Banned Sims Online Chronicler Bites Back

Thanks to GameSpot for its interview with Peter Ludlow on his recent banning from The Sims Online following his documenting of tawdry dealings in the MMO title. He discusses the interesting, if unintended griefing dynamics that have sprung up in The Sims Online: "You are given tools to mark individuals as friends (green links) and other individuals as bad (red links)... clans can emerge that will deploy the red links as weapons to control property in the game and extort in game currency from users", and why exactly he was banned from the game by Maxis/EA ("They say it was a TOS violation, but that hardly seems credible"), before concluding with his concerns over the title: "It's as though [EA] bought a shopping mall that was supposed to have all sorts of content for children and homemakers, but then let gangs and prostitutes run the place, and let scammers stand in the doorway and intercept everyone."

Comments

Philosopher? Yeah, I agree.

[Ieshan]

Philosophers tend to dabble in theory and metaphysical far more than the physical.The statement:

Creatures that game (whether playing house or war gaming) could arguably have a clear selectional advantage...

Is a clear indication of this.

He seems to be implying that /. types get more sex? He's been playing the Sims waaaaay too much.

(smirk)

Re:I still don't understand why people bother

[LordLucless]

Hahaha, for a second there I thought you were talking about Slashdot subscribers

Here's the solultion:

[Txiasaeia]

Give me the money, and I'll spray paint you green if you're good, and red if you're bad.

Re:I still don't understand why people bother

[DAldredge]

Yet you pay for a subscription to /.?

And before you say anything, some AC paid for my subscription the other day. Why the did this, I will never know. :->