Posted on 05/21/2015 2:23:47 PM PDT by SMGFan
In the Big Bang Theory episode “The Zarnecki Incursion,” Sheldon’s World of Warcraft account is hacked and his in-game character is robbed of all its amassed treasure and weaponry. The local police and FBI both laugh off his demands to track down the virtual thief, but in the real world there are prosecutors going after this new form of criminal.
Fusion has the story of a pair of online gamers-turned-bandits who teamed up to steal and resell virtual goods in the game Diablo III. The twosome profited to the tune of more than $8,000 — in actual money.
To commit their crimes, they would trick other Diablo users into downloading software that would allow them to remotely access the other users’ computers.
Then one of the thieves would take over a victim’s character, dropping all of its loot in an in-game spot for his partner-in-crime to come in and grab up.
(Excerpt) Read more at consumerist.com ...
I wonder what the exchange rate is for fake gold.
I’m still trying to master Pong.
Virtually Crazy!
Actually I can see this, because if it is ignored by the ‘real’ authorities it could lead to murder of the thieves. For some people this sort of gaming IS their life.
Especially the “basement dwelling nerd” who has no other life.
Great novel, BTW. Russian mafiosi and Muslim terrorists meet a British-Chinese secret agent, an ex-KGB assassin, and a gang of enraged locals somewhere in the hinterlands of northern Idaho. Contains the phrase "gun nuts that make the Pathans look like Quakers." I may have that tattooed to my manly bicep if it doesn't have to spiral around too many times...
But then I could never get to the point that I could bring myself to keep dropping quarters in a machine.
I always would stop myself and say how can you waste your money this way.
But if I had had some investment capital back then I think I might have bought some of those machines myself because those game parlors were full of kids dumping quarters every day.
Penny touched Zarneki In his special place.
And when the wimpy geeks could not convince the criminal to return Sheldon’s loot they went and got Penny and she abruptly kicked him in his Ba... er groin! He gave it all back!
Yes she did!
Game Ping.
It depends on how popular the game is. Because people need game gold to pretty much do anything in games, they are often willing to pay real money to get the gold, since it is easier to get real money than game gold. For example, in China, "gold farmers" basically work in a sweat-shop-like environment playing games like World of Warcraft, earning game gold that their employers then sell for real money (dollars or Euros). Sometimes, the gold farmers are prisoners who are forced to play the games for hours on end. The gold sellers often aggressively market the gold, contacting players in game, sending them emails, or broadcasting advertisements through the game chat channels.
There is a whole sordid industry built around selling game gold for real money to people who don't want to earn it honestly through game "jobs."
Leeeeeeeeeeeroooooooryyyy! Jeeeeeennnnnnnkkkinnnssssss!!!!!!!!!!
I spent last weekend in the hinterlands of northern Idaho, and all I saw was birds and fish. My son thinks he saw a moose (no sisters were bit).
The buyers in that market sound pathetic, and the sellers sound...much worse. I’ll pass.
Hey! We resemble that remark.
Side note: I recently up graded all of my optics to compensate for my aging eyes. Red dots ftw.
My neighbor’s son had his game character stolen about ten years ago;the son had MANY hours and about $700 in REAL money invested in the character.I think he tried to have the games operators or whatever they are called reverse the theft. Don’t know how that turned out. Probably not good.
There’s hardly any value to video games anymore, they are so brainless that you are paying money, even with the non MMO games, to buy an expensive, glorified, movie, or one in the MMO games, that forever drains your money, until you terminate it.
Yes, or own a Nickel City™ Arcade. It’s amazing how much money such an arcade can drain out of people on the gimmick of the coin charges being cheaper.
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