Warning: Politicians May Be Abusing Their Powers to Make Gaming… Better?

This story starts with a young boy and a subscription to the MMO Final Fantasy XI. After a few months with the game, he grows tired of it and decides he's going to cancel. Great, so how do you do that? What seems like should be a simple task ends up an exercise in frustration. Little did Square Enix know - they just messed with the wrong guy.

[Genesis5]

It's a very rare occurence if you can find a politician that is not willing to abuse their power.

[Twizlex]

True, but what is rare is that it actually benefits us.

[Nostradavis]

I disagree with you Twizlex. This type of abuse will only lead to bad things, it may seem like it benefits us at first, but it will spell bad news eventually. "Oh let me call my rich powerful politician friend!"

[Twizlex]

Yeah, but they do that already. All I'm saying is that it's cool that THIS time it benefited us, but it does suck that they do that sh!t in the first place.

[sunnygrg]

Politicians deserve..... worse??

[Zahaladeen]

The story as I read it was some alderman got his nickers in a twist when his son couldn't /quit FFXI. State government got involved and before you knew it, something "got done."

But I can't say that I am that comfortable with the government stepping in on this sort of thing. Sure, quitting a game is considered perhaps a simple business transaction, but intereference in the gaming world can only increase - especially when politicians find out how much money there is to be made on virtual goods.

Maybe I'm being an alarmist. I am glad that these /quit run-arounds are getting the pimp hand.

[Twizlex]

I see what you're saying, but most MMO's have rules about the trading of virtual goods. On top of that, it's only one state, and quite frankly, being able to cancel a subscription shouldn't be that difficult. I've never tried to quit FFXI (because I never played it), but maybe it is easier to quit than he thinks and he's just a dumbass.

[Sandwich Bender]

This story is awesome just because of Ricky Gervais.

[Twizlex]

Ha ha, I like the little asterisk: Not a real politician.

[InMyOpinion]

It's a shame people in the US don't get to watch the original(the good) version of The Office.

[Alvadr]

If he looked in the account management section of the POL Viewer he would have found a the section where you cancel your subs. And it is very easy! So i dont know wtf this guy is on.

[Miraak82]

thats funny because I had canceled my final fantasy acoount twice when I was playing it and it took me no more then a few minutes to do so

[Nostradavis]

Why look at all that when you can just call up your buddy and have a law passed? Seems much easier.

What's next? My son can't beat the game so lets pass a law that says all kids in Illinois get cheat codes.

[Twizlex]

They should pass a law that requires everyone to play Vagina Hero.

[Demonsdown]

To bad they didn't get Play-online banned that would have done the world a service. Never had to jump through so many hoops to get a game running before or since.

[n00bzRtehgey]

Jew World Order

[Twizlex]

WTF is that supposed to be about?

[PoorDroids]

I think it means jews run the big banks or something.