2019-08-10_The_Week_Junior_UK

On screen

SuperAwesome, which trackstrends in what young

people do on their phones, first spotted gacha apps

becoming popularearlier this year–aswell as

gacha-themed videos onYouTube. Gacha apps

usually have yourandomly pick items to use in the

game, likeusing avending machine.

Gacha Life isatypicalexample:the app gets

people to start by creating acharacter in the style of

Japanesecartoons. These characterscanbeused to

play mini-games, or to create comic strip stories.

Some of these mini movies have got millions of views

on YouTube, with singing battles particularly popular.

T

he latest mobile-apps crazehas an unusual

inspiration:vending-machines in Japan where

people turnahandle andrece ive acapsule with

arandom cute character or toy inside. Those

“gashapon”or“gacha”toys have already inspired the

developers of mobile games such as Crossy Road,

which hasavirtual gacha vending machine from

which playerscanbuy new characters.

Now there’sagroup of gacha apps, including

Gacha Life, Gachaverse and Gacha Studio–all made

by the samecompany–that have madeasplash on

the Android and iPhone app stores. Britishcompany

Gachaappsgetbig

Whatyouneedtoknow

The popular gacha apps areall free to download

and use, but they maketheir money partly by

showing advertisements within the apps, and

partly through in-app purchases of gems and

other virtual money to spend on items. Always

remember:these purchases areoptional, and if

you ever feel as if an app is putting pressureon

you to spend money,it’sagood sign that you

should delete it and tryadifferent one.

Inspiredby Japanese toymachines, these games areahit in the UK.

Gacha apps usually have

mini games to play.

Making your

own characters

and dressing

them up is very

creative.

The apps are

good funfor

creating stories

and sharing them

Gacha appscan

look very

complicated

when you start.

Some try harde

than others to

persuade you to

spend money.

TheWeek Junior’s appsexpert

StuartDredge gives his

thoughts on gacha apps

What’s theverdict?

Userscancustomise

their characters.

.

r

o

22 The Week Junior•10 August 2019

DIDYOU

KNO

W?

Thewor

dgashapon

comes from

thesounds

ofpulling

avending

machine’s handle (“gasha”)

and the item landing in the

machine’s tr

ay(“pon”).

em.

apps.