Gamer killed over virtual property
http://xbox.ign.com/articles/623/623610p1.html
In Shanghai, one MMORPG player crosses every line.
by David Adams
June 8, 2005 - In an extreme example of gamers taking a hobby (obsession?) too far, Shanghai gamer Qui Chengwei stabbed Zhu Caoyuan in the chest, killing the fellow gamer, according to the BBC News.
The motive for the murder? Zhu sold a virtual sword in the online game Legend of Mir 3 — a sword Qui Chengwei had loaned him.
Qui had apparently tried to take the virtual property dispute to the police, but China lacks laws covering virtual property like an online sword. Zhu had offered to pay Qui the money he’d earned from the sword, but Qui refused.
Qui Chengwei now faces a suspended death sentence, meaning he could spend his life in jail, but that he may also be released on “good behavior” in 15 years.
Victim Zhu Caoyuan was 26 years old. His parents are currently seeking appeal for an immediate death sentence.
June 9th, 2005 at 4:58 pm
This reminds me of a story that my roommate at Hopkins told me about how these kids in the Freshman dorms were playing Starcraft. One white dude accused the other guy of cheating. The online argument kept going and going until the other side challenged him to meet outside 1 on 1.
So the white kid thinks its a joke - after all, who would fight over starcraft, and goes outside with his Super Soaker.
Outside, he meets up with 6 Koreans with bats and sticks.
Classic.
October 10th, 2007 at 4:21 am
Keep in mind that all virtual items MMORPG players have are the intellectual property of the game’s owner(s), not that of the players themselves. It’s actually illegal to try and profit off of the intellectual property of others, by doing things like selling game items or currency, which many people do. And the person who killed the other one must have had other reasons for killing them; I doubt it was just this one single event which lead them to commit murder.