When Virtual Reality Becomes a Little Too Real...

I am sorry, but this is absurd. I really wasn't kidding when I mentioned that CNN.com has been posting a lot of really wacky stories about Japan on their main page, but the most recent of which is just plain stupid.

I guess this could give you a laugh (or maybe a warning-call, if you play these reality games), but check out this story about a Japanese woman that was arrested for killing her online husband's avatar (character persona).
Maybe a breach of security (using your fake-husband's log-in information to get into his account) would justify some form of legal action being taken, but arresting this woman seems a little severe. Who knows if this woman has a real-life family that is also affected by her punishment, but even using tax dollars to transport this lady to Sapporo is such a waste of resources and I really think some people take these games too seriously.
That being said, I do know someone here that earns real money from his virtual job... enough to pay the rent. Hmm... judge for yourself (article taken from CNN.com, Oct 23):

Woman Arrested for Killing Virtual Reality Husband
A 43-year-old Japanese woman whose sudden divorce in a virtual game world made her so angry that she killed her online husband's digital persona has been arrested on suspicion of hacking, police said Thursday.

Online environments such as "Second Life" -- where users control avatars -- have emerged in recent years.

The woman, who is jailed on suspicion of illegally accessing a computer and manipulating electronic data, used his identification and password to log onto popular interactive game "Maple Story" to carry out the virtual murder in mid-May, a police official in northern Sapporo said on condition of anonymity, citing department policy.
"I was suddenly divorced, without a word of warning. That made me so angry," the official quoted her as telling investigators and admitting the allegations.
The woman had not plotted any revenge in the real world, the official said.
She has not yet been formally charged, but if convicted could face a prison term of up to five years or a fine up to $5,000.
Players in "Maple Story" raise and manipulate digital images called "avatars" that represent themselves, while engaging in relationships, social activities and fighting against monsters and other obstacles.
The woman used login information she got from the 33-year-old office worker when their characters were happily married, and killed the character. The man complained to police when he discovered that his beloved online avatar was dead.
The woman was arrested Wednesday and was taken across the country, traveling 620 miles from her home in southern Miyazaki to be detained in Sapporo, where the man lives, the official said.
The police official said he did not know if she was married in the real world.
In recent years, virtual lives have had consequences in the real world. In August, a woman was charged in Delaware with plotting the real-life abduction of a boyfriend she met through "Second Life," another virtual interactive world.
In Tokyo, police arrested a 16-year-old boy on charges of swindling virtual currency worth $360,000 in an interactive role playing game by manipulating another player's portfolio using a stolen ID and password.
Virtual games are popular in Japan, and "Second Life" has drawn a fair number of Japanese participants. They rank third by nationality among users, after Americans and Brazilians.