Also on the site...
Advertisement

MMO murder trial ends News

PC News by Ellie Gibson

9 June, 2005

A Shanghai court has given 41 year-old Qiu Chengwei a suspended death sentence for murdering a man following a row over a virtual weapon.

As we reported back in April, Qiu loaned Zhu Caoyuan, a fellow player of MMORPG Legend of Mir, his 'dragon sabre' for use in the game.

Zhu then sold the weapon to another gamer for 7200 yuan ($870). Police told Qiu they could not charge Zhu with any crime as there is nothing in Chinese law regarding ownership of virtual property.

Zhu died after Qiu visited his home and stabbed him in the chest. Qiu later turned himself in to police and pled guilty to "intentional injury".

The suspended death sentence is equivalent to a life prison term, with a possibility of parole in 15 years.

Zhu's parents have already announced their intention to appeal for a harsher sentence. His father, Zhu Huimin, said: "My son was only 26 when he died. He was sleeping when Qiu broke into his home. He was barely able to put his pants on before Qiu stabbed him.

"We want Qiu to die, and immediately," he added.

Advertisement
Comments

Want to comment on this article? Log in, or register!

Comments: 1-30 of 30

Poster
Comment Low-scoring comments hidden. Log in to see them!
bef
09/06/05 @ 12:08
#1
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
Welcome to the middle ages
asphaltcowboy
09/06/05 @ 12:21
#2
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
"We want Qiu to die, and immediately,"

Something about that quote just reminds me of the Life Aquatic:

Steve: "I'm going to find it and I'm going to destroy it. Possibly with dynamite."
Genji
09/06/05 @ 12:56
#3
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
Schoolyard nostalgia...

Wait, that's not a good thing.
Grunk
09/06/05 @ 12:56
#4
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
Possibly should have put a chain mail vest on instead of pants.

But seriously, this is tragic, and video games will undoubtedly be blamed for this, instead of the fact that anyone who thinks it's a good idea to plunge a piece of sharpened metal into his friend's chest for any reason is quite possibly mentally unstable and has been using a video game as a means to express himself, whilst being largely ignored by the society he lives in.
max
09/06/05 @ 12:57
#5
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
Personally, I get my gaming news from here. Perhaps not all of us have the time to trawl the internet daily for news stories, instead preferring to read a well written digest of things I find relevant. I hadn't heard about this, thanks for reporting it EG.

Max
WangFu
09/06/05 @ 13:16
#6
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
" this was reported everywhere YESTERDAY....."

Posting stuff like that is so last year...
warlockuk
09/06/05 @ 13:17
#7
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
Wouldn't it have been more fitting to just gank him instead?
MoFo
09/06/05 @ 13:22
#8
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
arnieofdarkness has every right to express his malcontent at EG's day old news. Just as we alll have every right to ignore him and laugh at him behind his back.
Derblington
09/06/05 @ 13:22
#9
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
arnie - visit, look and read. DO NOT TYPE SHITE.
bionutz
09/06/05 @ 13:26
#10
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
Grunk
09-Jun-05 12:56:57
Possibly should have put a chain mail vest on instead of
pants.
hihihi right on the spot Grunk! These guys live in the other world, where a sword is worth dying for. I kind of understand the murderer.
BEAR ONE
09/06/05 @ 13:31
#11
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
You know... live by the (next guy's) sword, die by the (next guy's) sword... or, er... knife.
stormcr0wfleet
09/06/05 @ 13:49
#12
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
i wonder wich player he sold the sword to and if he still has it :)
krudster
09/06/05 @ 14:04
#13
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
Arnie: I think it's fair to say that when we report stuff it's down to a number of things: when it comes in, who's already working on what, time differences, priority, blah. I believe yesterday a virus took out Ellie's PC, so that probably didn't help...

We're doing our best!
bisonbassoon
09/06/05 @ 14:08
#14
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
"it would appear that one of my earlier comments was so
strikingly accurate the admin have edited it.

funny that..."

I can think of something funnier.
Edited 1 times, most recently on 09/06/05 @ 14:09
Bertie staff
09/06/05 @ 14:10
#15
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
I edited it because you're doing nothing but trying to start an argument, and as such, we'd have a comment section full of people agreeing/disagreeing with you, rather than commenting on the topic.
Edited 1 times, most recently on 09/06/05 @ 14:12
Bertie staff
09/06/05 @ 14:17
#16
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
Sure, that's the worst gone :)
wizbob
09/06/05 @ 14:23
#17
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
I wonder who is the current fated possessor of the Dragon Sabre? And is it worth more cash now?
Leo
09/06/05 @ 14:55
#18
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
If someone stole my Fiery Bow of Fortitude from Guild Wars, I'd kill them. No questions asked.

KILL THEM IN THE FACE.
Teeth
09/06/05 @ 15:25
#19
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
Well, I'm glad that's all sorted out then - can we expect less of your nonsense now, arnieofdarkness?
bisonbassoon
09/06/05 @ 15:37
#20
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
"If someone stole my Fiery Bow of Fortitude from Guild Wars,
I'd kill them. No questions asked.

KILL THEM IN THE FACE."

Possibly with dynamite?
Edited 1 times, most recently on 09/06/05 @ 15:38
bisonbassoon
09/06/05 @ 15:38
#21
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
I think the key item in this story that is escaping everyone is the following,

"A Shanghai court has given 41 year-old Qiu Chengwei"

Have they maybe got the digits of his age the wrong way round? I suspect not :(
Martin
09/06/05 @ 17:07
#22
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
bisonbassoon @ 09-Jun-05 15:37:23: "If someone stole my Fiery Bow of Fortitude from Guild Wars, I'd kill them. No questions asked.

KILL THEM IN THE FACE."

Possibly with dynamite?

ALOLOL!
Edited 1 times, most recently on 09/06/05 @ 17:08
Lothar Hex
09/06/05 @ 17:58
#23
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
Arnie, if this was reported "everywhere" yesterday, then I haven't seen it. I have just read it here on EuroGamer. If it's late so what? Are you going to go slag off tomorrows newspapers for reporting news that will be on TV tonight?
Xerx3s
09/06/05 @ 19:14
#24
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
*g* What happend to games uniting ppl and everyone getting along?

I recon that suspending his account is an even better punishment than death though :\

Sad. Really.
Arkwright
09/06/05 @ 19:53
#25
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
On a not entirely unrelated topic , does anyone know of any novels that have mmorpg's as their central premise ie. somebody trapped in a virtual world or blurring the boundaries between real life and a virtual life , that sort of thing?
cubbymoore
10/06/05 @ 00:31
#26
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
@Arkwright, .Hack? Manga, but hey it's still in book form.
Leo
10/06/05 @ 10:20
#27
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
Arkwright - "On a not entirely unrelated topic , does anyone know of any novels that have mmorpg's as their central premise ie. somebody trapped in a virtual world or blurring the boundaries between real life and a virtual life , that sort of thing?"


Yes! In fact, quite a good one. Worth a read. Otherland, by Tad Williams.
asphaltcowboy
10/06/05 @ 12:32
#28
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
"If someone stole my Fiery Bow of Fortitude from Guild Wars,
I'd kill them. No questions asked.

KILL THEM IN THE FACE."

Possibly with dynamite?

hehehe, good call :D
rinoaMW
10/06/05 @ 16:31
#29
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
Qui told the police that he tried reviving his friend several times with Phoenix Downs, but to no avail...

..in all seriousness though, this is a terrible thing to happen and will be a blow to the games industry whether we like it or not…and its a real shame to lose your life over a game....

...especially such a bad one..... /sigh
Arkwright
10/06/05 @ 20:16
#30
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
Cubbymore and Leo . Thanks for the info guys ; I'll be sure to check them out.

Comments: 1-30 of 30

Want to comment on this article? Log in, or register!

Statistics
Zavvi

X View gallery