Real-life murder in online gaming dispute

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Real-life murder in online gaming dispute

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A court in China has sentenced an online gamer to death for the real-life murder of a fellow player after a confrontation over a virtual weapon.

The dispute involved the ownership of a "dragon sabre" in the fantasy game Legend of Mir III.

The court in Shanghai found Qiu Chengwei, 41, guilty of stabbing to death Zhu Caoyuan.

But the court suspended the death sentence for two years and good behaviour might ultimately reduce the sentence from death to 15 years, the Chinese news agency Xinhua reported.

Tens of millions of Chinese play online games, which are often violent.

Zhu sold the virtual sabre used in the online game after Qiu had only lent it to him.

Qiu reported the loss to police in February, but they said the computer sabre wasn't a real thing protected by law.

He then demanded the money Zhu had earned from the sale, 7,200 yuan, or about $1,000, but couldn't wait for payment. He attacked Zhu in his home, stabbing him repeatedly in an early morning assault.

Qiu turned himself in to police, saying he did not intend to kill Zhu.

But Zhu's family wants Qiu to receive the full weight of the law, and plans to appeal the suspended sentence.

"We want Qiu to die, and immediately," the victim's father said. :confused:
 
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