An online utopia for young people, a place where one had all the possibilities to become someone greater, be a part of something that otherwise would not be possible in real life. A place available for everyone, a place where everyone creates the environment around them, a place where everyone is responsible for the ambiance of the shared space. An online commune, with pixel rooms and pixel people.

Habia world was an online multiplayer game, that was most popular among twelve-year-olds in the Baltics, somewhere at the beginning of this century. It is unclear who was behind this game or who made it all happen, but If it is remembered correctly, it’s an investor from abroad who was behind all of this. Such a kind man, making it possible for the forgotten kids of the Baltics to build beautiful communities online. However, it is the same man who introduced the power dynamics, the concept of police, and the value of currency to the same children.

Indeed, the game had its police. A group of well-behaving thirteen-year-olds. Children who would keep the maintenance of the online environment, occasionally would organize events, and talk respectfully with the other players of the game. The people in charge of HW gave a sense of power to children. The move is quite genius, the children police received different badges, online goods, and most importantly more rights in the game. The creators benefited too, now there was someone to look after the game, protect the atmosphere and do all of this for free. The police a.k.a. the moderators would earn online goods that outside of the game had no value. Creators, whether intentionally or not, created a strange power dynamic between regular users and the ones who had more rights. The consequence of this move was that everyone wanted to become part of the police themselves, thus trying to prove their value to the game, by being active members of the community.

A question arises; how does one show their loyalty and involvement in an online game? Consumption and ownership of currency would do it just right. The game has introduced the value of money to its twelve-year-old players. There’s no shame in wanting to look cute and purchase some pixel furniture for your pixel room and to drink pixel tea with your online friend as a child. It is however a shame, for an adult to profit from a made-up online currency. An online currency that can only be exchanged from real-life money. Purchasing it, meant possessing more digital items and being of more value to the game. The only way to become noticed, by the ones with power, and have a higher chance of receiving power in return.

Looking back, it becomes obvious how this platform operated. Providing fun and happy times online for children and receiving their parents’ money in return. Oh, what a shame, Mr. Investor from abroad.