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Latest Myth War Online News Updates and Reviews Updated daily
Myth War Online : Pentagon Researcher shows how MMORPGs can be used by terroristsSep 17, 2008 03:07:05 PM News Item: 5285
Read this conversation setting fromWorld of Warcraft, and see if you can spot what's terribly, terribly wrong with it. It's supposedly two gamers talking about an attack on the White Keep in the Stonetalon Mountains.
Spotted it? Well, first of all, there's no White Keep in World of Warcraft, and Dragon Fire is a spell in EverQuest. Weird, huh? Well yeah, the terminologies and setting are a bit off, but the point is, this sounds like a classic conversation you might hear in an MMORPGRPG, yes? It sounds innocent. But what if these were actually terrorists? (Gasp?) What if they weren't talking about this White Keep at all, but the White House? (Double Gasp!)
Seriously though. This setting was presented at the Director of National Intelligence Open Source Conference, to demonstrate how terrorists can take advantage of MMORPGRPGs as a meeting site for plotting out attacks.
Think about it: these are virtual worlds full of citizens from all over the globe, essentially hard to keep track of. Accounts are naturally pseudonyms, and secret codes can easily hide behind the already jargon-thick language of the MMORPG. If terrorists chose to use these virtual worlds as meeting grounds, they can easily blend into the crowd, even if they're talking about terrorist plans, since they sound like they're just talking about raids.
It may seem ridiculous - especially with how Jack Thompson kept on raving about how video games are murder simulators, and the thought that the level-70 shaman might actually be a terrorist - but it's possible. Don't let your imagination get the better of you though. It may be possible, but is it probable? Says Steven Aftergood, analyst who's been following the intelligence community for years:
This concern is out there. But it has to be viewed in context. It's the job of intelligence agencies to anticipate threats and counter them. [...] Could terrorists use Second Life? Sure, they can use anything. But is it a significant augmentation? That's not obvious. It's a setting that an intelligence officer is duty-bound to consider. That's all. Dr. Dwight Toavs, the one who gave the presentation, believes that spies should spend more time inside virtual worlds to monitor its gamers. Imagine that - highly-trained FBI and CIA agents raiding right alongside you.
Related Articles:
- Real-life terrorism in MMORPGRPGs?
- ABC's island in Second Life obliterated
- Second Life terrorist reveals his secret - the Invisible Teleporting Grenades of Death

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Myth War Online : Tabula Rasa Double XP squad event, TabulaCast episode 22 now outMay 06, 2008 02:16:34 PM News Item: 4044
It's all about teamwork and brand new podcasts this week for NCsoft's Richard Garriott's Tabula Rasa. Several fascinating in-game and real life events will be highlighting this week as gamers can get the chance to participate in them and make General British proud.
First off, we have a Double XP event for all gamers joined in squads between Monday, May 5 from 10:00 a.m. to May 12, 4:00 p.m. CDT. This is to encourage teamwork with fellow AFS soldiers and to show off the might of the unified front under General British's command.
In addition, episode 22 of TabulaCast is finally up. This newest podcast features several highlights such as the pronouncement of the new patch and several live events to help promote the game.
Here's a rundown of the points discussed during the latest TabulaCast from John and Matt:
- Patch 1.7 goes live
- Paul Sage steps down as head designer, welcome Tom Potter
- The Bristol Comic Expo
- NCSoft prize for the Tabula Cast Haiku Competition
Winners of the Tabula Cast Haiku Competition will feature their toonsketched by a top Tabula Rasa artist at the next NCsoft convention. All you need to do is submit your haiku entry through the email found in thecause link below along with a screenshot of your character. You can view the actual podcast by following the link found there as well.
Anyway, that's it for this latest update from NCsoft's Sci-Fi MMORPGRPG. Don't forget to drop by QJ.NET again for more news and happenings on Richard Garriott's Tabula Rasa.
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