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Web Game Nets Creator $1.5M

Players pay for extra points to commit murder, mayhem

By Mary Papenfuss, Newser Staff

Posted Oct 8, 2009 2:13 AM CDT

(Newser) – An Internet crime game has earned its young creator nearly $1.5 miilion. Torn, a text-based game noir that lets players commit murder and mayhem, boasts some 41,000 active players and 1.3 million account holders worldwide. The game is free, but players can opt to pay $5 a month for extra points. British creator Joe Chedburn, 21, came up with the idea when he was just 15.

"My parents used to tell me off for spending too much time on my computer. They're quite happy with what I'm doing now," he said.

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[Quotes (1)]

This is the come-on graphic for the Internet crimes game Torn, which lets players commit virtual murders. (Torn)

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We are talking about an imaginary world and role playing. This is really about meeting people online, not committing crimes. - Torn creator Joe Chedburn, 21, on his crime game

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Web Game Nets Creator $1.5M