Raking Muck In The Sims Online

Dr. Spork writes "According to a Salon article [ad click-thru required], after launching a newspaper website chronicling tawdry dealings in the Sims Online city of Alphaville, Peter Ludlow, a professor of philosophy at the University Of Michigan, had his Sims Online account terminated by EA/Maxis, the company behind the service. 'Censorship', charges Ludlow, who has exposed dealings such as underage cyber-prostitution and extortion of simoleans (the Sims currency, exchangable on eBay for real-life money)."

Under-age Cyberprostitution

[FFFish]

Oh my god! Think of the cyberchildren!

Re:Under-age Cyberprostitution

[Zork the Almighty]

+1, beverage on keyboard

Cyber-prostitution!

[Pilferer]

...dealings such as underage cyber-prostitution...

What exactly is cyber-prostitution?

Hmmm, I might check this game out... *cough*

everquest

[()vnorby()]

(the Sims currency, exchangable on eBay for real-life money).

Sounds like its market is beginning to be like everquest's. Random fact(or not so random...from and old cnet article):

"And if the "EverQuest" universe of Norrath were a country, its per-capita gross national product would be $2,266--comparable to the 77th richest country on Earth and ranking it between Russia and Bulgaria. Platinum pieces, the in-game currency known as pp, end up with an exchange rate of about a penny per pp, making "EverQuest" currency more valuable than the Japanese yen and the Spanish peseta. "

i wonder how long it will take for The Sims' currency to be as valuable as Japan's, if it isn't already.

Re:Under-age Cyberprostitution

[bigbigbison]

Isn't thinking of children what gets people who get caught with underaged prostitutes in trouble in the first place?

Re:Meh.

[SuperMo0]

Or SIM JAIL! You sit around for a year being able to do NOTHING with your account, but you STILL PAY THE MONTHLY FEES! XD