A 43-year-old Japanese woman has been arrested after she murdered her virtual ex-husband in Maplestory. Furious that he wanted a divorce in their online marriage in the game – Maplestory, she accessed into his account and killed off his character.

The woman, a piano teacher, is in jail in Sapporo waiting to learn if she faces charges of illegally accessing a computer and manipulating data.

She was arrested on Wednesday and taken 620 miles (1,000 km) from her home in southern Miyazaki to Sapporo – where her “husband”, a 33-year-old office worker lives.

She may face up to 5 years in prison and charge with a fine of $5,000.

As it turns out, she was just furious when she logged on only to find out that he had divorced her.

Maplestory is a korean-made game where players can train with friends while fighting monsters, and upgrading their levels and skills. In addition they can also form marriages in the virtual world.

Anything is possible in the virtual world, but I guess that woman must have felt pretty lonely and she found a “husband” she could talk to and rely on. Maybe she thought this marriage was more than just an virtual marriage? Still I find that charging her with 5 years in jail or a fine is ridiculous… In my dictionary, this is just hacking. =/ Online game accounts are meant to be hacked – if you’re not careful. In Singapore, game accounts are hacked, and we just treat this as part and parcel of “life“. Lol!

Source: BBC

Brings back memories..