Games Computers Play - Early Online Crime

Early Online Crime

One of the first crimes within an online game allegedly occurred on the GCP network. Users were given the option to change the appearance of their avatars by walking into the "head shop" (presented in side view), removing the avatar's head (which could only be done in the head shop), offering it to the shopkeeper (a non-player character, or NPC) by setting it on the counter, and using the avatar's headless body to point to the desired replacement head from a selection on the store's shelves. However, once the head was removed and in the body's hands, another player's avatar could then enter the store (if not there already), grab the head, and run out of the store. The robbed player could then only chase the robber through the streets of the online community with the player's headless body.