Should ruining online games by cheating be illegal?

[Aucald]

Illegal in a misdemeanor/felony kind of way? No, not really. While cheaters do ruin the fun and enjoyment of games that's not tantamount to violence, larceny, or greater scope crime. There are typically systems in place to handle such individuals in any case - and if the developer of the game doesn't take an active hand in fixing the situation I would pursue a refund of money spent well before I would press charges of any kind against the cheaters themselves.

[Runenwächter]

Why? It's true. There are several things that do not infringe upon others rights that are punished.

And your point is? How exactly do your form a claim for yourself upon that basis?

[Freighter]

And your point is?

That something does not need to infringe upon others rights for it to be made a crime.

[Aquinan]

An aimbotter in a fps game that people paid for ruins the ability for honest players to enjoy the game when put against a cheater.

Do you think this should be punished with real-life penalties by the law? Seems like it needs to be cracked down on in online games.

Problem occurs when you have players from different countries playing against each other. Cant make it worldwide illegal. /Thread

[grexly75]

Problem occurs when you have players from different countries playing against each other. Cant make it worldwide illegal. /Thread

Exactly and I pretty much suspect that law enforcement agencies would just laugh in the face of those making these sorts of complaints about online game cheating.. When you consider that they have much more pressing matters to attend to such as murders, rape, drugs, organized crime and so on.. And as you said with people from all over the world are playing such games it would be nigh impossible anyway..

[Elbob]

When you pay for an online video game you are paying for the service/access not any virtual property you get to keep. Everything you do/earn...etc is still property of the company that owns the game. The only thing you can truly lose to a cheater is enjoyment. Breaking the rules of a private establishment should not allow you to be arrested unless it is also against the law (like trespassing).
Hurting some ones feelings is not against the law unless you can prove it as intentional infliction of emotional stress (pretty much harassment). But this has a multitude of requirements such as "acting recklessly". Which I don't have a clue how some one cheating on a game can be proven as acting recklessly. You also must suffer from EXTREME emotional distress to even want to make a claim like this and if losing a few matches of counter-strike makes you that upset you might have bigger problems.

TLDR: nope, nope and a side of nope unless some one is essentially harassing you online via in game tools enough to make you break down emotionally and mentally, legal action should not be justifiable from cheating in a video game.

[TEHPALLYTANK]

No, I'm just for perma-bans. No need to make it a crime.

[Aquinan]

Exactly and I pretty much suspect that law enforcement agencies would just laugh in the face of those making these sorts of complaints about online game cheating.. When you consider that they have much more pressing matters to attend to such as murders, rape, drugs, organized crime and so on.. And as you said with people from all over the world are playing such games it would be nigh impossible anyway..

"I'm sorry Sir, I cant look into your wife murder at the moment, I have to chase down a dirty aimbotter in Counterstrike"

[Deleted]

Yes. Kill them all.

[Aeula]

No. /10nosforyou

[Darkeon]

Prison time and, in worst and repeated offenses, death penalty.

Fo' sure, OP.

[Deleted]

Prison time and, in worst and repeated offenses, death penalty.

Fo' sure, OP.

You some kind of goddamn commieliberal? Death is too good for them.

[Collegeguy]

I suppose if it's multiplayer you could argue it spoils everyone else's paid experience for your own, and if money is involved you could measure nominal damages.

Usually would be seen more as a civil matter than a criminal one.

I think it makes more sense if cheaters could be sued by the game developer for monetary damages.

[Elim Garak]

What kind of crazy talk is this?

[Deleted]

How much illusioned must someone be to ask to make cheating computer games illegal?

No, it should only be sueable if it creates damage for the company that creates the game. As like selling bots and automatons would be against the TOS and create a lot of damage to the computer ingame economy and administration effort.

[Dalamian]

This has got to be one of the most ridiculous things i've seen on MMO-Champ forums, and thats saying something for these forums

[Stormspark]

The big issue with making cheating in games illegal is it would in effect allow game companies to create laws. Because they're the ones who determine what cheating is. Things like bots are already illegal to sell (the company selling them is committing tortious interference). Someone who uses a bot isn't guilty of a crime, but they are violating the game's terms of use which can get them banned.

[Teaon]

people say "its just a game, why m@d"

well the company that made the damn game and poured money into it are suffering because some asshole decided to cheat and ruin it, you made the company lose money, you should be punished.

not prison, not death, but fined for the amount of damage you would/could have done.

fair.

[prwraith]

It's already illegal: it's breaking the game's Terms of Service.

/thread

Violating TOS is not a crime.

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/...s-court-rules/

[Zogarth]

No of course not. You don't punish someone by law if they get a red card during a real life sport, and in that case there may even by physical injury involved. That someone cheats and ruins your online games does not bring you any harm, only annoyance. It is up to the ones organizing the game (devs/mods) to punish the ones breaking the rules.