Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Fan stuff, Virtual selves, Odds and ends, Blizzard

After a 17-year-old in Fairfield, Ohio told a GM “he was suicidal and the game was the only thing he had to live for,” the Blizzard rep called 911, and the kid was apparently arrested, according to the Middletown Journal. We’ve seen that before — Blizzard won’t put up with suicide threats — but as far as I know, that is the first we’ve heard of an arrest coming about considering of it. Apparently the charge is a first degree misdemeanor, and though the kid was released to his father, he’s got a court date to face next week.

The dumbest part? The kid wasn’t even suicidal — he told officers when questioned that it was a joke “to try and get what he wanted for the game.” We doubt that will lead to anything big (we’d put the kid in community service and give him a slap on the wrist — he’s probably scared decent after being handcuffed and put in a patrol car), but Blizzard’s policy is precisely right on that one, whether you ask us. whether the threat is real, that could prevent a tragedy, and whether it’s just some kid messing around to try and get his banned history back, he might learn a little lesson in the process.

Teen arrested for making suicide threat to a GM originally presented on WoW Insider on Thu, 01 Jan 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Original post by Mike Schramm