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Online Divorcee Jailed After Killing Virtual Hubby

Japanese woman charged with hacking

By the Associated Press

Posted Oct 23, 2008 12:23 PM CDT

(AP) – A 43-year-old Japanese woman whose sudden divorce in a virtual game world made her so angry that she killed her online husband's digital persona has been arrested on suspicion of hacking, police said today. The woman allegedly used her digital husband's identification and password to log onto popular interactive game "Maple Story" and kill his 2-D alter-ego.

"I was suddenly divorced, without a word of warning. That made me so angry," an official quoted her as telling investigators. The woman had not plotted any revenge in the real world, he said. If convicted she could face a prison term of up to five years. The woman used login information she got from the 33-year-old office worker when their characters were happily married to carry out the bloody deed. The man complained to police when he discovered that his beloved online avatar was dead.

A user-generated screenshot from the 2D MMORPG "Maple Story," where a woman was driven to kill her virtual husband. (©kalathalan)

"We'll sponsor your wedding," proclaims this advertisement, taken from the Maple Story website.

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More Newser Stories

New iPhone Game Is 'the Future of Mobile Gaming'

'New York Times' critic gushes over 'Shadow Cities'

PlayStation Hackers: We’ve Got 2.2M Credit Cards

Users report fraud, but it may be coincidence

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Japanese guys hang with video game lovers

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But the wedding's probably not legally binding

Wii Muscles Up With 'Sports Resort'

Nintendo hopes Frisbee, fencing will boost flagging console sales

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