In the vast world of online multiplayer role-playing games, there is usually little order.
You can be taking your clan for a leisurely stroll in the countryside of your kingdom and suddenly you’re being looted by orcs, or mauled by elder dragons.
But there are certain etiquettes that players are always expected to respect. Namely, don’t abuse vulnerabilities or capitalise on exploits. And of course, don’t use third party software to “hack” the game to your advantage. (Many a Farmville user will remember the notorious “snag bar” dispute in 2010.)
Well one video game hacker who had been roaming the Guild Wars 2 multiplayer game has certainly found that out the hard way, after being stripped, shamed and executed for his exploitative ways.
As you may have guessed, it wasn’t the hacker himself who received the punishment; rather it was his in-game character.
JT DarkSide had been making a name for himself as somewhat of a nuisance in the Guild Wars 2 world, using a variety of techniques to give himself an unfair advantage in the game. And it wasn’t too long before the games developers AreaNet took notice.
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Whilst many software developers would simply ban the account, thus locking the hacker out of the game, AreaNet got a little more creative, sentencing the hackers character to a humiliating in-game execution.
AreaNet took over control of the offending account and, firstly, stripped the character to his underwear, and then took the character to the top of a high bridge where he was made to jump, in an act of what we could only describe as a simulated-forced-suicide, if that is indeed a thing.
And if anyone missed it, AreaNet recorded the entire thing and uploaded it to YouTube for your viewing pleasure (below).
And finally, AreaNet banned the entire account and deleted all other characters associated with it.
In a genre of games where reputation and notoriety are often much craved attributes, this certainly was a creative way of punishing those who try and capitalise on vulnerabilities. Maybe others would think twice before messing with AreaNet again.
What do you think of AreaNet’s actions? Creative? Harsh? Or would you have done something differently? Let us know below.