Linden Lab recently announced the return of gacha to Second Life, eliciting mixed reactions from the community. While some users welcome the news, many express concern and disappointment over the new restrictions imposed. The main source of discontent lies in the fact that, starting October 7, 2024, gacha can only contain “copy” items, meaning duplicable, and no longer “transfer” items, which are transferable to other users.
This decision, although aimed at ensuring compliance with legal regulations on gambling, has raised several criticisms. Many users believe that the ability to exchange and resell gacha items was an integral part of the experience, and that the new policy significantly limits the value and appeal of this type of content.
What are the implications of this new policy?
- Decrease in the value of gacha items: “Copy” items tend to have a lower market value than “transfer” items, as their duplicability reduces their rarity and exclusivity.
- Impact on the secondary market: The lack of transferability of gacha items will have a significant impact on the Second Life secondary market, where users used to buy and sell rare and sought-after items from gacha.
- Reduced interest in gacha: It is likely that many users will lose interest in gacha, as the possibility of obtaining unique and valuable items is now limited.
- Possible negative effects on creators: Creators could see their earnings decrease, as users may be less inclined to purchase gacha knowing they cannot resell or trade the items obtained.
What are the alternatives?
Despite the new restrictions, gacha could still offer interesting opportunities for creators and users. For example, creators could focus on creating high-quality “copy” items with attractive designs, focusing on their aesthetics and functionality rather than their rarity. They could also explore new ways to distribute content, such as selling “fatpacks” or using non-random loot box systems.
Conclusions
The return of gacha in Second Life is certainly a significant event, but the new restrictions imposed by Linden Lab raise several concerns. It will be interesting to see how the community adapts to this new reality and how creators will be able to exploit the opportunities offered by this system, while respecting the new rules. Only time will tell if this new policy will prove to be a success or a failure.
Gacha Policy Changes for 2024: What You Need to Know
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