The LOOT Space Apartment, as a note, has an option to disable the Twitter feeds. I normally have them off, but it’s occasionally fun to see them streaming across the screen. Since the same EOD features are available in the Amaterasu Yacht, the only other “hard” features as selling points are the picture frames that use the Flickr API, as well as the retractable roof and lighting settings.

There’s no question that aesthetics play a strong part in our purchase decisions; a Patek Philippe may have an astonishing number of complications and is generally considered the finest watch brand in the world, and yet Rolex has no difficulty in selling watches of equal price. I’ll admit that I absolutely love the aesthetics of the LOOT Space Apartment; it’s on my shortlist of personal estates that I actually enjoy going back to. But everyone’s mileage will vary.

I’d recommend checking out Godz’s Starship LOOTerprise design, though, if only just to see it. He did an *amazing* job transforming that estate into something that looks like a Paramount set.

But for me, the aesthetics of any space have very much to do with the “perceived value.” Case in point, the LOOT Space apt, which I also haven’t viewed in person but have seen on video, and am holding off on purchasing. Why? Because even though it has lots of bells and whistles, I’m not sure I would appreciate the aesthetics.

Also, I don’t use Twitter, and would find a Twitter feed annoying at any rate. And I already have the Amaterasu yacht if I want to watch an anime or movie in a personal space, so why exactly do I need the LOOT Space apt? It’s a space that I would definitely want to tour before making a purchase.

On the other hand, I just picked up the Mahjong Apt in the EU Home for about USD$6, which I think is a great value proposition. Not only do the aesthetics appeal to me, but it also comes with a Mahjong game (I’ve been wanting to learn to play Mahjong for some time), so it was a no-brainer impulse buy.

I do think it’s possible to go too far with bells and whistles. A space should have something that makes it unique, but I don’t want or need an arcade in a personal space, nor do I want or need a “Starship Enterprise” communication center in a personal space either.

Aesthetically, it reminds me of an oversized timeshare unit in the Poconos. The architectural style may appeal to some, but it’s a massive turn-off to me. I’ll admit that the water effects are quite lovely, but the space itself doesn’t have much to offer.

The point you raise about comparing estates that are clearly in different “classes” is an interesting one. Should a five-dollar estate (Gothic Manor) be compared to a seven-dollar estate (Cutteridge), or a ten-dollar estate (Dream Yacht, Space Apartment)? That’s a hard one to answer. The Gothic Manor is a strong value proposition empirically — it’s five bucks, but that includes the gifting — but in terms of *perceived* value (bells and whistles, not aesthetic appeal), it’s bland compared to the more high-profile offerings which got a lot of attention over the holidays.

The Gothic Manor strikes me as an inverted pricing experiment. With so much complaining about upward pressure on pricing, here’s a space with no snazzy features and freebie items for a low price tag. How many people will buy it? Is pricing more important, or is perceived value more important?

There are one or two technical oddities to the Gothic Manor. For one, why is there strong moonlight shining through every single window on all four sides of the estate? The full moon is clearly out front, so the lighting doesn’t jive. In addition, unless some programmer’s subtly intimating we’re all vampires, why don’t our avatars cast shadows?

Terra actually came up with what I think is the best suggestion for this space: turn it into a gothic church. The wide-open floor plan is ideally suited for such an arrangement. Now that “silencieux” is done filming, I may have to do this with the manor.

I don’t agree that this is a small space. I took a quick tour of the open house, and saw a large main floor downstairs, the upper floor is only about a third as large but still decent enough, there’s a balcony on the second floor with a great view, and also a large outdoor patio.

The lighting effects on the second floor, especially along the windows, are awesome. The ambient sounds outside are perfect. The moon, the starry sky, the foliage, all strike the right note for me. I guess the Gothic theme just doesn’t appeal to many people.

This is a traditional space, at the traditional price point, which is simply intended as a getaway for your and your friends. That’s it, and I don’t see anything wrong with it, nor do I think it should be compared to spaces like the LOOT Space Apt or the Lockwood Dream Yacht which are at twice the price point.

I tend to appreciate the smaller, simpler spaces myself. Unfortunately, I never bought the Winter Villa, nor will I be buying the Creek Falls apt or even this Gothic Manor, because even though the aesthetics appeal to me, the linkages to the Mansion do not. At this point I have such a visceral hatred of the Mansion and the way that it’s been marketed that I will continue to boycott any space that is connected to it -- no matter how tenuously.

I may buy some of these spaces in the EU Home, but not in the NA Home.