Overview

Hey Pococha!
Today we’ll be introducing more details on the upcoming Family update and providing answers to questions that were submitted after the first blog post was published.

We also organized some of the information from the previous Q&A into easy-to-understand tables.

Up until now, the Family feature allowed up to a maximum of 3 Families. Following the update, Families will be consolidated into 1 Family and you’ll be able to create multiple chatrooms.

We’ve also added functions that let you use quotes, reactions, and mentions in the chatrooms.

Reminder: After the September release, past Family chats will no longer be available. If there is anything you wish to save, please take screenshots or videos before the update.

Please make sure to first ask the Family, message poster, and broadcaster if it’s alright to screenshot/video.

💡 Please check out the first blog post about the Family update which has important changes and an overview of the upcoming new features!

https://pococha.blog/2022/07/18/new-family-chat-coming-soon/

These 4 points are covered in the previous blog:

• An overview of the multi-channel* function
• Viewing/posting access for individual channels and the maximum amount of channels that can be created
• The 3 new chatroom functions
• Q&A about the switchover to the new Family
• The multi-channel function allows you to create multiple channels (chatrooms) based on the level of the Family creator.

Contents

Today we’ll be bringing you more information about the upcoming functions. We’ve broken up the information into 6 sections.

1. Changing Family Settings
2. Available Settings for Members of the New Family
3. Changes to Current Functions
4. Transferring to the New Family
5. Notifications for Families and Individual Channels
6. Additional Q&A

1. Changing Family Settings

After the update, two new Family settings will be A. “Notification Settings for Individual Channels” and B. “Mark All Family Messages as Read”.

• You will also be able to set viewing/posting access. Since information about this feature has been included in the previous blog post, it has not been mentioned here.

The updated Family feature will have icons of the Families you’ve joined. By tapping on the icon, you can see the Family’s Category Rankings and channels.

This new Family can have up to 20 channels (chatrooms). You can also designate who can view and post in each channel.

Tapping on a channel will open up a chatroom similar to the current Family chat function.

If there’s a new post, a blue badge will appear on the top right of the Family icon.

Furthermore, if there are new posts in various channels and your notifications are on, there’ll also be a blue badge next to the corresponding channel.

Regardless of whether you have notifications turned on or off, channels with unread messages will be bolded.

Find out how to change your notification settings below in section 5.

Tap on the “…” mark to open up Family settings.

• This is what the Family creator sees. If you are not the Family Creator, “Choose Assistants” will not show up and instead of “Disband Family” you will see “Leave Family”.

A. Notification Settings for Individual Channels

Tap on “Notification Settings” to check the notification settings for the Family and individual channels.

If “Accept Notifications” is off, it will automatically turn notifications off for all of the Family channels.

Turning this on will allow you to see the notification settings for individual channels and you can turn those off and on individually.

You can also adjust your notification settings in individual channels. Click the three lines at the top right of the channel to change your settings.

• This is what the Family creator sees. If you are not a Family creator, “Permission to View and Post” and “Delete Channel” will not be available.

On this page, you can select “Channel Notification Settings” and adjust your settings here.

B. Mark All Family Messages as Read

This lets you mark all the unread messages in the Family as read.

Using this function will make the blue badges that were mentioned earlier disappear.

Using this feature will make the blue badges marked in the red box disappear.

2. Available Settings for Members in the New Family

We have gathered the different settings that Family creators, assistants, and members can adjust for each Family and individual channels in the following 2 tables.

Family Settings

🔼 = Can be done sometimes under certain conditions.

*1 The user that made the Family is the Family creator.

*2 Unread messages in the Family/Channel will be marked by a blue badge in the Family function. Use “Mark All Messages as Read” to mark all channels as read.

*3 Tapping on “Members” will allow you to see a list of all the Family members.

*4 Only the Family creator can make new channels.

Channel Settings

*1 Aside from the “△” for deleting messages, only those with viewing and posting access will be “○”. Those without viewing or posting access will be “-”.

Only the Family creator can change viewing/posting access. If you have viewing access, viewing/reactions will be “o”. If you have posting access, posting/quotes/mentions/deleting messages will be “o”.

*2 Only the Family owner and assistants with posting access can delete messages.

• Channels that you do not have viewing access to will not show up in Families. Currently, you can see that certain channels exist even without access, but this will not be the case after the update.

3. Changes to Current Features

Take a look at the following table to see how the number of Families and Family members will change with the update.

*1 Information about how Category Ranking data will be transferred can be found in section 4. *2 Check here to learn about how many Families can be created.

4. Transferring to the New Family

Take a look at the following table to learn about how data regarding the number of assistants, Category Rankings, etc. will be transferred.

*1 Past chat logs will be unavailable after the September update. This is because we have created a completely new Family function and won’t be able to pull those chat files over. We apologize for the inconvenience but please take screenshots or videos of any chats that you wish to save before the new Family function is released (September). Please check out this blog post for more details.

5. Notifications for Families and Individual Channels

As was mentioned in section 1, you can change your notification settings for each channel in the new Family function.

You can also change notification settings by Family with “Family Notifications” and “Channel Notifications”.

This way you can easily enable or disable push notifications and which channels have blue badges next to them.

Take a look at the table below to see the different instances where notifications are available based on whether the broadcaster, you, or others have posting access.

After the update, the default notification setting will be “off”. Please be sure to adjust your settings after the update.

Push notifications and blue badges when a new post is made while Family notifications and channel notifications are “on”.

• This refers to when other users are speaking using quotes and then mention you in the replies.

Push notifications and blue badges when someone makes a new post with Family notifications “on”/channel notifications “off”.

• If Family notifications are “on”, a blue badge will appear next to the Family icon when new posts are made in one of the Family channels.

Push notifications and blue badges with Family notifications “off”/channel notifications “on” and Family notifications “off”/channel notifications “off”.

In this situation, the Family notification setting takes priority so all push notifications for individual channels be “off”.

Additional Q&A

Last but not least, we’ll be answering questions that were sent to us following the July post.

Q. Will the maximum number of assistants change?

No. All current assistants will be automatically transferred to the new Family. For example, you had 7 assistants separated among 2 Families. All 7 assistants will be assistants in the new Family.

Q. After the update, will the Family be a Core Family or an Open Family?

If you have at least one Open Family prior to the update, the new Family will be an Open Family. If you have only one Family that is either a Core Family or an Open Family, the new Family will be the same type as what you had set for that Family.

Q. After the update, will we be able to see the posts we made before the release?

No. The app will be under maintenance for several hours for the release. After maintenance, the Family function will be automatically updated for all users.

Q. Why can’t assistants make channels?

This is to accentuate that the broadcaster is ultimately the one who creates the broadcasts. Family members should cooperate with each other to actualize the broadcaster’s goals and steer them in the right direction.

If more people are able to create channels, people may end up creating a ton of random channels and trouble might pop up without the broadcaster knowing. That’s why we thought it best to give only the Family owner the authority to create channels for this release.

However, if a lot of people speak up about wanting to let trusted assistants have that authority or wanting to have more freedom to create channels so viewers can have more fun, we’ll consider updating in the future to allow the broadcaster to pass on that authority.

Q. Will the conditions for seeing the Rank Meter change?

No.

If the Family has 15 members or more, then only Family members can see the Family broadcaster’s Rank Meter. If there are 14 members or less, then anyone can see the broadcaster’s Rank Meter.

Q. Will there be premade channels immediately after the switchover? What about viewing and posting access?

Depending on the level of the Family owner, the number of channels they start out with after the change will be different. Family owners at levels 10 – 24 will have 1 channel. At level 25 and above, they will have 4 channels. (Please note that, at level 25 and above, it is still possible to create more channels.)

All Family members will start off with full access to all channels. The default channels will be something along the lines of:

1 Channel = General Chat

4 Channels = General Chat, Welcome, Brainstorm, Announcements

It will be necessary for the broadcaster (Family owner) to change the channel names and edit viewing and posting access. You can also delete the default channels and create new channels instead, but it will still be necessary to set the name and access privileges.

Q. Will we still be automatically removed if we don’t watch broadcasts for 10 days in a row?

Yes.

Q. Will the conditions for Family auto-removal change?

No. If users do not watch any broadcasts for 10 consecutive days or if they do not make the conditions for being a Core Fan, they will be automatically removed from the Family.

Please check here for more details.

Joining our POCOLAB Combo Item event this week? Download this exclusive Zoom background!

Note: Not sure how to change your Zoom background? It’s simple! Visit this link to learn how.

Note: To download the images below, first click the “Download” button. Then…

• On PC: Right click on desktop and select “Save As” to save the image to your computer.
  
• On Mobile/Tablet: Hold in and select “Save” to save the image to your mobile phone.

We are excited to announce the Broadcaster Support-a-thon for Summer 2022!

Nothing says Summer like music festivals!

As part of the “Pococha Summer Music Festival”, viewers can receive a Summer 2022 Top Fans Profile theme for a limited time!

The theme you receive will depend on how much you support broadcasters by using eligible music Items during the event.

Take this opportunity to support your favorite broadcasters more than ever and aim for Premium Profile!

■Eligible Event Items

• Musical Notes (1 Coin) NEW!
• Z’s In Tune! (5 Coins) NEW!
• Keyboards (55 Coins)
• Music Time (111 Coins)
• Let’s Sing (111 Coins)
• Tambourine (222 Coins)
• Dance Floor (333 Coins)
• Party (555 Coins)

■Event Period

August 25, 2022 00:00 – August 31, 2022 23:59 PDT

• There is no need to sign up to participate in this event. Items used during the event period will be counted automatically.
• Please keep track of your own points, your point amount will not be visible on Pococha.

■Event Conditions

There are three profile levels you can reach: Standard, Special, and Premium!

Your profile level and the profile theme design you will receive are determined by the number of Coins you spend on eligible music Items (listed above).

• 6000 Coin = Premium profile
• 2000 Coins = Special profile
• 500 Coins = Standard profile

• Profile themes will be sent via the app in mid to late September.
• Profile themes can be changed from the Settings screen in the app.
• Profile themes will be valid for six months.

■Click here to see the profile theme designs!

You can choose which of the three available designs you would like to receive.

• After the event ends we will send out a survey so participants can choose their preferred theme.

Add the name of the broadcaster you are supporting to the Keywords on your profile!

Ex: “[broadcaster name] ＋❤️ or 👏 or ✨”

Ex: “[broadcaster name]’s top supporter”

• Click here to learn how to change your profile

In the future, we plan on holding events like this every once in a while.

Don’t miss out♪

Hello Pococha users, and thank you for using Pococha!

We’ve heard that our recent “Challenge” Items have made communicating in broadcasts even more fun — we’re so happy to hear it!

In fact, even more Items like “Here Comes Me!” and “Show me your best dance move!” have continued that trend! These Items seem to have been very popular as well.

We’re hoping to continue that positive momentum with even more communication-centric Items this football season!

Kick off the season with new football Items!

The Pococha team is constantly on the lookout for fun new ways to enhance the interactivity of broadcasts. That’s what led us to center our latest Items around America’s #1 sport: football!

From mid-August, we’ll start introducing this series of Items with new releases at regular intervals. By the end of September, you’ll have a full set of brand-new Items to start football season off right!

Use the Football Items with the Family and win the Pococha events!

Pococha Family is like a football team who works together to achieve the team’s dream.

Splash the Football Items with your Family members near the End Time. Your Items are the key to gaining yards! Don’t stop until —— touchdown!

Pococha Football Series

RunRun

Set your Running Back into action! We’ll kick off this campaign with this Item first.

GoGo

How many passes can you throw during a broadcast? Throw the football to your wide receiver and keep the game going!

Hut Hut Snipe!

What a devious play! Try to snipe the Rank Meter at End Time or during the last moments of an event with this Hut Hut Snipe Item!

Touchdown 1 + Touchdown 2

Show us what you got with these celebratory Touchdown Items (two sizes) to cap off a great maneuver!

Combine different Items in sequence to create a great football game with other viewers in the broadcast!

Keep your eyes out for a special football event coming this September as well. Use the Items to make the contest more exciting!

Lastly, we wanted to say thank you to all broadcasters and viewers for your positive responses to our latest new Items! We’ll gonna keep this ball rolling with even more Item releases to come 🏆

See you on Pococha!

Get in the early holiday spirit by setting your Zoom background to one of these exclusive POCOLAB Halloween images!

Note: Not sure how to change your Zoom background? It’s simple! Visit this link to learn how.

Note: To download the images below, first click the “Download” button. Then…

• On PC: Right click on desktop and select “Save As” to save the image to your computer.
  
• On Mobile/Tablet: Hold in and select “Save” to save the image to your mobile phone.

Hello everyone, and thank you for using Pococha!

In this blog, we’ll be summarizing the app updates that were unveiled at our latest Round Table presentation. Then, Producer Daisuke Mizuta will be answering questions from you all regarding these updates as well as the state of the app. Please read through to the end for all the latest info!

At this event, we started with a look back on Pococha’s July 1st updates and the effects they’ve had on the app. We also discussed our plans going forward to continue making adjustments so that these updates have the intended effect.

Next, we announced the following four updates coming very soon on Pococha:

#1 – Family Feature

#2 – Refer-A-Friend Campaign

#3 – New Items + POCOLAB

#4 – Creator Hub

Let’s dive into some more details about these topics first! Remember to stay tuned until the Q&A section at the end!

Looking Back on the July 1st Updates

Since July 1st, the following updates & initiatives have been implemented on Pococha:

#1 – Valuing Viewers: A new Support Point calculation that makes Items from pure viewers worth more than Items from other broadcasters. This affects Items sent from C1+ broadcasters.

#2 – New Rank System: Ranks E1-A5, with lowered borders between each Rank to allow for easier ranking up.

#3 – Performance Bonus: A daily bonus given to C+ Rank broadcasters based on their Rank.

#4 – New Viewer Bonus: A monthly bonus given to B+ Rank broadcasters who convert new viewers into Core Fans.

#5 – Lowered Core Fan Requirements: The requirements for each Fan Noise level have been reduced by an average of 50%.

But how have these updates affected the app?

Reduced Spam Comments

Spam comments have almost halved in one month! We’ve heard from many broadcasters that now chat is used for more meaningful & effective conversation. That was the goal!

Higher Rate of Pure Viewer Support Activity

Now, Pure Viewers account for 75% of the total support on Pococha. That means more support from viewers that are on the app solely to watch & support you!

Increased Success of Pure Viewer-Centric Communities

Communities with higher percentages of Pure Viewership are much more likely to rank up! That means pure viewers are more valued than before — just what we were hoping for.

Lowered Rank Requirements

Lowered Support Point thresholds have made it easier than ever to rank up. In fact, the points needed to maintain A5 Rank are now equivalent to the points previously needed to maintain B1 Rank in June 2022!

Increased Meter Volatility

One effect of this update that worried users was an increase in Rank Meter movement. Both broadcasters and viewers noticed an increase in the Rank Meter’s volatility after the July 1st update.

Why did this happen?

In fact, even before July 1st, the Rank borders have always moved throughout the day. This is because only a certain percentage of users can earn +0, +1, and +2 each day. If you bump another broadcaster out of a spot, you’ll increase the Rank Meter border. Then, they must try to earn more Support Points to try and take their spot back.

Thus: the daily Rank Meter borders are determined by users, not by Pococha. This means even the Pococha team cannot predict the Rank Meter’s movement reliably!

The reason the Rank Meter moved a bit less before July 1st is because we implemented the Upper Stabilization Mechanism (USM). This helps keep Rank Meter levels from sliding too drastically.

However, the USM requires past data to function properly. Due to the new Rank System after July 1st, the mechanism did not have any data from which to create a stable upper border.

We are happy to report that the USM is now functioning more as intended, and that Rank Meter borders are beginning to stabilize once more! However, please note that Meter movement is normal and will continue. If competition is very high (such as around End Time) then the borders will reflect this.

We recommend that broadcasters keep a close eye on the Rank Meter over time, especially around End Time. The more you watch it, the more you will be able to make a strategy to hit the Rank Meter with your Family.

Item Points vs. Item Value

The other worry we’ve heard from broadcasters and viewers since July 1st is that Items seem to have decreased in “value”. However, just because an Item may be worth less points since July 1st doesn’t mean that the Item has less value.

In fact, Items from Pure Viewers are now more valuable than ever!

So what could be causing this perception?

• The amount of Support Points that an Item is worth depends on many different factors. For instance, on July 1st, a change was made to the way Support Points are calculated. Previously an Item may have usually been worth a specific and constant amount of points, but under the new calculation, points are calculated differently.
  
• Another change made on July 1st meant that Items sent from C1+ broadcasters are worth less Support Points now. This is to help place more value on pure viewers and their contributions.
  
• Lastly, back in September of 2021, we introduced a 1.3x bonus multiplier to all US broadcaster’s Support Points. This bonus was added to help US broadcasters who were competing with broadcasters in Japan. However, once the US & JP ranks were separated in December, the 1.3x bonus was no longer needed. Thus, we removed this bonus on July 1st, and now Items can be expected to be worth (on average) 30% less points than before. However, it’s important to keep in mind that this has affected all broadcasters equally!

But remember: Points ≠ Value!

Now that the thresholds between each Rank are much lower, broadcasters need far fewer Support Points to rank up. That means each Item you receive has a bigger impact on your Meter than before, because the borders for +0/+1/+2 have been reduced.

Thus, Item value has actually increased since July 1st — great news for all involved!

Coming Update #1: New Family Function

A long-awaited update is almost here! Soon, you’ll be able to use the brand-new Family Function to have more fun and fulfilling conversations than ever before.

To start, broadcasters will be able to make multiple channels (chat rooms) with different access permissions per channel.

Family creators will be able to create more Families and channels with more assistants depending on their level. Reach for those higher levels to increase your usability of the Family function!

Family creators will also be able to change the permissions for each channel depending on the type of Family member. For instance, you could create a channel that only Assistants can view and post in, or a channel that only Core Fans of a certain level can see! In this way, the new Family Function can even be used to further entice viewers to reach higher Core Fan levels.

If you want to really get specific, Family creators can even change permissions for each individual user.

Quotes, Mentions, and Reactions

The new quote function will allow Family members to react to specific comments from earlier in conversation, making it easier than ever to carry on multiple conversations at once!

Mentions will allow you to tag certain users in chat to better get their attention. Type the @ symbol and any letter to see suggested users that can be tagged!

Lastly, reactions will allow Family members to express their thoughts and feelings without words! You’ll be able to select whichever emoji you like to reply to each post in chat.

Why add this new Family function?

We want to encourage users to interact with each other on various levels. With the multi-channel function, you can create themed channels and organize Family members to match your goals and expand how members interact. For instance, you could make channels such as:

• 10k Family
• Assistant Headquarters
• Event Headquarters, Party Planning, etc

Interacting with Family members outside of broadcasts deepens Family connections and builds tighter bonds. Encouraging communication between the broadcaster and viewers, as well as amongst the viewers themselves, can strengthen the Family’s relationship and foster unity. All in all, this makes for stronger, more dedicated, and happier communities!

Lastly, discussion can give Family members a sense of unity and make them feel like “part of the Family”. If there is a sense that everyone in the Family is aware of the same information and can use it in discussions, everyone from new Family members to regulars will be able to feel that sense of belonging.

IMPORTANT: Previous Family Chats Will Not Be Saved!

Due to major function changes such as viewing access, chat rooms, etc. with the conversion to the multi-channel function, past Family chats can’t be ported over.

If we were to save all of that past data, it would take several months of development, delaying the release of the new Family function. Considering this, we thought it was best to push forward the multi-channel function, pins, video sharing, and other functions that we’ve been planning.

So, be sure to save screenshots of past memories and moments from old Family chats that you want to remember before the new Family function is implemented!

For even more details on the coming Family function, take a look at our blog!

Coming Update #2: Refer-A-Friend Campaign

This new campaign will allow both you and newly invited Pococha users to reap amazing benefits as thanks for expanding the community!

How will it work?

1. Find your unique invite code on Pococha.
2. Send it to your friends & family.
3. Your amazing friends download & join Pococha.
4. You’ll both receive Coins once they have successfully entered your code into their app!

When this happens, both the current Pococha user and the new user will receive:

• 200 Coins when the new user inputs the code.
• 500 Coins when the new user becomes a 1K Core Fan of any broadcaster for the first time!

Pococha users will be able to recruit up to 20 new users with their referral code, for a total of 14,000 Coins! Keep your eyes out for this new campaign very soon!

Coming Update #3: New Items

As many of you have already seen, some brand-new Items were released on Pococha as of July 20th!

We also released a new limited-time Love Reaction Challenge Item, and will be adding a new Thank You Challenge Item soon! You can read all about them in our latest Challenge Item blog.

Going forward, we’ll be creating more Items that place a focus on viewer → broadcaster communication, as well as more Items created after survey voting by you! Keep your eyes out for even more future Items to come!

POCOLAB

After the success of our Fourth of July POCOLAB event, we’ve got even more collaborative Item creation in store!

Next up, we have two POCOLAB events: a Halloween Item Co-Creation Event, and a Combo Item Co-Creation Event!

• The Halloween POCOLAB will take place on Thursday, August 18th!
• The Combo Item POCOLAB will take place on Thursday, August 25th!

Click the in-app banner to sign up before it’s too late!

We’ll also have a Thanksgiving POCOLAB and Christmas POCOLAB later in the year, so don’t miss out!

Full Item List

Want to memorize the Pococha Items and plan some fun reaction ideas in advance? Then the Pococha Official Item List is for you!

This list will feature all permanent Items that are currently usable on Pococha. Be sure to still keep an eye on our blog for any limited-time Item announcements like the Love Reaction Challenge!

Coming Update #4: The Pococha Creator Hub

The Creator Hub is your new one-stop shop for educational resources on how to succeed on Pococha!

Want a run-down of all things Pococha in a succinct & shiny new format?! Then you’re gonna love the all-new Creator Hub! Learn pro tips on how to rank up & grow your community in this ever-evolving site built just for you.

Even better: this update is already live!

Click here to visit the Pococha Creator Hub!

(Note: This website is optimized for a mobile viewing experience.)

Q&A

Greetings — Daisuke here!

Thank you for submitting your questions after the Round Table, and thank you for submitting them via this survey.

As Pococha continues to grow, it was becoming apparent that our old Round Table format of voting on & answering questions live was getting to be very difficult. So many attendees had lots of questions to address, and we lacked the resources to address everyone with the care and thoroughness you deserve.

Thus, we will continue answering any big Round Table questions in this blog-style format. Thank you for your understanding!

Now, let’s take a look at your most frequently asked questions:

Q: When will the Rank Meter’s volatility be reduced? It’s too hard to predict, and it’s making it tough to broadcast!

A: I understand that the Rank Meter is moving a bit differently than before — that can be tough! Thankfully, I’m happy to report that the Upper Stabilization Mechanic (USM) is already in place, and that volatility is decreasing gradually with each day as it learns more about users’ behavior.

Please note that this doesn’t mean the Rank Meter will eventually stop moving. The Rank Meter will always move, especially during periods where broadcasters in your Rank are earning lots of Support Points. However, the USM should help make things better than those first few weeks after the July 1st update.

Going forward, I recommend that broadcasters keep a close eye on the Rank Meter over time, especially around End Time. The more you watch it, the more you will be able to strategize and develop techniques for more reliably hitting the Meter. This will also help you to prepare your viewers to earn larger amounts of support earlier in the day!

Q: It’s too difficult having the Rank Meter move drastically before End Time. I can’t broadcast around End Time! Why does it even move? What do I do?

A: Pococha has always had the most Rank Meter movement before End Time. However, after July 1st, that movement has been more noticeable, so now it feels like it is more difficult.

The reason that the Rank Meter moves most around this time is because that’s when most broadcasters are earning Support Points in your Rank. Pococha doesn’t move the Rank Meter; the Rank Meter moves because of other broadcasters.

In fact, even before July 1st, the Rank borders have always moved throughout the day. This is because only a certain percentage of users can earn +0, +1, and +2 each day. If you bump another broadcaster out of a spot, you’ll increase the Rank Meter border. Then, you must try to earn more Support Points to try and take your spot back.

Thus: the daily Rank Meter borders are determined by users, not by Pococha. This means even the Pococha team cannot predict the Rank Meter’s movement reliably!

The reason the Rank Meter moved a bit less before July 1st is because we implemented the Upper Stabilization Mechanism (USM). This helps keep Rank Meter levels from sliding too drastically.

However, the USM requires past data to function properly. Due to the new Rank System after July 1st, the mechanism did not have any data from which to create a stable upper border.

We are happy to report that the USM is now functioning more as intended, and that Rank Meter borders are beginning to stabilize once more! However, please not that Meter movement is normal and will continue. If competition is very high (such as around End Time) then the borders will reflect this.

How to Adapt

We recommend that broadcasters keep a close eye on the Rank Meter over time, especially around End Time. The more you watch it, the more you will be able to make a strategy to hit the Rank Meter with your Family.

Also, be sure to inform your viewers about the Rank Meter’s movement as well! Some viewers may feel that their Items are “wasted” if the broadcaster doesn’t rank up, but that’s not the case. Even if you don’t hit your Meter, the Items still support the broadcaster — and if you plan ahead, those Items can more reliably help you hit the Meter each night!

Q: Why are there so many bots? Where are they coming from?

A: Pococha’s main goal is always authentic communication, and bots stand in the way of that! That’s why our team is closely investigating bot behavior on the app, and taking all reports of bots very seriously. We’re developing a new system of tracking and taking action against these bots as well, so please know that we’re working hard on this issue!

In the meantime, please help us by reporting any bot behavior you notice in chat.

Q: What is Pococha doing to address the issue of underage users on the app?

A: Pococha is extremely serious about taking action against users that lie about their age in order to make accounts on Pococha. Pococha is strictly 18+, and it will continue to be so. Please continue to report any and all users that seem to be underage so that our moderation team can investigate and take action if necessary.

Q: Why are broadcasters’ Items worthless now? What was wrong with broadcasters supporting each other?

A: The reduction in broadcasters’ Item value was implemented in the July 1st update. The reason for this is because many broadcasters thought that supporting each other and creating broadcaster communities was a good thing.

We do not disagree with this idea. Rather, Pococha’s philosophy is that connections between a broadcaster and their viewers is more important and should be valued as such. We believe the viewer connection should not be overshadowed by too many and too strong of broadcaster connections.

For even more details about this change, please check out our Round Table #5 blog here!

Q: Can any user get involved in the POCOLAB? Where do I sign up?

A: Great question! We’re so happy you’re excited for the POCOLAB. All users — both broadcasters and viewers — can participate in the POCOLAB. Click the in-app banner to sign up for current and future POCOLAB events as sign-ups go live!

Q: Why were some Items removed as new Items were released? I really liked the Items that went away!

A: We’re sorry to hear that some Items you liked were removed! The reason we removed these Items was because:

• They were most infrequently used on the app
• They weren’t as effective at fostering communication between broadcasters & viewers as we’d like

You may have noticed that the new Items added to Pococha are much clearer in their message and usage. This helps both broadcasters and viewers to continue meaningful conversations by using Items as a tool! We hope that new Items will continue to exemplify this ideology too. Keep your eyes out for Item Surveys and future POCOLAB events if you’d like to help us make even more great Items!

In Conclusion

July’s updates were all about strengthening the connection between a broadcaster and a pure viewer.

Moving forward in August, we’re building upon this goal by increasing the variety and depth of communication on Pococha via new Items, multi-chat room Families, the new referral program, and more!

In addition, we’ve been getting frequent questions lately about viewer-to-broadcaster support, how the Rank system works, and why Pococha functions the way it does. At its very core, Pococha will always function with the following two tenets in mind:

• Broadcasters are in competition with each other.
• Broadcasters are rewarded by support from their viewers.

We will be diving more into the “why” of Pococha’s philosophy in a future blog post. This should hopefully provide more clarity for our users while also providing insight on how broadcasters can work within and benefit from this system. We’re very excited to share it with you!

Lastly, we’re also very grateful to you, our users, for being vocal about your opinions — positive, negative, and everything in between — after these recent changes. We’re lucky to have a community as passionate as you all! Going forward, we’ll continue listening closely to your thoughts and opinions, and promise to continue improving Pococha to make it the best it can be.

We look forward to your participation at the next Round Table! We will send out a registration link to users once a new Round Table date has been decided.

Thank you,

Daisuke