Slashdot Mirror


Ex-Lover Deletes MMOG Character

Ant writes "Voodoo Extreme reports on the story of a jilted Japanese girlfriend who logged onto her ex-lover's Lineage account with his username and password. Once there, she deleted his game data including all the items, weapons and clothes he had collected. Although the boyfriend did not suffer financially he reported the misuse of his account to the police. Police then reported the woman of Toyama Prefecture, to the Fukushima District Public Prosecutors Office accusing her of violating a law banning illegal access to someone else's online accounts." Considering the big business that Lineage represents, it doesn't surprise me that the police took it seriously.

132 comments

  1. Understandable... by It+doesn't+come+easy · · Score: 4, Funny

    His actions make perfect sense. After all, what's more important, your MMOG character or your ex-girlfriend? (obviously Slashdot readers will have to treat this as a hypothetical situation, since in order to have an ex-girlfriend you must first have a girlfriend)

    --
    The NSA: The only part of the US government that actually listens.
    1. Re:Understandable... by gothzilla · · Score: 5, Funny

      I think you're confused. Slashdotters have MMORG characters AS girlfriends.

    2. Re:Understandable... by It+doesn't+come+easy · · Score: 1

      Mystery of mysteries...how can a first post be redundant? Time warp?

      --
      The NSA: The only part of the US government that actually listens.
    3. Re:Understandable... by ReeprFlame · · Score: 1

      Soo true! lmfao. If only I had one OR the other....

    4. Re:Understandable... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      HAHAHAHAH

      dude, you crack me up.

      You are like, so funny.

      Hey, want me to IM you later, once I finish downloading the latest Britney Spears CD from P2P

    5. Re:Understandable... by gothzilla · · Score: 0

      Hey man no need to get sensitive about it...it's okay if your MMOG character is your girlfriend...don't take it personal man....does she look like Britney?

    6. Re:Understandable... by The+Slashdot+Guy · · Score: 1

      You are not seeing the big picture. Redundant in the scope of Slashdot, not this individual article.

    7. Re:Understandable... by The+Slashdot+Guy · · Score: 1

      That or I have no idea what I'm talking about. I suspect the latter.

  2. errr.. hello? by Atrax · · Score: 4, Funny

    if you don't want your shit deleted, don't give away your login details.

    non-story. at least non-tech. talk to Oprah.

    --
    Screw you all! I'm off to the pub
    1. Re:errr.. hello? by sgant · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I have to agree...how is this news for Slashdot really?

      How is this different from an ex-girlfriend abusing your stuff after a bad breakup:

      * Throwing your laptop out a window
      * Spraypainting your monitor
      * Keying/spraypainting/breaking windows on your car
      * Dumping bleach into your salt water aquarium
      * Boiling your daughters pet rabbit on the stove
      * Coming at you with a butcher knife

      I mean, we've all been there, this is normal stuff really. Nothing to see here...

      --

      "Leo Fender was in a 'state of grace' when he designed the Stratocaster." -- Paul Reed Smith
    2. Re:errr.. hello? by jlapier · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I think what makes it news for slashdot is just what you pointed out - deleting his MMOG data is considered as bad as all of those things that you mentioned. The fact that the police arrested the girl for destroying virtual property makes this a tech story.

    3. Re:errr.. hello? by BlueCodeWarrior · · Score: 1

      Doesn't always work like that. I never told any of my girlfriends my passwords, but when I was checking my email at one of them one day, she looked over my shoulder without me knowing and saw what I typed. She then logged in and changed my password. Good thing it was only Hotmail...

    4. Re:errr.. hello? by karnal · · Score: 1

      I mean, we've all been there

      All of those things at once? .... can't say I have!

      --
      Karnal
    5. Re:errr.. hello? by Pluvius · · Score: 1

      She wasn't arrested for destroying property; she was arrested for using an online account without the owner's permission. I don't know what the penalty for that is, but I doubt it's the same as the penalty for vandalism or destruction of property.

      BTW, unless Lineage is different from most MMORPGs, the character was owned by NCSoft, not the player.

      Rob

    6. Re:errr.. hello? by Impotent_Emperor · · Score: 1

      Why would she change your password? Did she think it would be fucking funny? Did you break up with her over this incident?

      'Cause if you did, that would be understandable. Absolutely no one should fuck with a geek's passwords.

    7. Re:errr.. hello? by BlueCodeWarrior · · Score: 1

      ...it was near the end of the relationship, and after I dumped her sorry ass she changed it.

      I also learned a hard lesson in another kind of password security...she tried logging onto my AIM SN with that password, which happened to be the same...there went my 200 buddies :(.

      Needless to say, I keep much more complicated and different passwords now.

    8. Re:errr.. hello? by sepluv · · Score: 1

      So all your buddies are on MSN (and you 0only have them on there)...hmmmm...

      --
      Joe Llywelyn Griffith Blakesley
      [This post is in the public domain (copyright-free) unless otherwise stated]
    9. Re:errr.. hello? by BlueCodeWarrior · · Score: 1

      Ummm...I never said anything about MSN. I said my AIM SN (AOL Instant Messenger Screen Name)...

      Dunno what you were going for.

    10. Re:errr.. hello? by sepluv · · Score: 1

      Not sure how I misread that. I suppose it does contain "MSN". Replace MSN with AIM in my parent then; same difference.

      --
      Joe Llywelyn Griffith Blakesley
      [This post is in the public domain (copyright-free) unless otherwise stated]
  3. Can you .... by AtariAmarok · · Score: 2

    Can you Bobbitize your own character in such a game?

    --
    Don't blame Durga. I voted for Centauri.
    1. Re:Can you .... by It+doesn't+come+easy · · Score: 1

      Hey, a whole new game genre...

      --
      The NSA: The only part of the US government that actually listens.
    2. Re:Can you .... by WWWWolf · · Score: 1

      You could always surprise them by creating a whole new character. Imagine their surprise when they log in and see a Level 1 Brownie Necromancer called "Choppatron, the Shortest Guy Ever" in their character list... or something...

  4. High score... by hoggoth · · Score: 4, Funny

    Help! I am in a similar situation right now. Standing not 10 feet from me, my soon-to-be-ex girlfriend has both hands gripped around the electrical cord of my classic vertical Qubix arcade cabinet. If she pulls the cord I lose my cherised spot as the high score holding.

    To put this in perspective, it took me 4 years to get that score. I've been dating her for 2 years. Nuff said?

    Now here's the dilemma: She demands I turn off this computer right now and spend the day with her. I haven't watched the new 'The Corpse Bride' trailer yet, nor have I caught up on Slashdot, Anandtech, or Ars Technica.

    What do I do?

    --
    - For the complete works of Shakespeare: cat /dev/random (may take some time)
    1. Re:High score... by Atrax · · Score: 1

      no problem. refer here for instructions on how to move a game cabinet while retaining high score.

      --
      Screw you all! I'm off to the pub
    2. Re:High score... by b0r0din · · Score: 3, Funny

      Soon to be ex-girlfriend? I think you've already made the decision, buddy.

      I recommend this: Say 'ok I'll turn off the computer and go out with you.' Then turn off the monitor, and get your coat or whatnot on and head out the door with her. When you get to the door, make sure she's outside, then step back inside quickly, and lock the door. Tell her she can get her shit later. :)

    3. Re:High score... by Lucke · · Score: 1

      That is if she already hasn't asked your mom to let her in so she can get her things out of his room, located in the basement of course. I'm sorry, I just couldn't resist posting a stereotypical comment. Mea culpa

    4. Re:High score... by Dark+Lord+Seth · · Score: 1

      The answer can be found here.

      Remember, be generous when applying the solution.

    5. Re:High score... by karnal · · Score: 1

      Of course, once you have that information, do not let on to the girlfriend that you've solved that problem...

      You'd have to be good at keeping a straight face...

      --
      Karnal
  5. It goes to show... by stienman · · Score: 4, Insightful


    Remember kids - share body fluids all you want, but never share your password.

    -Adam

    1. Re:It goes to show... by Profane+MuthaFucka · · Score: 1

      I agree, but what happens when I die and my wife needs access to my Datek account, and has to turn off Yahoo's automatic bill pay?

      --
      Fascism trolls keeping me up every night. When I starts a preachin', he HITS ME WITH HIS REICH!
    2. Re:It goes to show... by Rhys · · Score: 1

      Or at least change it every so often so when you piss someone off they can't nuke it.

      --
      Slashdot Patriotism: We Support our Dupes!
    3. Re:It goes to show... by stienman · · Score: 1

      In this case, since the bill 'belongs' to both of you and the resources used to pay the bill 'belongs' to both of you then the passwords and other critical information should also 'belong' to both of you.

      However, legally all she has to do is take control of the account the bill pay is coming from and deny payment. If the account is in her name, an easy way to do that is simply to close it. If the account is only in your name then she'll have to go through the legal process of claiming it, which can take some time during which the automatic payments will still be paid.

      It's in your best interest to share virtually what is shared physically, and not share what is not communal property.

      I wonder how long it'll be until the first divorce which includes video game items as part of the settlement.

      -Adam

    4. Re:It goes to show... by stfvon007 · · Score: 1

      Have a secret letter to go to your wife on your death. "Dear wife/girlfriend/other, If you are reading this, then I am dead. The login name to my WoW account is sexybob119 and the password is moofy."

      --
      All misspellings and grammatical errors in the above post are intentional and part of my artistic expression.
  6. Malicious Reptilian Mind. by DevilDancer · · Score: 1

    This really is a case that displays in a not so serious way the malicious ways of our inherited basic reptilian mind. Its the same part of our basic mind that makes people find malice amusing. Maybe it should be replaced by something else as we now live in a modern society where murdering ones fellow citizens , or just causing malice to them, does not increase once personal chance of survival as it would back in the ice cold days when the reptilian mind evolved , but in these modern times we should literaly perhaps change our minds or more in general our ways or attitudes towards something that is more suitable to civilized life.

    1. Re:Malicious Reptilian Mind. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Homo Sapiens are social animals. We are relatively helpless on our own, but prosper in groups. This has been the case all throughout our evolution. Therefore, having an inclination to murder one's fellow citizens has NEVER increased one's personal chance of survival.

      The problem is that there is a fine line between murdering one's fellow citizens (a negative survival trait), defending oneself from attackers (a positive survival trait), and hunting animals for food (a positive survival trait until recently in our evolution).

    2. Re:Malicious Reptilian Mind. by DevilDancer · · Score: 1

      That may or may not be the case, but our ancestral reptilian mind , lets say..that evolved long before we evolved into social animals there may very well have been a time when humanoids recembling us didnt not live in tribes or social groups, but where lonley hunters living on the vast plains in America or on the cold montains of Sibiria. This lost time where meeting a rivaling hunter could easily lead to a conflict where it is not difficult to see that one may have had to kill ones rival to get a hold of the, for lack of better words, not abundant amount of preys on the cold or desolate mountains and plains that that may have lived on and thus we may imagine, I think, that this would increase ones chances of surviaval. Now this may very well have been a trait of our pre-ancestral homo erectus or the allmost barbaric neanthertals. One could allso argue that this is something that still has prevailed into modern society and that some people still prefer to live on their own and not mingle with social groups but instead live a desolate life somewhere out there. Some things that exist in the past may not be that easy to research or construct a theory about when it has happened to long ago and we can only imagine how it could have been or what it was like in pre-historic ages, so it is imperative that we have a try to discuss these things and how we imagine they could have been.

    3. Re:Malicious Reptilian Mind. by KDR_11k · · Score: 1

      I think what you're trying to get at is the alpha instinct that appears even among social animals to determine the strongest of the pact who can then procreate and increase the chances of the species as a whole by reducing the number of weaknesses in the gene pool.

      --
      Justice is the sheep getting arrested while an impartial judge declares the vote void.
    4. Re:Malicious Reptilian Mind. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And I think you're all talking crap while doing some ego-spanking.

    5. Re:Malicious Reptilian Mind. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Ummm, sure.

      Also, I like titties.

    6. Re:Malicious Reptilian Mind. by DevilDancer · · Score: 1

      Me too. Indeed.

    7. Re:Malicious Reptilian Mind. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yeah, titties are fucking awesome. Sup.

  7. Oh, please. by delus10n0 · · Score: 1, Interesting

    I'm sure the police have better things to do than worry about your VIRTUAL GOODS, VIRTUAL MONEY and VIRTUAL CLOTHING in a VIRTUAL WORLD.

    Gah. Someone please put this person out his misery.

    --
    Not All Who Wander Are Lost
    1. Re:Oh, please. by 2nd+Post! · · Score: 1

      And what is a credit card account but VIRTUAL MONEY?

    2. Re:Oh, please. by delus10n0 · · Score: 1

      See, the difference is, you can actually buy real-world goods with a credit card. If you walked into ___(your favorite store name here)___ and asked if you could pay with Lineage gold credits, they'd look at you like you're crazy.

      --
      Not All Who Wander Are Lost
    3. Re:Oh, please. by Allison+Geode · · Score: 2, Funny

      shouldn't that mean that the VIRTUAL police should be investigating this VIRTUAL crime?

    4. Re:Oh, please. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      good point - but try doing something with your _real_ god.

      i guess "virtual god" is a little redundant.

    5. Re:Oh, please. by delus10n0 · · Score: 1

      I don't get it.

      We were talking about gold, and now you bring up God?

      --
      Not All Who Wander Are Lost
    6. Re:Oh, please. by KDR_11k · · Score: 1

      Well, if you know the right people you can trade virtual currency for real currency which gives your virtual goods a trade value. You couldn't go into a store and try to pay with company shares or gold or something, you'd have to liquidate those first as well.

      --
      Justice is the sheep getting arrested while an impartial judge declares the vote void.
    7. Re:Oh, please. by flibuste · · Score: 1

      Because outside of USA there is countries where you can go to court of OTHER reasons than MONEY. In many countries, including Soviet Russia, you don't NEED to have a monetary loss to claim for some damages or get justice. Well..actually, in Soviet Russia, the police calls you. Nevermind.

    8. Re:Oh, please. by Pluvius · · Score: 1

      Well, if you know the right people you can trade virtual currency for real currency

      Only because people are stupid enough to buy it. It's like saying that, simply because some people are gullible enough to buy them, Alex Chiu's Immortality Rings have real-world value.

      Rob

    9. Re:Oh, please. by Delphiki · · Score: 1

      Yes, it's exactly like that. Unfortunately, that doesn't help your argument, because those immortality rings do have real-world value if someone is willing to buy them. Something has "real-world" monetary value if someone is willing to pay money for it. It really is that simple.

      --

      Feel free to mod me "-1 - Angry Jerk".

    10. Re:Oh, please. by Pluvius · · Score: 1

      Where "real world" means "what exists inside the buyer's head"? I'm talking about the real world that objectively exists, and in that world, those rings have no value.

      Rob

    11. Re:Oh, please. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If those rings are sold for, say, $10 then I think you'll find they have a value of $10. That $10 is just as good as any other $10 regardless of what you want to label as "real" or "virtual".

    12. Re:Oh, please. by crashfrog · · Score: 1

      VIRTUAL MONEY

      All money is virtual. To the degree that money represents an abstraction of time exchanged for goods, what is the fundamental difference between American dollars and gold pieces on a Lineage server? Other than the dollars are accepted in more stores?

      --
      I never have frustrations, the reason is, to wit:
      If at first I don't succeed, I quit!
    13. Re:Oh, please. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      We were talking about gold, and now you bring up God?

      There's a difference?

      Bill G

    14. Re:Oh, please. by rking · · Score: 1

      Where "real world" means "what exists inside the buyer's head"?

      Of course. The value of gemstones and of computer programs and of dollar bills only exists in people's heads too. That makes it real because those people will exchange other things for them.

    15. Re:Oh, please. by Pluvius · · Score: 1

      Gemstones: Pretty and rare.
      Computer programs: Depending on the programs, they entertain, inform, add to productivity, or do a combination of the three.
      Dollar bills: Accepted worldwide as a substitute for the barter system. A dollar translates directly into a certain amount of real-world good or service.
      MMORPG "property:" The only people who buy this stuff are people who want to skip playing the game. Since the entire point of a game is to play it, this makes buying other people's stuff pointless and without value.

      Rob

    16. Re:Oh, please. by Destoo · · Score: 1

      There's no sales tax on GP... yet.

      When you trade hours of work between professionnals, the government does not get their "gst" or whatever it's called in your part of the world.

      --
      Nouvelles de jeux et technologies en français. TC
    17. Re:Oh, please. by crashfrog · · Score: 1

      There's no sales tax on GP... yet.

      Well, in WoW, I pay a fee to use the gameworld auction house. That's like a kind of tax, although I can avoid it if I merely sell items directly.

      If Blizzard could get away with paying their employees in game gold, I suspect they'd be charging more.

      I will grant you that the specificity of the game gold makes it worth far less than USD, but again, all money is virtual. I mean, you could say that the game gold was worthless outside of the game; but outside of the US the dollar is just green paper.

      --
      I never have frustrations, the reason is, to wit:
      If at first I don't succeed, I quit!
  8. Wives and passwords by Johnny+Mnemonic · · Score: 2, Funny


    Seriously, what's the purpose of sharing your password with your SO? In case someone throws a brick at your head, and you forget everything, you can still log on? I can just imagine the damage my wife could do to my karma on /.--fortunately my pass is my girlfriend's name, she'll never figure it out ;)

    --

    --
    $tar -xvf .sig.tar
    1. Re:Wives and passwords by CommanderData · · Score: 1

      So, uh, what's your girlfriend's name anyway? Just making conversation, no reason to be suspicious ;)

      --
      Urge to post... fading... fading... RISING!... fading... fading... gone.
    2. Re:Wives and passwords by numbski · · Score: 1

      If I just read that correctly, you have bigger problems than passwords man.

      --

      Karma: Chameleon (mostly due to the fact that you come and go).

    3. Re:Wives and passwords by It+doesn't+come+easy · · Score: 1
      Actually...my wife knows all my passwords...ya never know when your time is up and some of them are very important accounts that she will need to take care of once I'm gone...

      Remember this very problem reported just recently...

      --
      The NSA: The only part of the US government that actually listens.
    4. Re:Wives and passwords by WolfWithoutAClause · · Score: 1
      So, if your wife finds out about your girlfriend you're not worried about her guessing your password?

      Or vice-versa :-)

      Seriously man- change the password to kjhs45ks, it's just not worth the risk to your Karma.

      --

      -WolfWithoutAClause

      "Gravity is only a theory, not a fact!"
    5. Re:Wives and passwords by Phisbut · · Score: 1
      Actually...my wife knows all my passwords...ya never know when your time is up and some of them are very important accounts that she will need to take care of once I'm gone...

      The main reason why I will probably never give my wife any of my important passwords (probably any at all) is that I can remember tens of unintuitive passwords that are at least 8 characters long with letters and numbers and special characters, with both upper and lower case. I know she can't. If I give her my passwords, she'll write them down, and #1 rule of passwords is "don't write it down", but she doesn't care.

      If I have to choose between having all my important passwords written down by someone else and not telling my wife any of my passwords, then I guess I'd rather let her go through the legal process to gain acces to my stuff.

      --
      After 3 days without programming, life becomes meaningless
      - The Tao of Programming
    6. Re:Wives and passwords by karnal · · Score: 1

      I made this mistake in High School. Set my account PW to this girl's name that I liked... boy, did that flip out my girlfriend at the time...... she actually guessed the password....

      (pre-e-mail days - used to log into each other's accounts and write notes...)

      --
      Karnal
    7. Re:Wives and passwords by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What, are you one of the people who get hacked in Hollywood movies? "I got the password, it was the date of birth of his father". I can't imagine anything more dangerous (to your account, anyway) than admitting you use a highly insecure password on a geek web site. Hell, why not use "password"? Or even "GOD", to imitate an unintentionally funny movie?

    8. Re:Wives and passwords by That's+Unpossible! · · Score: 1

      Seriously, what's the purpose of sharing your password with your SO?

      You're assuming he shared it with her.

      1. Did he have auto-logon turned on?

      2. Did he use the same stupid password for every thing he did?

      --
      Ironically, the word ironically is often used incorrectly.
    9. Re:Wives and passwords by kLaNk · · Score: 1

      Seriously man- change the password to kjhs45ks,

      Don't use kjhs45ks, I use that. I recommend er42jKWi as a good replacement.

    10. Re:Wives and passwords by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      My parents use the same silly passwords for everything, except CC, because I set that one for them (they lost it, sent me to get a new one, I decided a new password was a good idea).
      I don't even remember my passwords, but I can type them with an English keyboard.

    11. Re:Wives and passwords by mobby_6kl · · Score: 1

      > ... on /.--fortunately my pass is my girlfriend's name ...

      Hmmm really weird, I just tried to login with "Johnny Mnemonic" and an empty string ("") for password, but it won't let me in.

    12. Re:Wives and passwords by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And did he insist that she turn away and/or wear a blindfold whenever he typed the password in?

      Some girlfriends can be difficult about that sort of thing.

  9. you need a collection of unimportant stuff by Dr.Opveter · · Score: 1

    0. get girlfriend
    1. make sure your girlfriend thinks this collection you have means more to you than anything else in the world
    2. you do something that makes your girlfriend want to break up with you (like making her feel like this collection you have means more to you than she does)
    3. girlfriend breakes up with you, destroys your collection to hurt you
    4. act angry/depressed/sad, see her walking out
    5. have a laugh
    6. get back to your precious MMOG game

    --
    Sample this!
    1. Re:you need a collection of unimportant stuff by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      7. ???
      8. Profit!

    2. Re:you need a collection of unimportant stuff by TLSPRWR · · Score: 1

      7. ???
      8. Profit!

  10. My Take by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    By giving his girlfriend his username and password, the guy was, basically, agreeing to allow her the same access to the character than he had. Sucks to be him.

    1. Re:My Take by Snipes420 · · Score: 1

      I didn't RTFA but it is just as easy to get into a persons account by way of the cookies, if you are at there computer logged in as them.

      --
      What goes around comes around, kid.
    2. Re:My Take by nsaneinside · · Score: 1

      Last I checked, MMOGs didn't use cookies. 'Cept for regaining health.

  11. Hurrah for original content! by GoofyBoy · · Score: 1


    slashdot -> Voodoo Extreme -> rpg.boomtown.net -> Mainichi Shimbun

    And they said the Internet was dead. Ha!

    --
    The surprise isn't how often we make bad choices; the surprise is how seldom they defeat us.
    1. Re:Hurrah for original content! by eganloo · · Score: 1
      slashdot -> Voodoo Extreme -> rpg.boomtown.net -> Mainichi Shimbun

      Indeed--here is the original Mainichi article for those who can read Japanese:

      http://www.mainichi-msn.co.jp/it/game/news/2005012 1org00m300133000c.html

      One interesting tidbit that Boomtown picked up but Voodoo Extreme and Slashdot left out is that the two met online through Lineage itself. A far less important detail (that Mainichi nevertheless decided to report) is that the man is in his 20s. (The woman is in her 30s.)

  12. Meanwhile, in mom's basement. by AtariAmarok · · Score: 0, Troll

    "See? See? I told you there's a reason it is bad to have a girlfriend."

    --
    Don't blame Durga. I voted for Centauri.
    1. Re:Meanwhile, in mom's basement. by superpulpsicle · · Score: 1

      You just got to find a really stupid one. One that can't even login. Then you are safe. You can also explain that your MMORPG is vpning to your work place, that's why you have to work so many hours.

  13. hell hath no fury by witte · · Score: 1

    Geez, why are women so vindictive ?
    I bet that whatever he pulled wasn't even close to deserve something mean like this.

    I'mean, come on, sleeping with her best friend... she should be angry at that girl, not him.

    (Ignore this post.)

    1. Re:hell hath no fury by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      We were on a break!

  14. Well rid of such a vengeful b!tch by redelm · · Score: 1
    First, why would he give his uid/pw to anyone? Second, why have such a volatile GF? Better rid now than later. Waves or not, she's certainly high mtce.

    Reporting to the police is perferctly appropriate. It is unauthorized access, and he has probably invested hundreds of hours worth a fraction million Yen. That he did it for pleasure is not relevant, the damage costs to repair. Like defacing a masterpiece.

    1. Re:Well rid of such a vengeful b!tch by GoofyBoy · · Score: 1

      >Second, why have such a volatile GF?

      Dude, obviously you've never gone out with a Asian woman.

      --
      The surprise isn't how often we make bad choices; the surprise is how seldom they defeat us.
    2. Re:Well rid of such a vengeful b!tch by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Hey wow, I was just friends with an Asian chick and she totally flipped out and became a total bitch. She was the only one I ever knew - you mean they're all like that?

    3. Re:Well rid of such a vengeful b!tch by redelm · · Score: 1

      Nope. Thanks for the warning.

    4. Re:Well rid of such a vengeful b!tch by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You have to go south-east asian.

  15. MMOG obviously. by redelm · · Score: 2, Insightful
    If a GF doesn't respect my work/play, she doesn't respect me as a person. I'm not going to be arm candy, or a wallet with sperm.

    1. Re:MMOG obviously. by aminorex · · Score: 2, Funny

      Well, not everyone can get respect as a person.
      I'm content to be a wallet with no sperm left
      at the end of the day.

      --
      -I like my women like I like my tea: green-
    2. Re:MMOG obviously. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      With that kind of tact, I doubt you're in any danger.

  16. EA is worst on a bigger scale by Moulinneuf · · Score: 0

    Electronic Arts is doing this on a "universe" scale.

    They closed :

    Earth and Beyond
    Motor City Online

    I wish there whas some law that allowed People to get game that they invested so much time in if the company plan on stopping to use it ... Dont have to be free as in no cost either just realistic.

    --
    I am a REAL American from Canada , not a wanna-be from the country , self called "last remaining superpower" "of America
  17. Oh You Know What's Next... by blueZhift · · Score: 1

    It sounds like his ex-gf did the virtual equivalent of smashing his windshield in with a baseball bat. This is just another reminder to the kiddies that passwords should not be shared before marriage, and I'm none too sure about afterwards either! But you all know what this is leading up to...some serious makeup sex! Oh wait, this is /.. Nevermind...

    1. Re:Oh You Know What's Next... by Lucke · · Score: 1

      ...and God said, "Let there be cybersex!" And so there was, and it was good...

  18. good! by OmniVector · · Score: 2, Interesting

    good for her i say. those fucking MMORPGs are like social black holes. i've been sucked into them a few times and every time I quit one i end up getting depressed about wasting my life on a stupid game. it's almost as bad as a drug addiction (maybe not physically but mentally, no doubt).

    --
    - tristan
    1. Re:good! by agraupe · · Score: 1

      I know... I was getting emotional about deleting my City of Heroes account despite the fact I hadn't played in months. I was like, "but what if I want to play it and my precious superhero is dead?". But then I deleted it and it was off my mind. Now, to go buy World of Warcraft...

  19. Still living in your mom's basement, eh? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Don't worry, someday you'll meet a "girl," you'll "hook up" and you'll understand what the deal is.

  20. An analogy. by Demon-Xanth · · Score: 1

    It'd be about the same as if she were writing a book, and after years of writing he deleted the file.

    She's not out money, but all that time she spent is gone.

    --
    If you think education is expensive, you should try ignorance -- Derek Bok, president of Harvard
  21. Rule of Acquisition by FsG · · Score: 3, Funny

    Ferengi Rule of Acquisition #40: She can touch your lobes, but never your Latinum.

    --
    I made a PHP/MySQL library that prevents SQL injection & makes coding easier!
    1. Re:Rule of Acquisition by Phisbut · · Score: 1
      She can touch your lobes, but never your Latinum.

      What the hell is my Latinum?

      --
      After 3 days without programming, life becomes meaningless
      - The Tao of Programming
    2. Re:Rule of Acquisition by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Congratulations! When I read the story, I thought there couldn't be anything geekier than somebody who reports you to the authorities for, essentially, losing their saved game.

      You proved me wrong.

    3. Re:Rule of Acquisition by roseblood · · Score: 1

      What the hell is my Latinum?

      What is latinum?
      Latinum is the currency used in the later Star Trek Series.

      See:
      http://www.thesitefights.com/team13/faq/fa q2.htm

      Also

      What is Latinum? The only thing that has any value, since it can't be replicated.
      See:
      http://zooplah.dyndns.org/misc/ stqahttp://zooplah. dyndns.org/misc/stqa

      also

      Latinum
      Star Trek
      A liquid which cannot be replicated or synthesized. Used as a dominant form of currency by the Ferengi. As it is difficult to properly measure liquid for currency transactions, premeasured amounts of latinum are inserted into hollow cores of gold bullion of various sizes, leading to the standard units: slip, strip, bar and brick. With the latinum removed, the gold is considered worthless.
      For an exposition on the future of money and how latinum might come to be, see "Proposal for an Ideal Nano-Specie: Gold-Pressed Latinum" by Robert Freitas http://discuss.foresight.org/critmail/sci_nano/544 7.html http://www.rfreitas.com/Nano/TangibleNanomoney.htm .

      --
      There are lies, damned lies, and statistics.
    4. Re:Rule of Acquisition by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The only thing that has any value, since it can't be replicated.

      But if everything else can be replicated... what's the value measured in terms of? One bar of latinum buys one bar of latinum, and that's it?

  22. Thank you, Slashdot.... by bubblewrapgrl · · Score: 3, Interesting

    for another way to threaten my husband.

    Seriously, if I ever did that to him, he would go in and delete all of my WoW characters. And I would totally deserve it. Smashing a window on a car is one thing, deleting a character is another. At least you can replace the windshield fairly easily.

  23. To quote: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned for Sega. - Mallrats

  24. what a shock by Flunitrazepam · · Score: 1

    "she deleted his game data including all the items, weapons and clothes he had collected."

    He should be so lucky. My ex deleted all of the above AND my SOUL. IN REAL LIFE.

    --
    1) Your analysis is based on bad assumptions so your result is way off. 2) You're a sick bastard for fucking a horse.
  25. Re:Ways to be a total faggot by Demon-Xanth · · Score: 1

    2. Post a derogatory reply as "Anonymous Coward".

    --
    If you think education is expensive, you should try ignorance -- Derek Bok, president of Harvard
  26. In light of the Game companies stances by Kylere · · Score: 1

    I have to wonder how this could be a crime, Blizzard has defined all content on the WoW servers as their property therefore they can go afvter the scumbags resselling it on Ebay. Sony has always had the same stance and no company has said that you own your characters or their gear. So the only person with a valid legal complaint in light of this is the company producing Lineage. Not to mention that this being Lineage, he will just start the macro going and return in a month to have anything he wants available.

    1. Re:In light of the Game companies stances by Cecil · · Score: 1

      Just because the company says "We own all this, btw." doesn't make it true or enforcable. If a snow machine leasing company said "All snow created by this machine is our property and must be returned to us at the termination of your lease" there's very little chance it would stand up in court (well, maybe in American courts lately...) no matter how many EULAs they made you sign. There is intentionally a legal divide between the item itself, and anything it is used to create. Black and Decker cannot claim to have any rights to your spice rack you made with their saws and drills, nor can the lumber company you bought the wood from.

      It's a little fuzzier in the IP arena right now, but it probably shouldn't be, in my opinion. It's the same deal.

    2. Re:In light of the Game companies stances by Psmylie · · Score: 1

      I think it's more along the lines of unauthorized access to an account that is the issue, not the deletion of virtual stuff.

      --

      psmylie's dictionary: Godzillion (noun) Any number large enough to destroy Tokyo

    3. Re:In light of the Game companies stances by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's still a crime, albeit probably against Blizzard and not the guy himself.

    4. Re:In light of the Game companies stances by Pluvius · · Score: 1

      The difference, of course, being that your spice rack isn't installed in Black & Decker headquarters and can be used outside of said headquarters.

      Rob

    5. Re:In light of the Game companies stances by C0rinthian · · Score: 1

      If I read correctly, she wasn't in trouble for deleting the items and such. She is in trouble for accessing his account illegally. Big difference.

  27. Recycle Bin? by MagicDude · · Score: 1

    Why can't they just take all the deleted characters and put them in some kind of recycle bin for two months before permanently deleting them. I can't really see the need to ever permanently delete a character. Sure some people may give up a particular game, but I assume they'd leave their characters intact so that if in the future they wanted to play again they wouldn't have to start from scratch. Character deletions are an impulse move that seem good for about 5 minutes, but I'd wager that most people who permanently delete their characters end up regreting it soon after.

    1. Re:Recycle Bin? by CapnOats.com · · Score: 1

      If they allowed that, then all the people like myself who don't play all the time, but have reasonably high level characters, would delete their accounts, wait 55 days, open account again and delete it again.

      How much money do you think an established MMORPG make from people reluctant to delete their characters? One of my friends kept his original UO account open for a year and a half before finally deleting it. That's a big chunk of change for however many kb's of server space and the zero bandwidth required to maintain it.

    2. Re:Recycle Bin? by Pluvius · · Score: 1

      This would still be a good idea for people in this guy's situation, though. The game company could keep the characters for a month or so after deletion, but only restore them if the players can prove that the characters were wrongfully deleted.

      Of course, this story doesn't say that his character was deleted, but that his items were. That would probably be a lot harder to restore through those means (and a lot easier to restore by simply playing the game).

      Rob

    3. Re:Recycle Bin? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      BTW, there's a simple solution to the problem you gave: Give the character restoration service only to players who keep their accounts open. When the account closes, the characters are deleted permanently. The real problem with this idea is that players could abuse it by making a shitload of characters, deleting most of them to go under whatever character limit the game has, and using the service to change characters at will.

      Rob

    4. Re:Recycle Bin? by NonSequor · · Score: 1

      DAOC lets people restore deleted characters provided the backups still exist (and they will so long as they haven't created new characters since then).

      And the solution for the problem you mentioned is to simply not delete accounts. DAOC says that they reserve the right to delete accounts later, but if they do so they'll announce it on their news site and they'll delete the oldest accounts first.

      --
      My only political goal is to see to it that no political party achieves its goals.
    5. Re:Recycle Bin? by UltimaL337Star · · Score: 1

      I'm sure it's because there's no way you'd ever be able to get kids off eq again.

  28. Change Your Passwords by robbway · · Score: 1

    No one suggested changing your passwords. You're safer if you change your passwords.

    The real issue is: did she hack the password or not? Hacking is the crime described. Being given the password is not the crime described. Okay, so he had an emotional interest in the character, having spent so many hours playing. Guess what? It's a game. Anyone who plays a game knows that sometimes you lose.

    The article is so short, you get no new information than the headline. I understand being upset, but I think perhaps he was going to auction off goods/money/character. I also suspect the reason they broke up was Lineage. Sort of a "force you to pay attention" motive.

    1. Re:Change Your Passwords by renuncln · · Score: 1

      Actually I believe that the crime involved was not having authorization to use the account. It is possible to know the password to someone's account and still not be authorized to use it. If you follow the links back on the article (back two or three links) you will see that they actually met while playing lineage. So my guess is that he probably met some other woman that was playing lineage and that was probably the cause for the breakup.

  29. Really? by Taulin · · Score: 1
    The most shocking part of this story is that the Japanese police can actually do something. I worked in Tokyo for almost two years, and the only they they did was take my bike (true story).

    The sad thing, ex-girlfriend or not, he most likely had more time and money wrapped up in his game than her. This oppinion comes from my experience with my friends over there and how odd/disfunctional their relationships seemed to my foreign eyes.

  30. I never have this problem. by Dark+Lord+Seth · · Score: 1

    Then again, neither do I have a girlfriend, for that matter...

    1. Re:I never have this problem. by game+kid · · Score: 1
      Then again, neither do I have a girlfriend, for that matter...

      I'm with you there. I can't stand people who put on a confident face and become someone they're not just to have a girl. Indeed, just to not look gay, in front of God/Yahweh/Allah/[insert deity] or their friends. I'd rather live a satisfying life alone than forget who I am to have a girl who'd dump me for a richer guy anyway.

      --and if anyone here connotates live a satisfying life alone with masturbation I'll personally hurt them.

      --
      You can hold down the "B" button for continuous firing.
  31. bad! by That's+Unpossible! · · Score: 1

    You're painting this as if she was battling his addictions for the good of their relationship.

    We don't have all the details, but it appears she was just being a vindictive bitch.

    --
    Ironically, the word ironically is often used incorrectly.
  32. Gee Guess the Crime Rate is so Low by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Gee, guess the crime rates in Japan is so low the police and judges are bored. What a waste of time for both. Even if I did think this case was a waiste of time, if he gave his girl friend the pass word then he game her promision to screw his accoutns too.

  33. This is when you employ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    the grudge fuck.