Paying for Pixels

Accessorize Me

What happens when you love to dress up and accessorize, but you can't afford the lifestyle of Paris Hilton? Or, if you love anime, but you live in Bumfug, South Dakota, where no one has any clue who the hell Spike Spiegal is? Or maybe you feel like you just aren't marketed to enough on the street or in the every-day social networking site, and you need to find more things to spend your last five (borrowed) dollars on. Well I'll tell you what happens: you leave "the real world" and book a one-way flight to a fantastical realm where anything is possible. Enter Gaia.

Gaia is a social networking site of another kind. It began as an anime linklist site, and then moved on to social gaming and forums. To identify users and give them a more personal experience, they implemented what are called "avatars," a digital representation of one's self. In Gaia, you choose a male or female avatar and then begin to personalize them. Your avatar is also given a car, a house, and even a fish tank.

Hyper Surreal

From there, the site basically attempts to create a dual reality where one can live in a second skin. Your avatar lives in its own little world, complete with different 'towns.' You can interact and chat with other users, and you can participate in games and other special events to collect gold. 'Gaia Gold' is the currency used, and you can spend it to buy clothes and other accessories for your avatar. It is usually given out as incentive for the user to participate in the forums or promote a new product. Gaia actually sells advertising that can be used in the game, so your avatar may want to wear Skittles sneakers or a Stephen Colbert mask.

In 2007, the website took this system to a whole new level and introduced 'Gaia Cash.' This allows users to go to Wal-Mart, Target, 7-11 and Speedway to buy, with real money, currency to use in the game. In essence, its a donation to the company, in return for something completely intangible, or in other words, nothing, hence, "donation." Thank you Capitalism. Something else Gaia put together (in April of that same year) to help promote their sponsors is Gaia Cinemas. It's a virtual theater where you and your avatar can watch anime videos, along with a host of movie trailers and commercials.

Aside from the forums and the occasional chat, there is very little writing done on the site.