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?

Find your unique invite code on Pococha.
Send it to your friends & family.
Your amazing friends download & join Pococha.
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

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