, the choice to spend your monies on items is optional. ^^

[Lazarus Larkin]

Nice, coherent thread, Leena! And I agree with you completely -- although I wouldn't say Gaia isn't interested in profit at all. I mean, they ARE a business. I just don't think there's anything inherently wrong with that. As long as the cash items remain tradable to other users, they aren't really cash-exclusive, since any user can still get them with straight-up gold in the end.

[OffSide7]

Cory Ander

OffSide7

I'm not saying the Gaia staff is greedy. I understand a lot of people use this as their careers, keeping it running costs money, etc.

I just think they need to admit that Gaia is NO LONGER A FREE SITE.

When you have the coolest, bestest, funnest stuff costing money, sure technically, your account is free, and technically you can just spend lots and lots more time and effort to buy the stuff that's for sale in the marketplace. But people who spend money have such a huge advantage, that it's just not really fair to call the site "free" anymore. It's misleading.

Your argument would work... if Gaia didn't allow the items to be tradeable. But they are. So in reality anyone can have access to them. All you have to wait for is for them to be on the MP. I don't see many of them being that expensive because they will always be available so they don't have a rareness to drive their price up. So in the end you can get the item no matter what. I know plenty of people who don't drop a penny for MCs but they get them every month. Just save your gold and then anyone can get one of the cash only items.

I'm pretty sure I addressed exactly this issue when I said " technically you can just spend lots and lots more time and effort to buy the stuff that's for sale in the marketplace" and then I explained why that doesn't help in the very next sentence... " But people who spend money have such a huge advantage..."

Even though they will be available on the market, people who spend money will have such a huge advantage over those that don't, that it means the site is no longer free in a meaningful sense.

Also, not all of the items will be permanently in the shops- some of them will be limited. That means some will skyrocket, possibly faster than one can reasonably earn gold.

[GenTrigger]

Gaia has been pretty cool about the cash stuff if you ask me.

They never jam it down our throats that we have to pay to get a better experience out of gaia, they allow the average user to use a little more effort to buy an MC if they can't buy it, the price of an MC being a mere 2.50 (Price of a chicken sandwhich and a drink at my school, which is my lunch for one day) has been fairly reasonable.

Gaia is even allowing us to buy MC's for as little as 20 to 25 cents which they actually gave us for free when they released gaia cash.

I'm going to buy a cash card soon and be proud that I'm supporting gaia dagnabit!

[XSK]

Leena_Rasui

First, like Dr_Phluffy pointed out and I say in my main post, These items will still be obtainable through the marketplace.

They will be sellable, giftable and tradeable.

Second, Everything you just said about items, also applies to real life.

If you have a lot of money, your better than someone.

If your pretty or handsome, your better than someone.

It's horrible that the world works like that and I myself put no stock into it.

Items are really NOT that big a deal. Someone should not be seen as better then someone because they have older pixels. I certainly wouldn't want someone saying I'm elite just because I have a devil tail.

Third, you really can't get a more coherent, elitism filled form then the GCD.

So you think just because it happens IRL it should be so on gaia? Basically this is implementing capitalism onto the site, and am i so naive that i feel the internet should be a place free of the trappings of a society where economy has such a huge impact? Being a user doesn't mean I have ANY responsibility on running the servers on what I was promised would be a site free to use.

No I won't be leaving gaia because of this, and I probably will buy a few of the items, but I still stand that gaia most probably should stop advertising itself as free and I still believe this is unfair to many users.

[Lazarus Larkin]

People who spent real money on MCs have had a huge advantage since MCs first came out in 2003. I fail to see how this is any different or worse.

[Leena no Majo]

Caden Blue

Nice, coherent thread, Leena! And I agree with you completely -- although I wouldn't say Gaia isn't interested in profit at all. I mean, they ARE a business. I just don't think there's anything inherently wrong with that. As long as the cash items remain tradable to other users, they aren't really cash-exclusive, since any user can still get them with straight-up gold in the end.

Thanks Caden ^.^

I agree, I don't think Gais is completely uninterested in profit but I don't feel that is what completely drives them.

*nods* That why I hate when people scream that so many people are cut off from the items, because they aren't.

[XSK]

Whitescarver

ISK2:
Gaia has never claimed to be completely free just "Free to Join". As always and as it'll always be, the choice to spend your monies on items is optional. ^^

is it just free to join? man i cant remember. anyway, they should list somewhere that certain portions of the site involve cash useage.

[Leena no Majo]

ISK2

So you think just because it happens IRL it should be so on gaia? Basically this is implementing capitalism onto the site, and am i so naive that i feel the internet should be a place free of the trappings of a society where economy has such a huge impact? Being a user doesn't mean I have ANY responsibility on running the servers on what I was promised would be a site free to use.

No I won't be leaving gaia because of this, and I probably will buy a few of the items, but I still stand that gaia most probably should stop advertising itself as free and I still believe this is unfair to many users.

No matter what you do, you will never stop IRL from affecting Gaia. Because of the unique community that dwells here we will always be touched by what happens in the real world.

The minute you bring currency into any kind of game, there is going to be an impact and a huge one. There is no way to avoid.

Gaia is still a free site to use. You DO NOT have to pay for your account, you do not have to pay a monthly fee and you do not have to pay to use any features.

The Cash only store is just like MCs, except most will be cheaper to buy then regular MCs.

[Leena no Majo]

ISK2

Whitescarver

ISK2:
Gaia has never claimed to be completely free just "Free to Join". As always and as it'll always be, the choice to spend your monies on items is optional. ^^

is it just free to join? man i cant remember. anyway, they should list somewhere that certain portions of the site involve cash useage.

I really do not think they need to since the parts that involve using cash do not hamper you from using anything on Gaia.

[Lazarus Larkin]

There's still nothing on the site you can't do without cash. There are just some items that you either have to buy with cash or from another user.

...which is just like it is now, with MCs.

[XSK]

Leena_Rasui

ISK2

So you think just because it happens IRL it should be so on gaia? Basically this is implementing capitalism onto the site, and am i so naive that i feel the internet should be a place free of the trappings of a society where economy has such a huge impact? Being a user doesn't mean I have ANY responsibility on running the servers on what I was promised would be a site free to use.

No I won't be leaving gaia because of this, and I probably will buy a few of the items, but I still stand that gaia most probably should stop advertising itself as free and I still believe this is unfair to many users.

No matter what you do, you will never stop IRL from affecting Gaia. Because of the unique community that dwells here we will always be touched by what happens in the realm world.

The minute you bring currency into any kind of game, there is going to be an impact and a huge one. There is no way to avoid.

Gaia is still a free site to use. You DO NOT have to pay for your account, you do not have to pay a monthly fee and you do not have to pay to use any features.

The Cash only store is just like MCs, except most will be cheaper to buy then regular MCs.

I suppose this also brings up the point that if this were truly a site not about the items and free there wouldn't be any gold in the first place. Real life problems such as social status based on actual money shouldn't be involved on a forum site IMO.

As for what you just said, its important to bring everything clearly to the users attention. frankly when I first joined and i was about...15 or so? i was under the impression that the site was completely free (didnt read the small print at all) thus i feel it is in the interests of the user to make it clear that real money is exchanged on the site.

[A Touch of Irish Chaos]

I've been saying that since all this started...People don't seem to realize that it does actually cost money to run a site like this...

[Leena no Majo]

ISK2

I suppose this also brings up the point that if this were truly a site not about the items and free there wouldn't be any gold in the first place. Real life problems such as social status based on actual money shouldn't be involved on a forum site IMO.

As for what you just said, its important to bring everything clearly to the users attention. frankly when I first joined and i was about...15 or so? i was under the impression that the site was completely free (didnt read the small print at all) thus i feel it is in the interests of the user to make it clear that real money is exchanged on the site.

Your not getting what I am saying are you?

You are not being made to pay for ANY of the features on this site.

You have such an issue with the Cash Shop, so does that mean you have the same issue with Monthly Collectibles?

Because these two are the SAME thing.

The items were brought in for our benefit, they are just something fun on the side for us. I don't know if gold was here from the beginning, I don't know if it was introduced, however it is not that hard to gain, nor is it that hard to save it up to buy the item you wish.

The only except to that being items that are suffering from extreme inflations.

Also, money makes the world go run. I doubt you will find any place that isn't affect by the "I have more money/items/posts/whatever so I'm better then you" mentality.