An Australian user of the online multiplayer game EVE has been banned after he made over $6,000 from exchanging virtual credits that he stole from other users.
The user, known only as Richard and under his online name of ‘Ricdic’, embezzled 200 billion interstellar ‘kredits’ from the game’s largest player-run financial management service, EBank, which he ran.
EVE has over 300,000 users, who pay US$15 per month to play the game. Set in the future, users can interact with other players by completing missions for ‘kredits’. Several users run online banks, which characters use to deposit their money.
‘Ricdic’ broke the rules of the game by exchanging the stolen ‘kredits’ for about $6,300, which were sold to users on black market sites who look to buy the currency rather than earn it in-game.
“It was a very on the spot decision,” he told The Age. “I saw that as an avenue that could be taken, and I decided to skim off the top, you could say, to overcome real life (difficulties).”
Within the game, users withdrew their funds from the online bank fearing they too could have their money stolen. But Richard said he has no regrets.
“I’m not proud of it at all, that’s why I didn’t brag about it. But you know, if I had to do it again, I probably would’ve chosen the same path based on the same situation,” he said.
Patrick Stafford is a freelance journalist and a former deputy editor of SmartCompany.
