Alphaville

The Sims online world is now home to at least two mob families.

"'We weren't playing the games as hoodlums, we were playing the game as protectors of the city,' said Mathieson [one of the mob bosses].

At least at first. Somewhere along the line, though, the Sims Shadow Government turned from benevolent overseer to a virtual version of La Cosa Nostra."

Link via GeekPress.

Comments

[scott h.]

Video games have always had mob ties. Mario, Luigi, ... call them if you need some "plumbing" work done.

("You're dead to me, Donkey Kong, DEAD!")

[Plutarck]

Just correcting this before it might spread:

"I've heard Korean fans of Lineage like to export the conflicts to the real world at time."

Well, here's the skinny on that:

First of all, in Korea (south only, I would imagine...) internet cafes (like Starbucks, but less about coffee and more about computers and the internet) are really big - way bigger than they will likely EVER be in america. Similarly, social games like MMORPGs are also REALLY big - I can't even remember the statistic, but it was something rather remarkably high.

Well, since they are human, sometimes things happens in the game (and Lineage is a pretty "hardcore" game - losses are not solved by hitting 'reset', but can be pretty darn severe, I think) that pisses people off. Well, in America there just isn't anything you can do about it - the guy who's ass you now want to beat can't be found, and even if you could they are likely hundreds of miles away.

In Korea, however, this is not so. As people often play in groups, there is a very real chance that you were actually talking (in real life) 'smack' to each other, and that sumbitch is sitting in the same room you are. As such, in accord with your impulse, you can just walk right over and smack the shit out of him.

Furthermore, in Korea there really IS mob involvement; people get together to get supplies of valued objects (weapons I think, which are apparently very rare in that game), and then often sell them for real life money (and given the popularity and hardcore nature of the game, a good gang of people can really get some better-than-contraband money going - for playing one of the most popular games in the country). And so occassionally these forces collide, and then somebody, say, gets shot to death in the bathroom by a gang member.

[Madog]

It's not really that surprising. In most other games they're called Guilds or Clans, and their activities are encouraged with all sorts of special features and bonuses. Sort of annoying if you want to play the lone wanderer sort of character, but hardly sinister. (At least in the US. I've heard Korean fans of Lineage like to export the conflicts to the real world at time.)

[Jim Treacher]

Weird how 60% of the players are women, and yet there's still conflict. Huh!