Tony Walsh at Clickable Culture's got a great story on virtual world Second Life's latest "punishment" for wayward residents.
Nimrod Yaffle, a resident of the virtual world Second Life, has revealed details of a bizarre and dark prison Second Life's maker Linden Lab is now using to lock up criminal avatars. Dubbed the "The Corn Field," the moonlit environment contains only rows of corn, two television sets, an aging tractor and a one-way teleport terminal allowing no escape. It exists as an alternative to standard disciplinary measures, which traditionally prevent access to Second Life completely.
This isn't the first time that owners Linden Lab have caused a stir in the rapidly increasing community. While a notoriously level-headed company that chooses to leave its flock of 100,000+ users on a very loose lead, in recent months news has emerged that they're not as libertarian as they seem.
Peter Ludlow, author of the Second Life Herald, reported late last year that some do-wrongers in the virtual world were being handed over to the US' FBI.
After a group of players crashed the world's virtual grid, CEO Philip Rosedale laid his bombshell:
Bedecked in a red Santa's cap and blue shirt, [Rosedale] danced around a roaring bonfire set for the occasion and said, "This seems about a good a time as any to tell you that I am turning over names to the FBI."
Ludlow is the same man responsible for reporting on the emerged depravity in EA's ill-fated online world The Sims Online, and the same man kicked off the world for reporting on it.
In more virtual world clamp-down news, World of Warcraft creators Blizzard recently banned a whopping 18,000 accounts for cheating, and the ever-engaging Ren Reynolds discusses the implications for online gamers over on Terra Nova as the final curtain falls on Asheron's Call 2.
The role of the game gods (developers) is tricky in these situations, particularly because they knowingly and willingly create their products so millions of people can connect and communities can emerge. It's often a sad outcome of the digital utopian dream that utopian ideals are thwarted by decisions made by people from above.
Thanks Paul for the tip-off!
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