ITN: Woman Tried For "Killing" Ex-Online-Husband

[Mister_E]

LINK

TOKYO - A 43-year-old Japanese piano teacher's sudden divorce from her online husband in a virtual game world made her so angry that she logged on and killed his digital persona, police said Thursday.

She used his identification and password to log onto popular interactive game "Maple Story" to carry out the virtual murder in mid-May, a police official in northern Sapporo City said on condition of anonymity, citing department policy.

"I was suddenly divorced, without a word of warning. That made me so angry," the official quoted her as telling investigators and admitting the allegations.

The woman had not plotted any revenge in the real world, the official said.

She was charged with illegal access onto a computer and manipulating electronic data, police said. If convicted, she could face a prison term of up to five years or a fine up to $5,000.

As in "Second Life" in the U.S., players in "Maple Story" raise and manipulate digital images called "avatars" that represent themselves, while engaging in relationships, social activities and fighting against monsters and other obstacles.

The woman used login information she got from the 33-year-old office worker when their characters were happily married, and killed the character. The man complained to police when he discovered that his beloved online avatar was dead.

The woman was arrested Wednesday and was taken across the country, traveling 620 miles from her home in southern Miyazaki to be detained in Sappporo, where the man lives, the official said.

The police official said he did not know if she was married in the real world.

In recent years, virtual lives have had consequences in the real world. In August, a woman was charged in Delaware with plotting the real-life abduction of a boyfriend she met through "Second Life."

In Tokyo, police arrested a 16-year-old boy on charges of swindling virtual currency worth $360,000 in an interactive role playing game by manipulating another player's portfolio using a stolen ID and password.

Virtual games are popular in Japan, and "Second Life" has drawn a fair number of Japanese participants. They rank third by nationality among users, after Americans and Brazilians.

[sklpnda]

holy hell o.0 the fines a bit much imo but damn

[SOawesomeness]

Srsly.

Wow, those are freaking intense. o.0 America's just like, "okay, we'll ban your IP/account."
Wow.

[JTchinoy]

ROFL.
happens to people all the time in US maple.  the GM's are a bunch of worthless f's so you're shit out of luck when that happens.

Edit D_D: Hey, please don't use the "f" word, not that I mind, but there are rules to protect the possible kiddies here.

[XpHoBiaX]

That's....so weird. People love their games eh?

Hey guys, we do have rules, try to not use the F bomb. Thanks. I saw this in a couple topics already. Any variant of is okay. (ie Friggen, frak, f'n)

[JohnnyAR]

Wow, just wow...

In Maple Story too, lol

[Gatsby]

O_o Wow... I'm... wow. That's all I have to say.

[L3sli3_Lov3s_Chu]

No moarz cussing.... -_- WhyZ?

[JTchinoy]

No moarz cussing.... -_- WhyZ?

what the F when did diclonus become a mod? anyways, you just can't drop F bombs.  apparently i can still drop my S bombs.
can i drop some B,P, or C bombs?

[potatofreek]

Haha. I used to be obsessed with Maplestory. I didn't know such old people played it. >__<

[JTchinoy]

as gaming taboo is removed and the internet becomes a more integral part of mainstream america, it's only natural that more and more people past 25 play games.  my cousin who's 30 quit WoW only like 2 years ago.  my aunt plays neo pets.  *shrug*

[Mister_E]

Though it's not internet gaming, I met I guy pulling 70 early 80's playing Magic The Gathering, his grandson got him into it. He got so into it he bought some of very first and rarest of cards has a whole shed of rare magic cards.

[JTchinoy]

old guys playing magic is nothing new.  i'd say half the people who play magic are over 35.  glad i got out of that scene.  :P

[potatofreek]

as gaming taboo is removed and the internet becomes a more integral part of mainstream america, it's only natural that more and more people past 25 play games.  my cousin who's 30 quit WoW only like 2 years ago.  my aunt plays neo pets.  *shrug*

wow. I played neopets when i was 7.

[mikama456]

OMG! i herd about that!
it was so funny but i feel sorry for the women, i would hack someones account if they did that to me to!