Virtual Property Can Help You Kill Your Wife

[Enzeru92]

Wow i see everything in WoW in a different light......... and I like it

 

[JupiterBase]

They're on to me...

What? Oh! I mean...

This concept of money laundering via videogames is pretty interesting. I wonder if there have been any documented cases of this?

No need to investigate a certain Civil Accountant in Spokane I imagine, though. Nothing fishy going on over here. Nosireebob.

Intersting how it seems like they are impling that Developers can be held responsible for that sort of thing. Don't those kind of transactions usually bind to an account? And then accounts are non-transferrable? How is a vendor responsible for what someone uses their services for? Are taxi drivers liable for dropping the hitman off at the house?

Have you ever seen the movie Collateral? Tom Cruise's character was being given money laundered through an EQ account or a long dead Horisons account.Also the whole time they thought the cabbie was just going postal no hitman involved at all. I TELLS YE!

 

[Jark212]

*Takes notes*

How could they let this debauchery continue!!!

Think of the children!!!

 

[Sevre]

What's that MMOG, the sort of spacey real estate one? Where the guys spend 50 grand on a house or something? Can this be applied to that?

 

[Timotei]

This is...quite surprising. I'd have never considered that something like this was going behind the scenes in MMOs.

Now I'm going to be looking at every large transaction a second time. >.>

 

[Twilight_guy]

Silly kids, online-multiplayer is for money launderers!

Everyone know the only real way to launder money is to use 95 degree water, an extended spin cycle, and a half cup of soup. Delicate setting for crisp bills.

Somehow, If I was a hitman i think getting paid through a game would be weird.

 

[Calobi]

So ... if your spouse gives you grief about playing too much of an MMO, you could theoretically use that game's in-game economy to finance a hit against them. If this wasn't, you know, legally and morally reprehensible, it would be genius.

I'm still willing to call it genius. But then again, I'm not exactly the pinnacle of morals or a shining example of completely following things like "laws".

 

[Booze Zombie]

Hmm... good points.

Don't know if anyone wants to buy anything they wouldn't own in the end, it'd be like renting a flat but not getting a flat, but instead getting a box that disintergrates after a month.

 

[Susan Arendt]

Hmm... good points.

Don't know if anyone wants to buy anything they wouldn't own in the end, it'd be like renting a flat but not getting a flat, but instead getting a box that disintergrates after a month.

Anyone who has ever paid real-world money for a virtual item has bought something they don't actually own. They are, for all intents and purposes, renting it.

 

[Caiti Voltaire]

Well, keep in mind, this scenario depends on the ability to get real-world money back out of the game. One hopes nobody's going to off your wife in return for an epic mount alone.

I've seen the kind of people who play WoW. It wouldn't surprise me in many cases, it seems to breed this absolutely obsessive mindset that honestly kind of scares me.

 

[Jared]

I can imagine it now "Video games kill Mans Wife!"

Will be all over the BBC and what not...heh, and ten peoples rights movements!

Its certainly something to think about for sure

 

[Booze Zombie]

Anyone who has ever paid real-world money for a virtual item has bought something they don't actually own. They are, for all intents and purposes, renting it.

Which is probably why I've never bought a virtual item before, they all seem like massive wastes of money.
Unless of course you were playing that game where you can earn real cash for buying virtual worlds and items... but I'm not in that, so, I digress.

 

[Joe Deadman]

Ah laundering. That makes sense.
Also brings up the interesting topic of who you would have "bummped off" if you could but im not going to touch that for fear of mod wrath.
One thing though: a videogamer having their spouse killed? What spouse??!!??

 

[tkioz]

Sounds really, really far fetched Ah well XD

Not really, people have been killed of shoes, freaking shoes!

That presentation sounds really interesting, no married here so no murder for me, did anyone grab a video that you guys that were there know? If so will it be posted.

 

[PH3NOmenon]

I had actually never even considered game currency could be used by that...

But surely the trail that's left is just as clear? That wad of cash I gave away to that person with the barcode on his head? Yeah, that was a B-day present.

Just as clear as the e-gold would be. I mean, it'd have to be *a lot* of e-gold. I assume. What's the going rate for murder now anyways? <.<

 

[Nalesnik]

Hehe, I can just imagine the conversation between the man and the assassin.

Man: I'll give you my +120 Str Excalibur Sword with a x2.2 crit rune on it to kill my wife.
Hitman: mmm, throw in that Lucifer's Helm of Cloaking to sweeten the pot.
Man: Deal

 

[HT_Black]

I'm sorry, but what was squinting and pinching the bridge of my nose supposed to do? I might just be stupid, but I don't understand what you were getting at.

 

[Pendragon9]

Obviously, the solution is to make it so you have to provide legal information when making these transaction style make, and make penalties for people who don't provide the truth. Then make sure every transaction leaves behind a trail in game. Thus it would leave a proper digital trail.

Of course, to perfect such a system is almost impossible, so I get what they mean.

 

[Neuromaster]

Five points for the Hitman reference. Bravo!

 

[Formica Archonis]

Obviously, the solution is to make it so you have to provide legal information when making these transaction style make, and make penalties for people who don't provide the truth. Then make sure every transaction leaves behind a trail in game. Thus it would leave a proper digital trail.

And it makes buying a virtual thing more complicated than buying a real thing. Thus will never be implemented.