More than one real-world couple met in JOI, and Badgirl says one upcoming in-world wedding is likely to lead to the real thing offline. We think we're offering something that helps people live a better life."įor JOI residents, the boundaries between virtual world and real world are fluid, a convergence the community supports and encourages. "We put our lives into this, so it's very important to us. "But the developers are extremely dedicated," she says. Most of them, including Badgirl, have other jobs. "I take my cell phone so I can get messages from the server, just in case.")īadgirl's team is scattered across the globe someone often has to get up at 3 a.m. Both Patric and Badgirl have spent their personal savings on development costs, and Patric is a one-man shop. "We can still be profitable, as I don't have any employees or big expenses."Īnd that's common to JOI, too. "We're intended to be a small game," he says. He doesn't mind that, and in fact has been known to suggest to some new players that Sociolotron isn't for them. "But a small group stays long enough to explore the real, deeper values of the game, and they really start to have fun." It's hard to get into (for casual players)," he says. "Our game is special, and you (either) get hooked or (you don't). Patric says most newcomers to Sociolotron cancel their accounts within a day or two. Some contests are entirely impromptu, like the "who can tell the best BDSM story" game that arose in chat one day, resulting in two residents receiving 25,000 "JOI bucks" for their stories even though it was not an official event.
They encourage you to participate in the games and contests. I've experienced first-hand the welcoming hugs and greetings for newbies, and residents go out of their way to show you around, help you set up a house and start earning your jewels.
In JOI, you're only alone if you want to be. "This is something that came directly out of the community, and they love it," she says. A new mall that caters only to the Elite Perv Society - residents who earn a certain threshold of "experience points" by participating in chat - includes a wedding store for in-world unions. A running joke about capturing other people's panties led to a panty-collecting game with in-world cash awards and prizes. Many of JOI's events and contests emerge from the chat rooms. "The people who stay are a great asset to the community."īadgirl believes that one of the biggest mistake designers can make "is to tell the residents 'this is what the community is and this is what you're going to do.' The most important feature is the people," she says. "We attract a special kind of person because we have such a heavy emphasis on role play," he says. They stay, he says, because of the people they socialize with.
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