Articles on Gaming


Second Life Sued in Real Life for Virtual Stealing of Virtual Sex Toys  526 Views (comments)
Linden Labs, creator of the popular virtual reality portal SecondLife, has been sued in first life (in other words, real life) for "allowing" Second Life players to counterfeit the SexGen brand of virtual sex toys sold in Second Life by Storker Serpentine (a/k/a in real life as Kevin Alderman). Alderman is joined in his suit by Second Lifer Munchflower Zaius (known in real life as Shannon Grei), who sells virtual clothing in Second Life. Apparently nowhere has it been suggested that any of these players Getta Life.

New Online Monopoly Game Uses Real Streets and Google Maps  662 Views (comments)
Today marked the launch of the Online Monopoly game, Monopoly City Streets (MonopolyCityStreets.com). The holy lovechild of a partnership between Hasbro (owners of the original Monopoly) and Google (owners of the rest of the world), the Online Monopoly site has proven very popular in its short, 12-hour life. Too popular, perhaps, as, with much pomp and fanfare, the site rolled open this morning, and within hours was brought down as the crush of people signing up brought the online Monopoly City Streets server to its knees.

Internet Addiction Rehab Center Sets Up Shop in the U.S.  709 Views (This article has 1 comment)
People often jokingly claim to be an Internet addict - addicted to Internet games or even just addicted to being on the Internet - but for those whose job, families, and lives are negatively impacted by how much time they spend online, Internet addiction is no laughing matter. The first Internet addiction disorder rehab clinic opened three years ago, in Amsterdam. Now the United States has its own Internet addiction disorder rehab clinic, offering Internet addition treatment for Internet addicts and Internet addictions of all types. But are they qualified?

Comcast Offers ‘Boss Button’ to Hide Watching March Madness Basketball at Work  784 Views (comments)
It's time again for March Madness. For those of you who don't follow sports, March Madness refers to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Men's Division One basketball tournament, which occurs during three weeks in March. During which sixty-five universities duke it out in 64 games. So popular is March Madness that The NCAA now streams it live on the Internet with a service called March Madness on Demand (MODD); and so ardent are March Madness fans that Comcast has sponsored a button on the viewer called "The Boss Button" which, when pressed, throws up a fakespread sheet, so that fans can watch while at work without getting busted.

The Brain Mouse Goes on Sale - Think Your Next Game Move and Your Computer Responds with the OCZ Neural Impulse Actuator (NIA)  1,943 Views (comments)
Have you ever wanted to be able to play a computer game by just thinking what you wanted the computer to do next, without having to lift a finger - ala Star Trek, or Neuromancer? Well, now you can, with the release for sale of the OCZ Nueral Impulse Actuator, or, as some are referring to it, the Brain Mouse. (Can't wait? You can order the OCZ Nueral Impulse Actuator here.)

Are You a Grand Theft Auto Widow? Tell Us Your Story!  1,546 Views (comments)
With the release of Grand Theft Auto IV ("GTA IV"), the number of GTA Widows seems to have risen exponentially. Stories of husbands and boyfriends glued to the screen, spending hours on end drunk driving and killing hookers with their cars while playing GTAIV abound.

Botnets Turn to Gambling  1,576 Views (comments)
It's long been apparent to our readers that we at the Internet Patrol are not exactly blind fans of online gaming. And we don't exactly holding up gambling sites as paragons of Internet virtue, either. So news from last week's e-crime congress in London, bringing to light a case of the bad (a gambling site) being brought to its knees by the worse (a botnet), has us pondering the larger implications.

Proposed Settlement of Grand Theft Auto San Andreas Hot Coffee Lawsuit: Hot Coffee San Andreas Style Means Cash Back for Grand Theft Auto Buyers  3,983 Views (This article has 2 comments)
If you purchased the game Grand Theft Auto SanAndreas, you may be entitled to a refund under the terms of the Grand Theft Auto San Andreas Hot Coffee settlement. Grand Theft Auto San Andres (GTA San Andreas) was shipped with explicit content which could be revealed by the third-party Hot Coffee mod. The GTA San Andreas Hot Coffee lawsuit was filed after children and others were unwittingly exposed to the Hot Coffee hack in San Andreas.

Nintendo Wii Puts Arcades Out of Business, Goes to Medical School  1,654 Views (comments)
The Nintendo Wii is back in the news, being blamed for the closure of as many a 20% of Namco's game arcades. And when it's not vanquishing gaming arcades, the Nintendo Wii can be found going to medical school.

Group Retaliates for Online Murder of Character by Murdering Rival Group Member - in Real Life  1,577 Views (comments)
In response to the online killing of an online character who was part of an online group, by members of a rival online group, in an online game, members of the dead character's group retaliated by murdering a member of the rival group - in real life.

Popular Facebook Online Scrabble Game “Scrabulous” Gets Takedown Demand from Hasbro  3,352 Views (comments)
Fans of the wildly popular on line Scrabble like game on Facebook called Scrabulous, which was created for those who like to play Scrabble on line, may soon be unable to play Scrabulous, if toymaker Hasbro has their way. Scrabulous, which was invented and coded by Indian brothers Rajat and Jayant Agarwalla, infringes on Hasbro's copyright and trademark rights in that venerable crossword board game, Scrabble, and, similarly, Internet Scrabble, says Hasbro. Hasbro owns the rights to Scrabble and Scrabble on line in both the US and Canada, and their position is if you want to play on line Scrabble, then play online Hasbro Scrabble, at one of the Internet Scrabble sites, not Scrabulous.

You Really Can Send Free Rice to the Hungry by Playing an Educational Game at FreeRice.com  7,881 Views (This article has 6 comments)
You may have already heard about Free Rice .com, the place where by playing a game to strengthen your vocaulary free rice donations are sent to the hungry. And you, like us, may have thought "this can't be real." But we're here to tell you that it is real, and FreeRice .com, the brainchild of John Breen, is fun, educational, and worthy! (What more could you ask?!)

Online Gamer Dies After Three Days of Gaming  2,061 Views (comments)
Authorities in Guangzhou, China are reporting that a man has collapsed and died after playing online games at an Internet cafe for three days straight. According to news reports, the man collapsed after a "three-day Internet gaming binge." Neither the man's name, nor what he was playing, have been released.

What are Webkinz? The Latest Mass Merchandising Kiddie Addiction  3,308 Views (comments)
Ask any 8-11 year old what Webkinz are, and you're likely to get a rave, full of the sort of wild-eyed enthusiasm usually reserved for older Kool-aid drinkers. But ask any parent of said 8-11 year old about Webkins, and you're likely to get a groan, if not an outright oath (and we don't mean of allegiance). Because the Webkin rage - spawned over at Webkinz.com - is the newest avenue to online gaming addiction in children.

Talk About Your Nifty Mobile Cell Phone Games - This One is Motion Detecting 3D Lawn Darts!  3,187 Views (comments)
Of all of the nifty mobile cell phone games we've seen, this one is really nifty! Taking its cue from the Wii, this game utilizes the camera in your cell phone to detect motion, and lets you aim and throw lawn darts, in 3D!

Is Virtual Rape Crying Virtual Wolf?  6,397 Views (This article has 13 comments)
I read an article this week about "virtual rape". Yes, really. That would be virtual sexual assault on your virtual online character or persona. This is all coming out now because, I kid you not, someone from Second Life reported a virtual rape to the police in Brussels. And they are investigating it. Oh for pete's sake, give me a break! How tenous a grasp on reality do these people have? And how the heck can there be "forced online sexual activity"? Isn't that nearly an oxymoron?

Man’s Laptop Confiscated by Police Because He Used Free Wifi Outside Public Library  4,736 Views (This article has 9 comments)
Brian Tanner was parked outside his local public library in Palmer, Alaska, using their free wifi, when police confiscated his laptop. It's true that he was using it to check in on his Internet-based game, Conquer Club (similar to Risk) - but it's also true that Brian Tanner, who is 21, is a moderator for the Conquer Club portal, and so it's not a case of some teenager with an Internet game addiction.

Wii Will Rock You - The Nintendo Wii Gamebox Scores a Homerun with its Real 3D Live Gesture Remote Control and with Great Reviews  8,334 Views (This article has 2 comments)
The new Nintendo Wii may have a funny and hard to remember name (is it the Nintendo Wii? Nintendo Wie? Nintendo Wee? Whee? Oui?), but it has managed to do what no other gamebox has done before - revolutionize game box gaming by incorporating genuine real-gesture remote control. It's also got built in Internet wi-fi access, and Bluetooth.

First Clinic for Online Gaming Addiction Opens  2,098 Views (comments)
The first clinic specializing in addition to gaming - and in particular video and online computer games - opened this week in Amsterdam. "It can start with a Game Boy... From there, it can progress to multilevel games that aren't made to be won"

Check Raised RBCalc.exe Online Poker Calculator has Money-Stealing Small.la Trojan On Board  2,851 Views (comments)
Check Raised's RBCalc.exe has the Backdoor.Win32.Small.la (Small.la for short) rootkit trojan hiding in it. It contains the following trojan files: utlsrv.exe, comclg32.dll, d3dclsrv.dll and ndsdavsrv.sys.

Internet Gambling is Illegal in the US - and Has Doubled in the Past Year  5,615 Views (comments)
A recent study has shown that Internet gambling in the United States has doubled in the past year, and that many people who take part in Internet gambling have no idea that what they are doing is illegal.

Trojan Virus Steals World of Warcraft Passwords, Win32.WOW Lets Author Steal Your World of Warcraft Items and Sell Them  11,950 Views (This article has 11 comments)
A new trojan virus, Win32.WOW, steals your World of Warcraft password and lets the trojan's author steal your World of Warcraft gold and World of Warcraft items, and sell them out from under your nose.

Multiplayer Games on Your Cell Phone!  3,051 Views (comments)
Free online multiplayer games are coming to a cell phone near you!

Get Sudoku Puzzles On Your Verizon Phone!  3,750 Views (comments)
Sudoku puzzles are now available to Verizon Wireless subscribers over their cell phones!

Play Nintendo DS Games Online at McDonald’s!  25,171 Views (This article has 9 comments)
Nintendo DS games can be played over the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection at McDonalds around the country. Would you like free wifi with that?

T-Mobile Sidekick Part of Massive Outdoor “Urban Othello” Game  2,217 Views (comments)
Urban Othello is an outdoor game of Othello, using city streets, and the T-Mobile Sidekick.

New Phishing and Games Toolbar Add-In for Internet Explorer  6,470 Views (This article has 2 comments)
Phishers are thwarted and games are enjoyed with new anti-phishing and game add-ins, each offered free by Microsoft for their MSN search toolbar. Free download available at the MSN website.

PokerPadz Builds a Better Mousepad - If You’re an Online Poker Player  1,749 Views (comments)
Online games in general, and online poker in particular, lack the feel and sound of the real experience. PokerPadz has built a new mousepad to change all that.

Hot Biscuit Mod for Nintendogs - Hot Coffee for the Doggie Crowd?  2,727 Views (comments)
Nintendog Hot Biscuit mod rumours are flying. Did someone really create a Hot Biscuit mod for the new Nintendogs, much like the Hot Coffee mod for GTA: SA? Or is it all just an elaborate spoof?

Online Game Community Targeted by Worm PrsKey.a  1,853 Views (comments)
Online game community and security experts are warning about PrsKey.a, a keylogging worm which steals your username and password, and allows those behind it to steal all your game booty.

Fun New Time Waster: Guess the Google Game  2,026 Views (comments)
Well, thanks to Grant Robinson, I have a new time waster: Guess the Google. Guess the Google should be more properly named "Guess the keyword which resulted in these images being returned in a Google image search", but I guess that ...

“My Online Gaming Character Can Beat Up Your Online Gaming Character” Leads to Man’s Arrest - Virtual Mugging with Player-Bots  2,410 Views (comments)
A man in Japan has just been arrested for virtual mugging. Really. He set up a player-bot - a virtual virtual gamer, if you will - and had his player-bot beat up other online gamers' virtual characters, and steal their lunch ...

More Fallout from the Hot Coffee Scandal: the International Game Developers Association Form Sex Group  1,297 Views (comments)
The scandal over the Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas so-called "Hot Coffee mod" continues to have a ripple effect on the gaming industry, and not necessarily all as negative as the lawsuit by the grandmother who bought GTA:SA for her 14-year old grandson. For ...

The Coffee Patch: Grand Theft Auto’s Hot Coffee Decaffeinated  4,276 Views (This article has 3 comments)
Rockstar Games has announced that they have released a patch which disables the "Hot Coffee" mod for its new and wildly popular Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas game. Of course, one of the reasons that it is so wildly popular is because ...

Gamer’s Death After 49 Hours of Gaming Confirmed  1,845 Views (comments)
Apparently the experts were wrong. Apparently Internet addiction is a factor with online gamers. At least some of them. Oh sure, you can explain away the killing of a fellow gamer as an act of passion. And fighting over who gets ...

Minors Forbidden to Play Online Games Involving Killing (PK) Says China  4,884 Views (This article has 4 comments)
Apparently despairing of what is happening to Chinese youth as a result of violent online games (can't wait for Aunty's groupie, Kailee, to chime in here), the Chinese government has said that from now on, minors are prohibited from playing games which ...

Bill Clinton to Address China Internet Summit  3,267 Views (comments)
China has been in the news with relation to the Internet a lot of late. They recently joined the anti-spam "London Plan", have expanded their Internet offerings to their citizens with MSN Spaces' Chinese portal (which admits to censoring in China), and, ...

Law Suit Over Hot Coffee - Legal Storm Brewing for GTA:SA  3,463 Views (This article has 8 comments)
A New York woman has filed a lawsuit over Hot Coffee. No, she didn't scald her lap, and no, the defendant is not McDonalds. Rather, 85-year-old Florence Cohen is suing the publishers of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas over the so-called "Hot Coffee" mod which opens up previously-hidden scenes from the game. Very explicit scenes.

Ready..AIM….Fight! Or It’s Not Who You Know, It’s Who Has You In Their Buddy List  5,020 Views (This article has 3 comments)
With apologies to John "Bluto" Blutarsky, "AIM Fight!" What the heck is "AIM Fight?", Aunty can already hear her readers scratching their collective heads. Well, you know all of those 6 Degrees of Kevin Bacon friend-of-a-friend sites which have become so popular (or ...

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas in Hot Water over Hot Coffee  7,828 Views (This article has 10 comments)
Like a row of dominos falling over, store after store has pulled the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas off the store shelves after it was revealed that a third-party add-on, known as a "mod", to the game unlocked secret content which allowed players to control the main character's performance in the bedroom.

Couple Fights Over Who Gets Custody of the…Online Game Points?  2,904 Views (This article has 1 comment)
Remember that study that said that Internet addiction was not a big factor in online gaming? Well maybe Internet addiction itself isn't, but surely online gaming addiction has to be a factor in the rise in issues surrounding the "ownership" of online ...

Teach a Boy to Phish…  4,417 Views (This article has 3 comments)
A high school student has been identified as the mastermind behind a phishing scheme involving a fake banking website. According to authorities in Korea, the teenager, identified only by his surname 'Kim', managed to get personal and financial data from seventy-seven targets ...

Best Place to Advertise Your Website: On Someone’s Forehead?  6,833 Views (This article has 1 comment)
Remember Terri Iligan, the woman who sold her name on eBay, agreeing to legally change it to anything which the highest bidder requested? Not to be outdone, Kari Smith has sold her forehead on eBay - well, leased, really - for the tattooing ...

California Seeks to Ban Remote Internet Hunting of Live Game  2,273 Views (This article has 1 comment)
California Senator Debra Bowen, known for her tough stance against spam, is now taking a shot (no pun intended) at what she sees as another Internet scourge: real-time remote Internet hunting of live game. While some consider the Senator's stand on the remote ...

Gamer Killed Over Virtual Legend of Mir 3 Sword  7,758 Views (This article has 11 comments)
While it may be that addiction is not a problem for Internet gamers, apparently taking their games too seriously is. Not just a problem - but potentially fatal. According to the BBC, Chinese online gamers Qiu Chengwei and Zhu Caoyuan were both involved ...

24hBet Becomes 24hPoker: Swedish Gaming Giant Starts 11 New Sites in 8 Countries (News Release)  1,851 Views (comments)
STOCKHOLM , Sweden, May 31 /PRNewswire/ -- Eleven new gaming sites were recently launched within the company's network, 24hNetwork. The new sites are marketed by local partners who use 24hPoker's software for poker and sport betting on the Internet. The sites are targeting players in ...

Males Are Twice as Likely to Download a Game Than Women (News Release)  1,806 Views (This article has 2 comments)
SEATTLE, Wash May 16, 2005 On the eve of the gaming confab E3, M:Metrics, the industry authority on the measurement of subscriber consumption of mobile content and applications, reports that although there is an equal gender split in mobile game play, with 32 ...

Internet Addiction not a Big Factor with Internet Gamers, Says Study  3,220 Views (This article has 3 comments)
Internet addiction. Did you even know that Internet addiction was formally recognized? There is even a "Center for Internet Addiction", founded by Dr. Kimberly Young! Kimberly Young is "an internationally known expert on Internet addiction" according to her ...
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