Alex Weiss’s “Should Gamers Be Prosecuted for Virtual Stealing?” informs the reader about a teenage gamer that is being prosecuted for virtually stealing in a video game called Runescape, a free massively multiplayer online [MMO] video game. However, Runescape doesn’t have any rules regarding Thievery. The Dutch Supreme Court came ruled the gamer guilty for stealing a virtual amulet and shield. The defendant’s attorney believed the stolen items had no economic value. The court disagreed ruling the time that the victim spent in the game to earn the two stolen items gave them value. Wiess’s clearly believes gamers shouldn’t be prosecuted for virtually stealing and shows his stance by sharing his personal experiences opinions which reveal why he disagrees with the court’s ruling. …show more content…
“As a reformed online-gaming thief, this ruling makes no sense to me. It places too much value on the time people spend playing video games. Video games are not work or investments for which people should not be compensated; they are escapism” (Weiss 731). In that statement he clearly reveals his stance on the Should Gamers Be Prosecuted for Virtual Stealing court ruling. He reveals he has done the same thing as the teenage gamer, and that there is no correlation between reality and the virtual world. One experience, he shared was he was playing a game called Eve Online, which is also a MMO. He said, “In Eve, I enjoyed messing with people, making fake investments, engaging in corporation thievery, and even having an extended e-relationship with someone who thought I was a girl.” (Weiss 733). His experienced shows he relates to the teenage gamer due to the fact he has done similar behaviors while they played games without getting punished for his actions. The way he interacted with other gamers on the game wasn’t anything more than another way to enjoy the