Christmas Lane

 

Gemma Cleanslate's search for Christmas places continues. For today's article, she looked at Christmas Lane. The place boasted plenty of decor, outdoor and indoor, plus gachas and an advent calendar. She also gave a short mention about the Christmas Shop and Hop. 

 

Read Gemma's article in Places. 

 

News and Commentary: More on The Return of Gachas

 

 It was almost four years ago on August 2021 when Linden Lab announced they were banning the popular method of shopping known as gachas. It was one of the Lab's more controversial moves that had a divided reaction among the residents. For those who don't know, gachas in Second Life refers to a method of selling items, transferable and no-copy, through a machine which delivers one of a set of goods at random, usually a number of common ones, and a few uncommon and rare ones. 

 

It's hard to say when gachas got started in our virtual world, but the method eventually became quite popular. If you got one you didn't like, you could try again and give the first one away, or sell it. There were groups for the purpose of trading gacha items. And there were popular events with hundreds of gatcha items available for sale, such as the Gacha Guild and the Arcade Gacha. 

But gachas were not popular with everyone. Because that what the buyer got was random, there were charges they were basically a form of gambling. And with people wanting that rare item, it wasn't hard to imagine someone spending hundreds, thousands maybe, just to get it. So there were allegations the way gachas were sold enticed people to spend and spend and spend. So there were people demanding the Lab ban them. 

 

Outside events however would eventually lead the Lab to take action. Some games began offering loot crates which could not only be earned by gameplay, but purchase, such as EA's Battlefront II, which soon prompted investigation and calls for action by Government officials. When Linden Lab announced it was banning gachas, it did so citing "a changing regulatory climate." A few days ago, they would say, "regulatory guidelines emerging globally at the time." While there were no complaints from the US Government, or any other government, about gachas, it's likely the Lab's lawyers cautioned them that the way the legal winds were blowing to expect changes in the law. 

The reaction from the residents was divided. Many cheered the Lab, saying things along the lines of "it's about time this addictive practice was stopped!" Others booed it, saying they loved shopping for them and trading them, or just thought the move was unnecessary.. Some builders were saying they depended on gachas to make their living in SL and felt this would cripple them. The two big gacha events, The Gacha Guild and Arcade Gacha, stayed active for a few more years. But the Gacha Guild, later renamed just The Guild, would announce it's closing on Deceomber 2022. The  Arcade Gacha is supposedly still going, but it's blog had it's last entry on Sept 2022. 

But over time, there was change. I began noticing some vendors in which had a selection of items offered at random, including a couple uncommon ones, but the next one after the current one available for purchase was displayed. It was clearly based on the gachas, though not a true one. And finally several months ago in October 2024, Linden Lab announced a partial reversal of it's gacha ban. The catch though was that the items couldn't be transferable. That action was greeted without enthusiasm, gacha fans saying part of the fun was being able to trade them. 

And now, as of Tuesday May 6, the Lab is allowing gachas back in full, transferable and all. 

We are excited to share some important news that will bring renewed opportunities and creativity to our vibrant virtual world.  Effective immediately, Gacha is once again fully allowed as a content creation and sales mechanic in Second Life.

Linden Lab would say, "The decision to prohibit Gacha in 2021 was following regulatory guidelines emerging globally at the time.  We have continued to evaluate what steps we can take to support creative freedom while also ensuring compliance with evolving legal frameworks, which led to the recent changes announced in 2024. Since then, the regulatory landscape surrounding Gacha systems has further shifted to the point where Gacha can be confidently reintroduced under current prevailing guidance."

The Lab has asked gacha merchants to do three things, "Clearly communicate Gacha mechanics and contents," to price gacha items reasonably, and "avoid deceptive practices or 'pay-to-win' designs" that would damage trust of gacha shoppers. 

The subject quickly made the official forums on (this thread), and once again the reaction of the residents was divided, "Addictive gameplay is addictive gameplay." "This is excellent news." It may be this is one subject the residents will never really agree on.

 

But in any event, gachas are back. Now it's up to the residents to vote with their wallets.

 

Bixyl Shuftan

 

Linden Lab Partially Reverses Gacha Ban, New Gachas Must Not Be Transferable

 

Linden Lab is changing it's policy on gachas. They're allowed again, but ...

Many residents will remember gachas, the popular items that were sold on machines dispensing one of a number of items at random and people buying them up, often to get rare items that could be traded or sold for quite a bit of cash. There were events based around them such as the twice a year Gacha Guild, and there were groups dedicated to trading and selling gachas. But as popular as they were, they also had plenty of critics, people complaining they had an addictive nature. And in August 2021, to the delight of their critics and to the shock and dismay of their fans, Linden Lab announced they were banning gachas "due to a changing regulatory climate."

On Tuesday October 10, Linden Lab announced they had updated their policy, saying they were lifting the "general prohibition" on them. But, there was a catch. People can set up gacha machines that gave out items like they did before the ban, BUT, unlike the goods before the ban, they can not be transferable. New gacha items can not be resold. 

In 2021, we implemented a general prohibition on gachas to align with global regulatory concerns. Starting October 7, 2024, we are lifting this prohibition. Residents can once again engage in gacha-based sales, but with a key new rule: gacha items, including the boxes or containers they come in, must not be transferable. This means that once you purchase a gacha item, it is yours and cannot be passed on to other users.

Linden Lab would go on to say breedables and games of skill were unaffected by this policy change, the latter as long as the prize was not transferable. They would also post an entry on the Second Life Wiki about the change (link). In the FAQ, they would state the reason they were doing a partial reversal was because "he latest changes in the legal climate related to gachas and loot boxes have given us an opportunity to lessen the formerly more restrictive policy."

In the forums, reaction was mixed.  Some were happy to have Gachas coming back. Others felt this was a disappointment, that allowing gachas back but not transferable was like allowing trading cards but banning the ability to trade them. And others felt any gacha was bad, transferable or not, as they were still addictive. One interesting comment was that this partial reversal of the ban "significantly harms the secondary resale economy."

So how does this affect the machines that resemble gachas but show what item is up for sale next, and the stores selling old gacha items. People in SL chat and the forums have been telling yours truly that this new policy doesn't affect them and they can continue as they have been, that the policies affect only gacha items created after the ban lift. 

To read the Lab's announcement in full, Click Here. 

Bixyl Shuftan

Interview with Goddess (ShandyLand Resident)

 

The Newser recently interviewed Goddess (ShandyLand Resident). She's frequently seen in the Deathlands area. But she's also an accomplished content creator, and has a store and shopping area of her own, as well as her own club, Club GO. I recently had a chat with her, and she had much to say.

Read the interview in People. 

Reader Submitted Commentary: Things To Do About The Gacha Ban

 
As everybody knows, Linden Lab plans to ban gacha prize machines later this month. LL says that the gacha ban, is because of legislation in other countries. If that were so, then they would confine gacha prize machines on islands. They do that with games of skill, such as Zyngo. In the U.S., in many states, games of skill are not legal. People living in those states, can't go to those islands. So, why is LL banning gacha prize machines? That is because of one of the new owners. He doesn't like gacha prize machines. He thinks that people that play gacha, are being cheated. So he, and perhaps one of the other new owners, have decided to ban gacha prize machines.

The Lindens have closed the forum thread about the gacha prize machine ban. So, what can be done? If you have twitter, then send the Lindens a message on twitter. But don't cuss, or send any nasty messages. If you play the gacha machine, tell them, and tell them what you think of the ban. Do you sell your gacha prizes? If you do, tell them, and tell them how much you make per month selling gachas. Do you make the gacha prizes? If you do, then tell them that. And tell them how much you make per month, making the prizes. You can also email the Lindens. But no name calling, or nasty language.  But do be firm, and do let them know what you think.

Now, what else can be done? Email, or send a tweet to the news media. I don't mean just the SL news media. I emailed Fox News. You might email your local paper, or your local radio, or TV station. Let them know about the gacha prize machine ban. Let them know what you think about the ban. You could still email the SL news media. One is the SL Newser. Here is the link to the website.  http://slnewser.blogspot.com/

There is something else that can be done. That is to file a lawsuit. That should be done last. The creators need to get together, and file a class action lawsuit. The resellers need to get together, and also file a class action lawsuit. Chances of winning is slim. But here in the U.S., we don't have loser pays laws. You sue somebody, and you lose, you don't have to pay. LL has been sued, and has lost. One time they got sued by Marc Woebegone, the case was settled out of court. Another time, Stoker Serpentine sued LL. He made sex beds, and made them transfer, no copy. Somebody found away to copy the sex beds during a sim restart. Stroker sued, and it was settled.

My store has 7 gacha prize machines. The items were made by FeelGood Trip, and his ex wife. There's clothes, cellphones, buildings, and other items. The items are about 10 years old, or older.

Pass this note card out, and let everybody know. Also pass this out to other Gacha groups.

Kelvin R. Throop
 

Arcade Gacha, Gacha Guild, To Continue Despite Gacha Ban

 
Linden Lab's announcement on Monday that they would be banning gacha machines from Second Life at the start of next month had people asking what would happen to the various merchants and events that depend on these sales for their business. Of the events, two of the largest are the Arcade Gacha and the Gacha Guild. So no doubt a number were wondering what would happen to them. Would they fold, or try to change and stay?

According to announcements from them, both plan to continue.

On Facebook, Arcade Gacha would post that while their next event would be called off due to lack of time to prepare, their plans were "to re-imagine the event and return strong."

Just like you, we've been rocked by Linden Lab's recent decision to ban gacha. For the past 9 years, gacha's been the backbone of Arcade's events, and we're truly sad to see it go. Due to LL's change and short notice to comply, we've decided to cancel September's upcoming round. This pause provides our team the much-needed time to re-imagine the event and return strong. We'll be in touch soon and look forward to seeing you when The (ALL NEW) Arcade re-opens!

The Gacha Guild had both announcements that they would be continuing, by their director Nams (Nama Gearz) with an announcement in the inworld group.

Gachas may be going away but we are not! Though a lot of changes will have to be made in the coming days and we are prepared to do what it takes to keep the event rolling. .Gacha Guild. will now be called simply .The Guild. going forward as well.

That's our tldr, but the full letter to everyone goes more in depth with how we're going to proceed. Please have a look and we'll see you in October!  

"The letter" was an open letter on the Gacha Guild website. It stated for October, it would just sell items the ordinary way "it’ll just be straightforward, regular sales" rather than include any new systems designed to get around the gacha ban. "It’s likely such systems are already being developed by many SL residents as we speak. Time will tell if those systems will be 100% approved by Linden Labs, and until then, they will not be allowed for use in the event."

"The amazing work designers make will not be diminished because they’re not in gacha form and will be every bit as spectacular as they always have been."

So for the two largest gacha events in Second Life, the ban does not mean the end, but change.

Hat Tip: Daniel Voyager, Matoazma Kazyanenko

Bixyl Shuftan
 

Patch Linden Says More About Upcoming Gacha Ban

 

When Linden Lab announced they would be banning gacha machines in Second Life, there was quite an avalanche of responses on the forum thread created for the topic. Some were in support of the ban, some had mixed opinions, and many opposed it, sometimes strongly. Eventually Patch Linden saw the need to step up and offer a little further explanation.

I wanted to address a few themes I'm seeing so far.   

 One of the bigger one's is 'why'?   As we mentioned in the post, the regulatory climate around these sorts of selling mechanisms abroad have been under scrutiny for some time, as many have also already mentioned.  This includes the formation of some precedence already in place.  We did not make this decision without a lot of thought on the impact this has and sadly we know how burdensome this can be for many.  Through legal guidance, we are giving as much notice as we possibly can, but we also understand that it may not be enough is all cases.  While we will begin enforcement on September 1, we will not start this out with an aggressive approach.  Your account will not be at risk on a first offense basis.  Please don't take that as an opportunity to break the rules until you get caught, but we are committed to taking a proactive approach to any enforcement.

Next, is some of the comments on the mechanism or the gacha machines themselves.  It is the act of paying for something and in return the item/thing you receive back is based on chance.  The level of chance does not matter, or if you disclose it, including the ratios, percentages, etc, if the output is unknown (chance based in any way), that combination of mechanisms is what will be prohibited moving forward.

I have seen some interesting counter-points to how to handle the sales of the content themselves.  Of course any already purchased gachas will continue to be able to be re-sold by resellers so long as the sales mechanism doesn't use a chance based outcome to give you the item.  Limited quantity items is another that would be perfectly ok to do, so long as the item being represented for purchase is what you receive upon purchase.

Stay tuned for more information as it comes in.

Bixyl Shuftan
 

Breaking News: Gachas To Be Banned in Second Life

 
A popular way of selling items in Second Life is coming to an end.

In the official blog today, Linden Lab announced that it will soon be banning sales through gacha machines in Second Life. The reason given was "Due to a changing regulatory climate."

Due to a changing regulatory climate, we’ve had to make the difficult decision to sunset a very popular sales mechanism for content in Second Life.  It’s widely known as "gacha", and is defined by a chance-based outcome as a result of a payment.  

We know that creators plan their content releases far in advance and will need to re-tool their products, so to mitigate the impact to those affected, we are giving a 30-day grace period, until midnight SLT on August 31.  After that time, selling content via gacha machines will no longer be permitted in Second Life.  Enforcement won’t start until September 1; after that date an Abuse Report for “Gaming Policy Violation” will be the preferred method of reporting this content to Linden Lab.  

We will continue to allow any sales where a payment is given for a known item, which means that items that had been purchased as “gacha” will be allowed to be re-sold as long as the buyer knows in advance the item and quantity they will receive. We will, of course, still allow fatpacks, and any other currently-allowed distribution mechanisms.

We did not make this decision lightly and we understand that it will impact creators as well as event organizers and certainly the shoppers! We look forward to fun creative ways of engagement that will come instead.  

Probably most familiar with shopping in Second Life knows about gachas. Based on Japanese gashapon games, they've become very popular in Second Life. The way it works is a machine gives one of a number of items listed at random, often with one or more listed as uncommon or rare. Events such as the Arcade and the Gacha Guild have sprung up selling items through only gacha machines. While highly popular, this method of shopping has also been criticized, notably by those calling it a form of gambling.

The ban does not apply to the reselling of gacha items, which has also gotten a following in Second Life, with groups for the selling and trading of them.

This move will no doubt have a big impact on Second Life, as well as be the target of much criticism (and praise from gacha's critics).

The Lab created a thread on the forums about the upcoming ban and invited discussion, and already people are responding, both opposing the ban, supporting it, and asking questions.

Stay tuned for further developments on this big move by the Lab.

Bixyl Shuftan
 

The Gacha Guild Is On

  The Gacha Guild, a bi-annual event, is once again taking place.  Twice a year, this shopping event takes place high above the Dew Drop sim. Numerous merchants have goods for sale as gachas. For those who don't know what a gacha is, the vendors have a number of versions of the item. Most are "common," but there are also a few "uncommon" and "rare." Often, they're packaged as vouchers, which can be traded between residents, or put up for sale on Marketplace where rares can fetch high prices.

There are avatars, avatar mods, and accessories up for sale. Among them is the Feral Crux by Caboodle, a four-footed version of the odd avatar with a following among some Second Life furs. Just add the voucher, click where it says "buy now," and unpack. The avatar can sit and dance, has a few different facial expressions, and the tail has a couple positions. 

The theme for this Gacha Guild is that of a haunted Carnival. About in the middle of the month, on October 16, the "Halftime Hunt" will begin with more items available. For more information, check out the blog: https://gachaguild.com/ .

 http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Dew%20Drop/162/168/1128

 Bixyl Shuftan

Christmas Expo Opens Today

One of the biggest events this Christmas in Second Life is starting today, the Relay for Life Christmas Expo. Counting American Cancer Society, there are 14 sims to go about. Over the next ten days, there will be numerous music events, contests, shops, ice skating, photos with Santa, and of course plenty of holiday scenery to look at. This is the ninth expo which has taken place inworld

The event lasts until Sunday December 15, ending with the Holiday for Hope Ball.

For more information, check https://slchristmasexpo.com/ .

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/American%20Cancer%20Society/128/1/23

Press Release: Largest SL Christmas Expo Ever Opens Thursday

Shopping, Entertainment, Auctions, Raffles & Linden Homes

Believe in the Magic of Christmas, the 2019 SL Christmas Expo in support of the American Cancer Society opens across 12 regions Thursday, December 5th. The 9th Annual Expo runs for 10 days and concludes with the Annual Holidays of Hope Ball, Sunday Dec 15th. The Expo is dedicated to children with cancer, and this year will be providing 100% of its fundraising to help provide Virtual Reality Headsets to children undergoing treatment for cancer.

This year Linden Lab has joined the Expo, and will be revealing the 4th edition New Linden Homes, taking part in the popular Lights of Hope house decorating competition, introducing the first ever Ebbe Linden Bear and offering an epic ONE OF A KIND LINDEN HOME AUCTION  including a 6 month Premium Membership with Exclusive Seasonal Content.

Other Highlights of the Expo include:

    More than 170 Merchants across 9 shopping regions

    Nearly 100 hours of non-stop Entertainment at the Holly Jolly Cafe

    OOAK and Breedable Auctions

    L$300,000 Shopping Spree and Gift Card Raffles

    All I Want for Christmas Kids Fashion Runway Show

    Gachas Galore

    Stocking Stuffer Hunt

    Lights of Hope House Decoration competition featuring SL’s top builders and Linden Homes

    Snowman Contest - Christmas Tree Lot - Pictures With Santa


In addition to the Linden home reveal region, the American Cancer Society will showcase its new Second Life® campus, which will be connected to the Expo.  The new, open design region was created using buildings by Colpo Wexler of Digital Cult, features a special tree donated by Mitsuko Kytoni of Hayabusa Design, and is the virtual home of the American Cancer Society. The region provides residents of Second Life® with support for survivors and caregivers, information and help with cancer and includes a direct text link to trained cancer specialists.  It will also be home to the Society’s virtual fundraising activities, Relay For Life and Making Strides Against Breast Cancer as well as areas for teams. The Catt Gable Memorial Garden is also undergoing a redesign and the Relay Museum will make its home on the region.  Annual Mega-Events, the SL Christmas Expo, Fantasy Faire, the Home & Garden Expo and the Sci-Fi Con, which support the Society, will also have areas at the new campus.

The American Cancer Society is the world’s leader in the Fight Against Cancer. All proceeds from the 2019 SL Christmas Expo supports the Society and its efforts to provide research to end, and support for those affected by, childhood cancers. For more information about the 2019 SL Christmas Expo visit: www.slchristmasexpo.com.
Need help with cancer? Needs answers or information? Visit the American Cancer Society region in Second Life®, call 800-227-2345, or visit: www.cancer.org.