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.
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
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