www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/6019958.htm
An underground group known as the Sims Shadow Government has taken over the fantasy world that is The Sims Online,'' meting out mob justice. Turns out, everyone wants to be Tony Soprano or Don Vito Corleone. To Mathieson, the lack of a government to lay down laws in virtual online communities like Alphaville -- let alone cops to enforce the rules -- resulted in anarchy. Grievers'' arose -- players who delight in creating misery for other players -- stealing money, trashing houses or even appropriating another's online identity. Mathieson, 34, who lives in Las Vegas and promotes bands, said players turned into racketeers. They show up at your house and they request protection money. We weren't playing the games as hoodlums, we were playing the game as protectors of the city,'' said Mathieson. Somewhere along the line, though, the Sims Shadow Government turned from benevolent overseer to a virtual version of La Cosa Nostra. Maybe it was the emergence of a rival family, the Playtime gang. Or maybe it was the Mia impostor, who tarnished the real Mia's reputation by inviting other players to work for her as a prostitute. Perhaps the final straw was when someone hijacked Mathieson's America Online account -- and stole all of his in-game cash and property. Whatever the pretext, Mia morphed from prom queen to mob boss. A handful of the SSG's 160 members would meet outside the game -- in Yahoo discussion groups or by phone -- to talk about offenses against the family'' and plot revenge. The in-game hits are not as gory as a bloody horse head in the bed of a movie producer who offended Don Corleone -- the fictional Godfather created by Mario Puzo. Nor does it match the savagery of a HBO's prime-time mobster Tony Soprano, who beats fellow made man'' Ralphie Cifaretto to death for killing their jointly-owned racehorse, Pie-o-My, for the insurance money, then stuffs Ralphie's head in a bowling ball bag for safekeeping. But for online game players who invest months developing a character, it can be nonetheless devastating. This drama via modem is consuming for its participants, who've formed real-life friendships with their in-game allies. She said the drama became so intense she sometimes receives calls at work about developments. I am amazed personally as to how this whole game has become so real . I spend more time with my computer than I do with my friends,'' said Velie, who like about 60 percent of the players, is a woman. Wright -- the grand puppet master who birthed the bestselling Sims franchise -- is both fascinated and frustrated by the emergence of the mob. In an interview at a recent trade show, Wright said he logs on nightly to monitor the mob's exploits. But he said Maxis is powerless to stop it -- since all the group's communications happen outside of the game. More often, it means players are so attached that they invest the time to exploit its rules. They decided to delete the Mia character, saying the demands of reigning as overlord of Alphaville became too taxing. She just retired, for the simple fact she needs to go in for a face-lift,'' said Mathieson.
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