10 Shocking Incidents Where Video Games Led To Real Life Death

9. This Boy Who Killed Another Over A Stolen In-Game Sword

We'd assume many of you didn't know that South Korea has a police department that looks into virtual crime, as with the rise of crimes emanating from players indulging in games for too long has prompted the creation of one to monitor outbursts such as this one. China however, does not have such a thing yet, and as such when Legend of Mir 3 player Qiu Chengwei got particularly annoyed over Zhu Caoyuan trading away his in-game sword to an auction house, he ended up stabbing Zhu right through the heart as he slept. Of course whilst this prompts discussions around the ownership of digital goods, when the crime transferred over into the real world, Chengwei was sentenced to life for his actions. It's very extreme stuff, but what's fascinating with these sorts of cases the more you read about them is just how much money is flowing through the many online RPGs, MMOs and MOBAs of the world. This particular instance took place back in 2005, but even then the sword in question that was traded away netted Caoyuan 7,200 yuan (£462/$861) in return - a very hefty amount that hammers home just how much of their livelihoods some players put into the game.