Take note, anyone who likes to play MMO games. A 43 year old Japanese woman has been arrested because she “killed” her online virtual husband, while playing the MMO game Maple Story.
The woman told police officials that the two were suddenly “divorced”. However, she stated that she did not plot any real revenge on the 33-year old man playing her husband. The man complained to the police after trying to log in and discovering that the character was deleted.
Maple Story allows the players to customize their character, socialize, fight monsters, and even marry and divorce.
After the ‘divorce’, the woman logged into her virtual husband’s account and deleted the avatar.
The police arrested the woman for illegally accessing a computer and manipulating digital data. Although she has not been charged yet, she could face up to 5 years in prison or a $5000 fine if she is actually convicted.
A similar case took place in the Netherlands when 14 and 15 year old teens were convicted of virtual theft after coercing a 13-year old to give them a virtual armlet and mask in the game RuneScape.
The 2 teens were sentenced to community service by the Dutch court.
Whichever punishment is most appropriate, these cases present another example of how computers are becoming increasingly intertwined with our daily lives.
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