30 days in Livly isalnd NFT and the opposition from the user based

 For this week I wanted to investigate lively art-based users and the mutual disdain over NFTS in that community. Like many other mobile gacha-esque games the added feature to exchange in-game currency or items for another is common, usually in the market feature of the game. Though Lively works a bit differently, this mechanic works successfully from mutual agreements over the trade between other players, whereas in other games it is usually a one-sided relationship. Trading in Livly is one of the main activities that players take part in, listing their “most wanted” accessories in the forum and /or communicating their desires from other means such as dedicated serves and online posts. With trading being abundant in this community the question of why there is a negative stigma on NFT arises. NTFs require a similar process of trading/exchanges for collectibles, online items, and most notably artworks. NFT to start is short for Nonrefundable token which is used to give a certified authenticity of originality and ownership to a certain item or thing. They work like currency in a blockchain that records information on an asset. The most recognizable example of this would be the “bored ape yacht club” which was sold to people to own for at its rise thousands of dollars.

From some observation Artists, which the livly community is mostly made up of, aren't fond of it. An example comes from a Reddit post mentioning their interest in Meta livly yet hesitant to download it since NFTs were associated with the game. 

One of the reasons artists hate it is because it is open for people with bad intentions to steal artworks and sell them online as NTFS without their consent or knowledge. A notorious incident regarding this was when a famous artist who passed away had their artworks stolen and sold as an NFT. 

Unfortunately, it wasn't the only incident as many of these would occur leaving a bad taste and impression on the community as a whole from the number of cases that involved thievery. Another reason could be the duplicated unappealing and lazy artworks that have little to no uniqueness. Of course, some honestly sell ntfs with quality and effort into their works (ex: HEX_jjung https://twitter.com/HEX_jjung/status/1549031691838431232?t=S_MdG6lqovC-it-gLQA6RA&s=19) 

yet the number of bad apples and mishandling of nfts led artists to go against it. It's ironic as it was supposed to be used to help artists sell their work. With that being sad how does Livly play into this? Meta Livly another title of Livly Island from the same company was established to be focused on NFT creation and trading. Though it was closed down its traces of existence still are present on websites that sell the avatars. In conclusion, livlys trading is more towards mutual consent and agreement while NFTs have the potential to be used one-sidedly for selfish purposes. The limited rules on artist protections and copyright have made it hard for artists to take back what was stolen and this results in protest and the eventual decline in 2023. The reasons stem from overpricing, oversaturation, etc. This made me realize that rules are important and needed in a world to help avoid corruption, deviance, and an unsatisfactory experience. Livly may not have specific rules but there is an unspoken agreement to go through with trades within the community. This is seen from interactions and engaging responses to forum posts in the game regarding interest in exchanges. With that being said i plan to build a world inspired by my research and to incorporate what i learned about the community and their user activity to know what to look out for in my world and how to make an environmental that people can be comfortable to be in. Additionally to implement elements of the world that appeal to audiences.