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Sims Griefers Get More Publicity

Posted by simoniker on from the being-bad-gets-you-noticed dept.

Thanks to an anonymous reader for pointing to a CNN article highlighting players turning to lawlessness and deviance in The Sims Online. This subject, which other reports covered a while back, seems to fascinate the media, and CNN says the problems of bad behavior are "..raising questions about whether limits on conduct should be set in such emerging virtual worlds, even if they are huge adult playpens." Additionally, the article ruminates on more serious problems, as disputes that escalate beyond the virtual "..could lead to more real-world, legal liability for both players and the companies that make the games."

4 of 50 comments (clear)

  1. quote from the article by JavaLord · · Score: 5, Informative

    Some players have reported online spats leaking out of the game players have hacked into others' accounts, posed as acquaintances and spread rumors about real people through instant messaging. Some have even reported identity theft.

    Sounds just like IRC. Stuff like this has been going on forever. It's not just in MMO games, it happens in FPS and Chat rooms too.

  2. Alright, seems some explanation is in order by hackwrench · · Score: 5, Informative

    The Crimson Knights are essentially self-appointed guardians of order in the .hack fictional game 'The World' Guess whoever moderated that off-topic, didn't know that and didn't... I don't know, but it has to be more than simply not knowing that reference.

  3. Burst of laughter by Hackie_Chan · · Score: 5, Funny

    The couple say they have ransacked apartments, sent out their "troops" to urinate on others' lawns and once drove another player from the game.

    Am I the only one of burst out laughing on that one? How evil can you get, really? While you're dealing drugs in Grand Theft Auto and driving over innocent people in Carmageddon, you piss on lawns in The Sims Online!

    --

    What's so bad about being lazy? What if there was a war and nobody showed up?
  4. A Group is its own Worst Enemy by Leknor · · Score: 5, Informative

    Clay Shirky wrote an excellent article about this online problem that has existed since before the internet when all there was were BBS titled: A Group is its own Worst Enemy. It's a long and very good read about how not all members of a large group are equal and how the more important members need some way to "defend" themselves to protect the health of the group. Near the end of the essay he says:

    Now, when I say these are three things you have to accept, I mean you have to accept them. Because if you don't accept them upfront, they'll happen to you anyway. And then you'll end up writing one of those documents that says "Oh, we launched this and we tried it, and then the users came along and did all these weird things. And now we're documenting it so future ages won't make this mistake." Even though you didn't read the thing that was written in 1978.

    This sims problem is just another example of history repeating itself.