Growing Pains Yield Virtual Reality Check

"Neverdie' busts record for real profit on single virtual sale

(NEWSER) - Afraid to speculate in the real estate market just now? Try the unreal real estate market instead, where one lucky player of the Entropia Universe virtual reality game is $335,000 richer thanks to sound virtual investments that earned him some real money. Entropia player Jon Jacobs—known online as Neverdie—sold his parcel on a fictitious asteroid to player "pesok" in the multiplayer online game, breaking the virtual record for a profit on a single sale, reports the Christian Science Monitor. More»

Digital cheating destroys UK marriage

(NEWSER) - When a UK woman discovered that her husband had fallen for another woman, she took the not-so-unusual step of filing for divorce. The kicker here, reports the Guardian, is that the cheating took place not in real life, among real people, but in the virtual world of Second Life. The woman had already forgiven her real-life husband once when she caught his online alter-ego having sex with a virtual prostitute. But the emotional betrayal of his second digital relationship was just too much. More»

Digital realms like Halo and Second Life are getting in the Halloween spirit

(NEWSER) - Take a break from scarfing candy to join in silly spookiness online. Wired gives you the inside scoop on special events and areas in your favorite virtual worlds dedicated to the holiday:

1. Halo 3: A seasonal addition to the matchmaking playlist should keep players entertained for the 27 hours surrounding Halloween.
2. Lord of the Rings Online: Until November 11, you can compete in horseraces, bob for apples, pick geodes, or dance the night away at the Harvest Festival.

Second Life getting in the way of first lives

(NEWSER) - A man who spends up to 20 hours a day playing the virtual-reality video game Second Life may be getting more fulfillment from his online wife than his real one—and his non-cyber-spouse isn't feeling fulfilled at all. Ric Hoogestraat, a 53-year-old ex-teacher, says his virtual matrimony is only a game, even as his real wife talks separation. The Wall Street Journal looks at the surprising emotional power of virtual relationships. More»

Second Life fertile ground for new Catholic converts, Jesuit says

(NEWSER) - A Jesuit academic is encouraging fellow believers to take the word of God to a new world—virtual reality. In a Roman Jesuit journal, Father Antonio Spadaro urges missionaries to preach the good life in Second Life, describing the online simulation game as packed with real souls to save, Reuters reports. More»