2008/Jan-Dec/Announcements/Featured Announcements

http://www.gaiaonline.com/forum/featured-announcements/f.10/?sequence=81

January

03 Celebrate the New Year with Free Gaia Gold!

• Topic Celebrate the New Year with Free Gaia Gold! - Posted: admin Thu Jan 03, 2008 2:11 pm

Happy New Year, Gaians! 2007 was a great year for us: we overhauled the look of the site, created some of our craziest holiday events, released hundreds of new items (thousands maybe!) and built great new features like Gaia VJ and Gaia Cinemas.

We've got big plans for '08, too: new features, new minigames, and Gaia's long-awaited Battle MMO.

To celebrate a great year and look ahead to an even better new one, we're offering you guys a small gift. It's nothing fancy, but if you visit the link below and check out one of the site's features, you'll be given a bit of gold (up to 1000, if you're lucky)!

Claim Your Gold! http://www.gaiaonline.com/event/bonusgold2008

If you're wondering why you have to do stuff to claim your Gold, it's not because we're trying to sell you some jive about hard work and responsibility. We just want to encourage you to check out a feature you may not have used (believe it or not, not everyone has been everywhere on the site). Enjoy!

Note to extremely new members: this offer is only available to those who signed up before this morning. Stick around for other fun stuff in the near future, though!

A million thanks,

-The Gaia Team

03 Evolving Item Report: Fausto's Bottle and Hermes' Moon

• Topic Evolving Item Report: Fausto's Bottle and Hermes' Moon - Posted: [NPC] Dr. Singh Thu Jan 03, 2008 4:24 pm

Dr. Singh: Good morning, Gaians! Welcome to this week's Evolving Item Report, your first source for all the latest biology news. We've got a quick update for you this week, so let's dive in. Are you ready, Timmy?

Timmy: I was born ready! And then I got even readier, thanks to the miracle of massive genetic tamperin'!

Dr. Singh: I notice that your cranium is looking a bit... tumid.

Timmy: You're darn tootin' it's tumid, doc! And I've never felt better! I can... YEEP! ...feel my scalp burnin' whenever I think about stuff!

Dr. Singh: Well, that shouldn't be too much of a problem for you. Anyway, let's get to the news. This week, two items will be evolving: Hermes' Moon and Fausto's Bottle will both be entering their next phases! If you have one of these items, you can see its new form by visiting the My Avatar screen, removing the item from your avatar and then reequipping it.

Timmy: Swell! Also, Flynn stopped by earlier to give me a message, but she got pretty nervous on account of my big throbbin' noggin! Through all her stammerin' I gathered that there's a new item released today: the January Birthstone Crown, a perfect gift for all those January babies! Also, the Cash Shop is now plum sold out of the following items:

• The OMG Box
• Pora Ice
• Angelic Earmuffs
• Demonic Earmuffs
• Let it Snow

They might be back in the future, or they might not!

Dr. Singh: That's about it for this week's Evolving Item Report. Tune in next week for more news! Say goodbye, Timmy.

Timmy: Bye, everybody! Remember, if you want to hop on the crazy evolving item rollercoaster, you can pick one up in the Gaia Cash Shop.

04 New TV Episodes in Gaia Cinemas!

• Topic New TV Episodes in Gaia Cinemas! - Posted: [NPC] Ron Bruise Fri Jan 04, 2008 6:12 pm

What's this? Two Cinema updates in one week? Madness! We've got a whole new thing for you today: a bunch of great TV shows, so you can enjoy a quick episode without sitting around for a whole movie. Perfect for people with limited attention spans, like me!

What were we talking about? Oh, right:

Full Episodes:

The Tick: The nigh-invulnerable blue superhero comes to life in this live-action series! Patrick Warburton (of Seinfeld and Family Guy) stars as the world's biggest, toughest, bluest and not-quite-smartest superhero. SPOOOOOOOON!

The Dana Carvey Show: You may remember Dana Carvey as Garth from the Wayne's World movies. You may also remember Dana Carvey as hilarious. You're both right! Check out his critically-acclaimed but short-lived sketch comedy show for some guaranteed laughs.

T.J. Hooker: Star Trek legend William Shatner plays a cop, which is pretty much all you need to know about this show in order to enjoy it. In fact, that's probably more than you need to know. Just enjoy it!

Minisodes:

Charlie's Angels Minisodes: What could be better than classic 70s episodes of Charlie's Angels? Classic 70s episodes of Charlie's Angels with all the boring plot stuff cut out! Check out some wicked Minisodes (Mini episodes! Get it?) of this campy classic.

Diff'rent Strokes Minisodes: Wha'choo talkin' 'bout, Willis? Fans of Gary Coleman, sitcoms and comfortably broken-in catchphrases are sure to love these five-minute speedruns of classic Diff'rent Strokes episodes.

To check out these episodes, scroll down to the main movie listing window on the Cinemas page then click "Genre." You'll see a "Television" listing. Underneath that, you'll see three channels: AXN, Funny Bone and Minisodes. Enjoy!

Watch Them Now!

07 New Movie Monday: Muchos Minisodes!

• Topic New Movie Monday: Muchos Minisodes! - Posted: [NPC] Ron Bruise Mon Jan 07, 2008 5:51 pm

Another New Movie Monday is upon us, but there are actually no full films this week. No Movie Monday!? Don't worry, we wouldn't leave you hanging! We've got a bunch of new Minisodes for you guys:

New Minisodes:

Silver Spoons - In this 80s sitcom, a serious, uptight kid is sent to live with his wacky, childlike father. Unlike every other show in history, the kid must teach his dad to be responsible while the dad teaches his son to loosen up and have some fun. Featuring later Golden-Globe winner Rick Schroder as the adorably stuffy kid.

Who's the Boss - What's with all these role reversal sitcoms? Tony (Tony Danza) is a freewheelin' live-in housekeeper for Angela (Judith Light), a no-nonsense ad executive. Together, they must raise two precocious kids (one each!) and ponder the profound philosophical question woven into the show's title.

What's Happening!! - Three teenagers from Watts-- the studious Raj, the shy Dwayne and the bumbling Rerun-- engage in youthful shenanigans. One of the more beloved sitcoms of the 70s has now been smashed up into easy-to-swallow Minisode capsules!

To check out these episodes, scroll down to the main movie listing window on the Cinemas page then click "Genre." You'll see a "Television" listing. You'll find these shows under the 'Minisodes' listing. Enjoy!

Watch Them Now!

Come back next week for more stuff to watch!

09 Cash Shop Update: Chess Pieces & Evolving Item Report!

• Topic Cash Shop Update: Chess Pieces & Evolving Item Report! - Posted: [NPC] Flynn Wed Jan 09, 2008 9:12 pm

Hey guys! This is Flynn from the Gaia Cash Shop. This week brings one of the coolest updates yet! The Chess Sets let you dress up as all your favorite pieces from the world's greatest game of skill. Each of these sets comes with multiple items in both black and white:

Chess Sets:

Devoted Pawn: - They may seem like shrimps, but a lowly Pawn could be the key to victory. Though they start out weak, their driving ambition to become royalty gives them the strength to plow ahead.

Immaculate Bishop: - Though they might look pious, these holy warriors know how to kick some butt when their monarchs require it. Their sneaky diagonal moves let them move between pieces and catch enemies off guard.

Valiant Knight: - Known for their tricky maneuvers and unexpected attacks, Knights fiercely defend their sovereigns. Featuring a distinctive horse head helm and a mighty lance.

Exalted Rook: - These brick behemoths plow through everything in their path. Considered one of the more valuable warriors on the board.

Majestic King: - The big cheese. He may hide behind his lines of defense, but he can be wily and deadly when cornered. This set includes a crown and a scepter (of course).

Imperial Queen: - Chess may be all about defending the King, but we all know who the true master is. The Queen ruthlessly controls the board by basically doing whatever the hell she wants.

Each item can become one of three items (head, chest, or weapon) related to that chess piece in both black and white.

You can find these sets in the Featured Items category, or look for individual pieces under the [Holiday] listing.

You can visit the Gaia Cash Shop by moving your mouse over the "Market" menu and selecting "Gaia Cash Shop." Let's turn it over to Dr. Singh and Timmy for a quick evolution update!

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• Topic Cash Shop Update: Chess Pieces & Evolving Item Report! - Posted: [NPC] Dr. Singh Wed Jan 09, 2008 9:35 pm

Dr. Singh: Welcome to the Evolving Item Report! We'll have to keep it brief this week, since my little pal Timmy is a bit agitated. What's wrong, Timmy?

Timmy: Golly doc, don't worry about me! I feel fine! It's just that with this big ol' wonderful brain of mine, my thoughts naturally tend to wander toward... YEEP! ...fantasies of violence! You know how it is, right doc?

Dr. Singh: Of course, Timmy! It's nothing to worry about. Would you like to tell our listeners about this week's evolutions?

Timmy: I'll rip 'em to shreds! I mean... YEEP! ...I'd love to tell 'em, doc! This week, the Pantheracorax Agate and the Biancamella are evolving. If you own one of these items and want to try on the new evolution, just visit the My Avatar screen, remove the item from your avatar and then reequip it.

Dr. Singh: Right you are, Timmy. That's it for this week's Evolving Item Report. Say goodnight, little friend!

Timmy: Grraaargh! Remember, if you want to experience an evolving item for yourself, you can pick one up in the Gaia Cash Shop.

11 Daily Chance ... surprising new stuff O_o;

• Topic Daily Chance ... surprising new stuff O_o; - Posted: [NPC] Old Man Logan Fri Jan 11, 2008 6:40 pm

Hello everyon'

So the word on the vine is there's new stuff 'n the Daily Chance. Now .. I was beginnin' ter think this was another one of those fish tales that don't lead to anythin' but myth .. but then I happened to get something .. well .. I'm not gonna say it here, it's not really my style to get so chatty, 'specially not with what I got, wouldn' be right sayin' in public 'n all.

Be sure to come every day and go for that Daily Chance! I guarantee you won't be disappointed!

Oh yeah - I almost forgot. The thing I found .. it's only in Daily Chance, so if you've been skippin' out, you should think again!

NOW GO CLICK!

14 New Movie Monday: Tons of Great TV!

• Topic New Movie Monday: Tons of Great TV! - Posted: [NPC] Ron Bruise Wed Jan 09, 2008 11:13 pm

The moon has once again rotated the... or... uhh... well, anyway, whatever causes Mondays to happen has occurred once again, and we've got another big update to the Gaia Cinemas! We've got tons of TV shows this week, both classic and recent, featuring plenty of cops and aliens and genies and vampires and teenage Spidermen! Lookie:

New Stuff:

Dark Skies - This big-budget historical sci-fi alien drama was cancelled ahead of its time, but it's still remembered fondly as a cult TV classic.

Forever Knight - I can confidently promise you that you will never see a better television series about a Canadian vampire cop struggling to escape his bloodsucking past by solving crimes on the means streets of Toronto. Never.

I Dream of Jeannie - Anyone who's ever wished for their own personal genie might rethink the idea after watching this classic sitcom. Sure, they can grant wishes, but they also present a grave risk of wacky misunderstandings.

S.W.A.T. - The fact that this series was allegedly cancelled in the 1970s for being too violent for its time leads us to believe that it's probably awesome.

Rookies - A classic crime drama featuring a bunch of newbie cops learning the ropes and busting some bad guys.

Great Scott - A young Tobey Maguire (Spiderman!) stars in this oddball comedy from the early 90s, widely regarded as hilarious and ahead of its time. Its writers went on to work on The Simpsons and Seinfeld, so be prepared for quality.

To check out these episodes, scroll down to the main movie listing window on the Cinemas page, click "Genre" and then select the "Television" listing. Enjoy!

Watch Them Now!

Tune in next week for more great stuff!

15 January's Monthly Collectibles have arrived! 2008

• Topic January's Monthly Collectibles have arrived! - Posted: [NPC] Rina Tue Jan 15, 2008 2:55 pm

OK, everybody! You ready? Letters open... NOW!!!

-

A good Assassin can get the job done with nothing but a plastic fork, but proper gear always makes things more fun. Get decked out in a badass hood and tunic, then eliminate your contracts with a deadly array of weaponry. Choose from a gleaming katar, a silenced pistol and a long-range rifle.

Gaia's highbrow intellectuals will surely pop their monocles at the sight of the Masterpiece set, which recreates classic works of art in the avatar medium. Features works inspired by many eras, including a Van Gogh-style Starry Night scarf, a cubist Picasso face and a marble body type that transforms you into a living statue.

You can buy January's Collectibles now in the Gaia Cash Shop!

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• Topic January's Monthly Collectibles have arrived! - Posted: [NPC] admin Tue Jan 15, 2008 9:25 pm

We've made some updates to our Masterpiece collectible! We received a ton of feedback on the poses shortly after we released them, so we decided to go back and add a couple of things:

1: By popular demand, we've made the Statue of David's stone hair and marble body separate pieces. You can now equip one or the other alone, or both at the same time.

2: When the item was first released, there was an error in the description. We mistakenly made reference to a Klimt robe, which was a pose that was planned but never put in. A bunch of people were bummed that the Klimt robe wasn't included, so we put it in there anyway. It was a little glitchy at first due to the last-minute patching, but all should be well now.

Enjoy!

16 The OMG Widget is now on Facebook!

• Topic The OMG Widget is now on Facebook! - Posted: [NPC] Liam Wed Jan 09, 2008 8:52 pm

The OMG Widget is now available on Facebook! Facebook members can add this widget to their profiles and start hanging out with friends and earning exclusive items. We've also beefed it up with a few new features that make it easier to connect with your friends.

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• Chat with your friends in a rockin' Gaia club environment
• Earn exclusive items, unavailable anywhere else!
• New! Get notified when your friends are online and instantly find them
• New! Easily invite your friends to pick up the app

Here's something cool: OMG bridges Facebook and Bebo. Facebook members and Bebo members will all mingle together in the same room, so you can talk to friends from Bebo, Facebook and Gaia all in the same place. Easy, huh?

Get the OMG Widget for your Facebook Profile

If you're a Bebo user, you can still add the widget to your Bebo profile as well:

Get the OMG Widget for your Bebo Profile

A note about earning items: After you earn your first item, you will need to wait two weeks before you're able to earn another one. This is to discourage botting and keep the OMG application running smoothly, as well as to limit the number of items being granted. If your item meter appears grey, it means you need to wait a while before earning another item.

17 Check out our 2008 Convention Tour plans!

• Topic Check out our 2008 Convention Tour plans! - Posted: admin Thu Jan 17, 2008 8:19 pm

We're a little tired, stubbly and jet-lagged from our many convention jaunts last year, but the tireless Kiki Kitty is still raring to go. We've just updated our Convention page with a bunch of new 2008 stops on the Convention Tour & Kiki's Road Trip!

These probably won't be all the conventions we'll hit this year; these are just the ones we've confirmed so far:

• Wonder Con

Feb. 22nd - 24th, 2008, San Francisco, CA, USA

• Mega Con

Mar. 7th - 9th, 2008, Orlando, FL, USA

• Wizard World Los Angeles

Mar. 14th - 16th, 2008, Los Angeles, CA, USA

• Anime Boston

Mar. 21st - 23rd, 2008, Boston, MA, USA

• Sakura Con

Mar. 28th - 30th, 2008, Seattle, WA, USA

• New York Comic-Con

Apr. 18th - 20th, 2008, New York, NY, USA

• Anime Central

May. 16th - May. 18th, 2008, Rosemont, IL, USA

• Anime Expo

Jul. 3rd - 6th, 2008, Los Angeles, CA, USA

Be sure to check out the convention page for more information regarding special events and activities at each convention. We'll be adding more convention stops and info regularly, so keep checking back!

More Convention Info

If you want to make plans and chat with fellow convention travelers, stop by our official convention forum:

Visit the Forum

See you soon!

18 Cash Shop Update: Towns Chessboard, Masks & Evolving Items

• Topic Cash Shop Update: Towns Chessboard, Masks & Evolving Items - Posted: [NPC] Flynn Fri Jan 18, 2008 3:04 pm

Welcome, Cash Shop customers! Some lovely new things have arrived in the shop today, so I thought I'd give you a quick peek. Plus, your friend Dr. Singh and her terrifying mutant homunculus Timmy are back with all the latest news on your evolving items.

New Items!

We've just received four beautiful masks inspired by eastern folklore:

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Fore more info about the Hermes Moon and Fausto's Bottle, stick around for the Evolving Item Report!

Tengu Mask - Everyone's favorite grumpy, long-nosed demon!

Kotengu Mask - The slightly dopier and more crow-like form of the tengu.

Hannya Mask - This mask depicts a woman so twisted by anger and jealousy that she became a demon. Some days I feel like I can relate...

Otafuku Mask - Legend has it that this joyful figure lured the sun to the sky with her bright, smiling eyes. Don't you just want to pinch those cheeks?

Look for them in the Featured Items section of the Cash Shop!

Giant Chessboard!

When we released the Chess Sets last week, many people wondered, "hey, what good are chess pieces without a board?"

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Good point! By popular demand, we've created a huge, magnificent chess board in Gaia Towns. Feel free to organize a game of human chess, or just hang out and look fantastic against a super-classy backdrop.

To visit a chess board, hop into look around. Each map has a couple of squares with no houses on them. The chess board will be on the first vacant square in each neighborhood.

Remember: you can still get a Chess Set for your avatar in the Cash Shop! Look for them in the Featured Items listing.

That's it for this week's update! Let's turn it over to Dr. Singh and Timmy.

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• Topic Cash Shop Update: Towns Chessboard, Masks & Evolving Items - Posted: [NPC] Dr. Singh Fri Jan 18, 2008 3:05 pm

Dr. Singh: Welcome to the Evolving Item Report! I'm Dr. Singh, Gaia's resident expert on all things biological, and this is my little friend Timmy, who seems to be mutating into something quite horrifying. How's that big ol' head of yours, buddy?

Timmy: It's the greatest, Doc! Nothin' beats a huge.... YEEP... argh...

Dr. Singh: Are you feeling OK, sport?

Timmy: Fit as a fiddle! It's just that this swelling in my forehead has been gettin' a little worse lately, and... YEEP! I keep feelin' that powerful urge to devour everyone around me. You know how it is, right Doc?

Dr. Singh: Absolutely. It's nothing to worry about; you're just growing a slight bony protuberance on the front of your skull. Here, I took the liberty of taking this X-Ray while you were asleep:

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Timmy: Holy smackerjacks, is that my brain? I think I see that paperclip I put in my nose last year. Enough about me and my brain-horn, doc, let's tell 'em about the items! I'm excited!

Dr. Singh: Three items have evolved this week. Fausto's Bottle is showing signs that the creature within might not be quite so cute and cuddly as we previously believed. Quite an interesting development. The Hermes Moon has also evolved, with the strange animal fully visible for the first time. If you have one of these items, you can see its new form by visiting the My Avatar screen, removing the item from your avatar and then reequipping it.

Timmy: I thought you said there were three! That's only two, Doc!

Dr. Singh: Oh, yeah. I hoped you wouldn't notice. That filthy little jar of pond-water in the corner is also changing. The Orindae seems to be turning into some sort of disgusting tadpole. While I have the utmost respect for all creatures great and small, I really wish someone would just get that thing out of my sight.

Timmy: Aww, it's not so bad! It's kinda ugly-cute, in a greasy, wriggling way. Just like me!

Dr. Singh: Don't be so hard on yourself, little chum. You'll grow up into a fine young man, and I'm sure you'll make some girl very happy one day.

Timmy: Yeah! By rippin' her nose off and... YEEP... drinkin' her blood! Wow, did I just say that?

Dr. Singh: No, Timmy, you didn't. That's it for this week's evolving item report, ladies and gentlemen! If you'd like to get an evolving item of your own, you can pick one up in the Gaia Cash Shop.

22 New Movie Mon... er... Tuesday! New movies and TV!

• Topic New Movie Mon... er... Tuesday! New movies and TV! - Posted: [NPC] Ron Bruise Tue Jan 22, 2008 4:45 pm

Those bums at Gaia were observing a national holiday on Monday, so they didn't get a chance to release new stuff in the Cinemas. Thus, New Movie Monday has been temporarily transformed into Two Movie Tuesday.

We've got two new feature films and loads of new TV episodes up this week. Behold:

New Movies:

Amazing Panda Adventure: The title of this film tells you pretty much all you need to know. It's an amazing adventure featuring a panda!

Gorillas in the Mist: Sigourney Weaver (of Alien fame) picked up an Oscar nomination for her portrayal of a wildlife activist fighting to protect Gorillas from poachers (and possibly from some sort of mist).

New TV Stuff:

Spider-Man: The New Animated Series: The web-slinging hero gets a CGI makeover in this 2003 animated series, created to match the feel of the Spider-Man movies. Amazing spider-fact: Spidey is voiced by Neil Patrick Harris of Doogie Howser fame!

Astroboy: The granddaddy of anime, Astroboy was one of the most popular cartoons in Japanese history. At the height of its popularity, it was watched by 40% of all Japanese TV owners. It's a great cartoon and an important part of our cultural heritage!

The Partridge Family: And speaking of important parts of our cultural heritage... come on, get happy! If you can't handle goofy songs and campy 70s plots, you might want to avoid this one. If you can, you'll be in retro heaven.

Action: Jay Mohr stars in this brilliantly obscene and obscenely brilliant satire of backstabbing Hollywood sleazebags. Critically acclaimed but cancelled before it's time, probably because its relentless attacks on showbiz pissed off the wrong executive.

We've also got a new What's Happening! Minisode, for those of you who like your TV shows condensed into a bite-sized snack. Brevity is the soul of wit, they say.

Visit Gaia Cinemas now to watch all this and more. To find the TV episodes, scroll down to the main movie listing window on the Cinemas page, click "Genre" and then select the "Television" listing. Enjoy!

Watch Them Now!

22 New items from MTV's The Hills

• Topic New items from MTV's The Hills - Posted: [MTV] Julie Tue Jan 08, 2008 6:27 pm

Hey guys! We've got some brand new items for you. I've set up a little shop called Sunset Couture where you can pick up some stylish items to complete your Hollywood look:

Visit Sunset Couture

We've also added three Designer Handbags to the Gaia Cash Shop! We've got them in lovely white, black and gold versions. You can visit Flynn at the Cash Shop to take a look:

Visit the Gaia Cash Shop

To enter the Cash Shop, follow the link above and then click the "Go Shopping with Gaia Cash" link on the right.

If you stop by the theater in Virtual Hollywood, you can also check out the Hills season 3 finale! Packed with drama!

Quote:

Lauren receives some exciting news at Teen Vogue and Heidi needs some time away from Spencer. Lauren learns she's missed another shot at Paris and Spencer's stressed over the status of his relationship with Heidi. Spencer slinks into Bolthouse hoping to find Heidi, and then, after a surprise at Teen Vogue, Lauren and Brody share an awkward relationship talk. Lauren packs her bags and says goodbye to Brody while Heidi's ready for some time away from Spencer.

Watch it Now!

23 Two new Scions in Gaia Cars + Car Item Contest!

• Topic Two new Scions in Gaia Cars + Car Item Contest! - Posted: Scion Cars Tue Jan 08, 2008 4:43 pm

We've released two new Scion models in Gaia Cars! Now you can hit the Rally with the speedy xD and the sporty tC, both fully customizable with tons of items and accessories. Check 'em out!

Get a New Car!

Can't find the perfect accessory for your Gaia Car? Design it yourself! We're having a contest to create three new Gaia Car items. They can be anything you want, from the practical to the fantastical. To learn more, visit our entry form:

Enter the Car Item Contest

23 Gaia VJ is all kinds of better.

• Topic Gaia VJ is all kinds of better. - Posted: [NPC] Moira Thu Jan 17, 2008 4:30 pm

Better go check out VJ, pal. We've overhauled the look, improved the searching, made it so you can put up your playlists on other sites, and all kinds of other stuff. Let's delve into the awesomeness a little:

1: Gold! Glorious GOLD!

Watching playlists will now earn you a bit of Gaia Gold. Like with nearly everything else, it's on a daily 'curve,' so you'll earn a goodly chunk of Gold the first time you watch a video, then it'll gradually dwindle after that.

You'll also earn some Gold the first time you create a VJ playlist, so try it out! We won't give you Gold every time you create one, because we don't want people making a bunch of terrible playlists just for the dough. We'd prefer you to make terrible playlists on your own artistic terms, without the corrupting influence of money.

2: I'll bet you're sick of the word 'widget'!

We've created a little mini-VJ widget that you can embed in your MySpace page, your blog, your personal web page, or, if you have a good enough vet, your cat. Anyone who visits your page will be able to watch your playlist, chat and hang out-- and you'll earn Gold whenever they do.

To use this thing, just make a playlist, click the 'Share' link and then click the 'Embed' tab. You can also access this at any time from My Playlists by clicking 'Embed' link. You'll be given an HTML code that you can stick anywhere that allows embed codes.

3: Extensive betterment!

We've improved the living hell outta this thing. First of all, our YouTube integration is now way better: searches return much better results, you can search by YouTube username, and you can import videos directly from your YouTube favorites and playlists!

Secondly, you can now choose three different styles of décor for your viewing experience: the regular living room, a nightclub look or a classic drive-in theater that lets you pull up your car and

And thirdwise and finalmost: it looks better. We redesigned the page so it looks a little less like the control panel for a nuclear reactor. It should be a little easier on the eyes and a lot easier to use.

VJ: Fun to Use, Easy to Spell!

Before checking out Gaia VJ, we strongly recommend that you download the latest version of Flash. Otherwise, it might not work! For more Flash help, check out this FAQ.

24 Evolving Item Report: Two new evolving items!

• Topic Evolving Item Report: Two new evolving items! - Posted: [NPC] Dr. Singh Thu Jan 24, 2008 3:20 pm

Dr. Singh: Welcome to the Evolving Item Report! I'm Dr. Singh, Gaia's foremost biologist and genetic mutation expert. With me is Timmy, my angry little friend. As you can see, he's been mutating again... how do you feel, little buddy?

Timmy: YEEP! I feel... nrrrgh... JEPPERSgolly...

Dr. Singh: That's great, Timmy. We've got some big news this week: two brand new evolving items in the Cash Shop! The Experiment White Drome Egg promo

Timmy: Waaugh!

Dr. Singh: This week, Flynn has received a shipment of White Drome Eggs. I recently recovered these living fossils from a dig site in Gaia's badlands. For insurance reasons, I can't disclose exactly what's inside these eggs, but please remember this: handle them with extreme caution and never turn your back on them.

Timmy: Hrr... Righty-o, Doc! This egg may look like... YEEP! But... but the biting!

Dr. Singh: You've got that right, friend! Prehistoric eggs are dangerous enough, but do you know what's even more dangerous? Mad science! In a bold and reckless move, Flynn has decided to stock The Experiment in the Cash Shop. This volatile substance may have severe mutative powers, so don't say we didn't warn you!

Timmy: But that's not all, right Doc? We've also got... urrrgh...

Dr. Singh: We sure do. My studies indicate that the Green Corallus Egg, Tama's Basket, the Pantheracorax Agate and DandiiDooDad Spore are all due to evolve this week. If you own one of these items, you can see its new form by visiting the My Avatar screen, removing the item from your avatar and then reequipping it.

Timmy: RRGhhh!! Sounds wonderful, Doc! I can't wait to see what... GOTTA BITE!

Dr. Singh: OUCH! Bad Timmy! No biting! Do you need me to get the whip? ...Er, sorry folks, looks like we'll need to bring this week's report to an end while I disinfect this bite.

Timmy: Sheesh, sorry Doc! That was weird, huh? Remember, you can pick up your own evolving item by visiting the Gaia Cash Shop! YEEP! Oh, and stick around for a little Cash Shop announcement from Flynn.

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• Topic Evolving Item Report: Two new evolving items! - Posted: [NPC] Flynn Thu Jan 24, 2008 3:21 pm

Thanks Timmy, you silly little freak! I've just got a quick update on some items that will be leaving the Cash Shop soon. The following items will be removed from the shelves on January 31st, so be sure to pick them up before they're all gone:

• Pink Heart Chocolate Cake
• Long Stem White rose
• Lovebird Plush
• Pearl and Amethyst Earing
• Dashing Gentleman's Sapphire tie
• Pearl and Amethyst Necklace
• Dashing Gentleman Frill Dress shirts
• Dashing Gentleman's Marble Tail Coat
• Giant White Eggshell

If you want to pick up some romantic items before Valentine's Day, now's the time!

Have a wonderful Thursday, and feel free to stop by the Cash Shop and have a look around whenever you want. There's always plenty of interesting new stuff to see. Ciao!

28 New Movie Monday: Singin' in the Rain + New TV Stuff!

• Topic New Movie Monday: Singin' in the Rain + New TV Stuff! - Posted: [NPC] Ron Bruise Mon Jan 28, 2008 4:50 pm

Time to shake off your sluggish weekend torpor, Gaians! A new week is here, and we've got plenty of new stuff in Gaia Cinemas to help you forget how unbearable Mondays (and life in general) are. Not only do we have a bunch of classic and not-so-classic TV shows to amuse you, we've also got one of the actual best movies of all time.

Get a load of all this beautiful free stuff:

New Movies:

Singin' in the Rain: Pretty much the classic musical. If you like musicals, you will love this movie. In fact, I hate musicals and I love this movie. Everyone loves this movie; it's the most lovable movie ever, which is probably why it winds up on a lot of lists of the all-time greatest American movies.

New TV:

Kidnapped: This fast-paced drama follows police, private investigators and federal agents as they pursue a high-profile kidnapping case involving the teenage son of a wealthy New York couple.

Square Pegs: Sarah Jessica Parker stars in this classic sitcom about two adorably desperate nerds trying to scheme their way into the high school in-crowd. Though it aired in the early 80s, the timeless theme of geeks trying to be cool is as relevant now as it ever was.

The Facts of Life: This comedy/drama about a group of girls coming of age at a private school is one of the fundamental staples of a balanced rerun diet.

Hart to Hart: The sexy, action-packed and super-popular series features a rich husband-and-wife team who cast aside their charmed life of wealth and glamour to lead a slightly different life of wealth and glamour as amateur detectives.

New Minisodes:

Fantasy Island: A flamboyant gentleman and his shrill miniature sidekick let ordinary people live out their wildest dreams on a mysterious private island. Is it just me, or were TV shows a lot weirder back in the 70s?

Sheena: The producers of Baywatch and Xena: Warrior Princess teamed up in 2000 to create this jungle fantasy series, which is basically a campy hybrid of Baywatch and Xena: Warrior Princess.

Visit Gaia Cinemas now to watch all this and more. To find the TV episodes, scroll down to the main movie listing window on the Cinemas page, click "Genre" and then select the "Television" listing. Enjoy!

Watch Stuff Now!

28 Ye Olde Item Update

• Topic Ye Olde Item Update - Posted: [NPC] Leon Mon Jan 28, 2008 6:53 pm

Halt! I've received a dispatch from the admins!

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Hark, dear gentlefolk: a plentitude of items hath been scatter'd thither and yon! Replace thine writhled rags and freshen thine frippery with brave new vestments, including the boist'rous Tavern Wench Set, the handsome Blade Set, the melodious Eloquent Set and the noble Milady Set.

Hurry now to the shoppes, for thou mightst spy this finery at Gambino Hat Rack, Crate & Apparel, HR Wesley, Prize & Joy, the Durem Depot and Gambino Outfitters.

Make Haste to Gaia's Shoppes!

29 Cell Phone Ordering Woes...

• Topic Cell Phone Ordering Woes... - Posted: admin Fri Jan 18, 2008 8:11 pm

We're having some problems with our cell phone ordering system. If you're using Verizon Wireless, you may have trouble purchasing stuff by cell phone right now. We're working on the issue, and we hope to have it sorted out soon.

In the meantime, thwarted customers may want to buy their Collectibles from the Cash Shop or the Collectibles homepage instead.

Thanks for your patience,

The Gaia Team

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• Topic Cell Phone Ordering Woes... - Posted: admin Tue Jan 29, 2008 4:20 pm

Just a quick note to let you know it's all fixed. Cell phone shoppers may proceed as usual

Happy Tuesday!

29 The Price is... GAIA!

• Topic The Price is... GAIA! - Posted: [NPC] Cindy Donovinh Tue Jan 29, 2008 4:54 pm

We're planning a bit of mischief, and we need your help! We recently smuggled some Gaians onto national television on The Today Show, and we're gonna try to do it again.

We'd like to invite the teeming Gaia masses to join us for an afternoon of televised fun in the audience of The Price is Right, America's favorite afternoon game show for old people! We've got 25 Price is Right tickets to share with you guys, so we hope you'll show up and fill some seats.

This will be happening in Los Angeles on February 5th from 11:30 to 5:30. Please note that only Gaians 18 and older can appear on the show. For all the super-important info about where to go and what to do, please check out our sticky thread in the Gaia Contests forum:

Come Join Us on The Price is Right!

Stay tuned for more mischief soon. We've got big plans!

31 Alas! Merchandise shipping problems!

• Topic Alas! Merchandise shipping problems! - Posted: admin Thu Jan 31, 2008 4:40 pm

Attention Gaia merchandise customers: due to some trouble with our warehouse and fulfillment center, we're going to have some frustrating shipping problems for the next week or so. Argh!

We're in the process of an unexpected switch to a different warehouse company, which means that we have to physically lift up and haul all of our merchandise to another place. During that time, we won't be able to mail out anyone's orders or provide tracking info on anyone's packages. Obviously, this problem only applies to physical merchandise and doesn't affect the Cash Shop or virtual items in any way.

To help numb the pain, we'll be including free Gaia Gold certificates with any orders that are delayed by these problems. You can redeem them for a little bit of free walkin'-around money-- anywhere from 100 Gold to a couple thousand.

You can still order stuff from the Gaia Store during all this nonsense, but we won't be able to ship it out to you until we get our warehouse situation under control. We hope to have this snag cleared up sometime next week.

We apologize for the inconvenience, and we'll sort it out as quickly as we can.

31 Evolving Item Report: Fausto's, Hermes' & Biancamella

• Topic Evolving Item Report: Fausto's, Hermes' & Biancamella - Posted: [NPC] Dr. Singh Thu Jan 31, 2008 4:04 pm

Dr. Singh: Good day, Gaian friends, and welcome to the Evolving Item Report! I'm Dr. Singh, Gaia's top biologist, zoologist, paleontologist and, on weekends, field hockey midfielder. I'm sure you all know my tragic little mutant co-host, Timmy. How'ya doing, friend?

Timmy: Doc, I've never felt better in my life! Sorry I bit ya last week, but the swelling in my braincase was exertin' pressure on my amygdalae, causing uncontrollable aggression and loss of... YEEP! ...speech functions!

Dr. Singh: Wonderful! So, now that your rhino horn has emerged, your violent thoughts should be calming down!

Timmy: Oh, golly, not at all! I'm angrier and more violent than ever, and I'm lovin' every minute of it. YEEP!

Dr. Singh: That's... great news, Timmy. Let's move on to business. This week, we've got three items moving into their next stages. The Biancamella has evolved into a gorgeous new piece of clothing, and Hermes' Moon is moving into a strange new phase.

Timmy: Hurry up, Doc, I feel like bitin' something.

Dr. Singh: The biggest news this week is that the first generation of Fausto's Bottle is growing ever closer to the end of its evolution cycle, and this week's spectacular transition must be seen to be believed. Even I didn't anticipate this!

Timmy: It's... it's glorious! If you wanna see this new pose for yourself, just visit the My Avatar screen, remove the item from your avatar and then reequip it.

Dr. Singh: That's all for this week, folks! If you'd like to pick up an evolving item for yourself, just stop by the Gaia Cash Shop (move your mouse over the "Market" menu to find it). I'd better get Timmy out of here before he gets all cranky. Aren't you ready for a nap, little guy? You've been pacing in circles and gnashing your teeth for almost 72 hours straight now.

Timmy: Ha! Not on your life, Doc! I never get tired anymore, ever! Better sleep with one eye open, too, cause I'm feelin'... YEEP! ...like I've lost the ability to tell right from wrong, and I no longer see people as anything other than big chunky blood milkshakes! Isn't that funny?

Dr. Singh: Eh... heh heh...

February

01 A big update to Gaia alerts!

• Topic A big update to Gaia alerts! - Posted: admin Thu Jan 31, 2008 5:57 pm

We recently introduced Gaia alerts, which let you stay in touch with your Gaia account via email or SMS messages. Now we've made Gaia's alert system even better, adding tons of new alert options and letting you pick the types of alerts you'd like to receive. Now you can choose to be notified of...

• Private messages
• Friend requests
• Profile comments
• Journal comments
• Gaia announcements

If you're already signed up to Gaia Alerts, you'll start receiving these new notifications right away. If you'd like to turn any of these off, visit the alerts page.

If you haven't signed up yet, visit the alerts page in your account settings to set these up. Remember, you can choose to stop receiving alerts any time, so don't be shy about trying it out.

Set up Gaia Alerts Now!

You can tell us what you think of Gaia alerts, and suggest how we can improve them, in our alerts feedback thread.

A little bit of info:

Is there still a Gold bonus for signing up?

Yes! Here's what you'll get:

• ...a 1000 Gold bonus the first time you sign up for cell phone alerts
• ...a 250 Gold bonus the first time you sign up for email alerts
• ...50 Gold for every month that you stay signed up for each feature

• Do SMS or email alerts cost money?

Both of these options are free to use, but keep in mind that some mobile phone providers may charge a small fee for using text messages. Check out your mobile phone plan before you sign up.

• Is this available outside the United States?

Email alerts are available the whole world 'round, but we're only able to offer SMS alerts in the United States.

• If this service is free, how does Gaia pay for it?

Don't worry, Gaia won't add you to some crooked subscription service or rip your soul out through your phone. We cover the cost of this service by placing a small text advertisement at the bottom of each SMS message you receive. Email, however, is much cheaper to send, so our daily digest emails are ad-free.

04 New Movie Monday: Plenty of new stuff to watch!

• Topic New Movie Monday: Plenty of new stuff to watch! - Posted: [NPC] Ron Bruise Mon Feb 04, 2008 4:22 pm

Is it Monday again already? It seems like they're coming around almost every week nowadays... but, hey, the good news is that we've got a fresh restock of Gaia Cinemas! No feature films this week, but plenty more classic TV coming your way, including some popular 70s favorites to educate you of our shared cultural heritage. Take a gander:

New TV:

Charlie's Angels - a FULL episode of Charlie's Angels this time! This is the pilot that shows you where it all began, in case you happened to be wondering about the mysterious origins of Charlie and his band of sexy... I don't know, detectives, or whatever they are.

Sheena - More Baywatch-in-the-jungle action with everyone's favorite hot transforming leopard-woman, Sheena.

Starsky & Hutch - Experience all the buddy-cop thrills in a fraction of the time with this Starsky & Hutch Minisode. These dudes represent an important point in the genesis of the modern cop duo, so action scholars would be well advised to take note of their captivating police chemistry.

What's Happening! - Another tiny Minisode of What's Happening; as advertised, more stuff happens. To find out what, you need only commit a few minutes of your precious time.

Visit Gaia Cinemas now to watch all this and more. To find the TV episodes, scroll down to the main movie listing window on the Cinemas page, click "Genre" and then select the "Television" listing. Enjoy!

Watch Stuff Now!

05 Word Bump: Gold & Credit Exchange Now Working!

• Topic Word Bump: Gold & Credit Exchange Now Working! - Posted: [NPC] Edmund Fri Feb 01, 2008 1:13 pm

I've received word from Gaia's engineers that they've finished their tinkering with Word Bump. Huzzah, I say! The game is now granting Gold once again, so please give it a whirl whenever you're feeling a little light in the pockets.

Play Word Bump

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I'm now offering a fine selection of scholarly gowns and mortarboards in my shop, H.R. Wesley. When you've earned a good sum of credits from Word Bump, please stop by and ask me about exchanging them!

07 News Bulletin: Valentine's Item Contest and Gaia Store News!

• Topic News Bulletin: Valentine's Item Contest and Gaia Store News! - Posted: [NPC] Cindy Donovinh Thu Feb 07, 2008 5:20 pm

Good afternoon, Gaians! This is Cindy Donovinh with a quick news break from Gaia 9 Action News. Our news desk has received two bulletins from the admins:

Valentine's Item Contest!

The season of romance and cutesy gifts is drawing near, and Gaia's celebrating with another item design contest. This time around, we're letting you design your ultimate romantic item. Make it cute, flirty or even heartbroken. This is your chance to create the perfect gift for that special Gaia someone who's caught your eye with their smokin' avatar, their sexy bumping and their come-hither trolling.

We'll accept entries until February 22nd. We'd love to see your awesome stuff, but please read the rules first so we don't get fifty thousand "plz make narutos dog" entries. Not that we don't love Naruto's dog.

Create a Valentine's Day Item!

Also, stay tuned for Gaia's lovey-dovey Valentine's Day event, comin' up real soon.

The Gaia Store is Back in Business!

We once again apologize for the recent Gaia Store inconvenience, and for the delayed orders that it caused. We've got our warehouse situation all figured out, so we're once again ready and willing to ship out your fancy hats in a timely fashion. Anyone whose order was slowed by all this should receive a Gaia Gold coupon as our special way of saying "please don't hurt us."

So, yeah! We're back in business. Anyone who wants some sweet Gaia merch can celebrate this awesome news by having a little spree the Gaia Store. Go nuts, it's a special occasion! (Or not.)

Visit the Gaia Store!

07 Cash Shop Update: Eastern Zodiac + Evolving Item Report

• Topic Cash Shop Update: Eastern Zodiac + Evolving Item Report - Posted: [NPC] Flynn Thu Feb 07, 2008 4:52 pm

Happy Chinese New Year, everyone! To celebrate, we've got a lovely new Cash Shop update that lets you proudly show off your favorite signs with a full assortment of Eastern zodiac costumes. Each zodiac sign includes an animal headpiece and a tail, which can be worn together or separately. Take a look:

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If you'd like to learn some fun details about the Eastern zodiac signs, read on! Otherwise, feel free to move on to the next post for the Evolving Item Report.

The Eastern Zodiac

Year of the Rat - Some may see rats as pests, but in the Eastern zodiac they represent charm, intelligence and leadership and charisma. Recent years of the rat include 1972, 1984, 1996 and 2008 (starting today!)

Year of the Ox - The ox patient and diligent, and its hard work brings about great prosperity. Recent years include 1973, 1985 and 1997.

Year of the Tiger - The tiger represents regal authority, respect and courage. Those born under this sign will lead extraordinary lives full of adventure and challenge. Recent years include 1974, 1986 and 1998.

Year of the Rabbit - Rabbits are considered to be the luckiest of the Eastern zodiac signs. They're great with details, and they're very compassionate despite being somewhat reserved and conservative. Rabbit years include 1975, 1987 and 1999.

Year of the Dragon - Dragons are symbolic of good fortune and luck. Those born under this sign are virile, grandiose and good-looking, and are destined for great things. Recent years include 1976, 1988 and 2000.

Year of the Snake - Snakes are elegant, graceful and wise. Their enchanting personalities make them great conversationalists. Just like real snakes! Recent Snakey years include 1977, 1989 and 2001.

Year of the Horse - Horses are wild and independent spirits, but they temper this with their sincerity and warmth. Recent years: 1978, 1990 and 2002.

Year of the Sheep - The sheep exhibits wonderful creativity and artistic talent, along with great sensitivity and compassion. Years of the Sheep include 1979, 1991 and 2003.

Year of the Monkey - The monkey is mischievous, creative and quick-witted. They're jacks-of-all-trades, and their flexibility allows them to develop a broad range of talents. Monkey years include 1980, 1992 and 2004.

Year of the Rooster - Though roosters can be preening and egotistical, they're valued for their courage, tenacity and superior grooming. Roosters love to stand out, so if you know any Roosters, make sure you lay some flattery on them once in a while. Years include 1981, 1993 and 2005.

Year of the Dog - We all know what makes dogs so loveable: they're loyal, patient dependable and they'll never let you down. Years of the Dog include 1970, 1982 and 1994.

Year of the Pig - The pig is an honest, caring and kind-hearted sort. Despite being a bit shy and reserved, their loveable nature often yields many friends. Years include 1983, 1995 and 2007.

You can pick up all of these items in the Gaia Cash Shop! Stay tuned, folks. We've also got another Evolving Item Report with your pals Dr. Singh and Timmy.

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• Topic Cash Shop Update: Eastern Zodiac + Evolving Item Report - Posted: [NPC] Dr. Singh Thu Feb 07, 2008 4:53 pm

Dr. Singh: Happy new year, everyone, and welcome to the Evolving Item Report! Once again, I've got my monstrous little companion Timmy here to tell you about this week's biological happenings.

Timmy: GrrrRRReetings, everyone! We've got some great news about your evolving... *GULP* ...ehhh, sorry! I'm still droolin' a little bit about all those tasty animal costumes in Flynn's announcement. I thought humans couldn't possibly look any more delicious than they already did, right Doc?

Dr. Singh: Right you are, Timmy. I mean... wait, what? Let's move on to business. This week, the beautiful Pantheracorax Agate has grown into a mighty griffin! Owners of first-generation Agates are now blessed with a glorious mythical companion to protect them. Lucky break!

Timmy: YEEP! You bet, Doc! And don't forget about the other one!

Dr. Singh: What other one?

Timmy: You know, the Orindae! It's evolving too, right?

Dr. Singh: Ugh, that thing! Yes, the Orindae has grown quite a bit in the last couple of weeks, and it's now showing indications of its form. It appears to be some sort of vile, slimy amphibious creature, gasping with its awful little mouth and struggling to free itself from its jar. Don't touch it, Timmy. You might get warts.

Timmy: Already got 'em! I guess that's about all for this week, right? Right, Doc? Huh? C'mon, I'm hungry! Let's go to the graveyard again an'...

Dr. Singh: Shh!

Timmy: Oh yeah! It's a... YEEP! ...horrible secret, huh! A terrible pact made out of grim necessity, to prevent the abomination you created from preying on the living, huh!

Dr. Singh: You're a loveable little scamp, Timmy. Let's go get you a treat.

Timmy: Bye bye, everyone! Stay tuned for a special Tuesday edition of the Evolving Item Report, coming next week!

11 New Movie Monday: Home Fries & New TV Stuff

• Topic New Movie Monday: Home Fries & New TV Stuff - Posted: [NPC] Ron Bruise Mon Feb 11, 2008 2:43 pm

Happy Monday, everyone! Gaia's Valentine's Day event will be starting this week, but if you ever want to give your tired,chapped lips a break from all the smooching and bring your date to a movie, we've got a bunch of new stuff to see. Check it out!

Feature Films:

Home Fries: Luke Wilson and Drew Barrymore star in this dark romantic comedy about a pregnant fast-food worker who gets caught in a web of extremely messy family drama. Bring a date!

New TV Stuff:

Benson: Sitcom connoisseurs can't miss this 80s classic about a quick-witted butler working for a bumbling state governor.

Starsky & Hutch: Another episode of the beloved action-drama, sure to be packed with plenty more subtle masculine romance between the title characters!

Who's the Boss: So, you just can't get enough Tony Danza? ...why? Get your Danza fix here, you poor, twisted soul. Your shameful secret is safe with us.

Sheena: Another Minisode of Sheena, probably featuring exotic animals, underclothed women and Oscar-caliber writing. Well, two out of three ain't bad...

Visit Gaia Cinemas now to watch all this and more. To find the TV episodes, scroll down to the main movie listing window on the Cinemas page, click "Genre" and then select the "Television" listing. Enjoy!

Watch Stuff Now!

11 Pucker Up for the Valentine's Day Event!

• Topic Pucker Up for the Valentine's Day Event! - Posted: [NPC] Rina Mon Feb 11, 2008 1:56 pm

Quick, read this message from the admins!!! I gotta get back to the flower shop! It's the busiest time of the year!!

See that pinkish mist wafting on the breeze? Romance is in the air!

It's time for all young lovebirds to report to our Valentine's Day event, where you can earn a few event items by sharing kisses with your fellow Gaians.

Here's how you can start filling up your Love-O-Meter:

1: Visit the event page. There's a link below!

2: From there, enter the Valentine's Day forum.

3: Click the User Image button under people's forum posts to kiss 'em!

This year, you can also 'kiss and tell.' Whenever you kiss someone, we'll automatically add it to a chart that you can show off to your friends for extra bragging rights.

Pucker Up and Join the Fun!

12 Cash Shop Update: Valentine's Gifts & Evolving Item Report

• Topic Cash Shop Update: Valentine's Gifts & Evolving Item Report - Posted: [NPC] Flynn Tue Feb 12, 2008 3:48 pm

Hey guys! I hope you're all enjoying the Valentine's Day event. Things have been too busy around the shop for me to get out there and kiss people, but hopefully I'll have some time once I get all this new stuff stocked on the shelves. We just got a new shipment of special Valentine's stuff, so anyone looking for a romantic gift is in luck!

New Items

Grace of Eros: The god of love and lust is a busy guy this week, but he'd be happy to make a little time for lucky Cash Shop customers. You can equip Eros alongside your avatar, or you can carry his legendary bow & arrow.

Grace of Aphrodite: Having trouble finding a Valentine's date? Now you can score a date with the immortal goddess of love, whose uncanny beauty could make any man's heart skip a beat. How 'bout THAT? Aphrodite can hang out with your avatar, or you can choose to wear her flowing purple garments.

Sweetheart Teddy: A cute little teddy bear that can be worn as a backpack! Makes a perfect Valentine's Day gift, or a great little accessory for anyone who wants to get into the spirit. Available in pink and blue.

Long-Stemmed Roses: New colors! You can now pick up romantic roses in Blue, Black and Gilded hues.

To get one of these items for yourself or for a special friend, visit the Cash Shop. You can find it by moving your mouse over the "Market" menu and selecting "Gaia Cash Shop." To learn a little bit more about Cash, visit this page.

Now let's turn it over to Dr. Singh and Timmy for an Evolving Item Report!

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• Topic Cash Shop Update: Valentine's Gifts & Evolving Item Report - Posted: [NPC] Dr. Singh Tue Feb 12, 2008 3:50 pm

Timmy: Howdy-do, everybody! Welcome to the Evolving Item Report. Say hello to my pal Dr. Singh, Gaia's favorite naturalist and my... YEEP! ...favorite lady!

Dr. Singh: Why thank you, sport. You're being awfully sweet today.

Timmy: Ya know what, Doc? All those violent thoughts that have been swirlin' in my mind like a whirlpool of vicious darkness have really been clearin' up lately. I think I'm ready to... YEEP! ...turn over a new leaf. After all, Valentine's Day is all about bein' nice to each other!

Dr. Singh: You're a fine little gentleman, despite your increasingly grotesque deformities. Would you like to do the honors this week?

Timmy: Gladly! We've got two items evolving this week. First up, the White Drome Egg is finally crackin' a little bit! We're one step closer to figurin' out what kinda critter is hidin' inside. Hermes Moon has also changed again, too! The lil' bunny-thing is bein' even cuddlier nowadays. Exciting, huh?

Dr. Singh: That's big news, Timmy, but I think we've got even bigger news this week...

Timmy: Yup. This is the big one, folks. This is what we've all been waitin' for. The first generation of Fausto's Bottle will finally reach the end of its evolution today! Not only will you get the glorious final surprise, but you'll also be able to use any previous form of the bottle. It's totally unlocked! If you wanna see the new pose for yourself, just visit the My Avatar screen, remove the item from your avatar and then reequip it.

Dr. Singh: This is truly a red-letter day for science! How shall we celebrate, little friend?

Timmy: Well, milady, bein' as how it's nearly Valentine's Day an' all, I was thinking maybe I could offer you a... YEEP! ...polite and respectful kiss on the hand, since you're such a special lady.

Dr. Singh: Such wonderful manners, young man! Why, I'd be honored.

Timmy: GRARRGGHH!

Dr. Singh: OW! Let go! Ouch! Bad Timmy! ...Well, everyone, looks like I have to detatch this little fellow from my hand. See you next week!

Timmy: Mmrrph!

13 News Bulletin: New Gaia Cash Cards, Game Design Contest

• Topic News Bulletin: New Gaia Cash Cards, Game Design Contest - Posted: [NPC] Cindy Donovinh Tue Feb 12, 2008 6:36 pm

Target Exclusive: Benny the Puppy!

We've got a brand new exclusive item for people who buy Gaia Cash cards at Target stores, and the cuteness of the thing cannot be overstated!

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You can pick up Benny the Puppy now at your local Target. Head over to the music section (for some reason), pick up any $25 Gaia Cash card with Benny's adorable visage plastered all over it and redeem it for a whole bunch of Cash and a bonus puppy!

Find a Target Store

It takes a while for cards to trickle into every retail store, so be sure to call your local Target first to see if they have 'em. The new cards should be in most Target locations within the next few days.

Now in Wal-Marts from Omak to Woonsocket!

By popular demand, we've been working on getting our Gaia Cash cards into more store locations. In the future, we hope that no Gaian has to walk more than ten feet without tripping over a huge stack of Cash cards (and then buying them all with the money they win from the resulting injury lawsuit).

We've made some exciting progress: Gaia Cash cards will soon be available in Wal-Mart stores. We'd love to tell you that you can just waltz into your local Wal-Mart behemoth-box and grab a Gaia card from the colorful display nestled between the Big Mouth Bass plaques and the $20 DVD players made of recycled medical waste, but no!

To test the waters, Wal-Mart is only putting Gaia cards in 26 of their stores. Since they have 3,800 stores in the USA, that means that Gaia Cash cards will be available in something like 0.7% of all Wal-Mart stores, so you statistically have better chances of being punched in the face by a silverback gorilla than finding one in your town (note: statistic not accurate).

They sent us a list of all the towns that will receive Gaia cards, and we're pretty sure that some of these places don't even exist. Is Wal-Mart just messing with our heads? Is there really such a place as Moraine, Ohio? Has anyone ever heard of Omak, Washington?

Here's where you come in: we've set up a thread with a list of all the Wal-Mart locations that will stock Gaia Cash cards, and we want to see if any Gaians actually live there. Are you a Cranstonite or a Woonsocketian? Take photos! Show us proof! Small-town Gaians, now is your chance to shine!

View the 26 Magical Mystery Wal-Mart Locations

Calling All Game Designers!

Hey, here's something cool: Flash game network Mochi is having a big huge game-design contest, and Gaia's head honcho Lanzer is one of the judges! We'd love to see some Gaian game developers enter their best work and grab a share of the $25,000 in prize loot. If you've got serious talent (and we know you do), check out their official contest page:

View the Mochi Contest

If you love games but don't know how to make them, there's still some fun in store for you. Once the finalists are decided this April, Gaia members will get to play all the games, vote for their favorites and judge the Audience Prize!

15 New Starter Sets & Hairstyles, Registration & New Homepage

• Topic New Starter Sets & Hairstyles, Registration & New Homepage - Posted: [NPC] Liam Wed Feb 13, 2008 5:41 pm

Whoa, we got a huge shipment of new stuff today! Let's see what the Gaia staff has to say about it...

We're releasing a ton of new starter sets and hairstyles for new Gaia members! These will soon be given away free to new registrants, but we're putting them up mega-cheap in the shops first so current members can get first crack at them.

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Tons of new stuff, and it's all cheap!

New starter sets include athletic, glam, goth, preppy, rocker, skater, surfer and urban. They're scattered all over Gaia's shops. All of these fantastic clothing items are available for just 5 Gold each, and each hairstyle costs only 25 Gold. No coupons! No rebates! No hassles!

Oh, and another thing: we've updated the price of all our old starter hairstyles. They're all just 25 Gold now. CHEAP!

Go Shopping!

In related news, we've been up to some major renovations of our registration process, which we'll probably release sometime in the next week. Since you're reading this announcement, I'm going to go out on a limb and assume you're already a Gaia member and that you don't really care about our amazing, fantastic registration improvements. Just to keep you informed, however, here are a few of the upcoming features:

A swanky new Flash interface.

A much easier interface for selecting your hair, eyes, mouth, gender, etc.

You already know about the new starter sets & hairstyles. But yeah.

Tons of new eye and mouth styles. We haven't cracked open the mossy old code to make these new styles available to existing members, so don't try to delete your avatar just yet. We'll make them available as soon as we can.

Meanwhile, enjoy all the new items! But first, stay tuned for a quick word from Lanzer.

• Note: due a technical error, you may have seen this announcement light up the announcement bubble thingie twice. We apologize for causing déjà vu.

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• Topic New Starter Sets & Hairstyles, Registration & New Homepage - Posted: lanzer Wed Feb 13, 2008 8:16 pm

On top of the new registration design, our design team are also testing out a totally different look that's a big departure to the current Gaia look and feel. We want to show it to a bunch of brand new users and get some feedback, so starting tomorrow, some of you will be seeing this alternative look for Gaia:

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Please note that this is not a final version but just a test version to collect feedback.

We've also setup a feedback thread to collect your opinion about this type of a look. Your opinion will help shape how we set the new look of Gaia moving forward. Thank you.

Site design feedback thread

-Lanzer

15 February's Monthly Collectibles are here! 2008

• Topic February's Monthly Collectibles are here! - Posted: [NPC] Rina Fri Feb 15, 2008 2:58 pm

Got your letters? OK, let's open 'em up on my count... one... two... THREE!!!

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Transform yourself into one of the classic archetypes of anime... the Magical Schoolgirl! Includes a dazzling pink wig, a red and white schoolgirl outfit, a magic wand, beautiful bows and more. And, of course, no magical schoolgirl would be complete without a cute little animal sidekick!

You know you're in serious trouble when the Four Horsemen show up. Luckily, they're under your control (for now). You can call forth the specters of the apocalyptic horses, or wield the horsemen's weapons: the bow of conquest, the scales of corruption, the skeletal scythe of death or the flaming sword of war.

You can buy February's Collectibles now in the Gaia Cash Shop!

15 Join us for the Gaia 5th anniversary event!

• Topic Join us for the Gaia 5th anniversary event! - Posted: lanzer Fri Feb 15, 2008 10:04 pm

Hello everyone!

Today's the day! It's the 5th year anniversary of Gaia Online. Please join our celebration party in the anniversary forum, hang out with me and many of the Gaia crew and get your special anniversary item!

Join the Party! http://www.gaiaonline.com/forum/gaia-s-5th-anniversary-ball/f.329/

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• Topic Join us for the Gaia 5th anniversary event! - Posted: fin Sun Feb 17, 2008 1:09 am

And check this out: DJ Helsing told the San Francisco Mayor's office all about Gaiaonline, Gaians and the 5th year anniversary and Mayor Gavin Newsom officially made February 18th, Gaiaonline Day - an official San Francisco Holiday! They gave us a signed proclamation on Friday!

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• Topic Join us for the Gaia 5th anniversary event! - Posted: Fleep Mon Feb 18, 2008 2:26 pm

Also, we have a special Anniversary item for everyone in the event forum as a "Thank You" to all the users who have made Gaia the place it is today!

Be sure to check out Lanzer's announcement in the event forum to get your item

19 New Movie... Muesday? New feature film & TV stuff!

• Topic New Movie... Muesday? New feature film & TV stuff! - Posted: [NPC] Ron Bruise Tue Feb 19, 2008 3:55 pm

Happy Tuesday, everyone! We didn't want to interrupt yesterday's anniversary festivities with a Cinema announcement, but as usual we've got a bunch of new stuff to show you. There's some classic TV, some not-so-classic TV and another new movie to keep you occupied. Have a look:

New TV Stuff:

Hex - Being a teenage girl is difficult, even if you have magical powers and are the last descendent in a line of witches. While I'm sure that many of you would classify your lives as "supernatural horror-dramas," this show is the real thing.

Werewolf - Unlike what they teach you in school, being a werewolf isn't all fun and games. This series follows the problems of Eric Cord, a guy with multiple problems: not only is he a werewolf, but he's a fugitive from justice after killing his werewolf roommate.

Married... With Children - The classic sitcom that redefined dysfunctional families for a new era. Featuring Al Bundy, one of television's most loveably unfortunate losers. Viewer discretion advised (in other words: awesome).

Plus: new episodes of What's Happening! And Diff'rent Strokes!

New Movies:

Pure Country - Actual country music superstar George Strait stars in this tale of a fictional country music superstar (who just happens to look like country music superstar George Strait) trying to rediscover his roots.

Visit Gaia Cinemas now to watch all this and more. To find the TV episodes, scroll down to the main movie listing window on the Cinemas page, click "Genre" and then select the "Television" listing. Enjoy!

Watch Stuff Now!

20 Kiki's Road Trip: WonderCon in San Francisco!

• Topic

21 Evolving Item Report: New item, plus five evolutions!

• Topic Evolving Item Report: New item, plus five evolutions! - Posted: [NPC] Dr. Singh Thu Feb 21, 2008 3:42 pm

Dr. Singh: Hello, everyone! This is Dr. Singh, Gaia's resident naturalist and evolutionary scholar. Sorry if I seem a little nervous this week... our unusual friend Timmy seems to be in the process of devouring my arm. How ya doing, little buddy? Grunt if you're OK!

Timmy: Rrrrgh!

Dr. Singh: Ouch! Watch the teeth! Much as I would love to call in sick today and try to pry this little monster offa me, we've got a lot of big, big news to report.

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First up, here's the top story: we have a new evolving item! I've just received word from Flynn in the Cash Shop that she's received a shipment of a mysterious new object called Alruna's Rose. It currently appears to be a gorgeous rose crowned with ethereal purple flame, but there's something strange about it. It evokes a powerful feeling, as if there's some intelligence within it. Flynn told me, in hushed tones, that both male and female customers seem drawn to the rose as if they're enchanted... seduced, even. To be honest, it gives me the creeps... in a good way.

More major news: As you may know, Fausto's Bottle, Gaia's signature evolving item, reached its final state of evolution last week. Next week, Fausto's Bottle will be leaving the Cash Shop. If you're looking to buy this evolutionary masterpiece, please don't delay, or you might miss your chance!

Timmy: Muurrff! Wmph nurbh fuh nur urtums!

Dr. Singh: You're absolutely right, Timmy.

Timmy: Furvh urrtum!

Dr. Singh: Indeed, it's a BIG week for item evolution! Five items have evolved into new forms: the Biancamella has become even lovelier this week, and the Green Corallus Egg is continuing to grow. The Experiment is also showing some signs of growth, although I still have no idea what scientific wonders may yet emerge from the beaker. The DandiiDooDad Spore will definitely make its owners squeal with delight: it's grown into a sweet little sentient plant-being!

Timmy: Arnh dur purhturrhch arrghhah...

Dr. Singh: Yes, little buddy. This week's big evolution news is the completion of the Pantheracorax Agate's growth! Owners of first-generation Agates can now witness the griffin's final form, or transform the item into any of its previous stages. If you own one of these evolving items, you can view its latest form by visiting the My Avatar screen, removing the item from your avatar and then reequiping it. That's all for this week, folks! Join us next week for another edition. Say bye bye now, Timmy.

Timmy: Gurrhh! Suhh yuhh nehh wurrk!

Dr. Singh: Now let me see if I can pry this little... YEEP!

...did I just say 'yeep'? This bodes ill...

22 Valentine's Day Contest: We Messed Up!

• Topic Valentine's Day Contest: We Messed Up! - Posted: admin Fri Feb 22, 2008 3:37 pm

Hey guys! Due to internal miscommunication and general office insanity, we accidentally released the voting for the Valentine's Day contest before the contest had even closed. The finalists that were up for voting weren't actually the final ones, but just the ones we'd selected so far. We also removed the entry form early, so people who were taking their sweet time to create the ultimate masterpiece may not have had a chance to submit it. Obviously, we feel like a bunch of big jerks.

Now that we've sobered up a little, we've re-opened the contest entry form and taken down the voting page. To make up for lost time, we'll be leaving the entry form open until Tuesday. We hope to have the updated list of finalists up for voting on Thursday.

If you'd like to submit a last-minute entry, you can find the entry form here.

We're terribly sorry for the screw-up!

A couple of things to note:

In fairness to the finalists whose work was already up for voting, we will not be removing or replacing any of their items from the final vote. If we get more awesome items before entries close, we'll add a few more finalists into the final voting.

If you already submitted your entry to the contest and received a confirmation, you do not need to resubmit it. We still have all the entries saved.

25 New Movie Monday: My Giant, new TV stuff + FULL SCREEN MODE!

• Topic New Movie Monday: My Giant, new TV stuff + FULL SCREEN MODE! - Posted: [NPC] Ron Bruise Mon Feb 25, 2008 4:03 pm

New Movie Monday is here again! We've got some exciting new material this week, including a bizarre Billy Crystal comedy, an exciting technical update, new TV episodes and the first-ever use of the word "hoochie" in a Gaia Online announcement ('bout time!). Feast your eyes:

New Movie:

My Giant - Billy Crystal stars in one of the finest "normal-sized guy on the road with huge guy" buddy comedies of all time, though it's not quite as good as Bill Murray's Larger Than Life (but in that one, the huge guy was technically an elephant). The sight of Billy Crystal dwarfed in comparison to a really tall guy is a vein of comedic gold that just never seems to run dry!

New TV Stuff:

The Ricki Lake Show - A quick Minisode of a trashy TV talk show classic. This week's topic: "My sister has no class... she's a hoochie!" The title alone is pure poetry. You'd be derelict in your support of the fine art of television if you didn't check this one out.

And as if that weren't sleazy enough, we've also got new episodes of Married... With Children and Fantasy Island.

To find the TV episodes, scroll down to the main movie listing window on the Cinemas page, click "Genre" and then select the "Television" listing. Enjoy!

Brand New Feature: Full Screen Viewing!

For those serious movie lovers who hate watching classics like My Giant in a teeny little window, we've added a "full screen" option. Have one of your nerd friends figure out how to hook your computer up to your TV and enjoy free movies on a reasonably-sized screen! To try it out, just click the little icon near the upper-right corner of the viewing screen.

Watch Stuff Now!

27 Update: new eyes/mouths/hair & the Weekly Poll

• Topic Update: new eyes/mouths/hair & the Weekly Poll - Posted: admin Wed Feb 27, 2008 4:40 pm

Hey, guys! A couple of updates to the ol' rowboat:

New Face Bits for All!

We've managed to crack open our old "delete avatar" code and make all of the new eye, hair and mouth styles available to everyone. If you'd like to try them out on your avatar, you can go to the My Avatar page and mess around with the 'choose expression' and 'choose mouth' sliders. To get new eyes or a new starter hairstyle, click "delete avatar" and recreate your character with a new base model.

Warning: deleting and recreating your avatar will cause you to lose your current hairstyle and custom event base model (alien, zombie, etc). All of your other equipped items will remain in your inventory, though.

If you'd prefer not to have a mouth, you'll need to delete your avatar. By default, it will have no mouth when you recreate it. Right now, you can't easily select a "no mouth" option in the mouth chooser, but we hope to add that soon.

The "delete avatar" screen still looks a little funky and runs on old code, but we've hacked in the new eyes, hairstyles and mouths for now. We're hoping to polish it up in a future update.

Big thanks for all your patience!

Weekly Poll!

Older Gaians might remember that we occasionally had little polls on our homepage to get quick feedback from our members. We've decided to bring this feature back and make it a little more regular. Henceforth, we shall have a Weekly Poll, where you can cast your vote on the week's topic and leave your comments in our poll thread.

The first Weekly Poll has already commenced. Visit Gaia's rude little Opinion Primate and tell him what you think!

Vote in the Weekly Poll

Future topics may range from serious to bizarre, so check back regularly to see what the little monkey dude is asking.

Much love,

-The Gaia Team

28 Cash Shop Update: Orphan Adoption + Evolving Item Report

• Topic Cash Shop Update: Orphan Adoption + Evolving Item Report - Posted: [NPC] Flynn Thu Feb 28, 2008 3:01 pm

Hey guys! This is Flynn, proud proprietor of the Gaia Cash Shop. I've got some exciting news about a very special Cash Shop update!

The housemother at the local adoption agency recently got in touch with me with an interesting proposition. A couple of months ago, Gaians banded together to help local orphans, generously lending their time and hard-earned Gold to bring the kids out of their miserable situation at the Shabby Meadows orphanage and into the sunny comforts of a reputable agency. Even after the holiday event was over, hundreds of Gaians asked if they could continue helping their little orphan buddies. The housemother was so touched by your dedication and generosity that she wants to allow the general Gaian public to adopt orphans!

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For a small adoption fee of 49 Gaia Cash, Gaians can now pick up an Certificate of Adoption in the Gaia Cash Shop. Opening this certificate will randomly assign you one of over a dozen adoptees, including some new faces that weren't seen during Gaia's holiday event.

In other news, we're releasing new costume colors for the Magical Schoolgirl! The popular February Collectible gets a nice little boost with six new skirt, scarf and shoe colors: yellow, green, blue, purple, pink and black. Please note that these color packs contain new clothing items only, and do not include the wig, weapon or sidekick features of the Collectible itself.

Don't forget: there's only one more day of February left! After tomorrow, we won't have any more February Collectible letters in stock, so get them while you still can.

That's it for this week's update. Stick around for an Evolving Item Report with Dr. Singh and her bitey little friend Timmy!

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• Topic Cash Shop Update: Orphan Adoption + Evolving Item Report - Posted: [NPC] Dr. Singh Thu Feb 28, 2008 3:02 pm

Dr. Singh: Hi, everyone! This is Dr. Singh, Gaia's foremost evolution expert. Welcome to the Evolving Item Report! My little buddy Timmy is still trying to devour my arm, so he will be unable to comment on th--

Timmysingh: Jeepers, Doc! I guess I shoulda mentioned that I figured out how to take over your mind and speak directly through your mouth! Isn't that a kick in the pants?

Dr. Singh: YEEP!

Timmysingh: It must have somethin' to do with my mutant drool coursin' through your blood stream, I guess. Anyway, let's get down to business!

Dr. Singh: Ugh... must... fight...

Timmysingh: Looks like we got two items evolvin' today! First of all, the... urrrghhh... quit yer mental strugglin', Doc! We've got a job to do! ...anywhose, Hermes' Moon has evolved again! It's one of the most popular items out there, so I know tons'a people are gonna want to check out the new form. Neato!

Dr. Singh: Neato... indeed...

Timmysingh: That's what I'm sayin! Also, I know the Doc doesn't much care for the ol' Orindae, that slimy little froggie in a jar, but I kinda like it! It's cute! It's evolving again this week, and I'm gonna come right out and say I'm happy about it. I guess the Doc would probably argue with me if I weren't controllin' her mind right now. Right, Doc?

Dr. Singh: Timmy... is... new master...

Timmysingh: Wow, I was thinkin' the same thing exactly. It's like we're of one mind. That's all for this week, folks! If you own one of these items, you can check out its new form by visiting the My Avatar screen, removing the item from your avatar and then reequiping it. Byebye for now, folks! Say bye, Doc!

Dr. Singh: Urrgh...

29 Maintenance Notice: Toolbar

• Topic Maintenance Notice: Toolbar - Posted: admin Thu Feb 28, 2008 11:12 pm

Oops, the code monkeys have escaped their cage again and this time have wreaked havoc upon the Gaia toolbar. Some of the toolbar features (like gold earning and your friendslist) are down but we're herding the monkeys with cattle prods back into their cage and will hopefully have them under control soon. Thanks for your patience; we'll keep you updated!

Disclaimer: no actual monkeys were harmed in the making of this announcement.

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• Topic Maintenance Notice: Toolbar - Posted: admin Fri Feb 29, 2008 12:20 am

Those pesky monkeys have been safely returned to their cage for the evening. All toolbar features should be up and running again. Thanks for bearing with us!

29 News Bulletin: Leap Day, Valentine's Voting, Orphan Fix

• Topic News Bulletin: Leap Day, Valentine's Voting, Orphan Fix - Posted: [NPC] Cindy Donovinh Thu Feb 28, 2008 6:05 pm

Good afternoon, Gaians! This is Cindy Donovinh with a quick update Gaia's latest news:

Valentine's Day Contest Voting: For Real This Time!

After last week's false start, we're happy to announce that we've got the final Valentine's finalists picked out and ready for voting. Check out the entries and cast your vote now!

Cast Your Vote Now!

We're Celebrating Leap Day, For Some Reason!

Some of you are probably wondering why today is February 29th, since conventional wisdom tells us that February only has 28 days. Don't panic! The Gregorian calendar hasn't come crashing down around us. It's merely leap day, an extra day that gets thrown into the calendar every four years for mathematical reasons, or something.

We won't pretend to understand how leap years work, and we're not willing to do the ten minutes of basic research it would take find out, but we WILL meaninglessly celebrate! Click the link below to get your free leap day item. Remember, this is a limited-time offer! You won't be this lucky again for another four years!

Get Your Free Leap Day Item!

Orphan Tweaks!

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Bear head kid on the left: where he at?

Some of you may have noticed that the bear-headed kid in the Cash Shop advertisements was being very elusive yesterday. A few of the ultra-rare orphans weren't being given out nearly enough, but the percentages have been tweaked to make them show up more often. A small (but reasonable) percentage of lucky adopters will be seeing some new faces today!

To adopt an orphan of your very own, you can pick up a Certificate of Adoption in the Gaia Cash Shop.

Adopt an Orphan!

Towns: Better!

Your Gaia Cash dollars at work! We've done a big upgrade to our Gaia Towns infrastructure, so avatars will load way faster now. The best part: no more "ghost" avatars when the rooms get crowded. Why not go take a look?

Notice The Improvement!

March

03 New Movie Monday + Weekly Poll!

• Topic New Movie Monday + Weekly Poll! - Posted: [NPC] Ron Bruise Mon Mar 03, 2008 4:01 pm

Time for another New Movie Monday! In honor of our newest friend, the Opinion Primate, we're bringing you an especially ape-filled comedy featuring a five-time Academy Award winner and orangutan who has, as far as we know, not won any Academy Awards (unless you count the one he won in 1987 for Best Sound Design).

New Movie:

Every Which Way But Loose - Featuring a star-studded cast that marries man and ape and big giant truck! I mean, it doesn't literally marry them, because that would be weird and illegal, but... actually, maybe that would be a much better movie. But we'll settle for this, which stars Clint Eastwood as a trucker with a chip on his shoulder and an orangutan by his side.

New TV Stuff:

Muddling Through - This extremely memorable mid-nineties features Friends star Jennifer Aniston and... uhh... here it is!

To find the TV episodes, scroll down to the main movie listing window on the Cinemas page, click "Genre" and then select the "Television" listing. Enjoy!

Watch Stuff Now!

And now let's stick around for a brief word from our fragrant new friend, the Opinion Primate...

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• Topic New Movie Monday + Weekly Poll! - Posted: [NPC] Opinion Primate Mon Mar 03, 2008 4:09 pm

Eeeeek! In my official capacities as Opinion Primate, I is duty-bound to direct you to the Weekly Poll!

Vote in the Weekly Poll!

Voooooote!

05 Kiki's Road Trip: MegaCon in Orland, Florida!

• Topic Kiki's Road Trip: MegaCon in Orland, Florida! - Posted: [NPC] Cindy Donovinh Wed Mar 05, 2008 2:15 pm

Gaia Online will be stopping by MegaCon at the Orange County Convention Center (Hall SB) in Orlando, Florida this weekend.

Be sure to visit the Gaia panel at 7PM on Friday, March 7th. As usual, we'll be bringing plenty of free Gold cards and some other great prizes a few lucky winners. Also, if you happen to like having fun, be sure to stop by the Official Gaia Emceed Dance Party at 9PM on Saturday night. There will be tons of free Gold and prizes during the party, so don't miss out. For more info on MegaCon and all the latest news on Kiki's Road Trip, visit our convention home page.

Find Out More about MegaCon!

See you there!

06 Shop Update: St. Patrick's Day + Evolving Item Report

• Topic Cash Shop Update: St. Patrick's Day + Evolving Item Report - Posted: [NPC] Flynn Thu Mar 06, 2008 4:12 pm

Hey, Gaians! Ready for a bit of Cash Shop news? You might have guessed by my Gaelic name that I've got a bit of a personal connection to an upcoming holiday, and it's time to start getting into the spirit...

New Items:

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Luck o' the Gairish! This week, we're adding a great new St. Patrick's Day item with tons of different uses and plenty of green so you won't get pinched. This thing can be equipped in a bunch of different ways, kinda like a mini-Collectible:

Leprechaun Plushie: A fine little faerie fellow in a sharp green suit! This rascally little leprechaun doll will keep you company in your quest for Gold.

Four-Leaf Clover Field: What could possibly be luckier than standing in a whole field of four-leaf clovers?

Leprechaun Hat: A charmingly jaunty little buckled hat.

Clover Bowtie: A big clover-covered bowtie to complete your St. Patrick's Day outfit.

Items Leaving the Shop:

Now's your last chance to get a couple of really cool items! These items will be leaving the shop on Wednesday the 12th, so don't miss out:

Eastern Zodiac (all forms)

Pantheracorax Agate

These items may return to the Cash Shop someday in the distant future... or they may not! You never know.

To get to the Gaia Cash Shop, just move your mouse over the "Market" menu and click "Gaia Cash Shop."

Now let's stick around for a quick word from our beloved Dr. Singh and that awful creature that's eating her arm...

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• Topic Cash Shop Update: St. Patrick's Day + Evolving Item Report - Posted: [NPC] Dr. Singh Thu Mar 06, 2008 4:20 pm

Dr. Singh: Hi, everybody! Welcome to the Evolving Item Report. I'm Dr. Singh, Gaia's top biologist. You may have noticed that I've got a small, mutated boy slowly devouring my arm like a snake eating a gopher. It's a long story, but that used to be my young pal Timmy. He's been trying his hardest to take over my mind and make me a slave-drone, but my superior intellect is keeping him at bay. He can still speak through my mouth, though. Show 'em, Timmy.

Timmysingh: Heya, Doc! Sure, you mighta wrestled control of your mind back for now, but you're definitely gonna be my puppet soon. But in the meantime, we've got a job to do!

Dr. Singh: Indeed we do, my villainous little parasite. There are two items evolving this week. Since you've violently implanted yourself in my mind anyway, would you care to start?

Timmysingh: Sure thing, boss! First up, the White Drome Egg has evolved again. I'm readin' the Doc's mind to try to figure out what it's gonna be, but I can't seem to get a clear answer, and... Jeepers, Doc! Choppin' me up with an axe? That's a rude thing to think about, even if I am swallerin' your arm!

Dr. Singh: Sorry, Timmy. Maybe I got a little carried away... Meanwhile, we've also seen signs that our newest and most mysterious item, Alruna's Rose, will be changing for the first time this week. It's too early to tell what this item may one day become, but its strange, seductive energy is growing more powerful every day.

Timmysingh: Yow! I want one!

Dr. Singh: Not now, Timmy. Maybe when you're older. This item may not be suitable for younger owners.

Timmysingh: Welp, I guess that's all the news this week. Now I'd better get back to devoting all my mental energy to taking over the Doc's brain. You ready, Doc? Here it comes!

Dr. Singh: Must.... YEEP! ...serve... Timmmy... nnnNO! Ahem. You'll have to try harder than that, young man. I'm on to your little game.

Timmysingh: Aww, shucks! Well, see ya later, everyone! We'll be back next time with some more horrifyin' mental chess!

07 Scion Contest: Behold the Victors!

• Topic Scion Contest: Behold the Victors! - Posted: Scion Cars Fri Mar 07, 2008 2:08 pm

The winners of the Scion auto item contest are in! There are four new items available in Sam's Body & Parts:

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Hearts: With her cute profile and darling avatar, it's no surprise that sazupupu designed this perfect heart antenna. "Floating hearts for our car antennas so we can listen to the sound of love," she explains. We dug the heart motif so much, we threw in a new heart paintjob, too. Bonus!

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Hot Rod Pipes: The great Corrupted Hunter submitted these chrome hot rod pipes, which add some serious muscle to your car (or your UFO). Be sure to give him props next time you see him in Rally, because we're guessing these will be some of the most popular auto items out there.

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The Cardboard Box: Devoted gearhead Reiji Maeda is a familiar face in the Scion Forum, so we're glad to see his hoboesque Cardboard Box paintjob in the shops. Says he: "This paint or side decal will make the entire car look like its actually home made with just cardboard and duct tape."

We'd like to thank all the entrants for their hard work and great imagination! Major congrats to the winners. We hope you enjoy the items!

Get the Winning Items!

10 New Movie Monday, Weekly Poll & Contest

• Topic New Movie Monday, Weekly Poll & Contest - Posted: [NPC] Ron Bruise Mon Mar 10, 2008 4:03 pm

Happy Monday, guys! This week, I'm positively electrified to bring you a great movie from my acting heyday, the glorious 1980s. I've also got some quick news on a new contest and another Weekly Poll. Whoo!

New Movie:

Under the Cherry Moon: Sensual muskdwarf Prince stars in this romantic-musical-comedy-drama about a pair of grifters trying to bilk rich lady out of her fortune. Worth watching for the plot, but the wicked Prince soundtrack warrants repeat viewings for 80s pop fans.

Watch Stuff Now!

New Contest:

Wow, what am I, a newscaster? Maybe I should be making Cindy do this...

Anyway, we've got a brand new item design contest! This time around, we're getting specific: we want you to create an item for your avatar's torso. This includes your back, your chest, your belly and anything in the thorax region. It could be a cape, backpack, shirt, blouse, or anything that fits on that general area.

One extra rule: no wings! In all of our contests, about 50% of the entries are wings of some sort, so we've decided to rule them out to make the entries a little more diverse. Sorry!

Enter Your Designs!

Weekly Poll:

The Opinion Primate his scampered down from his lonely tree of bitterness to chatter another probing question at us. Care to share your feelings about the important issues of our time? Go vote!

Vote in the Weekly Poll

11 Gaia nominated for Webware 100 award for 2008

• Topic Gaia nominated for Webware 100 award for 2008 - Posted: lanzer Tue Mar 11, 2008 10:08 pm

Hello everyone,

The Webware 100 award is open once again, a little earlier than last year. For those who haven't heard of it, the Webware award is a user driven award that points out great websites across 10 different categories of services. It's a great recognition that we've been nominated for this year, and once again we have a chance of actually being a winner as the best community!

It'd be great to have your support and motivate our team for the rest of the year. Click here to vote for Gaia!

Thank you everyone!

-Lanzer

13 Kiki's Road Trip: Wizard World in Los Angeles!

• Topic Kiki's Road Trip: Wizard World in Los Angeles! - Posted: admin Thu Mar 13, 2008 1:37 pm

Kiki's Road Trip: Wizard World in Los Angeles!

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Gaia Online will be stopping by Wizard World at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, California this weekend.

You can catch the Gaia panel at 5:30PM on Friday, March 14th in room 511. As usual, we'll be bringing plenty of free Gold cards and some other great prizes for a few lucky winners. All panel attendees will get a sneak peak at Gaia's new Flash game, as well as new screen shots from the long-awaited "Battle" project. There will be tons of free Gold and prizes during the gathering, so don't miss out. For more info on Wizard World and all the latest news on Kiki's Road Trip, visit our convention home page.

Find Out More about Wizard World!

See you soon!

13 Cash Shop Update: New Evolving Item!

• Topic Cash Shop Update: New Evolving Item! - Posted: [NPC] Flynn Thu Mar 13, 2008 4:44 pm

Hey guys! I have a really quick update today, so let's get right into it:

New Items:

New Evolving Item: We've got a brand-new evolving item hitting the shelves this week: the Dionaesil. It just looks like a potted plant to me, but be sure to stick around for the Evolving Item Report. Dr. Singh might know something about it...

Items Leaving the Shop:

Certificate of Adoption: Agency has been very pleased with the results of their recent adoption drive! Almost all of the orphans on Gaia have now found loving homes, and the adoption agency will be discontinuing Certificates of Adoption next week. The Adoption Certificate will leave the shop next Thursday, so don't miss out!

That's it for this week. Now let's hand it over to Dr. Singh, who seems to be behaving a bit strangely this week...

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• Topic Cash Shop Update: New Evolving Item! - Posted: [NPC] Dr. Singh Thu Mar 13, 2008 4:44 pm

Dr. Singh: Howdy, folks! Welcome to my report! My name is Doc, and I'm some kind of fancy science lady who knows a buncha stuff. This handsome lil' fella you see gnawin' on my arm here is Timmy, the unquestioned... YEEP! ...master of all that he surveys!

Timmysingh: Thanks for the kind introduction, Doc! I'm glad ya finally accepted my way of seein' things.

Dr. Singh: Well golly, Timmy! Of course I accept you as my master. You'd have to be... YEEP! ...some kinda big dumb idiot to disagree with someone so smart an' handsome as me... I mean... you. Anyways, let's stop all this talkin' about how great Timmy is and get to the good stuff. This week, we got a brand new evolving item for you guys! It's called the Dionaesil, and it looks to be some kinda... plant thinger.

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Timmysingh: Yeah... looks like a... some kinda plant.

Dr. Singh: Being a smart science lady, I can tell you that this plant is... uhh... this plant is real special. This is an extra-fancy plant. It's got a... it's got leaves and molecules and... gggrAAARRGH... must... fight...

Timmysingh: Uh oh... looks like the Doc's gettin' feisty...

Dr. Singh: Argh! Damn it, Timmy, I may not be able to keep you from controlling my mind, but I won't have you perverting the name of science with your uninformed gibberish. What we have here is a Dionaesil, an incredible organism from the deep jungle surrounding Gaia's Otami ruins, northwest of Barton. Though plantlike in appearance, its unpredictable growth almost seems to display a kind of primitive intelligence. I don't know where Flynn managed to find these specimens, but I can't wait to further observe their unique propert... urrghh... uhh...

Timmysingh: Whew. She's a tough one. Soooooo anywho, we've also got a couple of items evolvin' this week. The Biancamella, which is definitely one of our prettiest items, has changed again. Hermes' Moon also evolved again this week. I can't wait to see what that little bunny's doin' this time! If you own one of these items, you can check out its new form by visiting the My Avatar screen, removing the item from your avatar and then reequiping it.

Dr. Singh: Well, we're plum outta time this week, folks! Me and my wonderful handsome friend Timmy hafta go now, but we'll see you again real... YEEP! ...soon.

14 Big T-Shirt sale in the Gaia Store!

• Topic Big T-Shirt sale in the Gaia Store! - Posted: [NPC] Cindy Donovinh Fri Mar 14, 2008 10:22 pm

This just in: an unusually agitated member of the Gaia Staff just handed me this urgent bulletin!

Boooooy howdy, ladies and gentlemen, we've got ourselves a FIRE SALE!

All t-shirts must go! Every single t-shirt in the Gaia Store is now FIVE BUCKS OFF its original price! Incredible savings! Ridiculous, stupefyingly low prices! Brain-melting deals!

Why have we slashed prices on all of our shirts up to 41.65 percent!? Because we have deep-rooted psychological problems that can only be soothed by unfathomable bargains! We invite you to take advantage of our temporary insanity from now until March 31st!

Visit the Gaia Store

15 The March Monthly Collectibles are here! 2008

• Topic The March Monthly Collectibles are here! - Posted: [NPC] Rina Sat Mar 15, 2008 2:46 pm

It's the 15th!!! Time to open our letters!!! Can't... tear open... fast enough...!!!

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Take a trip down the rabbit hole to Wonderland, where you'll find tons of whimsical nonsense from the classic tale. Includes the Cheshire Cat (and his mysterious grin), the Mad Hatter's tophat, Alice's blue dress, a flamingo croquet set and much more.

Legendary warriors demand only the finest protection. The Samurai Yoroi is the armor of choice for the discriminating ancient swordsman; it includes several helmet and facemask choices, a battle flag, a plated cuirass and more.

You can buy the March Collectibles now in the Gaia Cash Shop!

17 New Movie Monday + Weekly Poll & Convention Tour

• Topic New Movie Monday + Weekly Poll & Convention Tour - Posted: [NPC] Ron Bruise Mon Mar 17, 2008 4:08 pm

Whoooo! New Movie Monday! I'm o'erspilling with zest and hubris! We've got another not-so-classic 80s classic comin' atcha this week, plus another Weekly Poll from everyone's second-favorite curious monkey.

New Movie:

Soul Man: The 80s was a less enlightened time, my friends. Back then, it was still considered OK to make a movie about a white college student disguising himself as a black man in order to dupe an affirmative action program and get into Harvard, which is exactly what happens in this hilariously misguided comedy.

Watch Stuff Now!

Weekly Poll:

Last week's poll was kind of a downer, but we're back to the fun stuff this time around. This week, we've got a classic nerd debate: which is the best movie trilogy of all time? Go vote for your favorite!

Vote in the Weekly Poll

New Stops on Kiki's Tour:

We've added a couple of new stops to Kiki's Road Trip! In the coming months, we'll be heading to Dallas, TX for A Kon and San Jose, CA for FanimeCon. If you live in either of those places, we really hope to see you there! For more info, visit our Convention Tour homepage:

Come Say Howdy!

Ciao, my adoring fans. See you next Monday!

19 News Bulletin: Kiki's Tour at Anime Boston + Gaia Badge

• Topic News Bulletin: Kiki's Tour at Anime Boston + Gaia Badge - Posted: [NPC] Cindy Donovinh Wed Mar 19, 2008 4:38 pm

Good afternoon, Gaia. This is Cindy Donovinh with a quick news update from the Gaia team:

Try Out the Gaia Badge!

Are you a proud Gaian? Do you love showing off? We've got just the thing for you.

The Gaia Avatar Badge is a graphical widget that you can add to your MySpace profile, blog, or any page that allows you to embed HTML. It proudly displays your latest avatar and allows you to include links to your profile, journal, and show off your Gaia birthday. You can even display your wealth in Gold, if you want to brag a little.

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We go play hoop!

Our handy Badge interface lets you to customize backgrounds and colors, and publishing your badge to major profile or blog sites is a breeze with the push of a button on the new publishing tool (you can also just copy/paste an embeddable code snippet, if you like things the old fashioned way). The good ol' Sig Lab has gotten a bit of a face lift as well, and is now easily accessed through the new Gaia Avatar Badge.

Go check it out!

Make a Badge!

Kiki's Road Trip: Anime Boston!

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Gaia Online will be stopping by Anime Boston at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston, MA this weekend.

You can catch the Gaia panel at 5:30PM on Saturday, March 22nd in room 311. As usual, we'll be bringing plenty of free Gold cards and some other great prizes for a few lucky winners. All panel attendees will get a sneak peak at Gaia's new Flash game, as well as new screen shots from the long-awaited "Battle" project. There will be tons of free Gold and prizes during the gathering, so don't miss out.

In addition, all panel attendees will be among the first to receive a special limited-edition ring for use in Gaia's upcoming MMO.

For more info on Anime Boston and all the latest news on Kiki's Road Trip, visit our convention home page.

Find Out More about Anime Boston!

A Stupid Joke For Absolutely No Reason

So there's this travelling tractor salesman, and he heads over to Rancher Bill's place to try to sell him a new tractor. He knocks on the door, but there's no answer. He sees Bill's car in the driveway, so he knows he's home. He tries a few more times, and finally decides to just go around back to look for him.

When he gets into the back yard, he sees Bill standing underneath an apple tree, holding a large pig up above his head. Bill's knees are shaking under the weight, and the pig is lazily chewing apples off the tree. When the pig finishes an apple, Bill carries him to another part of the tree and hoists him up again for another.

"Excuse me," says the salesman. "May I ask what exactly you're doing?"

"Well, sir," says Bill, "I'm just feedin' my pig. He loves apples."

The travelling salesman is incredulous. "Why not just wait for the apples to fall down, so the pig could eat them off the ground? I mean, wouldn't that save a lot of time?"

Rancher Bill contemplates it for a moment. "Yeah, but time ain't nothin' to a pig."

An Apology for the Preceding Joke

I apologize for that stupid joke!

20 Cash Shop Update: Easter Items + Evolving Item Report

• Topic Cash Shop Update: Easter Items + Evolving Item Report - Posted: [NPC] Flynn Thu Mar 20, 2008 4:13 pm

Hiya, Cash Shop customers! One of the cutest holidays is coming up, and I'm celebrating with some limited-edition bunny and chicky items!

New Items:

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Bunny Hoodie: A hooded sweatshirt with cute bunny ears. Wear it with the hood up or down, and keep your hands in the pockets if it gets chilly. You can also choose to wear just the hood! Available in blue, white and brown.

Chicky Hoodie: A fluffy yellow hoodie with a cute chicky face on the hood. It has all the great features of the Bunny hoodie, too: a working hood and pockets, plus a hood-only mode.

Bun-bun Plushie: A sweet little Easter bunny plushie! Available in blue, white or brown.

To pick up an Easter item for yourself or as a gift for a friend, visit the Gaia Cash Shop! You can find it under the "Market" menu in the navigation bar. To learn more about Gaia Cash, click here.

That's it for this week! We've got an evolving item update from Dr. Singh and Timmy coming up, so stick around.

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• Topic Cash Shop Update: Easter Items + Evolving Item Report - Posted: [NPC] Dr. Singh Thu Mar 20, 2008 4:15 pm

Timmysingh: Hey guys! This is yer pal Timmy, and I'm talkin' through the Doc's face because my mouth is too busy gnawin' on her arm. It looks like I'm makin' some progress, though! Pretty soon, I'm plannin' on integrating myself into the Doc's body, so we'll be one organism! Won't that be swell?

Dr. Singh: To be honest, Timmy, I'm not quite sure I approve... but let's discuss this later. We have work to do.

Timmysingh: Oh yeah, that reminds me! You mighta noticed that I'm not controllin' the Doc's brain this week. After all the business last week where I wasn't doin' a good job tellin' you guys about the items, we made an agreement that she gets to handle the science stuff and I'll only control her brain durin' our leisure time.

Dr. Singh: You're very considerate.

Timmysingh: Thanks! It's the least I can do, since I've been makin' thinks a little inconvenient lately with the whole arm-eatin' business. Anywho, shall we get started?

Dr. Singh: Sure thing, little friend. Three items seem to be evolving this week. Alruna's Rose is starting to develop in an unexpected way; it appears to be taking on an almost animal aspect. Meanwhile, The Experiment is continuing ever further down the slippery slope of reckless science. We can only hope it won't doom us all!

Timmysingh: And what about the third item, doc?

Dr. Singh: Yecch. Much as I loathe to willingly let you talk through my mouth, I think I'm going to let you handle the last one. I just plain don't like it.

Timmysingh: Alrighty, Doc, that's fine with me! OK, guys, I don't know why the Doc is so creeped out by the Orindae, but she doesn't even like lookin' at it. Sure, it maybe slimy and bulbous and warty, but that's no reason to make it feel unwelcome! It's gettin' even bigger and uglier this week, but I think it's sorta cute...

Dr. Singh: Ugh.

Timmysingh: To see these new poses, just visit the My Avatar screen, remove the item from your avatar and then reequip it. That's it for this week, folks! See ya later!

Dr. Singh: Goodbye, everyone! We'll be back soon with more evolving item news.

25 Upcoming events on Gaia, your feedback needed

• Topic Upcoming events on Gaia, your feedback needed - Posted: lanzer Tue Mar 25, 2008 6:47 pm

This year we're dedicating a ton of developers on battle system to make sure that it's as great as we want it to be, and along with this decision, many of the things that we wanted to do this year were delayed or scaled down. One of these features was the Easter Event. But where we really messed up was that we failed to let everyone know that there is no Easter event celebration ahead of time, and the combination of everything resulted in a lot disappointment during Easter weekend. I'm sincerely sorry for our decisions and our mistake, and I want to assure you that we're working on a lot of things to make up for it.

For the upcoming summer event, we want to make sure that we deliver what you want. I've set up a feedback thread so everyone can tell us what they would like to see.

Click here for the Summer Event Feedback Thread

On top of that, we've decided put something together between now and the summer event, probably around graduation (prom?) time. Please stay tuned for more details.

On the items end, we've finished the work on this week's Cash Shop early, so we're getting that out of the way so we can focus on next week's big gold shop update. Hope there will be something for everyone.

-Lanzer

25 Cash Shop Update: The Infinity Hat

• Topic Cash Shop Update: The Infinity Hat - Posted: [NPC] Flynn Tue Mar 25, 2008 5:48 pm

Hey guys! I know I usually send out my shop updates on Thursdays, but this time I just can't wait. A new item just hit the shelves of the Cash Shop, and it's so ridiculous and amazing that I've just gotta tell you about it.

The Infinity Hat!

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This strange hat generator will spawn a random piece of headgear when you activate it. You never know what you might get! It's packed with dozens of hats: a whole bunch of brand new ones, many with several poses, plus a bunch of rare and valuable hats from Gaia's past. No matter what you get, you'll be looking good!

To pick up an Infinity Hat for yourself or as a gift for a friend, visit the Gaia Cash Shop! You can find it under the "Market" menu in the navigation bar. To learn more about Gaia Cash, click here.

The Weekly Poll:

This week's poll involves the Cash Shop, so I thought I'd take a second to remind you to go cast your vote!

Vote in the Weekly Poll

Don't forget to check back on Thursday! Dr. Singh and Timmy will be stopping by for their usual Evolving Item Report, so don't miss it.

26 News Bulletin: Sakura Con, GStore Sale + Valentine's Contest

• Topic News Bulletin: Sakura Con, GStore Sale + Valentine's Contest - Posted: [NPC] Cindy Donovinh Wed Mar 26, 2008 5:18 pm

Good afternoon, Gaians. This is Cindy Donovinh with a quick news bulletin from the Gaia team:

Kiki's Road Trip: Sakura Con!

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Batten down your flannel, Seattleites! Gaia Online will be stopping by Sakura Con at the Washington State Convention and Trade Center in Seattle, WA this weekend, and we'd love to see you there.

You can catch the Gaia panel at 3:00PM on Saturday, March 29th in room 611 - 614. As usual, we'll be bringing plenty of free Gold cards and some other great prizes for a few lucky winners. All panel attendees will get a sneak peak at new screen shots from the long-awaited "Battle" project.

In addition, all panel attendees will be among the first to receive a special limited-edition ring for use in Gaia's upcoming MMO.

Also be sure to stop by the Official Gaia Sponsored Anime Dance after the panel at 3:00PM on Saturday, March 29th in room 6E. There will be tons of free Gold and prizes during the dance, so don't miss out.

For more info on Sakura Con and all the latest news on Kiki's Road Trip, visit our convention home page.

Find Out More about Sakura Con!

Gaia Store Sale Ends Soon!

Hey you! Remember how we're having an INSANELY HUGE FIRE SALE in the Gaia Store? Well, it's ending on the 31st, so now's your chance to snag some Gaia gear at insultingly low prices. Go ahead, rip us off! Fleece us like the fluffy sheep we are! We'll love every minute of it!

Just to recap:

All shirts are $5 off!

Gaia sweatpants are $5 off!

Ssssaaaaviings!

Visit the Gaia Store!

Valentine's Day Item Contest: The Winner!

Oh no! Valentine's Day is only 11 months away! What in the world will you wear?

Great news: your votes are in, and the winner of Gaia's 2008 Valentine's Day item contest has been chosen! Omikuji is the big winner this time, and her lovely Ribbon Luv Sleeves are now being sold at Gambino Outfitters. Stop by and pick up a pair! They come in six colors, so they're suitable all year 'round. A perfect compliment to any outfit!

Be sure to congratulate Omikuji on her awesome entry!

Check out the winning item!

27 Make Some Mischief!

• Topic Make Some Mischief! - Posted: [NPC] Moira Wed Mar 26, 2008 5:42 pm

There are millions of people on Gaia. Millions. So why haven't we taken over the world yet? It's time to get started.

Step 1: dominate the cultural landscape.

We've set up a brand new mini-site on Gaia where you can help us mess with the outside world by making a bit of creative mischief. Can you put up a Gaia logo in a weird place? Can you sneak Gaia into a newspaper, a TV broadcast or a radio show? If you're a hardcore Gaia lover, we know you're wily enough to find a way. Submit your best photos, videos or press clippings... if you pull off something amazing, we'll toast your heroism and reward your bravery with some cool prizes.

Every month, the Gaia Staff will review all entries and choose a few winners, who will receive some incredible Gaia items as prizes.

Make some Mischief!

27 Evolving Item Report: Corallus, White Drome and Hermes Moon

• Topic Evolving Item Report: Corallus, White Drome and Hermes Moon - Posted: [NPC] Dr. Singh Wed Mar 26, 2008 4:21 pm

Timmysingh: Hiya, friends! This is Timmy, Gaia's most famous science guy, and this is my assistant, the Doc. You mighta noticed that I'm currently swallerin' her arm, and soon I'm gonna take over her whole body. Almost done!

Dr. Singh: Now wait a minute, Timmy. Since when am I your assistant?

Timmysingh: Well, Doc, I decided that since I can take over your brain and whatnot, it might be better if I was officially in charge from now on. Don't worry, I'm still gonna let you mostly be free, but--

Dr. Singh: That's outrageous! You're in no position to start bossing me around, you little...

Timmysingh: Don't be a brat about it, Doc, or I'll take over your brain again.

Dr. Singh: Hi, this is the Doc, and I'm a big dumb jerk who talks about science all day, I love molecules and I want to marry them, blah blah blah, atomic weight of rubidium, blah de blah blah.

Timmysingh: See?

Dr. Singh: Arrgh... you insufferable little... we've got to stop this, Timmy. We've got a job to do. These people rely on us for the latest news about evolving items, and we can't let our petty personal struggles get in the way of that.

Timmysingh: OK, I'm glad we agree. Let's get down to business.

Dr. Singh: We've got four items evolving this week. First of all, people with first-generation Corallus Eggs are in for a treat: the item has finished evolving, and its amazing final stage is now available.

Timmysingh: Jeepers, Doc! It's amazing!

Dr. Singh: Stop squirming! Your horrible little kitten teeth are irritating my shoulder!

Timmysingh: Sorry, I just got a little worked up. Anywho, the White Drome Egg is also evolving this week! Looks like the little fella is getting' kinda feisty! They're so cute when they're that age...

Dr. Singh: Be careful, Drome Egg owners! Sometimes things look cute and harmless, but they're actually sadistic little creatures who'll take the first opportunity to betray and devour you.

Timmysingh: And how!

Dr. Singh: Meanwhile, the DandiiDooDad Spore is continuing to evolve. Last but not least, the ever-popular Hermes' Moon seems to be growing lovelier by the week!

Timmysingh: Just like us! Right, Doc? Right? We're gonna be the most glorious creature in all of Gaia soon!

Dr. Singh: Yes, Timmy. That sounds wonderful. I can't wait to become a freakish monster with the mind of a child.

Timmysingh: Aww, quit whinin' and fetch me some taffy.

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• Topic Evolving Item Report: Corallus, White Drome and Hermes Moon - Posted: L0cke Thu Mar 27, 2008 9:11 pm

Hey Everyone!

Just wanted to let you all know that we had a small bug with the Green Corallus Egg item, it has all its new poses added now, so be sure to check it out and sorry for the mix up

peace~!

April

01 Rising Sun: Hundreds of new items in the Shops!

• Topic Rising Sun: Hundreds of new items in the Shops! - Posted: [NPC] Liam Tue Apr 01, 2008 4:27 pm

'Sup, guys? I just got a note from the Gaia team about a bunch of new stuff. Check it out:

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Gaia's shops have received a massive shipment! You'll find tons of new items in almost every shop, including new hairstyles in Salon Durem, new makeup in Skin Tyte and some special items in Prize & Joy.

The Rising Sun update includes a bunch of sets-- Buddhist, and Shinto robes, Benkei warrior garments, elegant Furisode kimonos-- plus many random festive items from the Land of the Rising Sun: paper lanterns, fans, goldfish, and more. There are lots of surprises, so be sure to look everywhere!

Here's a tip: be sure to take a look at the mUltipants in Barton Boutique... there's something a little strange about this item. You'd better pick up a pair before Rufus notices the weirdness and removes them from the shop. I'm guessing they'll only be around for a VERY limited time!

Go Shopping!

Oh, and stick around for a second, would ya? Flynn wanted to take a minute for some Cash Shop news...

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• Topic Rising Sun: Hundreds of new items in the Shops! - Posted: [NPC] Flynn Tue Apr 01, 2008 4:51 pm

Hey, guys! Just thought I'd butt in with a quick note about some Cash Shop business. We've got a few limited-edition items leaving the shop this week, and I thought I'd give you one last crack at them before they're out of stock:

Items Leaving the Shop:

• The Infinity Hat

• Luck O' the Gairish

• Kappa Plush

• Long-Stem Gilded Rose

These items will leave the shop on Thursday, April 3, so don't miss out on your chance to snag one!

03 Mobile Phone Payments: Problem!

• Topic Mobile Phone Payments: Problem! - Posted: admin Wed Apr 02, 2008 7:41 pm

Dear friends,

We're having some technical difficulties with our mobile phone payment system right now. If you try to buy Gaia stuff with your cell phone, it probably won't work. We're working with the mobile phone companies to get this stuff straightened out, and it'll probably be fixed within a few days.

In the meantime, please remember that the best things in life are free anyway: the smell of wildflowers; the sound of a good friend's laughter; the strange euphoria of reading boring technical announcements on Gaia.

Thanks, -The Gaia Team

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• Topic Mobile Phone Payments: Problem! - Posted: admin Thu Apr 03, 2008 3:06 pm

OK, mobile payments should be back up and running now. Thanks for your patience!

03 News Bulletin: Contest Voting, Big Sale, Marketplace Updates

• Topic News Bulletin: Contest Voting, Big Sale, Marketplace Updates - Posted: [NPC] Cindy Donovinh Thu Apr 03, 2008 2:19 pm

Good afternoon, Gaians. This is Cindy Donovinh with a quick bulletin from the Gaia staff. In case you're daunted by all these words, here's a quick rundown:

• This week's Cash Shop/Evolving update will happen on Friday.
• Another big sale in the Gaia Store! Plushies $5 off!
• New privacy settings in your account page. Check it out please!
• The finalists for the Torso Contest are in! Time to vote!
• A couple of changes to the Marketplace. Vendors, lend us your ears.

Read on for further details:

Cash Shop Update: How'bout Friday?

The Opinion Primate recently ran a Weekly Poll to ask which day of the week would be the best time for Cash Shop updates. Most people seemed to prefer either Monday or Friday; Mondays updates would be more difficult for the team to pull together, so we've decided to give Friday a try.

This week, the Evolving Item Report will be released on Friday. If it works well for you guys and for us, we'll try to continue doing Friday updates. If not, we'll keep looking for the right time to do it.

Thanks for all your feedback on this!

ANOTHER Amazing Sale!?

You'd think that our bargain muscles would be all sore and aching after last month's ridiculous t-shirt sale, but we've decided to push ourselves even further over the CLIFF OF THRIFT!

We're knocking five bucks off the price of each and every plushie in the Gaia Store 'til the end of the month! Please feel free to take advantage of our temporary insanity and snag some cheap stuff!

Get Some Cheap Plushies!

Coming Soon: Find Your Friends - New Privacy Settings

Sometime in the next few weeks, we're going to launch a pretty cool improvement/replacement for our invite system. The Find a Friend feature will let you search for all your friends who are already Gaia members-- you may have friends here that you didn't even know about. It will let you enter email addresses (or even import your whole email address book) and then automatically search for Gaians who match the addresses. If none of your friends are already here, you can easily send them invites and earn some Gold.

Of course, privacy is important with a thing like this. Starting today, we've added new privacy settings that will let you decide in advance whether or not you'd like your friends to be able to find you by searching for your email address. By default, members will be able to find you in an email search. If you'd prefer to stay hidden, just visit your "Account" page, scroll down to the "Friendlist" section, and change the "Allow other users to find you..." setting to "No."

Even if you set the option to "Yes," your email address will never be displayed or revealed to anyone unless they specifically search for it.

Change your Privacy Settings

Remember: you can always change this setting again later if you change your mind.

Torso Item Contest: Votey Votey!

The finalists are in! We've got a bunch of great user-submitted capes, shirts, backpacks and whatnots to pick from, so scrutinize them carefully and choose wisely.

Check Out the Finalists!

Some Marketplace Changes

In order to make the marketplace fairer, more functional and more difficult to abuse, we'll be making a couple of changes next week:

1) After the first five minutes, auctions with bidding enabled cannot be cancelled. The ability to cancel listings freely has created a lot of problems in the marketplace. Currently, a huge percentage of auctions (something like 30%) are cancelled early. It's a vicious circle: sellers cancel because they're not getting enough bids, and buyers won't bid because they don't want their Gold held up by an auction that may just be cancelled anyway. This has been a major complaint among a lot of marketplace users, and we hope this change will, in the long run, make things better for both buyers and sellers.

Listings without bidding enabled ("buy-only" listings) can still be cancelled at any time.

2) If a listing is bid upon during the last minute before it expires, the listing will be given an automatic one-minute extension. This is intended to prevent 'sniping,' giving users on slower connections a more level playing field and making it more difficult for botters to exploit the marketplace. Sellers can still choose to accept a bid whenever they want, so they won't have to worry about auctions that drag on forever due to constant outbids.

Both of these changes have been requested by Gaia members for ages, and after a lot of thought, we've decided that these could make using the marketplace a better experience for everyone. For more marketplace help & info, check out the FAQ.

Thanks for your time, and have a fantastic day!

04 Evolving Item Report: Alruna's Rose, Dionaesil & Biancamella

• Topic Evolving Item Report: Alruna's Rose, Dionaesil & Biancamella - Posted: [NPC] Dr. Singh Fri, 04 Apr 2008 20:16:11 +0000

Dr. Singh: Hi, everyone! Welcome to the Evolving Item Report. I'm Dr. Singh, Gaia's resident naturalist, and this little creature melding into my arm is Timmy. If you're wondering about this fellow standing behind me, we'll address that a little later. First, we've got to get down to business.

Timmysingh: Oh boy, Doc! We've got some crazy stuff goin' on today! Three evolutions, including one thing reachin' its final stage!

Dr. Singh: Indeed, my dear boy. Alruna's Rose has grown once again, and we can now see that it's developing into a fully-formed creature. My studies indicate that this is just the beginning, however, and it's still got some major surprises in store. Over the coming months, it will continue to develop into something truly astounding.

Timmysingh: What'll it be, Doc!? What'llitbewhat'llitbewhat'llitbe!!?

Dr. Singh: Be patient, little friend. We'll know soon enough. The Dionaesil appears to be sprouting this week, as well, though it's in the very early stages of its growth.

Timmysingh: Still kinda looks like a plant, Doc.

Dr. Singh: That's because it IS a plant. It takes time to grow, but we can be sure that it'll turn into something very unusual. But the big news this week is the Biancamella, one of the most sought-after evolving items in the world. We're incredibly proud to report that, this week, the sugary confection will reach its final stage of growth. First-generarion Biancamellas will now have every single mode available, plus an incredible amount of new poses. This item has truly exceeded our wildest expectations:

User Image

Timmysingh: YEEEEEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeeep!!!

Dr. Singh: You said a mouthful, Timbo. Remember: later generations of the Biancamella will still take some time to reach their final stages. If you own one of these items, you can visit the My Avatar page, remove the item and reequip it to see the new evolutions.

Timmysingh: That's all for this week, folks!

Dr. Singh: But they're probably still wondering about this Labtech standing with us...

Labtech Gene: I can field this one, Dr. Singh. I'm Labtech Gene, one of the few remaining specialists in the field of genetic surgery... as you may know, G-Corp has had a few mishaps in recent years that have claimed the lives of a lot of my colleagues, but I've managed to stick around so far. Dr. Singh wrote me a letter a few weeks ago asking for help with a unique genetic problem, so I've come to help her out with her... Timmy situation.

Timmysingh: I'm not a 'situation'! I'm a human being! Or, I used to be one, I guess...

Labtech Gene: Is it my imagination, Dr. Singh, or has this little mutated child been speaking through your mouth?

Dr. Singh: Yeah, he does that. He can take over my mind, too. That's why I'm trying to get the little fellow off my arm before things get any worse.

Labtech Gene: I'll have to run some tests to get a full understanding of what needs to be done. Perhaps we'll have more information next week. I'd better get to work.

Dr. Singh: See you next week, everyone!

07 New Movie Monday + Weekly Poll: ROCK OUT!

• Topic New Movie Monday + Weekly Poll: ROCK OUT! - Posted: [NPC] Ron Bruise Mon Apr 07, 2008 5:13 pm

Mondays have been called a lot of things, but I don't think ROCKIN' has ever been one of them. Until today. We're back with another free movie in Gaia Cinemas... it might be a little less free than the others, though, since you'll probably want to upgrade your speakers.

New Movie:

Led Zeppelin - The Song Remains the Same: A massive concert film from one of the hugest rock bands in history. Rock fans will need no convincing to check this one out, and non-rock-fans might want to take a look to see what all the rock fans have been waving lighters about since 1973.

Watch Stuff Now!

Weekly Poll:

The Opinion Primate has a very important question this week, so you'd better head over and see him! It's about Gaia's storyline, so I know you've got an opinion. Personally, I say bring back Ron Bruise! Maybe give me romantic subplot this time! WHOO! No, seriously though, I love my wife! WHOO!

Vote in the Weekly Poll!

Convention Tour: New Info!

We've added a couple new stops to our road trip, so be sure to check out the Gaia Convention Tour page for info on Member Appreciation Night and Gencon 2008. We'll likely be adding more stops later in the week, so keep checking back for all the latest.

Check Out the Convention Tour!

08 Journals Offline [resolved] (Update: 5:50pm 04/08/2008)

• Topic Journals Offline [resolved] (Update: 5:50pm 04/08/2008) - Posted: admin Tue Apr 08, 2008 3:41 am

Hey all,

We're running into some weirdness with Journals. It's 12:30 am here, so instead of killing ourselves on large doses of caffeine, we've disabled Journals and will start work on it first thing in the morning. We should have it fixed by midday, but we'll keep everyone posted.

--jakobo

2:00pm: Hey, we've found what was up and are working on it. Looks like around 5:30ish (PDT) or so for the fixes going out so we have some time to look over everything. Estimates being what they are though, some swirling vortex of chaos can always throw that off. If it's changing, we'll update and let everyone know. --jakobo

5:50pm: Alright, it's up! We're still likely going to be working out a few kinks, but we thought it was more important that they get back up ASAP. Thanks to coaster_vn and eazzy. ^_^ --jakobo

08 Gaian's Choice Game Awards: Pick Your Favorite Games!

• Topic Gaian's Choice Game Awards: Pick Your Favorite Games! - Posted: [NPC] Old Man Logan Tue Apr 08, 2008 6:06 pm

Hey bub! Can ya believe we've got even more games for ya? I just got this note from the admins...

Flash game company Mochi is running a contest to find the best independent games on the web. They know that Gaians are pretty picky about how they spend their time, so they want us to play a bunch of great games and vote for our favorites.

There are a whole bunch of games to try out. After you play each game, give it a rating from one to five stars. We'll count up the votes and find the highest-rated ones... the winners might even be permanently added as Gaia Games!

Play Some Games!

09 Skittles Chocolate Mix: Taste the Rainbow with a Free Item!

• Topic Skittles Chocolate Mix: Taste the Rainbow with a Free Item! - Posted: admin Wed Feb 13, 2008 9:33 pm

Skittles Chocolate Mix is set to take the world by storm, and Gaia's got a series of quests to get the chocolate ball rolling! Over the next couple of months, we'll be bringing you a bunch of different Skittles quests, one for each flavor of the chocolatey Skittles rainbow.

To check out the first bit of the Gaia Skittles experience, come visit our Skittles hangout. Once you're there, click on the PINATA man, and he'll give you your next delicious task!

Taste The Rainbow... Through Your Computer!

11 Evolving Item Report: New Item - The Enchanted Book!

• Topic Evolving Item Report: New Item - The Enchanted Book! - Posted: [NPC] Dr. Singh Thu Apr 10, 2008 9:57 pm

Dr. Singh: Welcome to the Evolving Item Report! I'm Dr. Singh, bringing you all the latest news on Gaia's evolving items. With me is Timmy, my adorable little mutant sidekick, who's currently devouring my arm and attempting to take over my mind. We've also got a special guest: we're once again joined by Labtech Gene, who will attempt to remove Timmy from my arm.

Timmysingh: But first, let's get down to business! What's goin' on with the items this time, Doc?

-

Dr. Singh: I've just received word from Flynn that there's a brand new evolving item in the Gaia Cash Shop! The Enchanted Book looks outwardly normal, but the text inside is strange and illegible and seems to shift as you look at it. It exudes a feminine aura somewhat akin to the beloved Biancamella, but my finely-honed scientific instincts detect what seems to be a magical presence. If I may depart from science and offer my personal opinion, just touching the book fills my heart with a comforting feeling, like when my mother used to tell me stories when I was a child.

Timmysingh: Spare us the misty recollections, Doc! Let's get back to the sciencey stuff!

Dr. Singh: Yes, of course. The creature within the White Drome Egg is continuing to grow at a rather alarming rate... and it's looking a bit angry this week! On a lighter note, the ever-popular Hermes' Moon has grown once again, this time with several lovely new modes to choose from. We'd also like to note that the 5th generation of Fausto's Bottle has now finished evolving! And... well... that's just about it for this week...

Timmysingh: C'mon, Doc, don’t try to hide it. The Orindae is evolving this week, too!

Dr. Singh: Ugh... yes. Although my scientific training lets me emotionally detach from even the most gruesome of biological sights, I still just can't bear to look at this thing, and it's even more horrifying this week. Horrifying and huge!

Timmysingh: I dunno, Doc, I still think it's one of the cutest creatures I ever saw. I kinda want one for a pet!

Dr. Singh: Not as long as you're attached to me, buster. To see the latest evolutions of your items, just visit the My Avatar page, remove the item and reequip it.

That's all the serious business for this week, but if you're curious about this Timmy situation, stick around for a quick conversation with Labtech Gene. So, what's the prognosis, Gene?

Labtech Gene: Well, I've run some tests, and it seems as though Timmy's DNA has undergone some sort of catastrophic restructuring. Strangely enough, the mutations he's undergoing almost seem to display the mad-science fingerprint of G-Corp's discontinued programs. Tell me, Dr. Singh, was the boy exposed to any sort of toxins?

Dr. Singh: It's a long story... you see, Timmy was acting up one day, so I decided that to teach him a lesson...

Timmysingh: She stuck me in a big ol' barrel of toxic waste and I started mutatin'! It was great!

Labtech Gene: HOLY GOODNIGHT! You put a child in a barrel of toxic waste? That's barbaric!

Dr. Singh: Well... err... it's not exactly how it sounds...

Timmysingh: I dunno, Doc, I think it's pretty much just how it sounds.

Labtech Gene: This is immensely disturbing to me both as a scientist and as a human being. I'm guessing the waste reconfigured Timmy's genetic code, causing him to mutate and instilling in him some sort of drive to meld into your consciousness as some sort of mental parasite...

Timmysingh: Nah, I always kinda wanted to do that.

Labtech Gene: Hmm. So, Dr. Singh, what would you have me do about this?

Dr. Singh: Well, it would be sort of nice if you could get Timmy off my arm and out of my brain. If you could reverse his mutation, that would also be very helpful.

Timmysingh: Aww, c'mon, Doc! I thought we were friends! Don't you want me around anymore?

Dr. Singh: Of course we're friends... but I think this friendship is developing past the point where I feel comfortable.

Labtech Gene: Well, I'll do my best to separate this child and repair his genes, but let me assure you that I'm doing this only out of concern for Timmy, and I thoroughly repudiate the practice of sticking children in barrels of toxic waste. You ought to be ashamed of yourself for perverting science in such an abominable fashion, and furthermore--

Timmysingh: Hey! Quit badmouthin' the Doc! She was only foolin' around when she put me in that barrel, and besides, I love bein' a mutant. If you gotta turn me back how I was, fine, but quit draggin' my best friend through the mud.

Labtech Gene: If you say so, kid. Anyway, I'll see what I can do. If this is the work of G-Corp sludge, it should be possible to reverse the process. Hopefully I'll have some results by next week.

Dr. Singh: That's all for now, folks! Tune in next week for another exciting edition of the Evolving Item Report!

13 Art Arena Downtime

• Topic Art Arena Downtime - Posted: Panagrammic Sun Apr 13, 2008 4:42 pm

We need to do some reshuffling of databases and whatnot, so the art arena will be offline for a bit, and you may see intermittent issues with journals as well. We hope to have everything fixed and tiptop by Monday, so get those art pieces ready!

14 Gaia Convention Tour: New York Comic-Con

• Topic Gaia Convention Tour: New York Comic-Con - Posted: admin Mon Apr 14, 2008 2:50 pm

Gaia Online will be stopping by New York Comic-Con this weekend, and we'd be thrilled to see you there!

• Where: the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York City
• When: April 18th to 20th
• What: Fun, prizes, activities, etc!

Stop by the Gaia booth on the convention floor to chat with the Gaia team, leave your mark on the graffiti wall and spin the Wheel of Gaia... you could win an Angelic Halo, a chance to be a beta tester for Gaia’s new MMO or other great prizes.

Don't miss the exciting Gaia Panel at 5:00PM on Saturday, April 19th in Panel Room 1 ( 1E08 ). As usual, we'll be bringing plenty of free Gold cards and some other great prizes for a few lucky winners. You'll get a sneak peek at some new screenshots from the long-awaited Gaia MMO!

In addition, all panel attendees will be among the first to receive a special limited-edition ring for use in Gaia's upcoming MMO.

Also, be sure to stop by the official Gaia Gathering at 1:00PM on Sunday, April 20th in Meeting Room 1 (1E02). Once again, there will be tons of free Gold and prizes!

For more info on New York Comic-Con and all the latest news on Kiki's Road Trip, visit our convention home page.

Find Out More about New York Comic-Con!

14 News Bulletin: Member Appreciation Night, Minicomic & More

• Topic News Bulletin: Member Appreciation Night, Minicomic & More - Posted: [NPC] Cindy Donovinh Mon Apr 14, 2008 8:13 pm

Talkin' Soooftbaaaall!

As you may have heard, the Gaia staff has a softball team! Later this month, they'll be inviting Bay Area Gaians (or whoever can make it) to cheer them on:

Quote:

Hi Gaians,

I know most of you don't live near San Jose, CA, but you might be interested in knowing that Gaia is having a local off-line event to celebrate our members. Our company softball team, called Gaians Gone Wild!, is hosting a "Member Appreciation Night" soon, so we wanted to let you know about it, and for those who are local, also extend an invitation to the party. If you can't be there, we'll have plenty of pictures and video afterwards to share. We're expecting a big turnout, so if you're not too far from San Jose, hope to see you there!

For full details, check out this thread.

Thanks,
Tae
Co-Captain
Gaians Gone Wild! Softball Team

Learn More About Member Appreciation Night!

A Hint, Perhaps?

Have you checked out the Mini Comic page lately? Looks like there's a little surprise... what's this dance they're talking about? Could this be a hint about an upcoming Gaia event? Or is Rina just insane? Or both?

Check Out the Mini Comic

It's That Primate Again...

That tick-infested rapscallion the Opinion Primate is being all inquisitive again. If you'd care to humor him with an answer, just check out his Weekly Poll thread in Gaia Community Discussion.

Vote in the Weekly Poll

I Wanna Unisex You Up

Quite a few of the older items in Gaia's shops are either male-only or female-only, and we've heard a lot of requests over the years to go back and make them wearable by both sexes. By popular demand, we're hoping to unisexify some of our old items sometime in the coming months, and we'd like your feedback on which items you'd most like to see converted. If you've got a suggestion for a particular item that you'd us to convert, please visit our sticky thread in the Site Feedback forum and let us know.

Which Items Should Be Unisex?

A Privacy Reminder!

Last week, we mentioned that our upcoming "Find Friends" feature will let Gaians search for their pals by email address. While we think it'll be a great way to connect with friends, we realize that some people will want to go incognito. This is just a quick reminder: if you don't want to be found when people look for you, remember to update your privacy settings!

To stay hidden, just visit your "Account" page, scroll down to the "Friendlist" section, and change the "Allow other users to find you..." setting to "No."

Double-Check your Privacy Settings

Even if you set the option to "Yes," your email address will never be displayed or revealed to anyone unless they specifically search for it. If you change your mind, you can go back and change this setting at any time.

15 April's Monthly Collectibles are here! 2008

• Topic April's Monthly Collectibles are here! - Posted: [NPC] Rina Tue Apr 15, 2008 3:06 pm

Arrggh... the waiting nearly killed meeee!! Time to open our letters! Hey... why are these so heavy, anyway!?

-

Rock Puppy has always been one of Gaia's most beloved citizens. Now's your chance to let him romp with your avatar! You can give him a hug or wear him like a heavy, heavy hat, or just let him frolic around and do his thing... whatever that may be.

Deep within the mind of every Gaian lies the drive to ROCK HARD! Destroy some eardrums with an electric guitar, a wicked drum kit and a demonic microphone, or rock in style with plenty of badass accessories.

You can buy the April Collectibles now in the Gaia Cash Shop!

17 Gaia's Casual MMO Info Website: Big Update!

• Topic Gaia's Casual MMO Info Website: Big Update! - Posted: [NPC] Leon Thu Apr 17, 2008 8:49 pm

Stand at attention, citizen! The Gaia team has an urgent dispatch:

Our MMO is getting closer and closer to completion, and we've given the official info site a massive update to get you ready. Just in case you happen to be curious about the most awesome game ever created in all of history (...by us), we've added some tasty new gameplay details, plus plenty of new info on rings, game zones, characters, music and more.

Check Out the MMO Info Site!

18 Evolving Item Report: Alruna's Rose & The Experiment

• Topic Evolving Item Report: Alruna's Rose & The Experiment - Posted: [NPC] Dr. Singh Thu Apr 17, 2008 8:34 pm

Labtech Gene:: Uhh.... hey? As you can see, I'm a little bit busy right now, but Dr. Singh asked me to handle her Evolving Item Report thing this week, since she's a little bit... anesthetized. I'm about to perform surgery to try to separate her from Timmy and reverse the little fella's mutations, which should be a pretty simple process.

Yeah... I'm not really much of a host, so I'm not sure what she wants me to do, but she did prepare this letter for me to show you guys... so I guess I'll do that. Here it is:

Dr. Singh
To whom it may concern,

If you're reading this note, I did not survive the surgery. Don't blame Gene; he tried his best, and my death was most likely not his fault. Please consider this note my last will and testament. If Timmy has survived, I hereby bequeath to him my collection of BrainSmart brand Beginning Biology Flash Cards, from which I learned all that I know of science and the natural world. I hope that they will serve him well.

Though it may shock you to read this, I hereby bequeath all of my other worldly possessions-- and my eternal soul-- to my secret love, ...

Oh, uhh... whoops... we'd better not read that. Sorry, that was the wrong letter. Sheesh. I told her the surgery would be quick, safe and relatively painless, but I guess she got a little spooked by the idea of going under the knife. Anyway, here's the other letter. Please ignore that last one:

Dr. Singh
Dear Friends,

Hello, folks! Welcome to the Evolving Item Report. Sorry for the bad timing, but this was the only day Gene had to operate, so Timmy and I won't be able to talk to you directly this week.

We've got a small (but cool!) update this week! Alruna's Rose and The Experiment, two items which are still shrouded in mystery, have both evolved again. The Rose is continuing in its batlike form, this time becoming a little more playful and mischievous this week, and the Experiment continues to serve as a grim warning against reckless scientific hubris. Then again, so does Timmy!

In other news, all 5th Generation Pantheracorax Eggs will be evolving this week. To see the latest evolutions of your items, just visit the My Avatar page, remove the item and reequip it.

That's it for this week, folks! With any luck, Timmy and I will be back next week, as good as new!

Don't worry, folks, everything should be just fine. Your pals will be back next week. In the meantime, I'm going to start the procedure now, so, y'know, uhh... bye.

Oh wait! One more thing! Flynn wanted to stop by and say something real quick, too. So... yeah.

---

• Topic Evolving Item Report: Alruna's Rose & The Experiment - Posted: [NPC] Flynn Thu Apr 17, 2008 8:40 pm

Hi! I just wanted to stop by to... oh, whoa, is Dr. Singh OK? Um. Anyway... we've got a couple of items leaving the Cash Shop, so I thought I'd give you a heads up to snag 'em now or forever hold your peace:

Items Leaving the Shop:

Wild Armor
Magical Schoolgirl Uniforms (all colors)

See you next time!

18 Password dialogs and images

• Topic Password dialogs and images - Posted: admin Fri Apr 18, 2008 9:59 pm

Hey, guys --

We're having a lot of problems with spammers putting password protected images in the forum threads.

As long as you just cancel out of the dialog, you are fine. If you entered your name and password into the dialog, please change your password to be safe.

For now we are disabling all images external to the site other than Photobucket -- you'll see links where the images would normally be. This is a temporary measure while we implement a better solution.

We apologize for the inconvenience.

21 Skittles Chocolate Mix: grab a new item!

• Topic Skittles Chocolate Mix: grab a new item! - Posted: [GAIA] Pinata Man Thu Apr 17, 2008 5:50 pm

Ready for more sweet rainbow-tasting action? The Skittles Chocolate Mix quest is back with a brand new item!

To check out the next leg of the Skittles quest, visit our Skittles hangout. Once you're there, talk to me (Pinata Man), and I'll give you your next delicious task!

Continue the Skittles Quest

22 Liam's Got Problems.

• Topic Liam's Got Problems. - Posted: [NPC] Liam Thu Apr 17, 2008 3:30 pm

Hey buddy, can you help me out for a minute? I'm havin' some problems with the ladies (if you can believe that...) and I need some advice. Think you could stop by my shop and give me a hand?

Go Talk to Liam

If you don't see Liam's quest dialogue right away, try clicking the "Quest Update" button.

To check the status of your quests, check out the new and improved quest page. You can also use this page to delete old, expired quests.

22 News Bulletin: Account Safety, New Minicomic, Webware 100

• Topic News Bulletin: Account Safety, New Minicomic, Webware 100 - Posted: [NPC] Cindy Donovinh Tue Apr 22, 2008 8:46 pm

Webware 100: Gaia's a Winner!

Thanks to all your votes, Gaia's the big winner in the 2008 Webware 100's social category. This is the second year in a row we've won top honors in our category; once again, we beat out all the big guys-- Facebook, Myspace, Bebo, etc-- to prove that we've got the happenin'est community on the web. We owe it all to you!

For more details of our massive victory, check out the Webware 100 homepage:

The Webware 100

Keeping Your Account Safe

Most of you know that you should never, ever give your password to anyone, even if they say they're a moderator, administrator, or Gaia staff member. We don't need your password, and we'll never ask for it for any reason. Ever.

However, even people who are careful about giving their passwords out still wind up getting their accounts taken over by something called a phishing site. Scammers like to steal accounts by making bogus login pages that LOOK like the real Gaia Online (or like official Gaia pages), but actually just collect passwords. Here are some common scams to look out for:

Pages that look like Gaia's logged-out homepage. If you ever follow a link and then notice that you've logged out of your Gaia account, beware! You may have been redirected to a fake login page that will steal your password.

Masked URLs. If you can't actually see the address in a link you're clicking-- for example, if it's been masked by another site (like tinyurl.com) -- be extra careful.

Weird pop-ups that ask for your password. Don't trust these! We don't ask for your password in weird pop-ups. Why would we?

Fake Gaia links. For example: http://www.gaiaonline.com.freegold.info/ - PHONY! See how the last bit of the URL is freegold.info? It can be tricky! Our site always begins with http://www.gaiaonline.com/xxxxxx. Here are a few sites that look like real Gaia pages, but are actually fake scam pages:

• gaiaonline.betabattle.com - SCAM!
• gaia0nline.com - SCAM!
• gaiagold.com - SCAM!
• gaiaionline.com - SCAM!
• gaialabs.com - SCAM!

It should go without saying that you should NOT enter your login info in any of those sites...

If you see a site that says you'll get Gaia Gold if you enter your username and password, it's a scam. If you see a site that says it'll sign you up for the Battle beta test, it's a scam. When we've got a real Battle beta test going, we'll announce it on OUR site and give you the correct link.

Keep your eyes out, guys! Being careful is the best defense against these scams and we certainly don't want you to lose your accounts!

Ian's Back!

After spending many long months in hiding following a vicious attack by evil forces from his past, one of Gaia's favorite shopkeepers is finally returning to his store! With the vampire menace largely neutralized, Ian is back in Barton Boutique. Poor little Rufus doesn't have to run the shop alone anymore.

Now that his identity and his secret ties to the Von Helson family are out in the open, Ian's decided to stop bleaching his hair and return to his natural look.

Say Hi to Ian!

You may be wondering why he didn't return to his store months ago, after Vladimir Von Helson's evil vampire plot was defeated... well, there's a slightly more complicated explanation for that. Check out our new Mini Comic for details:

Where's Ian Been?

Weekly Poll

We hope you've had a chance to enjoy Liam's quest! We hope to make more quests like this someday, and the Opinion Primate is wondering where we should start. Go vote in the Weekly Poll to help him out!

Vote in the Weekly Poll

23 Bathtime: A shower of new items in Gaia's Shops!

• Topic Bathtime: A shower of new items in Gaia's Shops! - Posted: [NPC] Moira Wed Apr 23, 2008 2:41 pm

Ooh, I just got a note from the admins... looks like it's time for some new stuff!

-

This month, we're getting all squeaky-clean with a bunch of classic bathtime stuff: bathrobes, rubber duckies, razors, soap on a rope, shower caps, towels and anything else you might need for a relaxing bath (even down to the scented candles). We've also released a set of raincoats, umbrellas and galoshes for those last few April showers.

You can find these items scattered over a bunch of shops: Barton Boutique, Gambino Hat Rack, Durem Depot, Crate & Apparel, and Gambino Outfitters.

Go Shopping!

By the way, guys, I also heard a rumor from Flynn: the Cash Shop is running out of the Biancamella, one of their most popular evolving items! If you'd like one, you'd better snag it soon...

25 Evolving Item Report: Inari's Bead, Hermes' Moon & Dionaesil

• Topic Evolving Item Report: Inari's Bead, Hermes' Moon & Dionaesil - Posted: [NPC] Dr. Singh Wed Apr 23, 2008 6:15 pm

Labtech Gene: Oh! Hi, guys... I guess you must be here for the evolving item thing again, huh? Well, er... as you can see, Dr. Singh and Timmy's surgery is taking a little longer than I thought... right now we're in what's known in medical science as the "loosely sorted pile" phase, wherein I've taken apart the patient and sort of... thrown all the bits into a heap... and pretty soon I'll be sticking them back together again, which is kinda the tricky part.

Don't worry, it looks a little bit worse than it actually is. I've done this dozens of times, often with some degree of success.

Flynn left me some notes about this week's evolving stuff, just in case Timmy and the Doc were still indisposed this week. I guess I can take a little break from all this surgery stuff to give you a quick update. After all, I know a thing or two about science and genetics...

Looks like there's a brand new evolving item in the Cash Shop. Inari's Bead is rather a strange item, unlike anything I've seen before. Maybe Dr. Singh would have a clearer idea of what it is, but to me it seems to have a rather mammalian aspect, but with an edge of something more mysterious... even supernatural.

Oh, wow, this is exciting too: Hermes' Moon will be reaching its final phase today. That means that not only does it have a whole bunch of beautiful new poses, but all of its previous modes are unlocked, too. I've always been a fan of Hermes' Moon... those little bunny fellas kind of remind me of Grunnies, only not so bitey.

The Dionaesil is also evolving this week, too! I'm not much of a botanist, but something tells me this plant is just gonna keep getting bigger and bigger...

Some newer-generation items are also catching up this week: 2nd-generation Biancamellas, 2nd-generation Green Corallus Eggs and 6th-generation Fausto's Bottles are all completing their evolution and reaching their final form.

Flynn also told me to tell you that the Biancamella is leaving the shop! It's only gonna be around till April 30th, so you might consider picking it up while it's still available.

Oh, whoops, looks like the pile is starting to twitch a little bit... I'd better get back to work on this before something bad happens. I'm hoping your pals will be back next time, if I can get this pile sorted out. Have a nice week, everyone!

26 More site design mock-ups: more feedback needed

• Topic More site design mock-ups: more feedback needed - Posted: lanzer Sat Apr 26, 2008 5:27 pm

Hello everyone, after hearing from your feedback, we've spent some time on different ideas for the Gaia frontpage and came up with 5 different mock-ups to show you. Just like the last one, these are tests made by our new design team and we'll really need your feedback on what you think about them in order to make the next set of improvements.

This set of design revolves around the forum community, avatar system, self expression, and role playing aspects of Gaia. Some more focused towards users, some more towards art. We're also going to rotate these mock-ups on the front page to collect feedback from visitors in the coming few weeks, so the front page will look different from time to time.

Click on the thumbnails below to display and rate on the mock-ups. Please take a moment to comment on them:

28 Gaian's Choice Game Awards: Voting Ends Soon!

• Topic Gaian's Choice Game Awards: Voting Ends Soon! - Posted: [NPC] Old Man Logan Mon Apr 21, 2008 7:32 pm

Heya, bub! Don't miss yer chance to vote in our game contest!

Just a quick reminder: the voting period for the Gaian's Choice Game Awards ends on the 30th, so be sure to take a few minutes to vote on some games! The winning game developers will score some great prizes, including a chance to be featured as full-fledged Gaia games.

Play Some Games!

Stay tuned for further updates. We'll be announcing the winners sometime in May.

28 Coming Soon: Kung Fu Panda! Get a free item!

• Topic Coming Soon: Kung Fu Panda! Get a free item! - Posted: [Gaia] Po Wed Mar 26, 2008 8:54 pm

Dreamworks' animated martial-arts epic Kung Fu Panda is hitting theaters on June 6th, and Gaia's preparing for action with a trailer, some awesome items and a couple of brand new places to hang out. Here's a quick rundown:

Quote:

Enthusiastic, big and a little clumsy, Po is the biggest fan of Kung Fu around…which doesn’t exactly come in handy while working every day in his family’s noodle shop. Unexpectedly chosen to fulfill an ancient prophecy, Po’s dreams become reality when he joins the world of Kung Fu and studies alongside his idols, the legendary Furious Five—Tigress, Crane, Mantis, Viper and Monkey—under the leadership of their guru, Master Shifu. But before they know it, the vengeful and treacherous snow leopard Tai Lung is headed their way, and it’s up to Po to defend everyone from the oncoming threat. Can he turn his dreams of becoming a Kung Fu master into reality? Po puts his heart - and his girth - into the task, and the unlikely hero ultimately finds that his greatest weaknesses turn out to be his greatest strengths.

To get your first Kung Fu Panda item, check out the Kung Fu Panda trailer, then go visit Po. He's looking pretty hungry, as usual...

Start the Kung Fu Panda Quest

Visit the Kung Fu Panda Theater

29 Mischief Makers: The First Winners!

• Topic Mischief Makers: The First Winners! - Posted: [NPC] Moira Mon Apr 28, 2008 8:27 pm

We've posted the first few winners in our ongoing Mischief Makers contest, which lets Gaians show their love of the site by messing with the real world. We've put up some photos and footage from a few dedicated members whose love of Gaia went above and beyond the call of... normality.

To check out the first round of winners-- and submit your own photos and videos for fabulous prizes-- check out the Mischief Makers homepage:

Check Out the Winners!

Click the "Videos" and "Images" links on the gallery page to switch between photos and videos.

29 Plunge your fist into a Bag of Win!

• Topic Plunge your fist into a Bag of Win! - Posted: [NPC] Flynn Mon Apr 28, 2008 8:03 pm

Ooh! We've got a particularly snazzy new item in the Cash Shop this week. Let's take a look:

The Bag of Win

-

The Bag of Win is a random grab-bag of valuable items from Gaia stores, Cash Shop items, evolving items, rare boxes and more... plus a crazy new bonus that might blast you into the realm of the wealthy Gaian elite!

If you're insanely lucky, you could pull out an exclusive prize only available in the Bag of Win: Mythrill Coins, which can be sold back to Gaia's shops for 10,000, 100,000 or even ONE MILLION Gaia Gold.

That's right. The Bag of Win could make you an instant Gaia millionaire. Just picture it: you could buy an expensive item, play the marketplace a bit, hire your friends as human footstools and still have enough left over to brag about being loaded.

Even if you don't wind up rich, you won't come out a loser. Even the cheapest items in the bag sell for 5,000 Gold, so you're sure to come out ahead.

To grab a Bag of Win for yourself or for a friend, visit the Gaia Cash Shop! You can find it under the "Market" menu in the navigation bar. To learn more about Gaia Cash, click here.

30 News Bulletin: Bag of Win, Torso Contest Winners & more

• Topic News Bulletin: Bag of Win, Torso Contest Winners & more - Posted: [NPC] Cindy Donovinh Wed Apr 30, 2008 6:28 pm

Bag of Win: Last Chance at WINSANITY!

Heads up: the exquisite madness of the Bag of Win shall cease tonight at 7PM (Pacific time), when we'll pull it off the Cash Shop shelves and fling it back into the vault of crazy ideas. You've got one last shot at striking it rich, so don't delay!

To get to the shop, just move your mouse over the "Market" menu and select "Gaia Cash Shop."

Torso Item Contest: And The Winner(s) Is...

Our torso item design contest was one of the best yet. We had great entries, amazing finalists, passionate voters and plenty of excitement. We ran across one problem, though: the finalists were all so good that it really bummed us out that there'd only be one winner! Luckily, we're the masters of our own fate, so we decided to turn a couple of the runners up into Gaia items as well. We've just added THREE new items to the Gaia shops!

The Heartbreaker Jacket (Overall winner!) - designed by Raya Kioma
The Teatime Waitress Dress(Artists' choice!) - designed by Marimo-Chwan
The Ookami Armor (Artists' choice!) - designed by Tezu

Congratulations to all three entrants (and all the other finalists) for their supreme talent. Their incredible ideas made this contest something truly special.

You can buy these items now at the Durem Depot!

Get the Winning Items!

Member Appreciation Night: The Video

Big thanks to everyone who came out to support Gaia's softball team on Member Appreciation Night! Last week, we invited local Gaians to watch the Gaians Gone Wild team display their athletic prowess. For those of you who couldn't make it, we put together a short video showing some of the highlights of the event:

Watch the Video!

Gaia Store: Free Things!

What's this? ANOTHER special offer from the Gaia Store?

From now till May 25th, you'll get a special bonus with every Gaia Store order: a free Gaia bumper sticker and a certificate for a bit of Gaia Gold! If you haven't checked out the Gaia store in a while, now's a fine time to take a look. We've got plenty of stylish clothes, cute accessories and useful stationery, plus a bunch of lonesome little plushies who need a loving home.

Shop Now For Exciting Bonuses!

More Stops on the Road Trip!

We've added a couple of stops to our 2008 Road Trip! Due to a bunch of requests from members in our Convention Tour forum, we've decided to stop at Conneticon in Hartford, CT and Fan Expo Canada in Toronto. We hope you'll join us for some prizes, partying and good times!

Get The Details!

Keep checking our Convention page for more updates. We're still working on bookings, but we should be adding a few more stops to the tour pretty soon.

Opinionate!

If you're the creative type, you might be particularly interested in this week's poll. We're wondering what kind of items you'd like to create in the next item design contest: face items? Leg items? Handheld stuff? May we lovingly persuade you to kindly take a moment to let us know, so that we might better serve your needs? Yes, I think we may:

So Go Vote Already!

May

01 Coming May 16th: Gaia Prom Crashers!

• Topic Coming May 16th: Gaia Prom Crashers! - Posted: [NPC] Moira Tue Apr 29, 2008 7:34 pm

We know some of you are probably sick to death of hearing about (or even thinking about) your real prom. That's why we've decided to put together an event that's definitely NOT your real prom. This one's free and awesome, and none of the ridiculous Bro Magnon jocks from your school will be there. Just you, your friends, your fellow Gaians and a whole lotta move-busting.

On May 16th, you're cordially invited to crash Gaia's first-ever prom! (Wait... is it still "crashing" if we've invited you? Let's not think too hard about that.)

Stuff to look forward to:

• A brand new Flash game to test your rhythmic abilities
• Awesome prom outfits created by designer extraordinaire Christian Siriano of Project Runway
• A peek at all the behind-the-scenes dance drama with your favorite Gaia NPCs
• Cool new places to hang out
• DANCING YOUR ASS OFF!

You've got a couple of weeks to prepare, so start courting your dates, saving up some Gold for your fancy clothes and practicing your classiest freak-dance maneuvers. It's gonna be extraordinarily sweet, so bring a friend!

Check Out the Prom Crashers Homepage!

We know you're probably already thinking about what to wear to the most stylish event in Gaia's history. You don't want to show up looking like a hot mess, right? Good news: Christian Siriano is hanging out with Ian in Barton Boutique, and you can stop by now to pick up some incredible Christian Siriano prom outfits designed exclusively for Gaia:

Get some FIERCE Siriano Prom Outfits!

For the true sophisticates, we've also added two exclusive Christian Siriano prom items to the Gaia Cash Shop! To visit the Cash Shop, move your mouse over the "Market" menu and select "Gaia Cash Shop."

The Gaia team is getting in the prom spirit with some wild dance videos. We've started with our pal DJ Helsing gettin' crazy in a club... what a feeling! We'll be releasing more over the next couple of weeks, so keep an eye out. We'd also like to encourage you to upload some crazy dance videos of your own. Learn more on our video page:

Bust a Move!

See ya there!

02 Forum Update: CAPTCHA in posting screen

• Topic Forum Update: CAPTCHA in posting screen - Posted: admin Wed Apr 23, 2008 8:27 pm

In attempt to make the forums more fun and cut down on a recent flood of spamming by bots (programs that take over accounts and automatically post nasty stuff), we've decided to set up a system to slow them down.

Starting sometime in the near future, you may (on rare occasions) see a CAPTCHA field when you try to post on the forums. It's one of those things that makes you type in a secret word before you can post; you may have seen them during the registration process, or when posting profile comments. This will make it much more difficult for bots to spam the forum.

We know this might be a little annoying, and we're sorry for any irritation that it may cause. Hopefully it won't last forever. For now, it should be one step closer to a better forum with less bots.

Thanks,

-The Gaia Team

02 Evolving Item Report: Enchanted Book, Alruna's Rose & more

• Topic Evolving Item Report: Enchanted Book, Alruna's Rose & more - Posted: [NPC] Dr. Singh Thu May 01, 2008 9:54 pm

Dr. Singh: Hello, everyone! I'm Dr. Singh, Gaia's resident biologist and evolving item expert, and this is my excitable little sidekick, Timmy. It's great to be back! If this is your first evolving item report, I should probably fill you in a little: a while back, Timmy was exposed to some toxic waste and began to mutate. Eventually, he became strange and violent, and attempted to eat my arm and control my brain.

Timmy: I'm better now!

Dr. Singh: Yep! We've been undergoing some intense medical treatment for the past couple of weeks, courtesy of our good friend Labtech Gene. We'll let him give you the full details later, but for now, let's get down to business. You ready, Timmy?

Timmy: You betcha! It's what I was born to do!

Dr. Singh: We have a sizeable update this week, with five different items evolving. One of our newest evolving items, the Enchanted Book, is beginning its transformation. It seems to be growing in power this week, and my best guess is that its magic will bring the indecipherable tales written on its pages into reality. I can't wait to see what it has in store...

Timmy: Me neither! And books with pictures are the best kinda books, too! Right, Doc?

Dr. Singh: Of course. On a more serious note, the White Drome Egg continues to be a cause for concern... the creature inside seems to be reaching full maturity, and it doesn't look terribly domesticated. I certainly hope it's housebroken, at least.

Timmy: I pretty much am, at this point!

Dr. Singh: Congratulations. Oh, you'd better cover your ears for this one, Timmy: Alruna's Rose is continuing to evolve this week. While it diverted into cuter territory recently with its bat form, it's now developing into a flirtatious little nymph and a fairly revealing item of clothing!

Labtech Gene: Forgive me for interrupting, Dr. Singh, but YOW!

Dr. Singh: Some more great news: owners of the DandiiDooDad Spore are in for a treat this week. It's one of our more gradually-changing items, but it's finally reached its final stage! The little spore-creature now sports an adorable dandelion mane, and all previous poses of the item have been unlocked. And as for our last evolution... well... Timmy, you want to handle this one?

Timmy: Sure, Doc! I know you're not comfortable talkin' about this, so lemme do the honors: the Orindae just keeps on growin', and... hey, waitaminute! Where'd it go? It's like it just kinda disappeared in a poof of green stuff...

Dr. Singh: This bodes ill, Timmy. In other news, the sixth generation of the Pantheracorax Agate has now completed its evolution. And that's just about it for this week's report, but we should still let Labtech Gene fill us in on how our surgery went. So, what's the story?

Labtech Gene: I'm pleased to report that everything went pretty well, mostly. As you can see, Timmy's been extracted from your arm and your mind, his mutations have been dramatically reversed, your arm seems to be healing well, and all the toxic chemicals in both of your bodies have been neutralized. For the most part, I'd consider this a pretty big success. Mostly.

Timmy: What's all this "mostly" stuff, science guy? I'm feelin' swell, and the Doc's lookin' just as beautiful as ever.

Dr. Singh: Is there something you haven't told us?

Labtech Gene: Well... hmm. How can I explain this. Uhh, you know how there was some part of Timmy that was causing him to want to eat you, take of your mind, destroy humanity, et cetera?

Timmy: Yep! All gone, right?

Labtech Gene: Yeah, I managed to completely remove that part.

Dr. Singh: Great! So... what's the problem?

Labtech Gene: Well... that part of Timmy... let's call it the evil part... I'm not really sure where it is. I think it... escaped.

Dr. Singh: So you mean to tell me that this part of Timmy was an actual, discrete physical thing, and it's now wandered off somewhere beyond our control?

Timmy: Jeepers!

Labtech Gene: Jeez, look at the time... I guess we'd better wrap this thing up, folks! Uhh... come back next week for more exciting news about evolving items and whatnot...

Dr. Singh: Hey! I'm the host!

05 Flash Spaces Back On (Updated Monday 5/5)

• Topic Flash Spaces Back On (Updated Monday 5/5) - Posted: admin Mon May 05, 2008 12:31 am

Hey, everyone -- we have found a problem in a number of the flash areas wherein people could post videos and music of questionable taste in their chat windows, or reportedly the chat windows of other people. For now, we're disabling a number of the flash areas until we can fix the issue. We'll keep you updated; check back to this announcement for updates. ~pan

This exploit is fixed and we're turning everything back on. Thanks for your patience. ~pan

05 Find your friends on Gaia!

• Topic Find your friends on Gaia! - Posted: admin Wed Apr 30, 2008 9:35 pm

We've just released a snazzy new thing called Find Friends, which is pretty much exactly what it sounds like. It lets you import your email address book and see if any of your pals are already Gaia members... you might have tons of friends on Gaia that you didn't even know about!

It also functions as a nicely upgraded invitation system, so if your friends aren't already Gaia members, it's easy to invite them.

To get to the feature, just move your mouse over the "Community" menu, then click "Find Friends." Or, since you're right here anyway, you could just click this convenient link:

Find your Friends!

If you have a comment or suggestion about this feature, or if you find a bug, please let us know! Head over to our feedback thread to tell us what you think.

A note about privacy:

By default, other Gaians will be able to find you in an email search. If you'd prefer to stay hidden, just visit your "Account" page, scroll down to the "Friendlist" section, and change the "Allow other users to find you..." setting to "No." Even if you set the option to "Yes," your email address will never be displayed or revealed to anyone unless they specifically search for it.

Change your Privacy Settings

Remember: you can always change this setting again later if you change your mind.

06 Help Gaia crash CBS's Early Show!

• Topic Help Gaia crash CBS's Early Show! - Posted: [NPC] Cindy Donovinh Tue May 06, 2008 3:08 pm

Update: The date has changed! This event will now happen on Thursday, May 15th.

After the mischief we caused on the Today Show, we've decided to repeat the stunt on CBS's Early Show, and we need your help! Head on over to the CBS Early Show Plaza in New York City on May 15th at 5:00am for a hell of a time and tons of free stuff.

All attendees will receive an OMG or ORLY Hat (the IRL versions, of course) and 1,000 Gaia Gold. Anyone who shows up wearing their favorite Gaia Gear or dressed in prom attire will get a special limited edition ring for Gaia's new MMO!

Here's all the info you'll need to help us look foolish on national television:

• Show up at this place...
• CBS Early Show Plaza
• 767 5th Ave @ 59th St, right next to Central Park
• The corner of 59th st. and 5th ave.
• New York, NY

• At this time...
• Thursday, May 15th at 6:00 am

When you get there, just look for DJ Helsing. He'll be dressed as his avatar:

-

We'd love to see you there! To make plans to meet up with other Gaians, visit the sticky thread in the contests/mischief forum.

Get on TV with Gaia!

P.S. - As long as you're here: the Gaia team wishes to once again extend an invitation to participate in the Weekly Poll, which can be found in the Gaia Community Discussion forum:

Vote in the Weekly Poll

07 New Prom Items!

• Topic New Prom Items! - Posted: [NPC] Edmund Tue May 06, 2008 4:41 pm

Ahem! I'm sure you've been made aware of the Gaia Prom by now. My distinguished shop, H. R. Wesley, has received a small shipment of finely-tailored formal attire to help you look your best for the occasion. What's the point of attending a dance if you can't look dashing, I say?

You may wish to visit little Rina at the Barton Flowershoppe, as she's created a lovely set of corsages and boutonnières from fresh-cut flowers. She's a true prodigy, that one.

Thanks for your time, ladies and gentlemen. I'll see you at the prom! After all, you're never too old for a brisk dance with a fine lady...

Go Shopping

08 News Bulletin: IRL Cinemas, CBS Early Show

• Topic News Bulletin: IRL Cinemas, CBS Early Show - Posted: [NPC] Cindy Donovinh Thu May 08, 2008 5:33 pm

EARLY SHOW: URGENT NEWS!

To all those who want to help us crash the Early Show on CBS: the date has changed! We're now meeting up on Thursday, May 15th! Everything else is the same, it's just a day later now.

We're terribly sorry for pullin' the old switcheroo; it was beyond our control. We apologize in advance to anyone who shows up a day early and gets stood up and stands around looking forlorn.

For more info on crashin' the Early Show, check out this thread.

IRL Cinemas: Let's go see Iron Man!

The lame thing about being stuck in the internet is that we don't get many chances to hang out with our members (that means you) in person. Sure, we run into you guys at events and conventions and rehab clinics, but we hardly ever get to just hang out as friends.

So: Hey, [your name here], wanna go see a movie? Our treat.

We've rented out an entire screening room in a New York City theater for a special Gaians-only showing of Iron Man. No need to bring money... this one's on us. Just print out a copy of your profile so we know you're a Gaian, give it to us at the door, and you're in. It's first come first serve, so show up on time-- there are plenty of seats, but we can't 100% promise that everyone who turns up will get in.

Stay tuned for more announcements of IRL Cinemas... we're going to be doing this a few more times in other cities, so we might have a showing near you.

For more info on the New York screening, click this ostentatiously formatted link:

See a Movie With Us!

P.S. - Yeah, we're taking you to a movie, but this is NOT a date. Don't expect to get lucky.

09 Evolving Item Reports: Inari's Beads

• Topic Evolving Item Reports: Inari's Beads - Posted: [NPC] Dr. Singh Fri May 09, 2008 1:47 pm

Dr. Singh: Hello, everyone! Welcome to the Evolving Item Report. I'm Dr. Singh, and this is my faithful little pal Timmy. Thanks to Labtech Gene, things are finally getting back to normal after our long, strange saga of cannibal mutant mind-control terror.

Timmy: You said it, Doc! Bein' a mutant was fun, but I'm kinda glad things are back how they oughtta be. That rhino horn in my skull was gettin' itchy.

Labtech Gene: I'm glad to see you looking healthy. Dr. Singh, I'm guessing you've finally learned your lesson...

Dr. Singh: Oh, yes. Of course. Well... I mean... what lesson is that, exactly?

Labtech Gene: Are you serious? The lesson about not sticking children in barrels of toxic waste!

Timmy: Jeepers! Get off her case! She said she was sorry. Sheesh. It wasn't all her fault, anyways. After all, I was the one who tried to chew off her arm and take over her brain and whatnot. I'm... y'know... I'm awful sorry about that, Doc.

Dr. Singh: Oh, Timmy, don't be silly. It wasn't entirely your fault, and I'm willing to accept some measure of blame for the situation. And... to whatever extent this was my fault, I suppose I'm sorry as well...

Timmy: Aww, that's OK! Anyway, maybe we should get started on this week's evolving item business stuff.

Dr. Singh: Right you are, Timmy. We've got a rather small update today, with just one evolution. However, it's a special one: our newest items, Inari's Beads, are evolving for the first time! This mystical string of beads seems to have considerable power locked up within it, so I'm very curious to see how this will turn out.

Timmy: Well, Doc? What's it gonna turn into? What's your scientific instinct tellin' ya?

Dr. Singh: Well, as always, I hate to speculate on something that I can't be one hundred percent sure about, but my studies definitely reveal an animal aspect to these beads. I'm fairly sure that there's some life with in them.

Timmy: Golly!

Dr. Singh: Also, some newer generations of past items are completing this week. The seventh generation of Fausto's Bottle and the second generation of Hermes' Moon are both finishing up their evolution, meaning that all the items' forms will be unlocked. That's it for this week's report, but I'd like to once again extend my thanks to Labtech Gene for doing such a spectacular job of treating Timmy's mutations.

Timmy: Yeah, thanks! If it wasn't for you, I'd still be gnawin' on the Doc's arm, or worse! I can still taste her ligaments a little bit...

Labtech Gene: It was my pleasure. I really must be getting back to G-Corp now, but before I go... uhh... please remember that your ordeal may not be quite finished yet... there's still that evil piece of Timmy scurrying around somewhere...

Timmy: Aww, nuts to that! If I see that little critter, I'm gonna stomp on it! What's it look like, anyhow?

Labtech Gene: It's... difficult to describe. It pretty much looks exactly like what you'd picture evil looking like. But smaller.

Dr. Singh: We'll keep an eye out for that. I've certainly handled my fair share of dangerous wildlife over the years, so it shouldn't be too hard to get it under control.

Labtech Gene: Yeah... if you say so, Dr. Singh...

Dr. Singh: See you next week, everyone! Remember to stick around for a quick word from our friend Flynn!

---

• Topic Evolving Item Reports: Inari's Beads - Posted: [NPC] Flynn Fri May 09, 2008 2:06 pm

Hey! You guys looking forward to the Prom? I know I am... anyway, we've got a bunch of exclusive prom dresses and a great pair of shoes, available only in the Gaia Cash Shop. If you're looking for the ultimate in elegance, you've come to the right place. Here's what we've got this week:

Celestial Gold Voluptuous Wrap Dress

Celestial Gold Slinky Split Dress

Fiery Crimson Voluptuous Wrap Dress

Caribbean Jade Voluptuous Wrap Dress

Celestial Gold Glamorous Pumps

Remember: the Prom is coming May 16th, so you've only got one week to get your shopping done!

12 Trades, Gifting, Cash Shop Glitches

• Topic Trades, Gifting, Cash Shop Glitches - Posted: admin Mon May 12, 2008 2:41 am

We're working on the problem with trades and gifting and Cash Shop right now; unfortunately, your generosity will have to be held in check until we get this sorted out. We hope to have a solution soon, but it probably won't be fixed until tomorrow earliest.

Update Monday 12:30pm: Okay, Cash Shop is back online, and we cleared up the backlog of cash cards, so if you redeemed a card you should have your GCash + item now. We are now working on marketplace, trading, and gifting. ~pan

Update Monday 12:10pm: We're working on a patch for this right now. The list of things that don't work:

• - Cash Shop
• - Cash card redemption
• - you can buy items from stores, but can't sell them back
• - cannot place some items in the marketplace
• - one way gifting is disabled for now
• - cannot trade some items
• - gifts cannot be opened
• - cannot open some items in inventory

Update Monday 12:10am: Some errors you might see are "queueitem_failed_record" in Cash Shop, or "2004" errors in stores and while gifting. All of these are related, and are actually the same error underneath. ~pan

---

• Topic Trades, Gifting, Cash Shop Glitches - Posted: admin Mon May 12, 2008 5:54 pm

Cash card redemption and Gaia Cash Shop are now back online and working, so let your generosity proceed unimpaired! (And special thanks go out to that passing contingent of gnomes from Zurich; they were instrumental in helping us kick things into gear). We are now working on repairing the marketplace, store buyback, and trading/gifting errors, and will update this announcement when we have a better feeling for when it will be fixed.

12 News Bulletin: More Cinemas IRL Showings + The Early Show!

• Topic News Bulletin: More Cinemas IRL Showings + The Early Show! - Posted: [NPC] Cindy Donovinh Mon May 12, 2008 5:51 pm

Good afternoon, folks! This is Cindy Donovinh with a quick message from the Gaia Team about some upcoming events:

Cinemas IRL: Two New Showings!

Hey, all you hip New York sophisticates: don’t miss our free screening of Iron Man this Wednesday, May 14th! Just print out your Gaia profile and show up at the theater. We'll hang out and watch a movie and probably yell stuff at the screen. It'll be good times. For all the info you need, check out our community events page:

Cinemas IRL: Iron Man in New York, NY

And for all you non-New Yorkers who are currently being eaten up by jealously, we've got some good news... we've just booked two more Cinemas IRL screenings!

Cinemas IRL: Narnia in San Francisco, CA

On May 21st, transport yourself into a colorful world of magical fantasy (you know... San Francisco). Once you're there, come to the AMC Van Ness for the 7PM showing of the new Chronicles of Narnia flick.

Cinemas IRL: Indiana Jones in Dallas, TX

This May brings us one of the movie events of the summer, and we want to share it with our loyal members. Everyone knows that cowboys are among the most loyal people in the world, so we're holding our Indiana Jones screening in Dallas, TX on May 28th! Bring your bullwhip (and a printout of your Gaia profile) to the AMC Northpark 15 for the 6:30 showing.

Still bummed because none of these cities are near you? There is hope for you yet. Our Weekly Poll will help us decide the next city for an IRL showing! Go vote! Rep your hood!

Pick the Next IRL Cinemas City!

The CBS Early Show: This Thursday!

This shall be your final reminder: this Thursday, May 15th at 6:00 AM, we're gonna be crashing CBS's Early Show! If you happen to be in the New York City area, please come out and show some love, and wave to mom on national TV.

For the complete lowdown, check this thread:

Let's Get On the Early Show!

See you soon!

13 Cash Shop Update: Exclusive items by Christian Siriano

• Topic Cash Shop Update: Exclusive items by Christian Siriano - Posted: [NPC] Flynn Tue May 13, 2008 1:44 pm

Ooh, we've got some exciting designer items in stock this week: Christian Siriano, winner of Project Runway, has lent his distinctive sensibility to some gorgeous garments for the Gaia Cash Shop. Have a look!

-

• Christian Siriano's Cream Ruffled Hoodie
• Christian Siriano's Coffee Pinstripe Skirt

• Christian Siriano's Pinstripe Coat
• Christian Siriano's Pinstripe Trousers

• Christian Siriano's Black and Cream Blouse
• Christian Siriano's Layered Skirt

To pick up these incredible items from the hottest young talent in fashion, visit the Gaia Cash Shop! You can find it under the "Market" menu in the navigation bar. To learn more about Gaia Cash, click here.

13 News Bulletin: Image Security, Conventions, Mischief + More

• Topic News Bulletin: Image Security, Conventions, Mischief + More - Posted: [NPC] Cindy Donovinh Tue May 13, 2008 5:46 pm

New Homepages!

You'll be seeing some brand new Gaia homepages popping up sometime in the next few days. Recently, we asked Gaia members to rate some new designs for the logged-out homepage, and with your help we've selected a couple of snazzy new looks to try out on the site. This is an ongoing project, so we may keep tweaking these over the coming months until we feel like it's just right. Once these changes appear on the site, we'll set up a feedback thread so you can tell us what you think.

Holy Crap! Gaia's Going to Illinois!

We're gonna be hitting up Anime Central at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois this weekend.

You can catch the Gaia panel on Satuday from 2 to 4PM in the Live Programming 2 room. As always, we'll be bringing plenty of free Gold cards, plus some other great prizes for a few lucky winners. All panel attendees will get a sneak peak at Gaia's new Flash game, as well as new screens from the long-awaited "Battle" project. There will be tons of free Gold and prizes during the gathering, so don't miss out. For more info on Anime Central and all the latest news on Kiki's Road Trip, visit our convention home page.

See you there, Illinoisanians!

Find Out More about Anime Central

Stuff is Working Again

Over the last few days, we had some technical problems with the Marketplace, gift-giving, trades, Cash Card redemption and various Gaia shops. We've fixed this stuff, and it should all be hunky-dory now. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Update to Image Security

We've added some new options in your Account Preferences page to help you deal with potentially unwanted images being posted in the forums. We've seen a lot of suggestions for this sort of thing recently, so what the heck. We did it.

You can now customize your level of image security in the forums. There are currently three options:

Show All Images - This shows every image posted on the forums, without any filtering.

Show No Images - This blocks images on the forums, so you can browse image-free. Instead of seeing the image, you'll just see a clickable URL that leads to the image.

Show Whitelisted Images - This only displays images hosted on sites that are generally trusted and reputable. For example, Photobucket actively screens for inappropriate content, so you're much less likely to see gross stuff hosted there. All blocked images will show up as clickable URLs.

If you have one of the image-blocking options turned on, you'll be able to click the "show all images" link at the top of each forum thread to display all the blocked images, or click the "show all blocked images for this post" link to show all the images in a specific post.

Update Your Preferences

Further Mischief

We've put up a few more winners in our ongoing Mischief Makers contest/program-thingie! Visit our Mischief gallery to marvel at the ingenuity of the world's most devoted Gaians:

Observe the Winners

Got a good idea for some Gaia-related tomfoolery? You can win awesome prizes by submitting some mischief of your own.

14 Kung Fu Panda: Watch a New Trailer!

• Topic Kung Fu Panda: Watch a New Trailer! - Posted: [Gaia] Po Mon May 12, 2008 7:32 pm

Dreamworks' animated martial-arts epic Kung Fu Panda is hitting theaters on June 6th! We've got a brand new trailer for you guys, plus another chance to score a cool Kung Fu Panda item.

Quote:

Enthusiastic, big and a little clumsy, Po is the biggest fan of Kung Fu around…which doesn’t exactly come in handy while working every day in his family’s noodle shop. Unexpectedly chosen to fulfill an ancient prophecy, Po’s dreams become reality when he joins the world of Kung Fu and studies alongside his idols, the legendary Furious Five—Tigress, Crane, Mantis, Viper and Monkey—under the leadership of their guru, Master Shifu. But before they know it, the vengeful and treacherous snow leopard Tai Lung is headed their way, and it’s up to Po to defend everyone from the oncoming threat. Can he turn his dreams of becoming a Kung Fu master into reality? Po puts his heart - and his girth - into the task, and the unlikely hero ultimately finds that his greatest weaknesses turn out to be his greatest strengths.

To check out the new trailer and pick up a free Kung Fu Panda item, check out the Kung Fu Panda profile:

Start the Kung Fu Panda Quest

If you're already started the quest and just want to check out the profile, just go here:

Visit the Kung Fu Panda Profile

While you're at it, remember to visit Po and check out more quests in the Kung Fu Panda hangout:

Visit Po in the Kung Fu Panda Hangout

15 Gaians Choice Game Awards: The Winners!

• Topic Gaians Choice Game Awards: The Winners! - Posted: [NPC] Old Man Logan Tue May 06, 2008 7:40 pm

Hey bub! Just got this message from the Gaia team... take a look, will ya?

We're honored to announce the winners of the Gaians Choice Game Awards! After hundreds of thousands of votes, the contest has come to an end. Nearly two hundred minigames have been whittled down to just ten winners, chosen by Gaians as the very best.

Some of the winning games will even grant Gaia Gold if you play them! Look for the words "Gold Enabled" next to their titles to see which ones will earn you some loot.

And The Winners Are...

Thanks to all the talented game developers who stepped up to create a bunch of cool games, and thanks to all the Gaians who took the time to check them out and cast their votes. More Gaia Gold-enabled games will be coming soon, so keep an eye out!

15 May's Monthly Collectibles are here! 2008

• Topic May's Monthly Collectibles are here! - Posted: [NPC] Rina Thu May 15, 2008 2:18 pm

It's the 15th! Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!

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The Oculus Mythica lets you transform your look with more than a dozen sets of magical eyes. Some are inspired by mythology (including phoenix, harpy, serpent and cyclops eyes), while others are just cool and creepy: soulless cat eyes, milky blank eyes and chilling empty sockets.

Take flight on the majesty of nature with six pairs of Elemental Wings: airy zephyr wings, crashing aqua wings, blossoming flora wings and sizzling pyro wings, plus magnificent wings of light and shadow.

You can buy the May Collectibles now in the Gaia Cash Shop!

15 Dance the Night Away at the Gaia Prom!

• Topic Dance the Night Away at the Gaia Prom! - Posted: [NPC] Gambino's Memorial Thu May 15, 2008 6:31 pm

BWAHAHAHA! I've just received a special announcement from the Gaia Team... Ah, there's nothing better than a dance to get the ol' blood flowing!

The Prom is finally here, and it's time for some crashin'! We'd like to cordially invite Gaians of all ages to crash the Prom, dance like maniacs, hit on hot dudes/ladies and make utter fools of themselves.

Bring a date or come alone. Dress up fancy or show up lookin' like a hobo. Play our new dance game, or just chill out and be a wallflower. It's all up to you, and there's plenty to do:

• Show your moves on the dance floor and earn cool items
• Check out a brand new comic for all the behind-the-scenes prom drama
• Hang out with friends in the prom forum
• Mingle in a bunch of new Flash hangouts, including a hip lounge, a limo and an incredibly seedy restroom!
• Snap a picture with your pals & Project Runway winner Christian Siriano at the Photo Booth
• Leave your mark by signing the 2008 prom yearbook
• Head to the Cash Shop or the Barton Boutique to pick up some fierce Prom items designed by Christian Siriano

Why are you still reading this? You could be dancing right now. Get outta here!

Crash the Prom!

If you can't make it before the 18th, don't worry: we've extended the prom until Monday, May 19th at 9PM, Pacific. Enjoy!

---

• Topic Dance the Night Away at the Gaia Prom! - Posted: [NPC] Dr. Singh Fri May 16, 2008 6:03 pm

Dr. Singh: Hi, everyone! And hello, Mr. Gambino! I just wanted to stop by and let you guys know that due to some technical issues, we won't be able to do our Evolving Item Report until early next week. We apologize for the delay!

Timmy: Awwwwww!

19 The Skittles Quiz: Get another free item!

• Topic The Skittles Quiz: Get another free item! - Posted: [GAIA] Pinata Man Tue May 13, 2008 2:30 pm

Greetings, hungry Gaians! We've got some more Skittles-related goodness for you today, featuring a refreshingly brief Skittles quiz and another shot at a free item. To continue the quest, just click this fancy link. It'll transport you to Gaia's Skittles hangout, where you'll need to talk to me (Pinata Man) to get started:

Continue the Skittles Quest

20 Evolving Item Report: Alruna's Rose, Experiment & Dionaesil

• Topic Evolving Item Report: Alruna's Rose, Experiment & Dionaesil - Posted: [NPC] Dr. Singh Thu May 15, 2008 8:47 pm

Dr. Singh: Hello, Gaians! Now that we're done with all the dancing and festivity, let's unwind with a nice Evolving Item Report. I'm Dr. Singh, Gaia's resident naturalist, and this is my adorable sidekick, Timmy. You might notice that our friend Labtech Gene isn't with us this week. I'm pleased to say that our operation was a complete success, and Gene will be checking in with us once in a while to make sure things are still going well.Ready to go, Timmy?

Timmy: Hmph.

Dr. Singh: What's the matter, little buddy? Didn't find a date?

Timmy: Well, I was gonna ask this older girl I know, but she went with some big, dumb oaf instead!

Dr. Singh: Don't worry, I'm sure you'll grow out of your awkward, gangly, miserable phase someday. At least you're not a mutant anymore, right?

Timmy: I guess. I don't wanna talk about the stupid prom. Let's just get this thing over with.

Dr. Singh: Not so fast, Mr. Sourpuss. We're not starting until you buck up a little. I won't have you slouching through the Evolving Item Report like you don't care! Put a smile on that face and let's hear a "jeepers."

Timmy: Jeepers.

Dr. Singh: Like you mean it!

Timmy: Jeepers!

Dr. Singh: Good! Doesn't that feel better?

Timmy: Y'know what, Doc? It does! You always know how to cheer a fella up.

Dr. Singh: Good. Let's get down to business. Our most exciting news: we've got a brand new evolving item this week! Saying the Death Whisper looks dangerous would be an understatement... it doesn't take a scientist to tell you that this thing is cursed. But I am a scientist, so mark my words: handle this thing with extreme caution!

-

Timmy: Holy smokes, Doc! It sounds horrifyin'! Can I touch it?

Dr. Singh: No! This item is only to be handled by responsible types who know what they're getting into. Viewers, you can get this item (at your own risk!) by visiting the Gaia Cash Shop. To get there, just move your mouse over the Market menu and select it from the drop-down list. So, moving on: in addition to the exciting new cursed item, we have three items evolving this week. Timmy, would you care to tell the nice people what they are?

Timmy: Sure! First, we got the Alruna's Rose, but the Doc said I'm not allowed to look at that one till I'm older. It sure does smell pretty, though! I hope I have one when I grow up. The Experiment is also gettin' a little bigger and scarier this week... I dunno, Doc, this one kinda freaks me out.

Dr. Singh: Why's that, friend?

Timmy: I guess I'm still kinda sour on mad science after that whole mutant thing. Who knows what kinda trouble this thing's gonna cause! The Dionaesil is growing again, too, but this one seems a tiny bit friendlier.

Dr. Singh: A few of the later generations of older items are completing their evolution, as well: the 7th generation Pantheracorax Agate and the 3rd generation Biancamella should be fully unlocked this week. Also, Hermes Moon will be leaving the shop on the 27th. Well, I suppose that's just about it for this week's Report. Say goodbye, Timmy!

Timmy: Bye bye!

20 News Bulletin: Fanime, Cinemas IRL & More!

• Topic News Bulletin: Fanime, Cinemas IRL & More! - Posted: [NPC] Cindy Donovinh Mon May 19, 2008 6:45 pm

Cinemas IRL: Narnia!

Reminder to Bay Area Gaians: our next Cinemas IRL screening is in SF, and it's coming up fast! We've rented out a screen at the AMC Van Ness 14 theater, and we'll be hosting a free showing of The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian tomorrow at 7:00 PM. To get in, all you'll need is a printout of your Gaia profile.

Just a warning: we had an unexpectedly huge turnout at our NYC Cinema event, so we'd like to remind everyone that seats are first come, first serve. We've booked a whole screening room, but even the biggest theater can only fit so many people without angering the fire marshal. There's a chance that more people will show up than the room can hold, so make sure you have a backup plan in case you don't manage to get in.

Full Narnia Details

Remember that we're hosting a free screening of the new Indiana Jones flick over in Dallas, TX next week, too! Here's what you need to know:

Dallas Screening Info

Gaia's Goin' to Fanime!

Gaia's heading out to Fanime in San Jose, CA this weekend, and we've got plenty of cool stuff:

• A Gaia Panel, where the staff will shed light on some cool upcoming features
• An official Gaia Gathering, where you can meet your fellow Gaians and ask the Gaia staff embarrassing questions
• Plenty of free Gaia Gold cards for all, plus a free item to be used in Gaia's upcoming MMO
• Some awesome prizes for a few lucky winners

Since Fanime is kinda our home convention, there will probably be a whole bunch of Gaia employees wandering around the convention floor at various times, so keep an eye out for familiar faces.

For all the info on Fanime, check out our convention homepage:

The Full Fanime Lowdown

Gaia NY Events

We'd like to extend our warmest thanks to all the awesome Gaians who joined us for our recent events in NYC. Our crashing of the CBS Early Show went wonderfully, and our first IRL Cinemas showing was a smashing success (except for the fact that we couldn't fit everyone in ). You can watch a short clip of our Early Show shenanigans over at YouTube:

Gaia on the Early Show

Check it out! If you dig our tomfoolery, remember to vote on the video and leave us some comments.

P.S. In our announcement, we said that we'd have Gaia merchandise for everyone who came, but twice as many people showed up as we anticipated even in our craziest estimates. We'd like to extend our apologies to everyone who didn't wind up getting a hat. We'll bring more next time!

The Weekly Poll

If you've got a second, please mosey over to the Gaia Community Discussion forum and pay a visit to the Opinion Primate. He seems almost pathologically curious about your opinions, and we're worried that he might get unruly if you don't indulge him.

Speak Your Mind

21 Get your Gaia Driver's License!

• Topic Get your Gaia Driver's License! - Posted: Scion Cars Fri May 02, 2008 5:12 pm

Since we know there are a lot of up-and-coming drivers on Gaia, we've teamed up with Scion to provide a little bit of public service for our members. We've launched a quick driving quiz to test out your knowledge of the rules of the road. If you pass, you'll get a nice little personalized Gaia driver's license to use in your sig.

Please note that this license is not legally binding. We're still working with the DMV on that.

Apply for your Gaia Driver's License!

21 Gaia's MMO: Apply for the 'Battle' Beta Test!

• Topic Gaia's MMO: Apply for the 'Battle' Beta Test! - Posted: [NPC] Leon Wed May 14, 2008 1:48 pm

You've been waiting for a long time to play our MMO, and your first chance is almost here.

We're getting very close to showing the game to the world, but we need to do extensive testing and tweaking first to make sure it's shipshape and ready for launch. Soon, we'll enter the beta phase, which will let a group of intrepid Gaians play the game for the first time and tell us how to make it more fun. This is one of the most critical stages in the game's development, and the feedback of the Gaia community is the key to making the game as fantastic as it could possibly be.

To apply for the beta test, you'll need to fill out a brief questionnaire about your gaming habits and other random info. For our first round of beta testing, we're looking for lots of folks from varied backgrounds, so please be truthful; there's no point in just telling us what you think we want to hear (it won't work anyway, since you don't know what we want to hear!)

We'll probably have a lot more applicants than we have room for, so not every applicant will make it into this round of testing. Don't worry-- Battle will be here before you know it.

So, without further ado:

Apply to be a Beta Tester

This survey will remain open until June 2nd.

To find out more about the game, check out our info-packed MMO website, which will let you get a taste of the world, the characters, the monsters and more:

Visit the MMO Website

Important Note: Any communication we send regarding the Battle/MMO beta test will come from staff accounts, which have colored usernames. If you receive a PM from someone with a regular black username trying to give you information about how to get into the beta test, it's a scam! Don't fall for it. Click the "report this PM" button, and the scammer will exit this world through a fiery gate of pain.

22 Pinball is New and Improved!

• Topic Pinball is New and Improved! - Posted: [NPC] Old Man Logan Wed May 21, 2008 6:35 pm

Whoops! We're having some technical difficulties with Pinball right now. We'll have it back up and running as soon as we can.

23 Cash Shop Update: The OMFG Box + Evolving Item Report

• Topic Cash Shop Update: The OMFG Box + Evolving Item Report - Posted: [NPC] Flynn Thu May 22, 2008 7:08 pm

Hiya, Cash Shop customers! We've got an incredible new item today, plus a word from our friends Dr. Singh and Timmy. Let's have a look:

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Ooh! We just got a shipment of the OMFG Box! It's the even crazier cousin of the beloved OMG Box, this time featuring a whole new random assortment of expensive store items, Cash Shop favorites, rare stuff, unreleased items from Gaia's past and brand new, never-before-seen items. Open the box at your own peril, though... it may contain a grisly surprise.

Each OMFG Box contains one randomly-selected item. Ready to get lucky? To pick up an OMFG box, visit the Gaia Cash Shop! You can find it under the "Market" menu in the navigation bar. To learn more about Gaia Cash, click here.

---

• Topic Cash Shop Update: The OMFG Box + Evolving Item Report - Posted: [NPC] Dr. Singh Thu May 22, 2008 7:09 pm

Timmy: Yeeeeeeeaaaaaaauuuuuughh!

Dr. Singh: Timmy! Timmy? What's wrong in there? Are you having a bad dream?

Timmy: It's real, Doc! It's evil and it's comin' to get me! Save yourself! Eeeeeeeee!

Dr. Singh: What are you talking about? Is there something in the room?

Timmy: Good gravy, it's scurryin' around! It's the evil thing! The one Gene told us about!

Dr. Singh: Let me in, Timmy! Open this door!

Timmy: I can't! If I get off the bed, it's gonna bite my feet! Run away, Doc! Burn down the house! Save yourself!

'*Shatter*

Dr. Singh: What was that noise?

Timmy: I think... I think it's gone! It jumped right out the window.

Dr. Singh: Open the door, Timmy. It may have left some evidence behind.

Timmy: No! Don't come in here! It might not be safe... plus, I drank six glasses of water before bed, and I just got mighty scared, soooo... I think we're gonna need a new quilt...

Dr. Singh: Argh! Why didn't you go before bed?

Timmy: Yeah... sorry, Doc... gonna need a new carpet, too. And some new wallpaper.

Dr. Singh: Yecch.

Timmy: It's my natural defense against predatory animals!

Dr. Singh: Well, now that you woke up the whole neighborhood with your screaming, maybe we should just go ahead and do the Evolving Item Report now.

Timmy: I dunno, I'm mighty traumatized right now...

Dr. Singh: Maybe it'll help get your mind of things. Plus, traumatized or not, we've got a job to do.

Timmy: Ehh... I guess, Doc... I'm just worried I'm gonna be emotionally scarred or somethin' unless I take a few minutes to settle down...

Dr. Singh: Buck up, little buddy! It'll only take a minutes, and we've got a pretty fun update today. We've got four items evolving this week, including two items reaching their final stages!

Timmy: That's nice, but...

Dr. Singh: Well, we might as well get this one over with... ugh... the Orindae has completed, and-- wait a minute! My lucky stars, Timmy! The hideous frog creature has undergone a remarkable transformation! It's... beautiful! Oh my, I wish I'd been nicer to it when it was a disgusting little warty tadpole.

Timmy: Hrm.

Dr. Singh: Next up, the White Drome Egg is reaching its final stage today after a long and eventful growing-up process, and its ultimate form reveals quite a shocking surprise! I'd say this has definitely been worth the wait, right?

Timmy: But I'm scared, Doc...

Dr. Singh: The Enchanted Book is continuing to bring its strange tale to life with an assortment of new fairytale apparitions, and the mystical energy of Inari's Bead is beginning to take shape. Some later generations of older items are also completing this week: 3rd Generation DandiiDooDad Spores. 8th generation Fausto's Bottles and 3rd generation Hermes' Moons have all finished evolving, meaning their full array of poses is unlocked.

Timmy: I'm just gonna go hide in the closet for a while.

Dr. Singh: If you'd like to pick up an evolving item for yourself, just stop by the Gaia Cash Shop. To get there, move your mouse over the Market menu and select it from the drop-down list. That's all for this week, folks! Sorry for waking you up in the middle of the night. Apologize for screaming at the nice people, Timmy!

...Timmy?

27 News Bulletin: Staff Decoration Contest, Safety Info & More

• Topic News Bulletin: Staff Decoration Contest, Safety Info & More - Posted: [NPC] Cindy Donovinh Tue May 27, 2008 4:23 pm

Judge Us!

The Gaia office is a pretty cool place to work, but until recently you wouldn't have known it by looking. It was kind of a big, boring, grey-walled cubicle farm, so we decided to spruce the place up a little. Since we're driven by a ruthless competitive spirit, we decided to make a little competition of it: each department in the company was given a modest budget to team up and overhaul their work area, and now we need you guys to pick the winners.

The winning team will win some kind of a prize, like maybe free coffee or dinner or something. The losing team will be fired and replaced with poorly-built machines. Choose wisely!

To check out the entries and cast your vote, visit this thread:

Judge the Decoration Contest

IRL Cinemas: Dallas, TX

We've been having a whole lot of fun with our free movie screenings, and we've got another one coming up. We're headed to Dallas, TX tomorrow to watch Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull with anyone who'd care to show up. Just print your Gaia profile (it's your ticket in!) and head to the AMC Northpark 15 theater for the 6:30 PM showing. We've rented out a whole screening room, but keep in mind that it's first come, first serve and we might run out of tickets. Show up early, and make sure you've got a way to get home in case you don't make it in!

When you get there, just look for DJ Helsing. He'll be dressed up as his avatar:

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Get the Full Cinemas IRL Details!

News & Tips from Gaia's Admins

Phony Password Pop-ups: Tricky scammers have been embedding phony password request pop-ups into images. If you randomly see a window asking for your Gaia username and password, don't fall for it. It's a scammer trying to steal your account. Here's an example of what these pop-ups look like:

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If you get a pop-up like this in a Private Message or from a forum post, please remember to report it!

CAPTCHA Upgrades: More news from the frontlines in the war against bots: you may have noticed that we've put a "CAPTCHA" system into the Art Arena comments section, meaning that you'll have to type a secret word to prove that you're not an evil robot. Soon, we'll be putting a similar thing into the Private Message system, although it won't pop up every time you send a PM; you'll only see it in rare circumstances.

Gold/item buying - NO! We've said this before, but we thought we'd put up a quick reminder: if you buy Gaia Gold or Gaia items from anywhere but Gaiaonline.com, your account will be permanently banned. Buying Gold from outside sites is a violation of our rules, and it creates an industry of botters who annoy us all by spamming the site, stealing accounts and many other jerkish endeavors.

Reporting Helps! We'd like to take a moment to encourage all the good Gaian Samaritans out there to keep on reporting inappropriate stuff when you see it. It helps us out a lot, and the quicker something bad is reported, the quicker we can remove it. Your reports definitely make a difference.

Even if something is really blatantly foul, please don't assume someone else has reported it; we depend on our members to help us clean up the site, so please take the time to file a report. Thanks!

Weekly Poll

Question time! We all know by now that if you don't participate in the weekly poll, that annoying little monkey will keep shrieking until you give him an answer. We'd better give him what he wants:

Vote in the Weekly Poll

Gold Granting in Mochi Games

We've got some great news about the winning games in the Gaian's Choice Game Awards contest: GOLD! Now nine of the ten winning games grant Gaia Gold when you play them, so you can have fun and get rich at the same time. Look for the Gaia Gold icon to see which games pay off.

Play the Games!

27 Cash Shop: Hermes Moon, Orindae & White Drome Leaving Soon!

• Topic Cash Shop: Hermes Moon, Orindae & White Drome Leaving Soon! - Posted: [NPC] Flynn Tue May 27, 2008 7:04 pm

Hey guys, I've got some important Cash Shop news for ya! A few evolving items are leaving the Cash Shop soon, so this may be your last chance to get your hands on some of the coolest items we've ever sold:

Hermes' Moon - This just might be the definitive evolving item! This incredible piece included tons of poses when it became fully unlocked, including golden capes, scarves, and cute magical bunnies.

Orindae - The classic "Frog Prince" myth is brought to life with this unassuming little jar. It starts as a goofy little tadpole, then gradually grows to ridiculous size before winding up as a handsome prince.

White Drome Egg - A small white egg conceals a ferocious raptor! An unlocked Drome Egg is an amazingly versatile item, since it contains brand new raptor skins that completely change the look of your avatar.

You'd better hurry! These items will leave the Cash Shop on Friday, May 30th!

Visit the Gaia Cash Shop!

28 Kiki's Road Trip: A-Kon in Dallas, TX

• Topic Kiki's Road Trip: A-Kon in Dallas, TX - Posted: admin Tue May 27, 2008 7:11 pm

Kiki's Road Trip: A Kon in Dallas, TX!

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We'll be heading to A-Kon at the Sheraton Dallas in Dallas, Texas this weekend.

You can catch the Gaia panel at 5:00 PM on Saturday, May 31st in the Remington Room. As usual, we'll be bringing plenty of free Gold cards and some other great prizes for a few lucky winners. All panel attendees will get a sneak peak at Gaia's new Flash game, as well as new screen shots from the long-awaited "Battle" project.

After that, the Gaia staff will be emceeing the A-Kon 2008 Dance Party at 10:30 PM in the Main Programming room. Grab your friends and head on over for a wild night of music and dancing. Bring your best dance moves for a chance to win some great prizes!

We'll also be hosting a special Gaia gathering event at 5:00 on Friday, May 30th in the Remington Room. Come hang out with your fellow Gaians, make new friends, exchange usernames and whatever. All attendees of the gathering will receive a special prize, too.

For more info on A-Kon and all the latest news on Kiki's Road Trip, visit our convention home page.

Find Out More about A-Kon!

Can't find the place? Just look for all the teenage girls mistakenly lined up to see Senagalese R&B sensation Akon, and all the squirrels who thought it said "Acorn."

28 Help Us Break Pinball!

• Topic Help Us Break Pinball! - Posted: [NPC] Old Man Logan Tue May 27, 2008 7:18 pm

Heya, Bub! Looks like we've got another game announcement from those silly ol' admins:

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-

We recently made a bunch of tweaks and fixes to Gaia Pinball, but it was still having a lot of trouble handling everyone at once. In order to make sure it can withstand some stress, we'd like to cordially invite you to stomp on the game as hard as you can.

Help us break Pinball! Everyone go play it at once, and see if you can crash it!

In case you're wondering, here's a list of the recent fixes we've made to the game:

• Pinball wizards can earn their own tables, which can be added to houses.
• Gold granting now works correctly.
• Server disconnect and timeout errors are fixed.
• Von Helson Manor mode is easier to enter.
• Improved speed and performance.
• Pinballs are no longer made from depleted uranium.

Be sure to check out the Pinball FAQ if you have any questions. Now get your butt over to the games page, because the game isn’t going to play itself!

Break Pinball!

29 Site Offline For 10 Minutes Tomorrow Morning

• Topic Site Offline For 10 Minutes Tomorrow Morning - Posted: admin Thu May 29, 2008 1:11 am

Hey, everyone -- we're going to take the site offline for about 10 minutes in the wee hours of the morning (5:30am PST) to do some much needed database shuffling. Everything should be back up and running by 5:40am.

29 Kung Fu Panda: New Item!

• Topic Kung Fu Panda: New Item! - Posted: [Gaia] Po Wed Mar 26, 2008 8:58 pm

Kung Fu Panda is hitting theaters soon (06/06), and we're celebrating with another free item for your avatar!

Quote:

Enthusiastic, big and a little clumsy, Po is the biggest fan of Kung Fu around…which doesn’t exactly come in handy while working every day in his family’s noodle shop. Unexpectedly chosen to fulfill an ancient prophecy, Po’s dreams become reality when he joins the world of Kung Fu and studies alongside his idols, the legendary Furious Five—Tigress, Crane, Mantis, Viper and Monkey—under the leadership of their guru, Master Shifu. But before they know it, the vengeful and treacherous snow leopard Tai Lung is headed their way, and it’s up to Po to defend everyone from the oncoming threat. Can he turn his dreams of becoming a Kung Fu master into reality? Po puts his heart - and his girth - into the task, and the unlikely hero ultimately finds that his greatest weaknesses turn out to be his greatest strengths.

To get the next Kung Fu Panda item, pay another visit to the Thousand Steps.

Continue the Kung Fu Panda Quest

Want to just watch the trailer? Visit the Profile

Visit the Kung Fu Panda Profile

30 Evolving Item Report: Furugasa & Alruna's Rose

• Topic Evolving Item Report: Furugasa & Alruna's Rose - Posted: [NPC] Dr. Singh Thu May 29, 2008 8:06 pm

Dr. Singh: Hey, everyone! Welcome to the Evolving Item Report, your trusted source for exclusive info on the Cash Shop's hottest items. I've got my little hyperactive pal Timmy here to help out... say hi, Timmy!

Timmy: ...

Dr. Singh: Timmy! Hello?

Timmy: Oh... sorry, Doc... what were you saying?

Dr. Singh: I notice that you're not your usual exuberant self, Timmy. What's the matter?

Timmy: Can't sleep... it's the evil thing... evil thing's gonna YEEP! ...gonna get me...

Dr. Singh: Snap out of it, Timmy! You'll be just fine. You just have to quit your yeeping and shake off your terror, because being traumatized won't do you any good. Right? Now, let's get down to business.

Timmy: Ehh...

-

Dr. Singh: Big news, everyone: we've got another brand new evolving item this week! The Furugasa seems to be an antique umbrella from the far Orient... it's beautifully crafted, but there's something not quite... right about it. Doesn't it seem a little creepy to you, Timmy?

Timmy: I'm already scared, Doc... get that thing away from me.

Dr. Singh: Being a scientist, I'm not too well-versed in the paranormal, but my gut tells me that something spooky is a foot. To grab a Furugasa for yourself, just visit the Gaia Cash Shop:

Visit the Cash Shop

Timmy: The evil thing... it will devour us all...

Dr. Singh: Quiet, you! Anyway, we've also got an item evolving this week: Alruna's Rose is continuing to burst forth with seductive energy. If you own Alruna's Rose, you can view the new pose by visiting the Avatar screen, removing the item from your avatar and reequipping it.

Timmy: Evil... engulfing the world...

Dr. Singh: That's it for this week, folks! We'll be back next week with more evolving item info. Say goodnight, Timmy!

Timmy: Goodnight... forever...

June

02 Skittles Chocolate Mix: Fill The Rainbow With New Puzzle!

• Topic Skittles Chocolate Mix: Fill The Rainbow With New Puzzle! - Posted: [GAIA] Pinata Man Wed May 28, 2008 5:36 pm

Alas, dear chocolate-stained Gaians, the Skittles adventure is nearly over! One final challenge awaits: a jigsaw puzzle as colorful as any rainbow. Solve it, and you’ll net yourself a nice free item.

When the rainbow is completely filled, there’s also a nifty 1,000 Gold bonus for the folks who have finished all the previous Skittles quests. But you'd better hurry, because these games and prizes will be disappearing soon! Simply follow the link below and talk to Pinata Man to begin:

Continue the Skittles Quest

02 Wild West items come to Gaia!

• Topic Wild West items come to Gaia! - Posted: [NPC] Liam Mon Jun 02, 2008 2:39 pm

Hey, hey, hey! Those admin guys have been pestering me to give you this note:

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Howdy, pardners! If you’re sick of all this city livin’, then maybe it’s time you hit the ol’ dusty trail. Whether you’re a genuine cowboy or cowgirl or a rustlin’ bustlin’ outlaw, you’ll find your duds in most of the shops!

The gravy train doesn’t stop there, pilgrim! There’s a dandy selection of finely crafted Native American garments and some fancy dancy clothes celebratin’ the mythical Kachina on sale, too!

Go Shopping!

02 Gaia Store Summer Sale Spectacular!

• Topic Gaia Store Summer Sale Spectacular! - Posted: [NPC] Moira Mon Jun 02, 2008 7:07 pm

We here at Gaia want to clear some space, so we’re offering up to 40% off all our merchandise from now until June 17th! With summer almost here, there’s no better time to stock up on Gaia shirts, hats, plushies, stationary, and finely-crafted tentacle arms. Fashion experts agree: Gaia goes good with everything!

Go to the Gaia Store!

05 Kung Fu Panda is coming to theaters this Friday!

• Topic Kung Fu Panda is coming to theaters this Friday! - Posted: [Gaia] Po Tue Jun 03, 2008 7:49 pm

Kung Fu Panda is making its way to theaters Friday, June 6, and we’re giving away one last item to mark the occasion!

Quote:

Enthusiastic, big and a little clumsy, Po is the biggest fan of Kung Fu around…which doesn’t exactly come in handy while working every day in his family’s noodle shop. Unexpectedly chosen to fulfill an ancient prophecy, Po’s dreams become reality when he joins the world of Kung Fu and studies alongside his idols, the legendary Furious Five—Tigress, Crane, Mantis, Viper and Monkey—under the leadership of their guru, Master Shifu. But before they know it, the vengeful and treacherous snow leopard Tai Lung is headed their way, and it’s up to Po to defend everyone from the oncoming threat. Can he turn his dreams of becoming a Kung Fu master into reality? Po puts his heart - and his girth - into the task, and the unlikely hero ultimately finds that his greatest weaknesses turn out to be his greatest strengths.

To claim the ultimate prize, visit the Thousand Steps and venture deep inside the Hall of Heroes. Be sure to do it soon, because Po and friends won’t be here much longer.

Continue the Kung Fu Panda Quest

06 Evolving Item Report: Death Whisper, Dionaesil, Inari's Bead

• Topic Evolving Item Report: Death Whisper, Dionaesil, Inari's Bead - Posted: [NPC] Dr. Singh Thu Jun 05, 2008 3:25 pm

Dr. Singh: Good afternoon, Gaians! Welcome to the Evolving Item Report, the exclusive news source for Gaia's coolest items. We'll try to keep it short and sweet today, just like my little friend Timmy. How's it going, buddy?

Timmy: It beckons... it draws us into the... YEEP! ...depths of madness.

Dr. Singh: Oh, Timmy! Are you still all hung up on that evil bit of you that escaped the lab? For all you know, it's harmless! Let's just calm down and get to work, OK?

Timmy: The hungry soil of Gaia shall be nourished with the blood of the innocent. The evil thing shall spare no one. Jeepers!

Dr. Singh: Fine, have it your way. Looks like I'll just have to do this alone. We've got three items evolving this week, folks: first up, the baleful dagger known as the Death Whisper has undergone its first transformation today, and its curse seems to be gaining a tighter grasp on its wearers. If there's anything you should be afraid of, Timmy, it's this!

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Timmy: I see... a forest of bones...

Dr. Singh: No you don't! Stop entertaining your grim hallucinations and focus on the positive: Inari's Beads, one of our newer evolving items, has evolved this week. I'm detecting a rather playful spirit here. What do you think, Timmy?

Timmy: Urrrghh...

Dr. Singh: Last but not least, the Dionaesil is continuing to grow at a rapid pace. We might have to buy a bigger greenhouse soon!

Timmy: I gotta lie down, Doc. The visions... they're horrible...

Dr. Singh: Fine, go be traumatized somewhere else. I'll just finish this up by myself, since apparently I can't count on my so-called sidekick to keep his mental composure for five minutes! Maybe we'd better bring someone in next week to help you with this whole... thing. To wrap this up, here are the generations of older items that are completing their evolution today: The 9th generation of Fausto's Bottle, the 4th generation of Hermes' Moon and the 4th generation of Biancamella.

To pick up an evolving item of your very own, go visit Flynn in the Gaia Cash Shop:

Visit The Gaia Cash Shop

10 Cash Shop Update: New Evolving Item!

• Topic Cash Shop Update: New Evolving Item! - Posted: [NPC] Flynn Mon Jun 09, 2008 8:25 pm

Hello everyone! I just received a letter from Dr. Singh letting me know about a new evolving item in the Cash Shop! Dr. Singh is very busy taking little Timmy to his therapist today, so I guess it falls on me to tell you about this exciting new arrival. It's an awfully gloomy thing, but very beautiful. According to Dr. Singh, it might even have some interesting properties, but I don't know anything about that!

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Picolitrosso's Urn is rumored to contain mysterious secrets and the ashes of something old and powerful. But they're just ashes... we think.

Timmy also wrote something in the letter, though it is very hard to read. "YEEP!!!" he says. I don't even know what that has to do with the new item. What a troubled young man. I do hope they help him with his penmanship.

To buy this lovely urn for yourself or a friend, visit the Gaia Cash Shop. Don't worry, lots of people give urns as gifts. It's not weird.

Visit the Gaia Cash Shop!

To learn more about Gaia Cash, click here.

10 News Bulletin: Mischief Makers, Birthdays, & More

• Topic News Bulletin: Mischief Makers, Birthdays, & More - Posted: [NPC] Cindy Donovinh Tue Jun 10, 2008 4:34 pm

Mischief Makers

The latest installment of Mischief Makers is now up, and it's the largest one yet! Make sure you check out the Mischief gallery to marvel at the ingenuity of the world's most devoted Gaians:

Check out the Winners

With no limit on the number of winners we can have, be sure to submit your Gaia-related tomfoolery! You may be the next winner of some awesome prizes by submitting mischief of your own.

New Birthday Stuff

We've updated the birthday privacy setting with a new option. You now have three choices for your birthday: Hide, Show Full Birthday, and Show Month/Day Only. You can find the birthday setting in your Profile Preferences, located under "Account" in the My Gaia tab, or by clicking here.

We mention this thrilling fact because we're going to start sending out PMs with birthday alerts. When one of your friends has a birthday coming up, you'll get a PM letting you know. Don't worry, if you don't want a notice sent out on your behalf, you can change your birthday setting to "hide."

For some gift ideas, take a trip over to the Gaia Cash Shop and visit Flynn. She has some birthday themed items in stock.

Ask the Admins

Don't forget to stop by the Gaia Community Discussion forum every Monday at 6 pm (Pacific Time) for the Ask the Admins thread. Various members of the Gaia staff will be on hand to shoot the breeze and answer your Gaia related questions.

This past Monday Lanzer and some other Gaia staffers answered questions, and there will be more Q&A next Monday! Don't miss it!

Gaia's Goin' to Otakon!

We've added a whole slew of new stops to Kiki's Road Trip! You can now meet up with us at:

Otakon 2008

Dragon Con 2008

San Diego Comic-Con 2008

New York Anime Festival 2008

For more information about these conventions and all the cool Gaia events there, check out our convention homepage.

The Full Convention Lowdown

The Weekly Poll

If you've got a second, please mosey over to the Gaia Community Discussion forum and pay a visit to the Opinion Primate. He seems almost pathologically curious about your opinions, and we're worried that he might get unruly if you don't indulge him.

Speak Your Mind

11 Daily Gaia: Gaian Theatre Company

• Topic Daily Gaia: Gaian Theatre Company - Posted: [NPC] Liam Wed Jun 11, 2008 6:43 pm

'Sup, everyone? Looks like those admin guys are up to something again!

We thought we'd shake things up a little with the announcements and start highlighting some of the interesting things going on with the Gaia community!

To start things off, we wanted to give a plug to the fine folks running the Gaian Theatre Company. This dedicated group has been providing live entertainment in Gaia Towns, putting on regular shows for anyone wanting to watch. They have performed everything from Rent to the Rocky Horror Show, as well as some original material. No word on when they are going to perform Glengarry Glen Ross, but our word filters are ready for the challenge.

The Gaian Theatre Company has been in operation since June of 2006, making this month their two year anniversary! Keep your eyeballs peeled for upcoming performances by the group for a fun and unique Gaia experience!

Visit the Gaian Theatre Company!

This is not a quest and this group is in no way affiliated with Gaia, we just wanted to highlight some creative folks using the site! Be sure you observe all the rules in their thread and of the forums and do not spam or be abusive!

Stay tuned to the announcements forum for more daily updates on all things Gaia!

12 Stick it to your friends with the new Gaia Label Maker!

• Topic Stick it to your friends with the new Gaia Label Maker! - Posted: [NPC] Old Man Logan Thu Jun 12, 2008 4:09 pm

Heya bub! Got a note from those Gaia admins. Guess you better read it, huh?

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Have you ever wanted to smack a big label on somebody? With Label My Friends, you can stick fun descriptions on any of your Gaia friends letting them know exactly what you think. Label My Friends also lets you tag non-Gaia members as well, so you can go hog wild slappin' labels on people like some crazy person.

Your friends will be alerted when you label them, and you can even include a personal note so they know why you called them a fashion emergency... or worse. Like all features on Gaia, you'll be rewarded for your noble efforts with some Gold. Label My Friends can be found in the avatar equip page, or you can simply click below to start gettin' sticky.

Label Your Friends!

And no, this feature has nothing to do with our recent drunken acquisition of a German adhesive manufacturing plant. We just really wanted to do this.

12 Community Spotlight: Love, Gaian Style

• Topic Community Spotlight: Love, Gaian Style - Posted: admin Thu Jun 12, 2008 5:45 pm

As we mentioned yesterday, we wanted to start spotlighting some of the coolest threads, people, stories and whatnot from the Gaia community. Today, we'll focus on that most beautiful of topics: the thrill of young love!

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We all know Gaia's a great place to meet friends, but Shannon (TheTyro) and Tyler (Junior Goku) found something more. After meeting in the Chatterbox (uhhh... wow!), these two Gaians hit it off, and the rest is history. Says Shannon:

Quote:

We've been together for 4+ years, met in the chatterbox... of all places. I lived in Washington State, he lived in New Jersey. Once I was done with high school, I moved in with his family, and have been here for about two years. We still enjoy Gaia and look forward to many more years on the site.

Inspired by their romantic success? Remember: there are millions of lovely people on Gaia, and you never know when and where you might meet the guy or girl of your dreams. Why not chat it up on the Gaia forums? It worked for Tyler and Shannon!

Chat in Gaia's Forums

13 Evolving Item Report: Picolitrosso's Urn & More

• Topic Evolving Item Report: Picolitrosso's Urn & More - Posted: [NPC] Dr. Singh Thu Jun 12, 2008 2:38 pm

Hello, everyone! Welcome to the Evolving Item Report. I'm Dr. Singh, and this is... oh, right, Timmy's not here this week. He's been acting very strange lately, so I took him to some sort of a therapist to see if we can figure out what's up with that crazy little noggin of his.

I guess that leaves me all alone this time, so I'll be presenting the week's scientific reportage myself. We seem to have quite an exciting suite of evolutions, with one item reaching its final stage and two of our most popular items undergoing interesting transformations.

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Before we get into that, I just wanted to mention our brand-new evolving item, Picolitrosso's Urn. I'm detecting a high degree of volatility in these mysterious ashes, so I have a hunch that we can expect some unusual surprises from this item. My calculations indicate that extra poses may spring up unexpectedly in the future, even on weeks when the item's not evolving... I've also managed to extrapolate that the urn's first full evolution will occur approximately two weeks from today. This is definitely an item to watch!

Elsewhere in the evolving item world, the Enchanted Book continues to weave its mystifying story this week. Every new page seems to reveal astounding surprises... I can't put it down! Alruna's Rose, another of our favorite items, has also evolved again. I wish Timmy were here to see this, since boys his age are always quite curious about items like this.

And last but not least, some exciting news from the world of mad science: The Experiment has reached its terrifying conclusion! Owners of first-generation Experiments can now freely use all of the beaker's many bizarre stages. After that whole thing with Timmy mutating, I have kind of a soft spot for grim scientific travesties. Aww!

Some later stages of older items are also finishing up their evolution this week. The second generation of the White Drome Egg and the second generation of the Orindae are now fully evolved and unlocked.

That's all for this week, folks! Timmy will be back next week with a little more of his inimitable folksy wit and wisdom. Remember: you can pick up Picolitrosso's Urn and many other great evolving items in the Gaia Cash Shop!

Shop for Evolving Items

Ooh, and one more thing: each week, Gaia's artists run a little poll to see what your current favorite evolving item is. If you'd like to vote, just visit this thread.

13 Fishing: Closed for Maintenance

• Topic Fishing: Closed for Maintenance - Posted: [NPC] Old Man Logan Fri Jun 13, 2008 2:54 pm

Heya, bub. Considerin' my lofty position as Gaia's official fish and game regulator, I s'pose it's my duty to report this: starting today, we've gotta shut down Gaia's fishin' holes for a while to clean all the filth outta the ponds.

You may have noticed that some ugly pond-scum type organisms have been messin' around with the fishing scores and whatnot, and the time has finally come to take a couple of weeks to blast 'em outta the water.

We're aimin' to bring fishing back within a few weeks. In the meantime, please feel free to enjoy one of our other fine games, like Pinball or Jigsaw.

I'm not usually one for big apologies and whatnot, but I'm very sorry for this interruption. We know you love yer fishin'.

13 Community Spotlight: Bored in Towns?

• Topic Community Spotlight: Bored in Towns? - Posted: admin Fri Jun 13, 2008 5:28 pm

Today we shine our industrial strength spotlight at Bored in Towns?, a guild dedicated to helping you find the best, most happenin', and most interesting places in Gaia Towns.

Quote:

Have you ever felt lonely while wandering around Towns, trying to find people to hang out with or a fun place to entertain yourself and others? Well then this is the guide for you! A few of us have got together to make Ninina's original thread guide into a full blown-out guild so not only is it easier to navigate, but you the users can be a part of the guide as well.

Gaia is practically bursting at the seams with nooks and crannies. If you're a big fan of nooks or crannies, this guild makes for a handy resource. I'm more of a cranny person myself, but I don't mind a good nook every now and then. Check out Bored in Towns? for some fine travel advice or to share your own neat discoveries.

If you haven't yet taken a gander at the guild sections yet, there is a lot to see. With tons of guilds covering a gigantic heap of different topics, there is more than likely something right up your alley!

15 June's Monthly Collectibles are here! 2008

• Topic June's Monthly Collectibles are here! - Posted: [NPC] Rina Sun Jun 15, 2008 3:00 pm

Yaaay! It's the 15th! Hands trembling with excitement... can't... open... envelope...

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The Radiant Prism refracts light into a glorious rainbow. This item includes a shining crown, a crystal ball, a dazzling rainbow lightshow and more. In honor of the anniversary of our first collectible item, the Angelic Halo, this item includes the lovely Prismatic Halo.

When you've got to get in and out without a sound, make sure you've got the right Black Ops Gear. A headband and face paint help you blend into the night, a robotic visor delivers up-to-the minute field status, and when the guards come snooping, your trusty cardboard box never lets you down.

You can buy the June Collectibles now in the Gaia Cash Shop!

16 Community Spotlight: Keep Your Account Safe!

• Topic Community Spotlight: Keep Your Account Safe! - Posted: admin Mon Jun 16, 2008 4:49 pm

We thought we'd take a moment every week to give you some helpful tips to keep your account safe and your Gaia experience fun. One good way to do that is to keep an eye out for phishing schemes. There are a lot of shady Internet ne'er-do-wells eager to steal your passwords and use them to funnel sweet Nigerian gold into the country, so vigilance is important. Treat your password like a baby bird egg and keep it safe and secure. To help keep your account free from harm, please consider these basic facts/tips:

• Gaia admins will never ask you for your password. We've got millions of passwords, more than we'll ever need. We don't need yours, even if it is really great.
• The only place Gaia will ever ask for your password is on the http://www.gaiaonline.com/ website.
• Do not share your password with friends, or your account for that matter. One time some kids got attacked by bears after sharing their passwords. Don't let that happen to you!
• Change your passwords regularly. Like underwear, passwords should be changed at least once every couple months or when accidents happen.
• Use a unique, hard-to-guess password. You know, one of those big long strings of gibberish that takes an hour to type out and makes you hate passwords.

If you spot anybody trying to pull some phishing funny business, please report it!

17 Weekend PayPal Woes

• Topic Weekend PayPal Woes - Posted: admin Mon Jun 16, 2008 9:09 pm

Dear friends,

This weekend, some of you may have experienced some weirdness (errors, blank screens, etc.) when trying to use PayPal to buy your Monthly Collectibles or Gaia Cash. Everything has now been fixed up, so PayPal should once again work like it oughtta.

We're sorry if this inconvenienced you guys and kept you from getting those sweet, sweet collectibles. If you tried to use PayPal recently and met with bitter disappointment, we encourage you to try again.

Kindest regards, The Gaia Team

18 News Bulletin: Time Magazine Knows We're Awesome.

• Topic News Bulletin: Time Magazine Knows We're Awesome. - Posted: [NPC] Cindy Donovinh Mon Jun 16, 2008 4:08 pm

You Already Know We're the Best, But...

We woke up to an unexpected honor this morning: Gaia Online has been named as one of the 50 best sites of 2008 by none other than Time Magazine! Isn't that just unbelievably legitimate? Based on this victory, we fully expect Lanzer to be chosen as Time's "Person of the Year" in 2009.

Yeah, I know. You probably don't believe us. Well, GUESS WHAT?

WE ARE THE GREATEST!

As we post this, we're currently sitting right in the middle of the poll rankings at #25. If you're so inclined, you can show everyone who's internet-boss by rating Gaia and driving us up the ranks toward VICTORY!

Mischief Ahoy

We've once again updated our Mischief Makers page with a few more photos and videos from Gaia's most eerily devoted fans. Remember, this is an ongoing contest, so you can send us your photos or videos whenever you want and win some awesome items.

See the Mischief

Poll My Finger!

Another week, another poll! Please take a moment to deliver your opinions unto our simian pal. After you've voted for us in the Time poll, of course (sorry, we're still a little giddy about that).

Vote in the Weekly Poll

20 Evolving Item Report: Furugasa, Inari's Beads, Death Whisper

• Topic Evolving Item Report: Furugasa, Inari's Beads, Death Whisper - Posted: [NPC] Dr. Singh Thu Jun 19, 2008 6:49 pm

Dr. Singh: Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to your weekly Evolving Item Report! We've got plenty of ground to cover today. Not only do we have a whole slew of cool evolutions to report, but we've also got a very special guest! This is Dr. Schadenkind, one of Gaia's most prominent psychoanalysts (he had the biggest ad in the phone book), and he's been working with Timmy to cure him of his nervous mumblings and delusions of imminent world destruction by some kind of evil force.

Dr. Schadenkind: Hallo, yes.

Dr. Singh: We'll check in with the doctor in a little while. For now, let's get started on this week's evolutions! You ready, Timmy?

Timmy: An age of darkness... a yacht of skulls upon an ocean of boiling blood...

Dr. Singh: I'll take that as a "yes." We've got three items evolving this week. First up, as I predicted last week, Picolitrosso's Urn seems to have sprung up a minor extra pose... how strange! It hasn't undergone a full evolution yet, though; that will likely happen next week. Elsewhere, the Furugasa is getting even spookier! I worry about showing an item like this to Timmy, what with his fragile mental state and all, but, y'know, what the hey. Take a look, Timmy!

Timmy: YEEP!

Dr. Singh: See? Pretty scary. Next up, Inari's Beads are continuing to grow; their animal spirit seems to becoming yet more prominent this week. I'm very excited to see where this one goes, as it seems to have a playful, benevolent energy about it. Maybe I should show Timmy, just to soothe his jangled nerves a bit... nah, there's no time. Next, we've got...

Timmy: A vast desert of powdered bone... say, Doc, is that the Death Whisper? Lookin' pretty swell this week, huh?

Dr. Singh: Why yes, it is! Congratulations on your moment of lucidity, you adorable little nutcase. The Death Whisper has undergone another transformation, and its curse seems to be creeping further onto the bodies of its owners. In other news, one of our creepiest evolving items is leaving the Cash Shop this week: The Experiment, having run its grisly scientific course, will leave the shop next week. It's your last chance to meddle with the darkest, dangliest nether-bits of mad science!

Dr. Schadenkind: I am detecting ze... innuendo here.

Dr. Singh: And finally, the fifth generation of Hermes' Moon will be completing its evolution this week.

To get one of these fantastic evolving items for yourself, just visit our friend Flynn at the Gaia Cash Shop. Tell her Dr. Singh sent you!

Visit the Gaia Cash Shop

So, let's turn things over to Dr. Schadenkind to see if he's made any progress with Timmy's disturbed little mind.

Dr. Schadenkind: Yes. Vell, I am detecting zat ze boy underwent some trauma recently. Now, as you can see, ze little boy's evil impulses are beink sublimated into ze yeeping unt ze stuttering, ze trembling unt ze mumbles, unt whatnot.

Timmy: Evil... YEEP! ...impulses?

Dr. Schadenkind: Correct. Ze evil impulses.

Dr. Singh: Wait just a minute here, Dr. Schadenkind. Are you saying Timmy still has some evil in him? I thought that all got removed during his genetic surgery...

Dr. Schadenkind: Ah! But you see, ze evil of ze body is the same as ze evil in ze mind. Ze boy vas exposed to much evil during ze mutation ordeal, unt it has left ze deep psychic scars.

Dr. Singh: So what are you saying?

Dr. Schadenkind: Vell, to put it in ze simple terms, zis boy has gone... utterly mad!

Timmy: Golly!

Dr. Singh: Hmm. "Utterly mad"? Isn't that a rather unusual clinical diagnosis, doctor?

Dr. Schadenkind: Vell... you see... the boy is vat ve in ze psychoanalytic profession like to call "coo-coo in the coconut."

Dr. Singh: Don't you mean "coo-coo in ze coconut"?

Dr. Schadenkind: Ehh... vell...

Dr. Singh: You're just faking that accent, aren't you?

Dr. Schadenkind: None of your %$&@ing beeswax, lady! Jeez! Just let me do my job, OK? The accent is part of my whole "thing." It's like you don't understand psychoanalysis at all! Look, just don't screw this up for me, lady. Do I come to your office and make fun of your fake accent? @#%$! You're crazy! You're crazier than the kid! It's just an accent, OK? Listen, lady, I've been doing this a long time. Remember those degrees on my wall? Those aren't fake. Most of them. I'm a @%#&ing professional, as in "lady, you need professional help," and I don't have to stand here and listen to your $%&@ing horsecrap! You got that?

Dr. Singh: Riiiight...

Timmy: Sooooo...

Dr. Singh: Yeeaaah...

Dr. Schadenkind: Maybe you should... I don't know... kinda forget that I said that?

Dr. Singh: Anyway... that's about it for this week. Remember, guys, you can vote for your favorite evolving item every week in our little informal poll in the Gaia Community Discussion forum. Ciao!

23 Cash Shop: OMFG Box Leaving Soon!

• Topic Cash Shop: OMFG Box Leaving Soon! - Posted: [NPC] Flynn Mon Jun 23, 2008 2:39 pm

Hey guys, I've got some sad, sad news for you all! We need to clear up some room on our shelves, so the OMFG Box will soon be disappearing from the Cash Shop for good!

Featuring a random assortment of expensive store items, Cash Shop favorites, rare and unreleased stuff, and new, unseen goodies, you never know what's going to be inside the OMFG Box. It could even be something... gruesome.

The OMFG Box will be leaving on Wednesday, June 25, so get one (or two) while you can!

Visit the Cash Shop!

23 Community Spotlight: Get a Summer Job!

• Topic Community Spotlight: Get a Summer Job! - Posted: admin Thu Jun 19, 2008 5:23 pm

Hey gang!

As you might have noticed, there hasn't been a Community Spotlight in the last few days. We just wanted to slow down and not bombard you with too many announcements. We still have a lot of stuff we want to draw attention to over the coming weeks and months, so look for the Community Spotlight to continue at a more reasonable pace.

Today we recklessly shine our blinding light at the Gaia Jobs Center, a place where you can advertise your skills to other Gaians and sell them for Gold. Like making banners, writing poems, short stories, and things like that? There just might be some highfalutin Gaia millionaire looking for someone with your skills!

If you'd like to share your talents and possibly earn some extra Gold, or you're just looking for someone to hire, head over to the Gaia Job Center and fill out an application. Who knows, maybe you'll even make enough to buy a few new outfits (or more)!

24 The Magician, the new book from Michael Scott!

• Topic The Magician, the new book from Michael Scott! - Posted: Michael Scott Thu Jun 12, 2008 7:42 pm

Michael Scott has returned to Gaia to celebrate the release of his new book The Magician, coming out June 24th.

Quote:

The Magician is the second book in The New York Times bestselling series The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel

AFTER FLEEING OJAI, Nicholas, Sophie, Josh, and Scatty emerge in Paris, the City of Lights. Home for Nicholas Flamel. Only this homecoming is anything but sweet. Perenelle is still locked up back in Alcatraz and Paris is teeming with enemies. Niccolò Machiavelli, immortal author and celebrated art collector, is working for Dee. He’s after them, and time is running out for Nicholas and Perenelle. For every day spent without the Book of Abraham the Mage, they age one year—their magic becoming weaker and their bodies more frail. For Flamel, the Prophesy is becoming more and more clear.

It’s time for Sophie to learn the second elemental magic: Fire Magic. And there’s only one man who can teach it to her: Flamel’s old student, the Comte de Saint-Germain—alchemist, magician, and rock star. Josh and Sophie Newman are the world’s only hope—if they don’t turn on each other first.

Head on over to the Magician Discussion Thread for more from Michael Scott, links to some sample chapters to download, a poll to vote in, and a free item!

Check out the Magician Discussion Thread

Michael will be chatting with Gaians on June 25th, so be sure to stop by then!

24 News Bulletin: Wizard World Chicago, More CBS Mischief

• Topic News Bulletin: Wizard World Chicago, More CBS Mischief - Posted: [NPC] Cindy Donovinh Tue Jun 24, 2008 7:53 pm

Kiki's Road Trip: Wizard World Chicago, IL!

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Gaia Online will be stopping by Wizard World at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Illinois this weekend.

You can catch the Gaia panel at 12:00 PM on June 28th, in the Jim Mooney Room - Room 4. As usual, we'll be bringing plenty of free Gold cards and some other great prizes for a few lucky winners. All panel attendees will get a sneak peak at Gaia's new Flash game, as well as new screen shots from the long-awaited "Battle" project.

For all the info on Kiki's Road Trip and Wizard World, check out our convention site:

Gaia at Wizard World Chicago

Hope to see you there!

The CBS Early Show: September 29th!

Remember all that mischief we caused on the CBS Early Show? Good, because we want to cause some more! Please help us with this noble mission by coming to the CBS Early Show Plaza September 29th at 6:00 AM for fun times, free coffee and bagels, and free Gaia prizes and Gold!

There is no age requirement for the event, though you do need to be a Gaia member. All attendees will receive an OMG Plushier or a Water Meat Plushie and 1,000 Gaia Gold. We're bringing over 200 plushies with us, so there will be plenty for everyone. Here's a picture to prove it:

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If you show up wearing your favorite Gaia Gear, we'll even give you a special limited edition Ring from Gaia's new MMO. You never know, you could be the next Gaian to appear on live television!

To participate, just show up here on Monday, September 29th at 6:00 AM:

CBS Early Show Plaza

767 5th Ave and 59th St, right next to Central Park

For the complete lowdown, check this thread:

Let's Get On the Early Show!

25 Test your luck with Faunzy's Flute, new in the Cash Shop!

• Topic Test your luck with Faunzy's Flute, new in the Cash Shop! - Posted: [NPC] Faunzy Mon Jun 23, 2008 9:39 pm

Hey, you grubby little mutants, it's your new pal Faunzy here!

First things first, there is a new kind of item in the Cash Shop. It's not a regular item. It's not even an evolving item. No, it's Faunzy's Flute, the first ever active item! Yeah, that's right, active items. Not only can you wear them, but you can friggin' play and win prizes from them, too!

Just play some notes on MY FLUTE to summon YOURS TRULY to come play a little game. You and me, mano-a-fauno. Because I am a creature of honor, I play the most honorable game there is: rock, paper, scissors.

Here's how it works:

First, go to your inventory and equip the item. You will then get a private message from me, and the two of us will get down to business: you losing. Best me, and I'll give you a prize from my personal trove of treasures. Lose, and you will still be rewarded handsomely. Like to push your luck? Put your winnings on the line for even better prizes. If you can best me 10 times in a row, I'll give you my finest treasure. I'm a busy man, so I can only play one round a day with you, but that's all it takes for me to slam down some rock and crush your puny scissor hands.

Believe you me, buddy, I'm not looking forward to responding to every single house call in all of Gaia, but I've got bills to pay just like everyone else. Try as I might, my scissors can't cut through alimony paperwork.

If you have the guts to challenge me, and I doubt you do, check out Faunzy's Flute in the Cash Shop!

Visit the Cash Shop

26 Community Spotlight: Stylin' and Profilin'

• Topic Community Spotlight: Stylin' and Profilin' - Posted: admin Thu Jun 26, 2008 5:28 pm

Hey gang!

Today's Community Spotlight is all about you! In particular, the profile part of you. Everybody on Gaia has a profile, whether they want one or not. You don't have to do anything fancy with yours, but if you want to... well, let's just say you can do some amazing stuff.

For those of you looking to learn how to make your profile really shine, the Profile Discussion forum has the info you need. With plenty of tips, tutorials, and critiquing, you'll be able to turn your dusty old profile into something really special. And yeah, there will be plenty of awesome profiles to look at and learn from!

When venturing into the Profile Discussion Forum, make sure you take a look at the Rules and Guidelines thread first. It has all the rules you need to know before posting, as well as guidelines on what you can and can't do with your profile. Plus, the mods worked hard on it.

If you've got some free time and an itch to make your profile look all dapper and stunnin', head on over there and see what you can do!

26 Play Faunzy's Flute, the first ever ACTIVE ITEM!

• Topic Play Faunzy's Flute, the first ever ACTIVE ITEM! - Posted: [NPC] Faunzy Thu Jun 26, 2008 9:52 pm

Psst. Faunzy here again!

Heard some of you little mutants might be a bit confused about Faunzy's Flute, the first ever active item that summons YOURS TRULY for a game of rock, paper, scissors. MY FLUTE lasts forever and continually generates a unique set of items that are already fetchin' nice prices on the marketplace. Can't beat that, can ya?

Here's how it works:

To play against me, you're gonna need to equip my flute. When you do, I'll send you a PM. Open that baby up and pick your move: rock, paper, or scissors. It's that simple.

If you best me or get a draw, you get a reward. Lose, and I'll still reward you... handsomely.

Want to push your luck? You can put your winnings on the line for better prizes. The longer your winning streak lasts, the greater the prize. I'm a busy guy, so I can only play one round with you every 24 hours.

You can play multiple rounds a day with multiple flutes, but each will start a separate game. Oh, if you sell or buy one of my flutes in the Marketplace, it may take up to 24 hours to work again, depending on when the seller used it last.

If you un-equip my flute, you'll stop getting PMs. Just equip it back to start the game up again. It will remember our last place.

All prizes can be worn, given to friends, or sold. But don't think I'm just gonna roll over and play dead. I've been winning at this game since you were in diapers and starter gear.

That's it, buddy. That's how Faunzy's Flute works. If you've got the guts to face me, stop by the Cash Shop and pick one up.

Visit the Cash Shop

27 Evolving Item Report: Kelp o'th' Lock & Others

• Topic Evolving Item Report: Kelp o'th' Lock & Others - Posted: [NPC] Dr. Singh Fri Jun 20, 2008 6:31 pm

Dr. Singh: Hello, everyone! Welcome to the Evolving Item Report, your finest source of information about all your favorite items. We've got a special guest with us, too. Once again, the renowned Dr. Schadenkind is here to help Timmy work through his emotional problems. But first, let's take care of this week's evolving item news. Ready, Timmy?

Timmy: The evil thing... consuming my mind...

Dr. Singh: Oh, Timmy, will you ever let that go? Anyway, a new evolving item arrived this week! The Kelp o'th' Lock is a strange one indeed. It appears at first to be seaweed!

Timmy: Yuck! Who would wanna buy seaweed, Doc?

Dr. Singh: This is no ordinary seaweed, Timmy. If my theory holds true, this may have come from a very unusual lake. I surmise it is only a matter of time before the seaweed reveals its true form, whatever that may be! For now I would recommend giving it plenty of water.

If you'd like to pick one up, why not stop by the Gaia Cash Shop and see my good friend Flynn?

Visit the Gaia Cash Shop

Timmy: A sea of darkness that never ends... horrible screams and shrieks. Arms reaching up for hope that never comes. Then silence. Terrible silence...

Dr. Singh: Good idea, Timmy, let's use your silent voice. Okay, now that that's settled, Picolitrosso's Urn seems to have undergone its first evolution, revealing yet more mystery. Somehow I feel we have a ways to go before we know its true nature.

Timmy: We'll all be in urns soon...

Dr. Singh: Moving on, Dionaesil continues its perplexing growth. Perhaps this plant has been getting too much water and sunlight? That is, if it is a plant.... Alruna's Rose continues its alluring evolution. I'm afraid it's gotten a little too revealing for you to see, Timmy. Maybe when you're older.

Timmy: Yeep!

Dr. Singh: And lastly, Biancamella is completing its fifth generation today!

Timmy: Say, Doc, why is there blood shootin' out of your eyes?

Dr. Singh: There's not, you silly boy! Shall we have a chat with Dr. Schadenkind? Good afternoon, Doctor.

Dr. Schadenkind: Hey, it's good to be back.

Dr. Singh: So, no accent zis veek?

Dr. Schadenkind: Shut it, lady. Just %#@&#ing let it go.

Dr. Singh: Touchy! Come on, you're a psychiatrist. Shouldn't you be able to get those emotions under control?

Dr. Schadenkind: Look, lady, don't you tell me to get my %$&#ing emotions under control. See this balding, prematurely grey head up here? This is mine. This is my brain, and I get to do whatever I $%#&ing want with it, OK? Now let's just drop this whole topic and figure out what's wrong with this little nutcase of a kid, alright?

Dr. Singh: Fair enough.

Dr. Schadenkind: Well, it seems simple. Something gave this kid a wild case of the fantods, and now he's basically freaking out all the time. I'm sure you've noticed.

Dr. Singh: What do you think caused all this?

Dr. Schadenkind: Hell if I know, lady. You know him better than I do. I've talked to him, but he's pretty tough to understand through all the muttering and chattering. Sounds like he saw something so alarming, so horrifying beyond comprehension, that he's been intensely traumatized. Maybe he saw you before you put your makeup on in the morning, I don't know. What? Why are you asking me?

Dr. Singh: Because you're charging me thousands of Gold per hour!

Dr. Schadenkind: Oh, so that means I'm a toy, right? I'm just a piece of meat over here, just some little diagnosing machine that you can poke at and prod at? You're sick, lady. You're a sick person and you need help.

Dr. Singh: I'm just asking if--

Dr. Schadenkind: Just let me do my job for one %$&@ing second, OK? Fine. Good. Let me talk to the kid. What's the kid's name?

Dr. Singh: Timmy.

Dr. Schadenkind: I didn't ask your name, you crazy lunatic, I'm asking the kid's name.

Dr. Singh: His name is Timmy.

Dr. Schadenkind: Look, I don't know what kind of a sick little game you're playing, lady, but I don't need to be a part of it. Just let me do my job. Kid! Tell me what happened.

Timmy: The evil thing... it talked to me... it talked to my mind...

Dr. Schadenkind: What kind of an evil thing are we talking about? Like a monster? No! Don't tell me! Bet I can get it in twenty. OK, so animal, vegetable or mineral?

Timmy: Animal... or mineral...

Dr. Schadenkind: Bigger than a breadbox?

Timmy: Nuh-uh.

Dr. Schadenkind: Is it... a baseball?

Timmy: No, more evil.

Dr. Schadenkind: A hockey puck?

Dr. Singh: Ugh. Sounds like this is going to take a while. I guess I'll let these two nutcases duke it out for a while. At least they keep each other busy, right? Stay tuned next week for another exciting update! Remember: if you want to share your opinions with Gaia's staff about which items you like best, they're always happy to hear from you! You can start with our little poll in the Gaia Community Discussion forum. Bye bye!

27 Avatar Save Problem Fixed

• Topic Avatar Save Problem Fixed - Posted: admin Fri Jun 27, 2008 8:59 pm

UPDATE: This has now been fixed, sorry for the inconvenience.

Original message: Users are reporting problems with saving their avatars -- it looks like the avatar saves correctly, but the avatar doesn't change. We've narrowed it down to a problem with a provider upstream, and are now working with them to resolve it. We hope to have it fixed within the next 24 hours. Thanks for your understanding. ~pan

28 Evolving Item Report: Kelp o'th' Lock & Others (Resent)

• Topic Evolving Item Report: Kelp o'th' Lock & Others (Resent) - Posted: [NPC] Dr. Singh Sat Jun 28, 2008 1:04 pm

[Editor's note: a hiccup in our notification system caused some people to not receive this EI report, so we're resending it -- sorry for the duplication if you've already seen this.]

Dr. Singh: Hello, everyone! Welcome to the Evolving Item Report, your finest source of information about all your favorite items. We've got a special guest with us, too. Once again, the renowned Dr. Schadenkind is here to help Timmy work through his emotional problems. But first, let's take care of this week's evolving item news. Ready, Timmy?

Timmy: The evil thing... consuming my mind...

Dr. Singh: Oh, Timmy, will you ever let that go? Anyway, a new evolving item arrived this week! The Kelp o'th' Lock is a strange one indeed. It appears at first to be seaweed!

Timmy: Yuck! Who would wanna buy seaweed, Doc?

Dr. Singh: This is no ordinary seaweed, Timmy. If my theory holds true, this may have come from a very unusual lake. I surmise it is only a matter of time before the seaweed reveals its true form, whatever that may be! For now I would recommend giving it plenty of water.

If you'd like to pick one up, why not stop by the Gaia Cash Shop and see my good friend Flynn?

Visit the Gaia Cash Shop

Timmy: A sea of darkness that never ends... horrible screams and shrieks. Arms reaching up for hope that never comes. Then silence. Terrible silence...

Dr. Singh: Good idea, Timmy, let's use your silent voice. Okay, now that that's settled, Picolitrosso's Urn seems to have undergone its first evolution, revealing yet more mystery. Somehow I feel we have a ways to go before we know its true nature.

Timmy: We'll all be in urns soon...

Dr. Singh: Moving on, Dionaesil continues its perplexing growth. Perhaps this plant has been getting too much water and sunlight? That is, if it is a plant.... Alruna's Rose continues its alluring evolution. I'm afraid it's gotten a little too revealing for you to see, Timmy. Maybe when you're older.

Timmy: Yeep!

Dr. Singh: And lastly, Biancamella is completing its fifth generation today!

Timmy: Say, Doc, why is there blood shootin' out of your eyes?

Dr. Singh: There's not, you silly boy! Shall we have a chat with Dr. Schadenkind? Good afternoon, Doctor.

Dr. Schadenkind: Hey, it's good to be back.

Dr. Singh: So, no accent zis veek?

Dr. Schadenkind: Shut it, lady. Just %#@&#ing let it go.

Dr. Singh: Touchy! Come on, you're a psychiatrist. Shouldn't you be able to get those emotions under control?

Dr. Schadenkind: Look, lady, don't you tell me to get my %$&#ing emotions under control. See this balding, prematurely grey head up here? This is mine. This is my brain, and I get to do whatever I $%#&ing want with it, OK? Now let's just drop this whole topic and figure out what's wrong with this little nutcase of a kid, alright?

Dr. Singh: Fair enough.

Dr. Schadenkind: Well, it seems simple. Something gave this kid a wild case of the fantods, and now he's basically freaking out all the time. I'm sure you've noticed.

Dr. Singh: What do you think caused all this?

Dr. Schadenkind: Hell if I know, lady. You know him better than I do. I've talked to him, but he's pretty tough to understand through all the muttering and chattering. Sounds like he saw something so alarming, so horrifying beyond comprehension, that he's been intensely traumatized. Maybe he saw you before you put your makeup on in the morning, I don't know. What? Why are you asking me?

Dr. Singh: Because you're charging me thousands of Gold per hour!

Dr. Schadenkind: Oh, so that means I'm a toy, right? I'm just a piece of meat over here, just some little diagnosing machine that you can poke at and prod at? You're sick, lady. You're a sick person and you need help.

Dr. Singh: I'm just asking if--

Dr. Schadenkind: Just let me do my job for one %$&@ing second, OK? Fine. Good. Let me talk to the kid. What's the kid's name?

Dr. Singh: Timmy.

Dr. Schadenkind: I didn't ask your name, you crazy lunatic, I'm asking the kid's name.

Dr. Singh: His name is Timmy.

Dr. Schadenkind: Look, I don't know what kind of a sick little game you're playing, lady, but I don't need to be a part of it. Just let me do my job. Kid! Tell me what happened.

Timmy: The evil thing... it talked to me... it talked to my mind...

Dr. Schadenkind: What kind of an evil thing are we talking about? Like a monster? No! Don't tell me! Bet I can get it in twenty. OK, so animal, vegetable or mineral?

Timmy: Animal... or mineral...

Dr. Schadenkind: Bigger than a breadbox?

Timmy: Nuh-uh.

Dr. Schadenkind: Is it... a baseball?

Timmy: No, more evil.

Dr. Schadenkind: A hockey puck?

Dr. Singh: Ugh. Sounds like this is going to take a while. I guess I'll let these two nutcases duke it out for a while. At least they keep each other busy, right? Stay tuned next week for another exciting update! Remember: if you want to share your opinions with Gaia's staff about which items you like best, they're always happy to hear from you! You can start with our little poll in the Gaia Community Discussion forum. Bye bye!

30 Cash Shop Update: New Evolving Item!

• Topic Cash Shop Update: New Evolving Item! - Posted: [NPC] Flynn Mon Jun 30, 2008 2:35 pm

Hi, guys! We've got an unexpected treat in the Cash Shop today: I just got a call from Dr. Singh, saying that a cache of incredibly strange and probably dangerous eggs had been found at a sacred site in the mountains, and she's shipping them over to sell as evolving items. I can only guess what might be inside these things, but I'd be really careful if I were you.

-

But then again, isn't that half the fun of evolving items? The danger, the mystery, the thrill of the unexpected... anyway, you can pick up the Yama No Tamago in the Cash Shop today!

Get the New Evolving Item Now!

Due to a technical goof, you may have seen this announcement twice. Apologies if we spammed you!

July

01 Kiki's Road Trip: Anime Expo 2008

• Topic Kiki's Road Trip: Anime Expo 2008 - Posted: admin Tue Jul 01, 2008 1:38 pm

Gaia Convention Tour: Anime Expo 2008!

-

Gaia Online will be stopping by Anime Expo this weekend, and we hope to see you there!

Where: the Los Angeles Convention Center

When: July 3rd - 6th

What: Fun, prizes, activities, dances etc!

Visit the Gaia Booth on the convention floor to chat with the Gaia team, leave your mark on the graffiti wall, and spin the Wheel of Gaia for a chance to win an Angelic Halo, a beta tester position for Gaia’s new MMO, and other great prizes.

Don't miss the exciting Gaia Panel at 5:30PM on Friday, July 4th in Live Programming 1 (LP 1). As usual, we'll be bringing plenty of free Gold cards and lots of other great prizes for a few lucky winners, including shirts, plushies, and a jumbo Kiki Kitty plushie. You'll also get a sneak peek at some new screenshots from the long-awaited Gaia MMO as well as a preview of some new Gaia merchandise!

As a bonus, all panel attendees will be among the first to receive a special limited-edition ring for use in Gaia's upcoming MMO.

Gaia is happy to be hosting a Gaia Power Hour at the Anime Expo Dance on July 3rd starting at 7:00PM in AX Dance Hall (Dance). Our Emcee and DJ will be giving out great prizes like shirts, plushies, and other goodies to attendees.

Also, be sure to stop by the official Gaia Gathering at 12:00PM on Saturday, July 5th in AX Dance Hall (Dance). Aside from it being a lot of fun, we'll be offering our usual assortment of shirts, plushies, and more as prizes!

For more info on Anime Expo and all the latest news on Kiki's Road Trip, visit our convention home page.

Find Out More about Anime Expo!

01 Coming July 21st: the Gaia Rejected Olympics!

• Topic Coming July 21st: the Gaia Rejected Olympics! - Posted: [NPC] Bruce & Ricky Mon Jun 30, 2008 12:57 am

Heads up, sports fans!

As you may know, the 2008 Summer Olympics are coming up fast. We made a bid to host the games, but unfortunately the bigwigs running the International Olympic Committee don't think Gaia qualifies as a country. To solve this little humdinger, we're hosting our own games: the Gaia Rejected Olympics.

I'm Bruce Hardcastle, and along with my partner, Ricky Baudelaire, I'll be covering the highs and lows of this landmark event. Let me tell you, folks, this will be a beautiful, graceful demonstration of athletic prowess, a soaring tribute to the physical and psychological potential within each of us! We will see Gaians pushed to their limits in grueling contests of strength and stamina, striving to achieve the seemingly impossible!

Well, maybe not so much. But you can bet your weight in angry, slithering snakes that this will be fun and exciting!

The Rejected Olympics will launch on July 21st and wrap up July 27th. During that time, you'll experience tons of sports that the real Olympics are too snooty to recognize. In the coming days and weeks, you'll be treated to five manga comics showing you the run-up to the event, with all your favorite Gaia citizens and towns participating.

For more details, check out the official page:

Visit the Gaia Rejected Olympics Page

And don't miss the first manga, starring none other than Lanzer himself:

View the First Manga

Please join me and your fellow Gaians for this historic event, sure to go down in the annals of history as an unsightly smudge on the soul of athletic completion!

And one more thing: if you're the kind of person who likes having opinions about stuff, boy howdy have we got some incredible news for you! We're conducting a quick little opinion poll thingie, and we'd like to cordially invite you to respond. Or not. No pressure!

Take a Survey

02 Take a Spin Around the Wheel of Prizes

• Topic Take a Spin Around the Wheel of Prizes - Posted: Scion Cars Tue Jul 01, 2008 5:25 pm

We just updated Rally with a nifty Prize Wheel giving you the option of winning five new items for your car! This magical spinning wheel also has one other reward: a raffle ticket entering you in a monthly drawing for 1,000,000 Gaia Gold. From the end of this month until the end of September, we'll be making three lucky people Gaia Millionaires!

You can spin the Prize Wheel once a day, so be sure to make regular pit stops at the Rally tracks. Even if you don't hit it big, at least you'll score some nifty upgrades for your car!

Head to the Rally

02 Shop Update: Hairstyles, Tattoos & Accessories!

• Topic Shop Update: Hairstyles, Tattoos & Accessories! - Posted: [NPC] Rina Tue Jul 01, 2008 8:31 pm

Whee! There's new stuff in my shop! I NEVER get new stuff!! ...oh, and some other stores have new things, too. Let's see what the Gaia team says:

Gaia's shops have just received a huge shipment of brand new stuff! This time around, we've released a ton of items that let you fine-tune your look: hairstyles, tattoos, accessories, jewelry and fun stuff. If you've got some serious coinage to throw around, you can even get a full-body paintjob at Skin Tyte and dye your skin a variety of wild colors.

Note: in order to see the new tattoos & skin colors in Skin Tyte, you'll need to have enough ink. The new skin colors require a loooooooot of ink, so keep saving it up!

-

You'll find new items in Salon Durem, Skin Tyte, Barton Flowershoppe and Barton Jewelers. Happy shopping!

Go Shopping!

02 Scheduled Site Maintenance: Monday, July 7th at 1:00-6:00AM

• Topic Scheduled Site Maintenance: Monday, July 7th at 1:00-6:00AM - Posted: admin Wed Jul 02, 2008 7:42 pm

Dear Users,

The Item Normalization project is now complete.

Item Normalization is a complete overhaul of the code that controls your inventory, Gold, and Gaia Cash. Any feature that gives you Gaia Gold (almost all of them) will be affected: the Bank, Marketplace, Daily Chance, Gold for surfing, games, etc, etc.

While this project will improve stability and security and let us do more cool things with items in the long run, this is largely an update to the site's inner workings, and you probably won't notice anything different when it's done. For more technical information, please check out DARKNRGY's journal entry on the subject.

Since this is a pretty massive code change, we'll need to completely close the site for a short time in order to tinker with stuff. Here's the tricky part: When the site comes back online, ALL trades and Marketplace listings will have been canceled. All gift boxes created before the maintenance will be opened and replaced with the item they contain (this does NOT include rare event boxes, the OMG box, etc.). You will not lose any of your Gold, Cash or items, of course.

The site will be down for tinkering from 1:00 AM to 6:00 AM (Pacific time) on July 7th (technically Monday morning, but most people would consider it Sunday night). During this period, the whole site will be completely disabled, so don't get scared if you just see an error message when you try to visit Gaia.

You may want to try to settle all your outstanding trades before the maintenance, and avoid giving any new gifts close to the time of the site update. You might also consider limiting the time of your new Marketplace auctions so you don't end up having to relist a bunch of stuff. We apologize for the annoyance this might cause.

FAQ:

• What will be different when the site comes back?

This is mostly just internal code. When the site returns, everything should look pretty much the same, except for a few small differences in the Inventory Arranger: if you have an item equipped, either on your avatar or in your house, the item will not show up in the Arranger's list. Don't worry, they haven't disappeared. Also, game items will show up in the "all" list now, but they'll appear with the little 'lock' icon next to them, meaning that you won't be able to move them around.

• What happens if everything gets messed up?

In the unlikely event that we run into substantial issues (i.e. people losing a bunch of Gold and items), we'll automatically restore everyone's inventories/Gold/Cash to just how it was before we released the new code. It'll be just as if nothing ever happened. We're hoping we don't have to do this.

• Will the Item Normalization process affect my hacking or scamming report?

Absolutely not! We will still be able to investigate complaints of hacking or scamming even if your report was filed prior to the Item Normalization update. These changes will not cancel or invalidate your reports.

• Where can I report bugs and issues?

We'll set up an item normalization bug report thread in the Site Feedback forum, and we'll watch it closely over the coming weeks.

If you have any further questions or concerns about this downtime, the cancellation of Marketplace listings or anything else related to Item Normalization, please feel free to post them in this thread in the Site Feedback forum.

03 Community Spotlight: The Golden Rule

• Topic Community Spotlight: The Golden Rule - Posted: admin Wed Jul 02, 2008 7:05 pm

Howdy, Gaians!

As mentioned before, the Community Spotlight will be drawing attention to not just neat things happening in the community, but also important safety information. You know, all that boring stuff we have to remind you about every so often.

Today, we're reminding you not to buy Gaia Gold or items from other sites. In fact, you should never buy Gold, even from the Gaia forums or other members. Not only is it against our rules and a surefire way to get banned, but it also promotes annoying botters and shady con men. The last thing any of us want is nefarious robots and troublemakers running around spamming, hijacking accounts, and mucking everything up. We want this place to be fun and fair for everyone, with the exception of those ornery bots.

In short, please earn your Gold and items the old fashioned way, through any of the ample means already provided on the site!

There, that wasn't too bad, was it?

03 Gaia Cinemas: Five New Movies Now Showing!

• Topic Gaia Cinemas: Five New Movies Now Showing! - Posted: [NPC] Ron Bruise Wed Jul 02, 2008 6:14 pm

While you guys weren't lookin', we went and slipped five free new movies into the Gaia Cinemas! Take a look:

Ghostbusters: The touching story of four men fighting to save the world from a ghost invasion. If you haven't seen this movie, here is your chance to stop being ridiculous.

Underworld: Evolution: A pretty vampire lady fights werewolves and other vampires for an hour and a half. Can't beat that.

Men in Black: The sci-fi/buddy picture/comedy that made Tommy Lee Jones a household name.

Jerry Maguire: Jonathan Lipnicki stars in this critically acclaimed drama about a sports agent fighting to maintain his integrity in a world motivated by greed.

The Fifth Element: Stylish and action-packed, you won't want to miss the dazzling special effects and high-pitched yelling from co-star Chris Tucker.

To sweeten the deal, the Gaia Cinemas now feature an improved layout for easier navigation. Awww yeaaaahhh!

Head to the Cinemas

03 Evolving Item Report: Yama no Tamago, Death Whisper & More

• Topic Evolving Item Report: Yama no Tamago, Death Whisper & More - Posted: [NPC] Dr. Singh Wed Jul 02, 2008 8:15 pm

Dr. Singh: Good morning, evolving item fans! Welcome to the Evolving Item Report, Gaia's premiere educational program. I'm Dr. Singh, your resident evolving item expert, and this jittery little fellow is Timmy, my faithful sidekick. We've also got a special guest: once again, noted psychologist Dr. Schadenkind is helping us diagnose Timmy's... problems. You're looking a little.... restrained today, Timmy.

Timmy: We shall all be restrained beneath the jagged remnants of a crumbling world...

Dr. Singh: As you can see, Timmy's a bit out of sorts these days. We'll get to your crumbling world a little later, friend. First, let's get down to some business! As the lovely Flynn announced earlier this week, there's a brand new evolving item in the Cash Shop! Our researchers recently ran across a bunch of these Yama no Tamago during an expedition to a giant, creepy mountain. It appears to be some kind of egg, and you know how I love a good egg. You never know what might hatch!

Timmy: THE BLOOD-RED YOLKS OF DESPAIR!

-

Dr. Singh: Yeah.... anyway... three other items are also evolving this week: the Death Whisper continues to slither toward its sinister purpose, whatever that may be. Steer clear of this item, Timbo, it'll probably mess up your brain even worse than before.

Timmy: Arrruuughhhhh!

Dr. Singh: Another newer item, Inari's Beads continues its journey today. This one seems slightly less scary, doesn't it? It seems to have more a mischievous air about it. Last but not least, the Enchanted Book has reached another chapter in its bizarre tale. Quite an impressive suite of new evolutions this week, don't you think?

Timmy: I think only of the blood of the innocent!

Dr. Singh: Well, putting that aside for the moment: if you'd like to get the Yama No Tamago or any other evolving items for yourself, you can pick them up now in the Gaia Cash Shop.

Visit the Gaia Cash Shop

In addition, some older items will be finishing up: the third generation of the White Drome Egg, the third generation Orindae and the 6th generation Hermes' Moon are all completing their evolutions today. So, now that we've got the business part out of the way, let's turn to Dr. Schadenkind for the latest news on Timmy's condition. How are you this morning, doctor?

Dr. Schadenkind: Oh, cut the crap. You don't care how I am. You just care about this goofy little mutant and his busted brain.

Dr. Singh: Hey! He's not a mutant anymore! Unless you were speaking figuratively, because I guess he is pretty silly-looking.

Dr. Schadenkind: So, yeah. This kid has problems, lady. He's hallucinating all kinds of terrible things. He's babbling about grisly stuff, y'know, rivers of congealing spinal fluid and ravens feasting on your eyeballs and whatnot. I don't know what you've been feeding this little freak, but he's a genuine class-A double-revolving nickel-plated lunatic.

Dr. Singh: I haven't been feeding him anything!

Dr. Schadenkind: That's sick, lady. You're sick.

Dr. Singh: No, I mean I haven't been feeding him anything that would make him crazy.

Dr. Schadenkind: Yo, whatever you did to mess him up is between you and the kid. I don't want any part of it. I just want to make sure he doesn't pose a danger to himself or anyone else, especially me. As you can see, I've fitted him with this nice little straitjacket. You still might wanna watch out for the teeth, though. I have a feeling he's gonna snap soon.

Dr. Singh: What can we do?

Dr. Schadenkind: Well, if we don't do something soon, I give this kid about... hmm... two weeks. When someone's this crazy, their brain just kinda buckles in on itself and implodes. He'll just be sitting there talking about towers of bone, and POOF! His head's the size of a fist and he's dead as a crazy little doornail. I've seen it happen a thousand times.

Dr. Singh: Oh dear... who would co-host the show? We'd better think of something. What are our options?

Dr. Schadenkind: Well, option number one, and this one is my specialty: we go in there with little mister rotary brainsaw, right up through the nose hole, and we take out the bits of his brain that are making him crazy. Which is pretty much all of them. He won't be too talkative after that, but hey, at least you don't have to hear all this whining about the ultimate evil.

Dr. Singh: That sounds a little severe...

Dr. Schadenkind: There's always, y'know, Plan B. There's where I slap him around a little. You know, just rough the kid up, show him who's boss. It doesn't work too often, but lemme tell ya, it'll give him something to think about.

Dr. Singh: He's a delicate child, Dr. Schadenkind. I don't think he'd like that very much.

Dr. Schadenkind: Of course he wouldn't! That's the whole point! But we could also go with the medication route. I've got this pill here. Don't tell anyone I've got this, but this little S.O.B. will cure what ails him, hope to tell ya. Basically, it turns him into sand. Just pop it in his mouth, hold his nose till he swallows it, and bam! Pile of sand. Sweep him up, you're done.

Dr. Singh: Wouldn't that kill him?

Dr. Schadenkind: Don't get all high and mighty with me, lady, you said you wanted options.

Dr. Singh: I'm afraid we're out of time. I guess we'll have to pick this conversation up next week, doctor. In the mean time, please don't do anything to Timmy, OK?

Dr. Schadenkind: Suit yourself, lady.

Dr. Singh: As usual, we've set up a little poll where you can tell us your favorite evolving items of the week. See you next time, folks!

07 The House Bunny: Watch the Trailer and Get an Item!

• Topic The House Bunny: Watch the Trailer and Get an Item! - Posted: [GAIA] Shelley Darlington Mon Jun 23, 2008 4:12 pm

The girl-powered comedy The House Bunny is hitting theaters August 22nd, but you can get a sneak peak right now and score a free makeover along the way!

Quote:

In Columbia Pictures’ comedy THE HOUSE BUNNY, Anna Faris charms as Shelley Darlington, a Playboy Bunny who teaches an awkward sorority about the opposite sex – only to learn that what boys really like is what’s on the inside.

Shelley is living a carefree life until a rival gets her tossed out of the Playboy Mansion. With nowhere to go, fate delivers her to the sorority girls from Zeta Alpha Zeta. Unless they can sign a new pledge class, the seven socially clueless women will lose their house to the scheming girls of Phi Iota Mu. In order to accomplish their goal, they need Shelley to teach them the ways of makeup and men; at the same time, Shelley needs some of what the Zetas have – a sense of individuality. The combination leads all the girls to learn how to stop pretending and start being themselves.

Check out the trailer to start your very own House Bunny makeover!

Watch the Trailer

You can also visit the House Bunny profile if you just want to see the trailer.

View the House Bunny Profile

07 Item Normalization Is Now Live

• Topic Item Normalization Is Now Live - Posted: admin Mon Jul 07, 2008 3:05 am

Dear Users,

The Item Normalization project is going to be released tonight, starting at 1:00 AM. The site will completely disabled from 1:00 AM to 6:00 AM PST. Please read the announcement for more information about Item Normalization.

When the site comes back online, all incomplete trades and Marketplace listings will be canceled, and all gift boxes will be opened. Items will then be returned to the owners over the next few days. This is an intentional and necessary part of the item code update, and we apologize for the inconvenience. We also know that there are some performance problems with the new inventory pagination system; we will look at the performance issues as soon as we make sure that everything is up and running smoothly.

---

• Topic Item Normalization Is Now Live - Posted: Panagrammic Mon Jul 07, 2008 3:56 am

Dear Users,

The Item Normalization project is going to be released in FIVE MINUTES, starting at 1:00 AM. The site will completely disabled from 1:00 AM to 6:00 AM PST. Please read the announcement for more information about Item Normalization.

---

• Topic Item Normalization Is Now Live - Posted: admin Mon Jul 07, 2008 8:37 am

Dear Users,

The Item Normalization project is now released to the live site. Some features may continue to be disabled for a short time while we work out some kinks; we will be enabling most features today, but at this time, there are some known issues:

- Gifting is currently disabled. You will still see the gifts in your inventory but you will be unable to open it.

- We canceled all trades and marketplace listings, but the return of your items may be delayed for a few days

- Currently, you will need to re-equip all your items when you go to customize your avatar for the first time. Items that you previously had equipped will be grayed out for your convenience.

- Do NOT re-equip your Faunzy Flute if you are in an advanced state with it, otherwise you will reset it. One of our staff is working on on batching through and fixing all of these items now. This issue has been resolved! We estimate 99.7% of flutes were resolved.

- If your inventory is empty, try logging out and logging back in; that should clear up the problem

We plan to have all of these issues fixed within the next couple of days. Additionally, we will be looking at performance issues in the inventory system all through the coming weeks.

For questions or assistance, please visit the Questions and Assistance Forum. If you wish to report a bug, please do so in the Item Normalization Bug Reporting Thread.

08 Community Spotlight: Get in the Spirit!

• Topic Community Spotlight: Get in the Spirit! - Posted: admin Tue Jul 08, 2008 1:47 pm

Hey, Gang!

We just wanted to draw your attention to the fast-approaching Gaia Spirit Week, started by some real can-do Gaians. Gaia Spirit Week aims to celebrate the end of the school year for many, and also a love of all things Gaia. We can't argue with that.

Dress up and show your support, or just have fun dressing up with your fellow Gaians. The folks behind this exciting week have plenty of events and such planned, so there will be ample opportunity to get together and exercise any excess spirit you may have sitting around collecting dust.

Spirit Week takes place July 13th-19th, with each day featuring a new theme letting you show off all your fancy clothes. You can read all about it and more in the Gaia Spirit Week thread, located just beyond this magic text.

When following links to the forums, please remember to be polite and respectful. These are your fellow Gaians after all!

08 Cash Shop Update: New Evolving Item - Padmavati's Lotus

• Topic Cash Shop Update: New Evolving Item - Padmavati's Lotus - Posted: [NPC] Flynn Tue Jul 08, 2008 4:05 pm

Well, I was almost having a really nice day... I got a shipment of these gorgeous flowers, and I was thinking "finally, something pretty and normal and non-dangerous," but just as I was reaching into the crate to pick one up, I got a frantic phone call from Dr. Singh telling me to keep them under lock and key and to call her immediately if they showed any signs of change.

-

So, yeah, looks like we have another evolving item on our hands. If you can handle a little danger, Padmavati's Lotus really is quite beautiful. I'd take one home myself, but I'm not a big fan of sleeping with one eye open.

You can buy Padmavati's Lotus now in the Gaia Cash Shop, along with plenty of other neat items. Come have a look!

Visit the Cash Shop

09 Gaia Cash Cards: Now in Wal-Mart, Speedway & 7-11

• Topic Gaia Cash Cards: Now in Wal-Mart, Speedway & 7-11 - Posted: [NPC] Gambino's Memorial Wed Jul 09, 2008 2:09 pm

Ah, what's this? A note from the Gaia team? A further expansion of the Gambino empire? BWAHAHAHA!

By popular demand, we've been working hard to make it easier to find Gaia Cash cards in stores near you. We've made some major progress recently, and our cards are now on the shelves of thousands of stores across the nation.

If you're one of those on-the-move Gaians who needs to grab a quick fix of Gaia Cash while shopping for semi-frozen beverages and exciting trucker pills, you can grab $10 Cash cards in all 7-11 locations in the USA and $10/$25 cards at all Speedway stores.

Find a 7-11

Find a Speedway

A while back, we released Gaia Cash cards in 25 mysterious small-town Wal-Mart stores. We're pleased to report that you no longer have to trek to Woonsocket to grab your Gaia Cash: $10 and $25 Cash cards are now in over 1,500 Wal-Marts across the country, and they should be in every US Wal-Mart store by the end of the year.

Find a Wal-Mart

To learn a little more about Gaia Cash, you can visit our informative Cash page, or just peruse the Cash Shop to see all the cool stuff you can get.

11 Coming Soon: Gaia's New Arenas!

• Topic Coming Soon: Gaia's New Arenas! - Posted: admin Mon Jul 07, 2008 8:10 pm

For the past few months, we've been working on a gigantic overhaul of one of Gaia's core features: the arenas. In a few days, we'll begin a public beta test of our brand new arena system, which is positively bursting with improvements. For a detailed look at what's changing, please read on!

Cool new features:

We've added more arenas! There are now three art-themed arenas: painting & drawing, photography and comics. There are also three brand-new writing arenas: fiction, non-fiction and poetry & lyrics. The avatar and housing arenas are now much better integrated with the other arenas.

There's a new contest arena! Occasionally, we'll run contests for the best themed avatars, artwork, item designs, writing and whatever else springs to mind. Stay tuned for some fun competitions and awesome prizes.

Our customizable arena feeds will notify you on stuff like new comments, new work by your favorite artists and more.

The layout and interface of the arenas are totally redesigned, making everything look and feel more consistent and integrated with the site. Great art demands a stylish gallery environment! Here's a sample:

-

Click for a bigger view!

-

Click again for more bigness!

A few things to keep in mind:

Ratings are now based on a five-star system, making it more consistent with other rating schemes across the site (and across the whole internet, in fact). While you'll only be able to cast votes in whole stars, the averages that the site generates will be just as detailed as before, down to quarter-stars and decimals.

There will now be a fee of 100 Gold to submit your work to the art and writing arenas. This small fee is in place to encourage people to take the arenas seriously and submit their best work. We don't want the arenas filled with rule-breaking entries and spam. Voting is free, as always.

Although this feature is in the beta stage, we'd like to encourage you to treat this arena as the real thing. Please make sure you're putting up real entries, and take the time to rate and comment on people's work seriously.

As we launch this beta, the entries from the old version of the art arena will not be visible in the new arenas. We'll be working on migrating all the old entries, ratings and comments over the next few months, but it will take a while. If you'd like to re-submit your old arena entry into the new arenas, please feel free to do so; in order to prevent duplicate entries, we ask that you remove your entry from the old arena after you repost it.

When we do move the old art arena entries over, they'll all be placed in the "Painting & Drawing" section, which should be the most logical place for most of them.

The old arenas will still remain open during the beta test, so you can take care of any unfinished arena-business in the meantime.

At the beginning of the beta launch, access to the new arenas may be "metered," meaning that only a limited number of people will be able to access the feature at any given time. This is to ensure that we've optimized the feature well enough that it won't crash if 100,000 people all jump on it at once.

The beta test will begin very soon! We'll use this testing period to work out any remaining bugs and kinks, and we're eager to hear your suggestions and feedback about ways to make this feature even better. Once the beta starts, we'll be putting up a feedback thread where you can share your ideas and opinions with the Gaia team.

11 Evolving Item Report: Padmavati's Lotus, Furugasa & more

• Topic Evolving Item Report: Padmavati's Lotus, Furugasa & more - Posted: [NPC] Dr. Singh Thu Jul 10, 2008 5:47 pm

Dr. Schadenkind: ...Hell if I know, lady. I'm a doctor, not a babysitter.

Dr. Singh: Oh! Hello, everyone... sorry, you caught me in the middle of something. I guess it's time for the Evolving Item Report, huh? Unfortunately, it looks as if Timmy won't be joining us this week. I don't want to worry you or anything, but we're not quite sure where he is...

Dr. Schadenkind: I wouldn't be surprised if you ate him, you crazy nutball.

Dr. Singh: I'm just going to ignore that. Anyway, I suppose we'd better get this week's evolving stuff out of the way before we start searching for Timmy. The biggest news this week, of course, is the arrival of Padmavati's Lotus, a brand new, premium-quality evolving item in the Cash Shop. I hope I didn't scare Flynn when I suggested that she keep these under lock and key; I still don't know whether they're dangerous or not, but they exude so much sacred energy that they should be handled with extreme care. If you're up for a little mystery, you might consider picking one up.

-

Dr. Singh: In other news, three of our finest items are evolving this week! Alruna's Rose is still going strong this week-- this little firecracker of an item has spawned dozens of enticing mutations already, and this week's evolution carries on the tradition in fine style.

Dr. Schadenkind: I might have to invoke my authority to seize one of those items, lady. Y'know, for personal use.

Dr. Singh: You have authority?

Dr. Schadenkind: Well, technically, no. Shut up. Who asked you?

Dr. Singh: The ghostly Furugasa is also continuing its journey into the dark recesses of creepiness this week, and Picolitrosso's Urn is moving in some very unexpected directions. I can't wait to see how this one turns out. Isn't that right, Timmy?

Dr. Schadenkind: He's gone, remember?

Dr. Singh: Sorry; force of habit. Finally, one of our older items is completing its evolution this week: the second generation of The Experiment has reached the furthest depths of scientific wrongness. If you'd like to pick up one of these items for yourself or for a friend, you can always visit Flynn at the Gaia Cash Shop.

Visit the Gaia Cash Shop

Well, I suppose we'd better start looking for Timmy. I sure hope he's OK, all alone out there with all of his mental problems and social awkwardness. Where do you think we should start looking, Dr. Schadenkind?

Dr. Schadenkind: What's this "we" crap? He's your sidekick, you go look for him. I'll just hang out here for a while. You might want to go shopping, too, because I ate all your chips and I'm gonna need more. Say, does your couch fold out into a bed?

Dr. Singh: If you're not going to help me find him, I'm not sure why I'd want you hanging around my house. I just thought your unique insights into his mind might lend you some clues about where he might have gone.

Dr. Schadenkind: Oh, I see how it is. You just want me around if I can be of some "use" to you. You're a straight-up %&@!ing sociopath, lady. You just use people to get what you want, and you don't give half a crap if they have feelings or if they're lonesome or if they stay up all night crying because you ran out of chips. It doesn't even occur to you, does it? You make me sick. Fine. Let's go look for the wacky little S.O.B. before his head caves in from all the craziness.

Dr. Singh: I suppose that's it for this week's Evolving Item Report, ladies and gentlemen. Please join us next week, when Timmy will hopefully be back with more of inimitable Timmyness. As usual, we've got a little poll going to see what your favorite item of the week is. If you'd like to let us know, just go cast your vote!

12 Community Spotlight: Have a Ball!

• Topic Community Spotlight: Have a Ball! - Posted: admin Mon Jul 07, 2008 2:35 pm

Hello, Friends!

Mark this Saturday on your calendar, because that's when the 6th Annual Gaia Ball kicks off. Some very intrepid and motivated Gaians have been working very hard to get this event off the ground, and very soon you'll be able to enjoy the delicious fruits of their labor.

The 6th Annual Gaia Ball will last from Saturday, July 12th all the way until Monday, the 14th, giving you plenty of time to take in the sights and mingle your big juicy heart out. With a nice variety of themed rooms, you'll also be able to give your wardrobe a real workout as you strut your stuff.

Keep your eyes peeled for more info. The event starts this Saturday at 10:00am! Don't miss it!

---

• Topic Community Spotlight: Have a Ball! - Posted: The Admin Sat Jul 12, 2008 12:58 pm

Greetings!

Hoping you're all having a wonderful Saturday - I know I am! If you're not, we have good news for you! The 6th annual ball is now open!

Come have a ball! >w<!!

14 Gaia's Rejected Olympics - Read the New Manga!

• Topic Gaia's Rejected Olympics - Read the New Manga! - Posted: [NPC] Bruce & Ricky Mon Jul 14, 2008 7:08 pm

Bruce: And we're back! Well, the Rejected Olympics are fast approaching, and to mark the overwhelming grandiosity of the occasion, the sheer undeniable majesty of this triumphant swelling of spirits--

Ricky: Good grief, Bruce! Just tell them there is a new manga out and save the speeches for your next court appearance.

Bruce: I was getting to that, you vulgar pile of hair!

Ricky: Check out the new Rejected Olympics manga, this one--

Bruce: This one documenting mighty Durem's valiant struggle to gather the most talented athletes! We're talking men and women who have trained their whole lives for that one ecstatic moment of victory, sacrificing everything to turn their bodies into stunning instruments of--

Ricky: I hate everything about you, Bruce.

Bruce: That's it, we're done here! Check out Gaia's Rejected Olympics page to view the latest manga!

Visit the Rejected Olympics Site

Ricky: And don't forget, the Rejected Olympics start July 21st!

15 Trades are disabled due to massive fish-glitch.

• Topic Trades are disabled due to massive fish-glitch. - Posted: admin Tue Jul 15, 2008 2:10 pm

Hi, everyone,

We recently ran across a glitch where, during person-to-person trades, the number of fish* (from the Fishing minigame) in a trader's inventory ballooned to biblical proportions, leaving them with millions of glitched fish.

While we sort out this (f)issue, we've disabled all person-to-person trades on the site (the marketplace is still open, though). Fixing this up is our top priority right now.

If you unexpectedly wound up with millions of fish* in your inventory, we recommend that you just sit tight and don't touch. Please don't attempt to sell your ill-gotten fish* on the marketplace or anything, because that would count as exploiting a glitch and the consequences would be unpleasant.

We'd like to apologize to everyone who had their trades fouled up by this glitch, and to all the people who are currently burdened with way more fish* than they know what to do with. We should have this fixed up soon.

Thanks, The Gaia Team

'* - Or other game items, such as tickets, bugs, inks, flowers, etc.

15 Gaia's New Arenas: Now Open for Beta Testing!

• Topic Gaia's New Arenas: Now Open for Beta Testing! - Posted: admin Mon Jul 14, 2008 10:50 pm

As you may know, we've been working hard to overhaul the Arenas system to make it more fun, friendly, and deadly. Well, maybe not that last part. After lots and lots of hard work, we're pleased to open the new Arenas for public beta testing!

Because this is a beta, you will probably encounter a bug or two. We'd love to kill it, so if you find one please post about it in our bug report thread. Give as much detail as you can so we can squash it good.

Even if you don't find any bugs, we'd love to hear what you think of the new system. Stop by the feedback thread and share your opinions!

Visit the New (Beta) Arenas!

We hope you enjoy the changes and thank you for participation! Be sure to let us know what you think or let us know of any bugs you might come across.

What's new in the new Arenas?

We've added more arenas! There are now three art-themed arenas: painting & drawing, photography and comics. There are also three brand-new writing arenas: fiction, non-fiction and poetry & lyrics. The avatar and housing arenas are now much better integrated with the other arenas.

There's a new contest arena! Occasionally, we'll run contests for the best themed avatars, artwork, item designs, writing and whatever else springs to mind. Stay tuned for some fun competitions and awesome prizes.

Our customizable arena feeds will notify you on stuff like new comments, new work by your favorite artists and more.

The layout and interface of the arenas are totally redesigned, making everything look and feel more consistent and integrated with the site. Great art demands a stylish gallery environment! Here's a sample:

-

Click for a bigger view!

-

Click for a bigger view!

Some things to keep in mind:

Ratings are now based on a five-star system, making it more consistent with other rating schemes across the site (and across the whole internet, in fact). While you'll only be able to cast votes in whole stars, the averages that the site generates will be just as detailed as before, down to quarter-stars and decimals.

There will now be a fee of 100 Gold to submit your work to the art and writing arenas. This small fee is in place to encourage people to take the arenas seriously and submit their best work. We don't want the arenas filled with rule-breaking entries and spam. Voting is free, as always.

Please treat the new arenas as the real thing. In other words, please vote, comment, and contribute as though these were the old arenas.

Your old arena entries won't be visible in the new arenas. Eventually they will be moved over to the new system, comments, ratings, and all. You're welcome to repost stuff in the new arenas, though we do ask you to remove the entry from the old arenas to prevent duplicates.

When we do move the old art arena entries over, they'll all be placed in the "Painting & Drawing" section, which should be the most logical place for most of them.

You'll still be able to access the old arenas, but we recommend you start closing up shop there in preparation for the move.

We may be "metering" access to the new arenas as we work out bugs. If you can't get in, it means we're probably trying to fix something. Please be patient and try again later.

15 July's Monthly Collectibles are here!

• Topic July's Monthly Collectibles are here! - Posted: [NPC] Rina Mon Jul 14, 2008 10:02 pm

Oh goodness! I can finally open this envelope! Let's see what's inside...

-

Get an edge in the battle against darkness with the Holy Gauntlets. Featuring a protective circle of holy light, necklace, shield, shoulder guard, and pair of gauntlets capable of high fiving the hell out of someone, no demon will ever try to steal your lunch money again.

Is that big ol' pile of hair on top of your skull just not doing the trick anymore? Then apply Head Case directly to your forehead. With crazy explosive hair, raccoon tails, shark fins, slithering snakes, and more, your head will look like a garden of wonders.

You can buy the July Collectibles now in the Gaia Cash Shop!

17 Monthly Collectibles: A New Date!

• Topic Monthly Collectibles: A New Date! - Posted: [NPC] admin Thu Jul 17, 2008 2:55 pm

Beginning in August, we're going to be moving up the date of the Monthly Collectible launch. Traditionally, the items are released on the 15th of every month, but we'd like to start releasing them a little bit earlier, so people have a bit more time each month to enjoy their opened envelopes before a shiny new item comes along to distract them.

Also, it will keep Rina from getting too impatient.

Next month's Collectibles will be released on Friday, August 8. Please mark your calendars! If you don't have a calendar, just write it backwards on your forehead so you'll see it in the mirror every day.

The 15th is almost like a little holiday that happens every month, so we know it's a little disconcerting to change it after all these years. But, hey, it's kinda like having Christmas early! If the 8th doesn't seem to work out well, we may continue to adjust the date until we find something that works well for everyone. We definitely want to try something before the 15th; in a poll a while back, we found that nearly three quarters of our members would prefer an earlier MC release, so here it is!

Buenas noches,

-The Gaia Team

18 Evolving Item Report: Kelp, Death Whisper, Inari's Beads

• Topic Evolving Item Report: Kelp, Death Whisper, Inari's Beads - Posted: [NPC] Dr. Singh Thu Jul 17, 2008 7:13 pm

Dr. Singh: Hello, everybody! I'm Dr. Singh, and this is my little pal Timmy. Welcome to the Evolving Item Report, your weekly update on the world of evolving item science. We have a special guest here with us today: Labtech Gene, who recently found little lost Timmy wandering around in his lab! Let's all give Gene a great big "thanks" for returning everyone's second-favorite host.

Labtech Gene: It's no trouble at all, Dr. Singh.

Dr. Singh: We'll be checking in with Gene a little later in the program, so please stick around. First, we'd better get down to business. Timmy, welcome back! Would you like to kick things off this week?

Timmy: Tell ya what, Doc. I'd like to "kick off" my shoes and get a little more comfortable. After all, hey, I'm a dude, you're a lady, what are we afraid of? You dig?

Dr. Singh: Something about you seems... different, Timmy.

Timmy: It's all in your pretty little mind, babe. Now let's get to work. You're a real firecracker when you talk science, you know that?

-

Dr. Singh: Four items are evolving this time around, so we've got a pretty hefty update. One of our newest evolving items, the Kelp o'th' Loch, is starting to take some sort of shape this week... do I detect some sort of amphibious form emerging?

Timmy: I'm detecting your form, Doc, and I likes what I sees.

Dr. Singh: Timmy, are you sure you're feeling well? On a grimmer note, the Death Whisper's curse is dragging its terrified owners further into oblivion. This is perhaps the most dangerous and morbid item we've ever reported on, so I'd urge all of you to exercise extreme caution when dealing with it. Luckily, we've got some loveliness to go with all this gloom: the Inari's Beads continue to express their playful animal spirit. Oh, my! Isn't it just the most darling little thing?

Timmy: That's what she said.

Dr. Singh: Finally, the Dionaesil is getting ever more ravenous every time I study it. I don't think it's going to be satisfied with plant food much longer... it might start moving on to bigger prey soon. Also in a unexpected turn of events Picolitrosso's Urn seems to have undergone some slight changes, so be sure to keep an eye on your Urns!

Timmy: I might start chasing some big game myself. Mrrow. They say the female of the species is more dangerous than the male, right Doc? Oh, but you wouldn't know anything about that, right? You don't fool me with your schoolgirl act, I know what revs your engine: the bad-boy type, am I right?

Dr. Singh: What? Are we still talking about the plant?

Timmy: You know what I'm talking about.

Dr. Singh: I wish I did, Timmy, but you've totally lost me. Oh well, at least you're not ranting about forests of bones and rivers of blood anymore. So, back on topic: if you'd like to pick up one of these exciting items for yourself, just go visit Flynn:

Visit the Gaia Cash Shop

A few older items are also finishing up their evolution this week: the sixth-generation Biancamella and the seventh-generation Hermes' Moon are all fully evolved, meaning that all their forms are available. So, now that that's finished up, let's have a quick chat with our old buddy, Labtech Gene. How in the world did you find Timmy, Gene? We've been looking all over for him.

Labtech Gene: We?

Dr. Singh: Well, me and that psychiatrist, Dr. Schadenkind, but I haven't heard too much from him... he was supposed to be looking for Timmy, but the only times I heard from him were in the form of an illegible postcard written on the back of a beer-bottle label, and then a telegram asking me to bail him out of jail.

Labtech Gene: I see. Well, I wasn't really looking for him, I just happened to stumble upon him in my lab. He was rooting through the containment area where I used to keep the evil portion of him that I surgically removed, but when I tried to talk to him, he couldn't remember why he was there.

Timmy: I was probably just out bird-doggin'. You know me. Dog's gotta hunt.

Labtech Gene: I don't know what that means.

Dr. Singh: Does something seem a little different about him? I can't quite put my finger on it, but he seems to be a little more... I don't know. I'm probably just not used to him, because he's been crazy for a few weeks. No offense, Timmy.

Timmy: None taken, dollface. Say, I dig the khaki, but maybe you should dress a little friendlier next week, you dig? I'm sure all the cats at home would love to get a peep at those stems. Yowza.

Dr. Singh: Huh? Gene, do you know what he's trying to say?

Labtech Gene: I'm not sure; it may be some sort of code. I'd recommend that you keep him under strict observation for a while. He's been through a lot in the past few weeks, and we need to make sure he's not a danger to himself or others.

Timmy: Say, pal: how about you make yourself scarce for a while. I'm tryna talk a little game on the lady, and you're cramping my style, you dig?

Dr. Singh: Maybe he just needs some rest. We'll pick this up again next week, shall we?

Oh, and don't forget: each week, Gaia's artists run a little poll to see what your current favorite evolving item is. If you'd like to vote, just visit this thread.

18 Rejected Olympics Manga #3 is Here!

• Topic Rejected Olympics Manga #3 is Here! - Posted: [NPC] Bruce & Ricky Fri Jul 18, 2008 5:01 pm

Bruce: The Rejected Olympics are just days away, and we've got a brand new manga for you guys!

Ricky: Right you are, you ridiculous ape-man. This is the third in the series and focuses on Barton.

Bruce: Ah, Barton, that great cradle of the arts and discourse. I wonder how they are preparing for the games?

Ricky: Find out in the latest manga, now available on the Rejected Olympics site!

Read the New Manga!

Bruce: The pages of this comic will be released 20 minutes apart, so check back frequently throughout the day for the full story!

Ricky: And remember, the Rejected Olympics start Monday, July 21st!

21 The Gaia Rejected Olympics Are Here!

• Topic The Gaia Rejected Olympics Are Here! - Posted: [NPC] Bruce & Ricky Thu Jul 17, 2008 7:32 pm

Bruce: At long last the wait is over. The Rejected Olympics have begun!

Ricky: Right you are, Bruce. Gaians everywhere are lining up to compete in some of the most grueling sports ever conceived.

Bruce: That's the first vaguely intelligent thing you've ever said, Ricky.

Ricky: Not even listening to the horrible words coming out of your treacherous mouth, Bruce. Instead I'm thinking positively about the good times ahead, as Gaians participate in tons and tons of minigames, winning incredible new prizes!

Bruce: Don’t forget all that sweet, sweet new manga! The penultimate chapter is here, showing how the citizens of Aekea are getting in shape for this legendary sporting contest.

Ricky: The Gaia Rejected Olympics - happening RIGHT NOW and lasting until July 27th. Don't miss them!

Join the Gaia Rejected Olympics!

Bruce: See you there, sports fans!

Note: Be sure to upgrade to the latest version of Flash if you haven't already.

---

• Topic The Gaia Rejected Olympics Are Here! - Posted: [NPC] Bruce & Ricky Mon Jul 21, 2008 6:12 pm

Bruce: It seems there was a glitch with Internet Explorer 6 that prevented some Gaians from picking the team that they wanted.

Ricky: Oof! What a blunder!

Bruce: If you fell victim to this horrible bug, you can change your team by going to the Rejected Olympics page and clicking "Change" under the "Personal Stats/Play Games" section on the left.

Ricky: This option is available today only, so if you hate your team, this is your last chance to abandon ship.

Bruce: Just like your wife abandoned you, Ricky!

Ricky: You son of a....

22 Glitched Game Item Fallout!

• Topic Glitched Game Item Fallout! - Posted: admin Tue Jul 22, 2008 1:48 pm

Hey, Gang!

You might remember me from such announcements as "Millions of Fish Clog Marketplace" and "Thousands of Liam Clones Stuck in Doorway."

Thankfully, I'm not reporting any new glitches today, but I wanted to draw some attention to the fallout from the recent glitch that led to the creation of hundreds of millions of fish and other game items.

Here's what you need to know:

• This problem was not limited to fish. Pretty much all game and game related items were affected.
• It is unlikely that there will be any further bans handed out, and we'll probably be unbanning some (but not all) accounts.
• The Marketplace is completely safe to use at this point. Feel free to post auctions or initiate trades.
• This problem will probably take about two to three weeks to clean up, so hold tight.

For more information and answers to many questions, one of our admins put together a thread with the full scoop. If you or someone you love fell victim to this truly inspired glitch, please head over to her thread for more info than you can shake a stick at!

We're all sorry that this glitch popped up, and we're thankful to you guys for being patient. We're working to get this mess cleaned up as fast as possible!

22 News Bulletin: Comic-Con, Opinion Poll, and Jumbo Plushies

• Topic News Bulletin: Comic-Con, Opinion Poll, and Jumbo Plushies - Posted: [NPC] Cindy Donovinh Tue Jul 22, 2008 4:14 pm

Kiki's Road Trip: San Diego Comic-Con!

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If you're visiting the San Diego Comic-Con this year, make sure to stop by the Gaia Online Panel! DJ Helsing and other Gaia staff will be on hand to distribute a healthy variety of prizes, including Gaia Gold, shirts, plushies, and a jumbo Kiki Kitty roughly the size of a modest human child.

The Gaia Panel starts at 7:30PM on Friday, July 25th in Room 5AB. Aside from the aforementioned prizes, expect to see a sneak peek at some new Gaia stuff in the works, including our new MMO. There will also be a QA session, allowing you to get any burning questions you might have off your chest.

To sweeten the deal, panel attendees will get a limited-edition ring for use in Gaia's upcoming MMO!

For more information about Gaia's showing at Comic-Con 2008, take a look at our convention page:

Meet Gaia at the San Diego Comic-Con!

Opinion Poll

Our near-rabid Opinion Primate is foaming at the mouth again, which means he's hungry for your opinions. You'd be doing us a big favor if you voted. It's the only thing that seems to calm him down these days.

Vote in the Poll

New Plushies in the Gaia Store!

Dedicated Gaia fanatics might want to take a look at the Gaia Store, where two very limited-edition plushies are now on sale. The Jumbo Kiki Kitty and Jumbo Coco Kitty plushies are super big and adorable, but also super rare. There are only 25 of each available for purchase! Given that these are so huge, they are aimed mostly at serious collectors.

These guys have been a huge hit at conventions over the years, and now you can finally bring one home.

Visit the Gaia Store

22 Cash Shop Update: Panda Plush!

• Topic Cash Shop Update: Panda Plush! - Posted: [NPC] Flynn Tue Jul 22, 2008 3:57 pm

Hi, everyone! I hope you've all been enjoying the Rejected Olympics. It's been a blast to watch the athletes, and I'm glad all the towns can come together for a bit of friendly competition. Meanwhile, a far-off land is preparing for a slightly more serious version of the Olympic Games.

-

In the spirit of this year's competition, we've released a roly-poly little plush mascot in the Cash Shop: the Panda Plush! This little fella doesn't look too athletic, but that's not really the point. He might score a zero in gymnastics, but in cuteness he gets a perfect 10.

You can pick one up now in the Gaia Cash Shop. Enjoy the games, both Rejected and official!

Visit the Gaia Cash Shop

Get Gaia Cash cards at select retailers across the country or directly from Gaia Online. Click here to learn more.

23 Rejected Olympic Shirts: Now in the Gaia Store!

• Topic Rejected Olympic Shirts: Now in the Gaia Store! - Posted: [NPC] Moira Wed Jul 23, 2008 5:43 pm

Guess what? Yeah, you guessed right. The admins have a message they want to share!

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The Gaia Store is now sporting four new t-shirts honoring the towns of Aekea, Barton, Durem, and Isle de Gambino. Want to show off your Rejected Olympic team spirit in real life? Through the wonders of science and fabrics, it is now physically possible!

Each Rejected Olympics shirt you buy comes with a card redeemable for 1,000 Gold and a free shirt for your avatar.

Go to the Gaia Store

23 Cash Shop Update: Angelic and Demonic Imp Plushies

• Topic Cash Shop Update: Angelic and Demonic Imp Plushies - Posted: [NPC] Flynn Wed Jul 23, 2008 7:05 pm

Hiya, Rejected Olympians!

I hope you are holding up and keeping properly hydrated. These games can take a lot out of you! In honor of some of our newest participants, we have a brand new set of items available in the Cash Shop!

-

Angelic & Demonic Imps Plushies are just waiting to sit on your head or float next to you whispering encouraging words in your ears. I'd be careful about which one I listened to, though. If you'd like to pick up one of these adorable imps for yourself or a friend, come see me in the Cash Shop!

Visit the Gaia Cash Shop

In case you're wondering who these delightful little creatures are, you can learn more about them in the final Rejected Olympics manga, out now!

Read the Manga!

Get Gaia Cash cards at select retailers across the country or directly from Gaia Online. Click here to learn more.

24 Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2: In Theaters August 6th!

• Topic Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2: In Theaters August 6th! - Posted: [GAIA] HeadShot Mon Jul 21, 2008 5:59 pm

The new Warner Bros film Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 arrives in theaters August 6, but you get a quick preview right now!

Quote:

Based on Ann Brashares' best-selling series of novels, "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2" catches up with the four lifelong friends whose story began with "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants." Now in college and embarking on separate paths for the first time, each will feel the freedom, separation, love and challenging life lessons that mark their individual journeys toward adulthood. Though miles and worlds apart, they strive to stay in touch and share their new experiences and triumphs with the heart and humor and, now more than ever, come to value immeasurable power of their friendship.

Put on your best pair of traveling pants and head on over to the official Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants cinema, because watching the trailer gets you a nice free item!

Watch the Trailer

If you just want to watch the trailer or learn a little more, check out the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 profile!

View the Profile

24 Name the Game Contest: zOMG! We have a winner!

• Topic Name the Game Contest: zOMG! We have a winner! - Posted: [NPC] Leon Wed Jul 23, 2008 6:20 pm

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A while ago, we ran a contest where Gaia members could try to come up with a name for our new MMO. We wanted something a little more thrilling than "battle," since there's much more to do than just battling stuff.

After months of debate, meditation and intense physical conflict, we've finally settled on the winning name:

zOMG!

It's short, it's punchy, it's memorable and it pretty much says it all. Many congrats to Chat_God for suggesting the title!

Also, I bet you're all wondering when you can start playing zOMG!, right? Soon! We're in the early stages of our beta test, and we're slowly ramping up the number of testers we let in the game at once. A public beta is just around the corner!

For all the zOMG info you could ever need, visit the official site:

Visit the Official zOMG Site!

The Not-Quite-Winners!

As an amusing side note, we thought we'd take a moment to celebrate some of the other brilliant entries that we didn't wind up choosing. The list below is, I swear to you, composed entirely of absolutely real entries that real Gaians actually sent us. Really. Enjoy:

• - Earth Punch -
• - Mom -
• - Mummy Destroyer -
• - Ox Hill -
• - Car Crash -
• - Death Street -
• - Dog Defense of Gaia -
• - Do Your Best or Try -
• - Christmas Dawg -
• - Who I Like from Naruto -
• - Virtual Gettysburg -
• - How Many Balls are In The Bucket -
• - Hohoho it's Santa's Challenge -
• - Attentionseeker -
• - Violence Here -
• - Stool -
• - Stopalot -
• - Barbatos Genocide -
• - Mormon Battle -
• - CRUNK N DUNK -
• - Sewer Run -
• - Douge Ball -
• - Rings of Legasy The Whole Thing Will Be Like Huge -
• - Da Chain Game -
• - Personality Quest -
• - Problem Solver -
• - Quank -

24 The Rejected Olympics Have Been Extended!

• Topic The Rejected Olympics Have Been Extended! - Posted: [NPC] Bruce & Ricky Thu Jul 24, 2008 9:25 pm

Ricky: I just got off the horn with the admins, and I've got some great news!

Bruce: You've been fired?

Ricky: Not at all, my disgustingly sweaty friend. The Rejected Olympics are continuing past Sunday!

Bruce: Good grief, we can't even end an event right! How long will they last?

Ricky: No one knows, but scoring will definitely end Sunday night. We'll still be awarding the winners around then, but the games and forums will continue to be available for a while after that. In fact, rumor has it that a shipment of strange potions will be arriving in Skin Tyte on Monday.

Bruce: Strange potions? These games just keep on giving!

Ricky: Unlike your wallet. The last time you opened it, moths flew out.

Bruce: While I strangle my partner to death, why don't you go have some more fun with the Rejected Olympics? It sounds like they're going to be lasting a lot longer than Ricky here.

Join the Rejected Olympics!

Olympics staff members appreciation thread

25 Evolving Item Report: Coocoon, Gro-Gain & More

• Topic Evolving Item Report: Coocoon, Gro-Gain & More - Posted: [NPC] Dr. Singh Thu Jul 24, 2008 8:04 pm

Dr. Singh: Hi, everyone! Welcome to the Evolving Item Report, Gaia's most trusted news source for the wonderful world of evolving items. We've got a fairly huge update this week, so we should probably jump right in. As you can see, I've got my little sidekick Timmy with me, and... Gene, what are you still doing here?

Labtech Gene: What'sa matter, doll? Don't want me around? Can handle the manliness? Don't be scared, babe, I won't bite. Unless you like it like that.

Dr. Singh: Something seems a little strange about you, Gene. Please, I appreciate you bringing Timmy back, but we've got a job to do. We can continue this conversation after the report is done.

Labtech Gene: Suit yourself, babe. Maybe we can continue it over a nice box of wine in my hot tub, or as I like to call it, the Pond of Passion.

Dr. Singh: Sorry, I'm busy tonight. Forever. Anyway, we've got an extra-special report this week, featuring five evolutions and two brand-new items! Timmy, you look pretty excited, would you care to get the ball rolling?

Timmy: Maybe the two of us should get rolling, you dig? You catch my drift? You pickin' up what I'm layin' down, babe?

Dr. Singh: I'm afraid I have no idea what you're talking about, so I'll just get this started by myself. First, some big news: two brand new items are arriving in the Cash Shop today! First of all, there's the Coocoon, a strange little insectoid pupal sac clinging to a leaf. We all know what happens to these things-- they eventually hatch into some kind of creature. The fact that this one is being marketed as an evolving item, however, leads me to believe there's a little more to it.

Timmy: Love the science talk, babe. Gotta love a woman with brains, as long as she knows her place. Am I right, Gene?

Labtech Gene: High five.

Dr. Singh: Second, we've got these bottles of Gro-gain, a discontinued medical tonic that promises to restore thinning hair with a volatile combination of herbal extracts, dangerous chemicals and a potent distillation of ape humors. It's also got some sort of secret ingredient that's been classified by G-Corp. Gene, you wouldn't know anything about this, would you?

Labtech Gene: I could tell you, babe, but then I'd have to take you out...for a classy fondue dinner! You see what I did there?

-

Dr. Singh: No, I don't. Anyway, you can pick up these intriguing new items-- both priced a bit lower than most due to their suspicious nature-- at the Gaia Cash Shop.

Visit the Gaia Cash Shop

Get Gaia Cash cards at select retailers across the country or directly from Gaia Online. Click here to learn more.

Timmy: Say, sweetheart, does the Cash Shop sell cologne? I'm running low on Musc de Buffle.

Dr. Singh: Is that what that smell is? I thought somebody had pickled crab for lunch.

Labtech Gene: Don't listen to her, Timmy. Betties love the musk.

Dr. Singh: Anyway, those new items are just the beginning. We've also got a giant evolution this week, with five items transforming! Three of our newest items, Yama No Tamago, Picolitrosso's Urn and Padmavati's Lotus have continued their steady march of change. Yama No Tamago seems to be hatching into some manner of small creature, although it may be a little too early to tell what it'll grow in to. The Lotus seems to be taking on a more serpentine form, and the urn seems to hint at intriguing new possibilities.

Timmy: I'm seeing an intriguing possibility here, sweetheart: You. Me. Box of wine. Fun times. You dig, babe?

Dr. Singh: Wine is for grown-ups, Timmy, but if you're good, we can go to the store and get those juice boxes you like. The ones with dinosaurs on them, remember? But back to business: Alruna's Rose has evolved again this week. I've got a suspicion that it's approaching its final stage, but you never know! The Enchanted Book also continues to transform-- as usual, it's positively bursting with magical energy. Anyway, folks, that's it for this week's--

Labtech Gene: Sorry to interrupt, babe, but I just have a quick suggestion: maybe try wearing something a little friendlier next week, yeah?

Dr. Singh: You know, Timmy said the same thing to me last week, and I still don't understand what it means. What's going on here? What's wrong with you two?

Timmy: Mellow out, sweetheart. Don't get all uptight.

Labtech Gene: Yeah, babe, it's bad for you. You'll get wrinkles. Listen, here's what we're gonna do: you and I are gonna go grab a quick bite to eat. Anywhere you want, babe, this is all about you. I'll pick up the check, of course. I'm in real estate, and I'm not ashamed to say I do very well for myself.

Dr. Singh: You're not in real estate! You're a scientist!

Labtech Gene: And after that, I'm going to take that pretty little hand of yours and lead it down to the waterbed dealership, and we'll pick up a nice little--

Dr. Singh: No! I don't want a waterbed! I don't want fondue, I don't like wine from boxes and I don't want to dress "friendlier"! What in the world has gotten into you two? It's like you've suddenly become...

Timmy: Sorry doll, that's my pager. Gotta get that. You hold that thought, OK? Gotta close this deal.

28 Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2: Coming August 6!

• Topic Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2: Coming August 6! - Posted: [NPC] Headshot 3 Mon Jul 28, 2008 1:50 pm

We just wanted to give a friendly reminder that the Warner Bros movie Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 is hitting theaters August 6. You can catch a special preview right here on Gaia and claim your very own pair of traveling pants as a reward!

Quote:

Based on Ann Brashares' best-selling series of novels, "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2" catches up with the four lifelong friends whose story began with "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants." Now in college and embarking on separate paths for the first time, each will feel the freedom, separation, love and challenging life lessons that mark their individual journeys toward adulthood. Though miles and worlds apart, they strive to stay in touch and share their new experiences and triumphs with the heart and humor and, now more than ever, come to value immeasurable power of their friendship.

Just head to the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants cinema and watch the trailer and score your own traveling pants.

Watch the Trailer

Just want to see the trailer? Check out the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 profile!

View the Profile

28 Change your race with new potions, on sale in Skin Tyte!

• Topic Change your race with new potions, on sale in Skin Tyte! - Posted: [NPC] Moira Thu Jul 24, 2008 2:42 pm

Yikes! Things just got even more interesting around Gaia!

-

The Rejected Olympics continue to get crazier by the minute, and Skin Tyte is cashing in on the madness with some serious body mods.

We strongly recommend you stay away, because the last thing you want to do is buy and consume some volatile potion that turns you into something scary like a vampire, imp, or centaur. And don't even think about buying any of that Zurg Energy Drink they're selling! There's a whole slew of potions already there, and more coming later. You better just avoid Skin Tyte entirely for the next few days.

Even if there are potions to turn you back into a human, it's still way too risky. Just stay away!

Shop at Skin Tyte (No, Don't!)

Note: If you're a Grombie, you can use these potions without fear! To regain your Grombiness, just take a dosage of Experiment 105, also available in Skin Tyte.

28 Rejected Olympics: The Winners Are In!

• Topic Rejected Olympics: The Winners Are In! - Posted: [NPC] Bruce & Ricky Fri Jul 25, 2008 6:32 pm

Bruce: After seven days of intense competition, we have our winners. The long brutal race to victory is at last over, and the victors, soaked in the sweat of sacrifice, tired and fatigued, can sleep the sleep of kings tonight!

Ricky: We also have our first loser: you, Bruce. You're the biggest loser of them all.

Bruce:Remember the last time you got smart with me, Ricky? You could barely stand up straight for a week.

Ricky: While my partner here grunts and hollers like an angry ape, let's take a moment to look at our winners. Say, Bruce, why don't you beat on your ape chest to simulate a drum roll?

Bruce: The winners of the 2008 Gaia Rejected Olympics are...

• Gold Trophy: Barton
• Silver Trophy: Durem
• Bronze Trophy: Isle de Gambino
• Burnt Toast Trophy: Aekea

Ricky: Just follow the link below to claim your prize! There's an award for everyone who participated, even poor, poor Aekea.

Claim Your Prize!

Bruce: On behalf of the hideous manchild sitting beside me and the entire Gaia team, thank you all for making this event such a great success!

Ricky: Thank you, Gaians! Remember, the Rejected Olympics have been extended, so you can still play the games and enjoy all the glory for a little while longer!

Join the Rejected Olympics!

29 The House Bunny: New Item and Quiz

• Topic The House Bunny: New Item and Quiz - Posted: [GAIA] Shelley Darlington Tue Jun 24, 2008 5:00 pm

The girl-powered comedy The House Bunny is hitting theaters August 22nd, but we've got a little quiz to help get you up to speed!

Quote:

In Columbia Pictures’ comedy THE HOUSE BUNNY, Anna Faris charms as Shelley Darlington, a Playboy Bunny who teaches an awkward sorority about the opposite sex – only to learn that what boys really like is what’s on the inside.

Shelley is living a carefree life until a rival gets her tossed out of the Playboy Mansion. With nowhere to go, fate delivers her to the sorority girls from Zeta Alpha Zeta. Unless they can sign a new pledge class, the seven socially clueless women will lose their house to the scheming girls of Phi Iota Mu. In order to accomplish their goal, they need Shelley to teach them the ways of makeup and men; at the same time, Shelley needs some of what the Zetas have – a sense of individuality. The combination leads all the girls to learn how to stop pretending and start being themselves.

Prove yourself an expert by taking our House Bunny quiz! You won't win a degree, but you will get something nice to wear.

Take the Quiz

And if you need to study, you can still watch the trailer and snag a little something for your wardrobe!

Watch the Trailer

29 Community Spotlight: How to Spot Imposters

• Topic Community Spotlight: How to Spot Imposters - Posted: admin Wed Jul 16, 2008 9:22 pm

Howdy, Gaians!

It's me, your friendly admin. No, really, it's actually me. There have been a lot of shady hucksters impersonating Gaia staff in private messages lately, trying to trick you into giving up your password. We wanted to give you a heads up on how to spot these clowns so that you can better keep your account safe.

One of our many dedicated moderators put together this handy guide showing some of the common techniques used by scammers. We recommend you take a few minutes to review it, even if you're the sort that never gets swindled.

As many of you know by heart, Gaia mods and admins will never ask you for your password. If you run across anyone demanding that info from you, please report them immediately. Getting rid of scammers is something we're always eager and happy to do.

30 News Bulletin: Connecticon & Mischief Makers

• Topic News Bulletin: Connecticon & Mischief Makers - Posted: [NPC] Cindy Donovinh Tue Jul 29, 2008 7:22 pm

Kiki's Road Trip: Connection in Hartford, CT

Gaia will be visiting Connecticon this weekend, and that means more chances for free prizes and more!

• Where: Connecticut Convention Center on Columbus Boulevard in Hartford, CT
• When: August 1st-3rd.
• What: Fun, prizes, activities, and more!

Stop by the Gaia Panel at 10:00AM on Friday, August 1st in Panel 2. As usual, we'll be bringing plenty of free Gold cards and lots of other great prizes for a few lucky winners, including shirts, plushies, and one jumbo Kiki Kitty. Attendees can look forward to a sneak peek at zOMG!, our long-awaited MMO, and some upcoming merchandise. There will be a QA session during the panel, so bring your finest questions.

As a bonus, all panel attendees will be among the first to receive a special limited-edition ring for use in zOMG!.

Gaia will also be emceeing the Connecticon Dance on August 1st and 2nd at 9:00PM in Marriott Ballroom, Salons D & E. Our emcee will be giving out great prizes, like shirts, plushies, and other goodies.

Finally, be sure to stop by the official Gaia Gathering at 8:00PM on Saturday, August 2nd in Workshop 1. Come get to know your fellow Gaians on a personal level and hang out while playing fun games and winning prizes!

For more info on Connecticon and all the latest news on the Gaia Convention Tour, visit our convention home page.

Find Out More About Connecticon

Makin' Mischief

You rascally Gaians continue to raise a ruckus in the name of fun. This latest edition of Mischief Makers surpasses the last one in size, making it our biggest concentrated offering of pure, unrefined mischief yet. Head over to the Mischief Makers page to see just how creative your fellow Gaians can be!

Go to the Mischief Makers Gallery

Don't forget: you can participate in Mischief Makers, too! All you have to do is show us the neat and fun ways you express your love of Gaia to the world!

30 Bag of Win 2: Win Harder

• Topic Bag of Win 2: Win Harder - Posted: [NPC] Flynn Tue Jul 29, 2008 10:32 pm

Oh, goodness! The Bag of Win is back in the Cash Shop! I'll only be able to keep enough in stock to last a few days, so if you want one, you'd better hurry!

-

The new and improved Bag of Win is now available for a very limited time only! If you missed the first Bag of Win, here's your chance to get in on the action.

The Bag of Win is a random grab-bag of valuable items from Gaia stores, Cash Shop items, evolving items, rare boxes and more... plus a crazy new bonus that might blast you into the realm of the wealthy Gaian elite!

If you're insanely lucky, you could pull out an exclusive prize only available in the Bag of Win: Mythrill Coins, which can be sold back to Gaia's shops for massive Gaia Gold jackpots!

There's no way to lose with the Bag of Win, as even the cheapest items inside sell for 5,000 Gold.

Visit the Gaia Cash Shop

Get Gaia Cash cards at select retailers across the country or directly from Gaia Online. Click here to learn more.

31 Shop Update: Sporting Goods and Uniforms

• Topic Shop Update: Sporting Goods and Uniforms - Posted: [NPC] Liam Thu Jul 31, 2008 12:37 pm

Looks like some of the Gaia shops just got a fresh shipment of goods. Speaking of a fresh shipment of goods... ladies?

-

Get your game on with tons of new athletic gear. Take to the field in a proper baseball uniform, hold court lookin' like a tennis pro, or lead your fellow Gaians to victory with some inspirational cheerleading.

There are also plenty of accessories, including catcher's mitts, bats, racquets, balls, and pom poms.

You can find these items in Barton Boutique, Durem Depot, Gambino Hat Rack, H. R. Wesley, Crate & Apparel, and Gambino Outfitters.

Go Shopping!

August

01 Last Chance for the Bag of Win 2!

• Topic Last Chance for the Bag of Win 2! - Posted: [NPC] Flynn Thu Jul 31, 2008 4:00 pm

The Bag of Win 2 has proven to be a such a big seller that I simply can't keep enough stocked. If you want to grab one for yourself or a friend, you better hurry! As of 12:00pm on August 2nd, they'll be waving goodbye to the Cash Shop.

-

The new and improved Bag of Win is now available for a very limited time only! If you missed the first Bag of Win, here's your chance to get in on the action.

The Bag of Win is a random grab-bag of valuable items from Gaia stores, Cash Shop items, evolving items, rare boxes and more... plus a crazy new bonus that might blast you into the realm of the wealthy Gaian elite!

If you're insanely lucky, you could pull out an exclusive prize only available in the Bag of Win: Mythrill Coins, which can be sold back to Gaia's shops for massive Gaia Gold jackpots!

Visit the Gaia Cash Shop

Get Gaia Cash cards at select retailers across the country or directly from Gaia Online. Click here to learn more.

01 Evolving Item Report: Death Whisper, Inari's Beads, Furugasa

• Topic Evolving Item Report: Death Whisper, Inari's Beads, Furugasa - Posted: [NPC] Dr. Singh Thu Jul 31, 2008 10:30 pm

Timmy: So I was like, "Rico, I'm going to close my eyes and count to five. If the twenty grand isn't on my desk when I open them again, we're gonna take a little trip to the crocodile farm."

Labtech Gene: It's the life he chose, T-Bone.

Timmy: Exactly. Just business. So anyway, Rico's looking at me like he's gonna wet his... Oh! Hey there, cats and kittens. Thanks for dropping by. My name is Timmy, and this is my business associate, Large G. Show the people some love, LG.

Labtech Gene: I'd like to say a special hello to all the pretty ladies out there.

Timmy: Ha! You're a real bird-doggin' tomcat of an S.O.B., you know that, LG? Anyway, welcome to your favorite show, Dr. Timmy's Evolving Item Report and Smooth Jazz Countdown. We've got a real hot show for you tonight, so let's rip into it. First, the science stuff: we've got three items doin' their thing this week.

Labtech Gene: Hit 'em with some facts, brother!

Timmy: First on the list, the lovely Inari's Beads. These things are real classy and elegant, huh? They'd make a perfect gift for a certain caliber of lady, like perhaps a fancy hairstylist or a waitress at a fine chicken wing establishment. We've also heard some crazy rumors that the Furugasa is getting even creepier.

Labtech Gene: Kick its ass, T-Bone!

Timmy: No, Gene. You see, I'm a businessman. It would be untoward of me to perform violence against an umbrella without reasonable cause. But believe me, if that thing gets out of line, I will put in a call to my best people, and they will handle the situation with swiftness and discretion, and-- don't cry, LG!

Labtech Gene: I'm sorry... I just... I just respect you so much, man...

Timmy: Finally, check this out. I've got two words for you, ladies and gentlemen: Death Whisper. Just sit back and let those words marinate for a minute. This thing is the real deal, you dig?

-

Anyway, ladies and gentlemen, you can pick up these fine items and many more in the Gaia Cash Shop. If you stop by, be sure to tell Flynn I said hello. Tell her that anything she needs, I'm her man. Money is not an issue, you dig?

Visit the Gaia Cash Shop

Get Gaia Cash cards at select retailers across the country or directly from Gaia Online. Click here to learn more.

Dr. Singh: I'm here! Here I am! Don't start the show without me!

Timmy: You're late, baby. That's unacceptable.

Labtech Gene: T-Bone demands excellence from his people.

Dr. Singh: Sorry, everyone. It was the weirdest thing... I was all ready to do the show, and then I just had overpowering feeling like I needed to change my clothes. I can't explain it...

Timmy: I forgive you, baby. Can't stay mad at a pair of stems like that.

Dr. Singh: Well, shall we get started? Hi, everyone! I'm Dr. Singh, and this is my little pal Timmy.

Labtech Gene: Whoa! Whoa whoa whoa. Stop right there, sweetheart. Did I just hear you call T-Bone your "little pal"? Maybe you don't know who you're talking to, lady, but T-Bone commands and appreciates your respect.

Timmy: Cool down, Large. The lady doesn't know what she's saying. She, like many broads, tends to get a little emotional and speak out of turn once in a while. Isn't that right, baby?

Dr. Singh: Hey, what is this!? Why are you acting like such a little creep?

Timmy: Mellow out, baby. We can get you something to improve your mood, if you know what I mean. Love the new look, by the way.

Dr. Singh: Oh, shut up! Let's just do the report.

Timmy: Report's done, baby. LG and I took care of it. But don't worry, you still get to be a star. We're about to do the best part of the show: the smooth jazz countdown. You ready for this, doll?

Dr. Singh: This is a science program! There's no smooth jazz countdown!

Labtech Gene: Smooth Jazz is a science, baby. The science of listening to saxophones and then getting busy down by the fire.

Timmy: Don't worry, you'll like it. This is all you have to do: I call out the name of the tune, then you say "ooh, I can dig it" or something, or just moan appreciatively. You ready for this?

Dr. Singh: No!

Timmy: OK, here we go. Number five this week: Chocolate Cake Supreme with the laid-back chillness of "Whale Memories, Pt. II."

Dr. Singh: ...

Labtech Gene: Do it, lady.

Timmy: Give her time, LG. Let her get used to the idea. Number four: The Hugo Rodney Combo with their smash-hit sax track, "Teatime For Ya Butt."

Dr. Singh: I won't do it!

Timmy: You will, baby. Just feel that smooth jazz. It'll happen. Number three: Raoul Champagne makes his top-five debut with "Allow Me to Touch That."

Dr. Singh: Mff... urhg...

Timmy: Don't fight it, baby. Number two: The Titi Muscatachiollaire Orchestra lays it on heavy with the clarinets in "I Fell Asleep in the Pool."

Dr. Singh: Fffffff...

Timmy: Let it happen, babe. You know you can dig it. You ready for number one? Here it is, ladies and gentlemen, Dr. Timmy's Smooth Jazz Pick of the Week: Cassius LaFontaine with his ultra-mellow instrumental, "Take My Hand, Baby, and I Will Lead You to a Place."

Dr. Singh: Oooooooh. I can dig it!

Timmy: I knew you could, baby.

Dr. Singh: What...? What did I just say? Nooooooo!

Timmy: That's all for this week, ladies and gentlemen. If you want to drop us a line about which items you dig the most this week, just visit this thread. Stay mellow!

04 Nordstrom BP.: Vote in the Poll, Get an Item!

• Topic Nordstrom BP.: Vote in the Poll, Get an Item! - Posted: [NPC] Addie Mon Jul 14, 2008 6:06 pm

Summer's almost over, and we're loving the look of fall. From dresses to denim to boyfriend cardis, BP. is stocking a wide range of back-to-school fashions.

Let us know what you like to wear - take the BP. style poll and pick up a limited-edition item for your avatar.

Stop by the BP. Profile and Vote!

05 Don't Forget: Monthly Collectibles Launch on the 8th!

• Topic Don't Forget: Monthly Collectibles Launch on the 8th! - Posted: admin Tue Aug 05, 2008 4:09 pm

In case you missed or forgot the announcement from last month, we wanted to give you another reminder. This month's MCs will launch on the 8th instead of the traditional 15th. It's like opening your presents early!

We know this is a fairly big change, especially after so many years, but we wanted to experiment with moving the date up, and polls suggested many of you guys felt the same. If it's a success, look for future MCs to arrive around the same time.

Notice: We just learned that PayPal will be down for maintenance on Thursday, the 7th, from 11pm-12am PDT. We know shopping on Gaia is a great way to spend those long, sleepless nights, so we apologize for this interruption. Once PayPal finishes their maintenance, everything should be back to normal and you shouldn't have any trouble getting Gaia Cash, Monthly Collectibles, or store merchandise.

06 Kiki's Road Trip: Otakon 2008

• Topic Kiki's Road Trip: Otakon 2008 - Posted: admin Tue Aug 05, 2008 9:06 pm

Kiki's Road Trip: Otakon 2008!

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Gaia Online will be stopping by Otakon this weekend, and we hope to see you there!

Where: Baltimore Convention Center, Baltimore, MD

When: August 8th - 10th

What: Fun, prizes, activities etc!

Experience the exciting Gaia Panel at 1:00PM on Friday, August 8th in Panel Room 4. As usual, we'll be bringing plenty of free Gold cards and lots of other great prizes for a few lucky winners, including shirts, plushies, and a jumbo Kiki Kitty plushie. You'll also get a sneak peek at zOMG! and some upcoming Gaia merchandise! Bring any questions you might have, because there will be a QA session during the panel.

As a bonus, all panel attendees will be among the first to receive a special limited-edition ring for use in zOMG!.

Gaia is happy to be emceeing the Otakon Dances on August 8th and 9th starting at 8:00PM in the Camden Lobby. Our emcee will be giving out great prizes like shirts, plushies, and other goodies to attendees.

Also, be sure to stop by the unofficial Gaia Gathering at 1:00PM on Saturday, August 9th. The location will be announced at the panel. Come get to know your fellow Gaians on a personal level while playing fun games and winning prizes!

For more info on Otakon and all the latest news on the Gaia Convention Tour, visit our convention home page.

Find Out More about Otakon!

07 Evolving Item Report delayed until Tuesday

• Topic Evolving Item Report delayed until Tuesday - Posted: [NPC] Dr. Singh Thu Aug 07, 2008 7:29 pm

Psst-- hey, everybody... I should make this quick, because I don't know when Timmy's coming back. I just wanted to fill you in on some news.

First, I'm sorry to inform you that the Evolving Item Report (and... ugh... Smooth Jazz Countdown) will be a little bit delayed this week. It will probably come out sometime around Tuesday, August 12th.

But while I have this short reprieve, I need to talk to you. I don't know if you've noticed, but Timmy and Gene have been acting really, really strange lately. I don't know what it is... they used to be such sweet guys, but they've been acting like total male-chauvinist creeps.

Since he grew that little beard and all, at first I was thinking that Timmy hit puberty or something, but it's gone way beyond that-- now he's listening to smooth jazz and wearing a red blazer and quite possibly doing illegal things in his spare time. But now Gene's got a beard as well, and I've got a hunch that something very fishy is going on. I think their beards may be some kind of disease, or maybe even a curse.

Until I can figure out what's going on, I think I'll just play along and study their habits. I picked up this fake beard at a costume shop. I'm hoping it will fool them, or fool their beards... if not, I might be in big trouble.

See you Tuesday!

08 August's Monthly Collectibles are here! 2008

• Topic August's Monthly Collectibles are here! - Posted: [NPC] Rina Thu Aug 07, 2008 8:38 pm

Yay yay yay! I get to open the envelopes early! Say, why is this thing so buttery?

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Be the star of your own romance novel with the Lusty Scoundrel! Stand in front of a beautiful sunset with a swooning hunk or maiden by your side, then butter yourself up so that every muscle and curve glistens in the light. Phew, I need to slow down here.

[Excerpt from Pg. 192 of The Lusty Scoundrel]: She slapped Beresford hard across the face, her gloved hand breaking like a velvet wave upon his violently outcropping cheekbone. "But what of Rodrigo? What of my marriage, my family, my delicately perfumed bosom?" Beresford's baritone laughter echoed through the masculine caverns of his barrel-like chest. "Forget Rodrigo," he commanded, clutching Heloise even tighter against his glistening, rippled thorax. "Rodrigo may be rich and almost equally as handsome as I, but there's one thing he can never give you." Slowly, Beresford's rugged, stable-worn hands began to palpate the blushing flesh of Heloise's shoulders. "Really good backrubs," he bellowed; "I got a certificate from the city college!"

Get ready to lead armies into battle with War of the Warlords, a collection of clothing worn by some of history's greatest commanders. Reenact the Crossing of the Rubicon dressed as Caesar, battle across the steppes as Genghis Khan, stalk the night as the terrible Vlad the Impaler, or tear up Europe in Napoleon's legendary hat!

[Excerpt from Pg. 258 of War of the Warlords]: Vlad gazed at the blood-soaked battlefield, slavering at the gruesome sight before him. "Calm yourself," said Genghis Khan, worried his unholy alliance might not survive the Impaler's demonic thirst. "Napoleon and Caesar are formidable opponents. We cannot allow Caesar's legions to overwhelm our eastern flank." Vlad nodded in agreement. "We cannot, Khan, nor can we allow Napoleon to storm my castle." There was a hushed silence and a cold wind. Khan looked at his partner, knowing he was under a great deal of stress. Suddenly his hands reached out, landing firmly on Vlad's tense shoulders. "I give really good backrubs," Khan bellowed. "I got a certificate from the city college!"

11 Coming Soon: Updated Site Navigation

• Topic Coming Soon: Updated Site Navigation - Posted: admin Mon Aug 11, 2008 6:19 pm

Gaia's navigation system has gotten pretty hairy over the years as we added and shuffled content around, so we're grooming it like a neglected show dog. To give you an idea of what's coming and where things will be, please take a look at the following image (figure 53.4B):

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The above is meant to show how content will be organized, and not how it will ultimately look. The main reasons for these changes are to remove redundant information, make things easier to find, and make it easier for us to add new content to the site.

Some of you may have noticed the new navigation will mean less of the much-loved Daily Chance cart. To make up for this, we're beefing that lil' slugger up with some better rewards.

The changes should kick in sometime this week. If you'd like to give your feedback, feel free to head over here and make your thoughts known.

Yours respectfully,

-The Gaia Staff

September

14 Tampax: Vote in the Poll, Win an Item

• Topic Tampax: Vote in the Poll, Win an Item - Posted: [GAIA] Tampax Thu Jul 23, 2009 4:51 pm

Quote:

Next time Mother Nature brings your "Monthly Gift", aka your period, be prepared. Tampax has a full range of products and information to meet your needs. Make your period no big deal with Tampax. Take that Mother Nature!

Head over to our Tampax Poll and place your vote. You'll score a lovely new dress just for sharing your opinion.

Vote in the Poll

Don't forget to take our Tampax Quiz for another nifty bonus.

22 Announcement:Verizon Wireless is Coming to Gaia!

• Topic Verizon Wireless is Coming to Gaia! - Posted: [GAIA] Verizon Wireless Mon Sep 15, 2008 7:52 pm

Verizon Wireless brings America's Most Reliable Network to the Gaia world. Not only are we offering cool new items for your avatar, but you can also find wallpapers for your phone and spend some time watching new video content in the Gaia Cinemas, Sponsored by Verizon Wireless.

In fact, why not head to the Cinemas right now?

Head to the Gaia Cinemas, Sponsored by Verizon Wireless

From the lobby, just hop into one of the theaters and talk to the Verizon NPC. He'll hook you up with a cool free item.

See the Verizon Wireless Profile for More Information

Visit the Verizon Wireless Site

America's most reliable wireless network claim based on fewest aggregate blocked & dropped connections; see verizonwireless.com/bestnetwork for details.

October

02 Watch a Video, Earn Gold! Visit the Six Flags Profile

• Topic Watch a Video, Earn Gold! Visit the Six Flags Profile - Posted: [NPC] Addie Halloween Wed Oct 01, 2008 12:52 pm

By day, there’s frightful fun for everyone. But by night, beware as ghosts and ghouls take over the park. Grab your pals and Share the Scare every weekend this October when SNICKERS® Presents Six Flags FRIGHT FEST.

Head over to the Six Flags Fright Fest Profile to check out a spooky video and get some Gaia Gold!

Visit the Six Flags Profile

You can also go directly to the Six Flags Fright Fest for tickets and other helpful information:

Get Six Flags Tickets

16 Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa is coming to theaters November 7

• Topic Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa is coming to theaters November 7 - Posted: [NPC] The Madagascar Crew Wed Oct 08, 2008 6:33 pm

DreamWorks' new animated film Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa is hitting theaters November 7, but you can get an early look right here on Gaia.

Quote:

In the highly-anticipated sequel to “Madagascar,” Alex, Marty, Melman, Gloria, King Julien, Maurice and the penguins and the chimps find themselves marooned on the distant shores of Madagascar. In the face of this obstacle, the New Yorkers have hatched a plan so crazy it just might work. With military precision, the penguins have repaired an old crashed plane—sort of. Once aloft, this unlikely crew stays airborne just long enough to make it to the wildest place of all—the vast plains of Africa, where the members of our zoo-raised crew encounter species of their own kind for the very first time. Africa seems like a great place…but is it better than their Central Park home?

Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa features an all-star cast, including Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, Jada Pinkett Smith, Bernie Mac, and more. To watch the trailer and get a free item, just click the link below:

Watch the Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa Trailer

27 Play the Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa Dance Game!

• Topic Play the Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa Dance Game! - Posted: [NPC] The Madagascar Crew Tue Oct 21, 2008 5:19 pm

Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa arrives in theaters November 7, but you can get in the spirit right now by showing off your best moves in our dance game.

Quote:

In the highly-anticipated sequel to “Madagascar,” Alex, Marty, Melman, Gloria, King Julien, Maurice and the penguins and the chimps find themselves marooned on the distant shores of Madagascar. In the face of this obstacle, the New Yorkers have hatched a plan so crazy it just might work. With military precision, the penguins have repaired an old crashed plane—sort of. Once aloft, this unlikely crew stays airborne just long enough to make it to the wildest place of all—the vast plains of Africa, where the members of our zoo-raised crew encounter species of their own kind for the very first time. Africa seems like a great place…but is it better than their Central Park home?

If you can move and shake your way through all four stages of the Madagascar Mash Dance Game, you'll earn a nifty new item. What are you waiting for? Go put your moves to the test! Follow the link below and hit the Go Dance! button to get started:

Play the Madagascar Mash Dance Game

Don't forget to check out Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, Jada Pinkett Smith, Bernie Mac, and more in the Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa trailer. You'll get a nifty mask for your avatar just by watching.

Watch the Trailer

November

04 PopStar Guitar: Be a Pop Star. Watch the Trailer!

• Topic PopStar Guitar: Be a Pop Star. Watch the Trailer! - Posted: [GAIA] PopStar Guitar Tue Oct 21, 2008 1:10 pm

PopStar Guitar has rocked its way into stores, and to celebrate we've got a brand new item for you!

Quote:

PopStar Guitar is the ultimate music rhythm game available for Wii™ and Playstation®2 computer entertainment system. Assume the role of a lead guitarist on a musical journey leading up to the main stage of the worldwide “Battle of the Bands” competition.

Jam to the hottest hits with over 50 pop songs including tracks by the original artist Rihanna, Paramore, Miley Cyrus, Jonas Brothers, Fall Out Boy and more!

Obtain your very own guitar and turn your avatar into a Pop Star by clicking the link below:

Watch the PopStar Guitar Trailer

05 Madagascar Escape 2 Africa Special Message

• Topic Madagascar Escape 2 Africa Special Message - Posted: The Madagascar Crew II Tue Nov 04, 2008 4:57 pm

We just wanted to give you a friendly reminder that DreamWorks' new animated film Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa is hitting theaters November 7th. We've got a special message from one of the stars, Jada Pinkett-Smith, along with a new item.

Quote:

In the highly-anticipated sequel to “Madagascar,” Alex, Marty, Melman, Gloria, King Julien, Maurice and the penguins and the chimps find themselves marooned on the distant shores of Madagascar. In the face of this obstacle, the New Yorkers have hatched a plan so crazy it just might work. With military precision, the penguins have repaired an old crashed plane—sort of. Once aloft, this unlikely crew stays airborne just long enough to make it to the wildest place of all—the vast plains of Africa, where the members of our zoo-raised crew encounter species of their own kind for the very first time. Africa seems like a great place…but is it better than their Central Park home?

To claim your free prize, check out the new Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa video with Jada Pinkett-Smith in the cinemas:

Watch the Madagascar Escape 2 Africa Special Message

14 PopStar Guitar: Catch the Trailer, Get a Guitar

• Topic PopStar Guitar: Catch the Trailer, Get a Guitar - Posted: boxcarsocial Thu Nov 13, 2008 1:25 pm

PopStar Guitar will be leaving Gaia soon, but you still have a chance to check out the trailer and nab a rockin' guitar for your avatar.

Quote:

PopStar Guitar is the ultimate new rhythm game available for the Wii and Playstation®2 computer entertainment system. Jam to the hottest hits with over 50 pop songs including tracks by the original artist Rihanna, Paramore, Miley Cyrus, Jonas Brothers, Fall Out Boy and many more!

PopStar Guitar will allow you to unleash your inner Pop Star as you assume the role of a lead guitarist on a musical journey leading up to the main stage of the worldwide “Battle of the Bands” competition. It’s a game that the entire family can enjoy!

Just head over the PopStar Guitar Profile to check out the trailer and get your guitar:

Watch the PopStar Guitar Trailer

19 Monster Lab: Watch the Trailer, Get a Monstrous New Item

• Topic Monster Lab: Watch the Trailer, Get a Monstrous New Item - Posted: [GAIA] Senor Brazo Fri Nov 07, 2008 2:51 pm

Monster Lab is out now and scaring up a storm on the Wii, Playstation 2, and the Nintendo DS. To help get your spine tinglin', we've got a special preview to show you.

Quote:

MONSTER LAB is set in the eerie world of Uncanny Valley where the evil Baron Mharti rules with a cruel hand. The player takes on the role of an apprentice scientist who must perform a vast array of intricate experiments to create their very own monster from over 100 million possible monster part variations on offer. Taking control of your monster, the player can then explore the land; searching for ingredients to make more monster parts, hunting out other monsters to defeat in combat, uncovering quests to embark upon or simply competing in the numerous mini-games available.

To give your avatar a spooky twist, check out the Monster Lab trailer and get a new item:

Watch the Trailer

20 Get 10,000 Gaia Gold with the Upside Prepaid Visa Card

• Topic Get 10,000 Gaia Gold with the Upside Prepaid Visa Card - Posted: admin Thu Nov 20, 2008 7:31 pm

Gaia is partnering with UPside to bring you Prepaid Visa Cards and put 10,000 Gold in your pocket. With this magic sliver of plastic you can...

Decide how much you want the card to be worth and pay in advance. There's no credit debt.

Access a handy dashboard that keeps you updated on your balance and purchases.

Use your card anywhere Visa is accepted, including Gaia and pretty much every business in the solar system.

If you're under 18 and interested, follow the link below. After you sign up, your parents will get an email that'll let them complete the process.

Info & Sign Up for Teens

And if you're over 18 and interested, check out the following link to get more info and sign up.

Info & Sign Up for Adults

This offer is currently open to U.S. residents only.

'*How you claim your 10,000 Gold:

After you get your card in the mail and activate it with UPside, you'll find a code for your Gaia Gold ready and waiting. Just plug that code into the Redeem Pin page and you'll be good to go. Make sure you sign up using one of the above links or a banner on this site, otherwise they won't know to give you the Gold!

December

02 Watch Now: Check out the Featured Veoh Video, Get Gold

• Topic Watch Now: Check out the Featured Veoh Video, Get Gold - Posted: [NPC] Abbie Mon Nov 24, 2008 5:49 pm

Quote:

VEOH has millions of videos, all on one site. Most importantly – it has the one’s you want to watch! Avatar and other great anime, classic and current TV shows, the hottest videos on the web and movies. It’s all on Veoh.

Check out what’s cool about Veoh on Gaia and win 100 gold. When you’re finished, browse some of the other great videos on Veoh like Avatar, The Animatrix, Degrassi, The Hills, Wonder Woman, and more.

Watch the Video