Real risks in virtual world

Online computer gamers who spend countless hours slaying monsters and battling other virtual foes are now facing more worldly threats, including online predators and scammers who want to swipe their game accounts.

Online computer gamers who spend countless hours slaying monsters and battling other virtual foes are now facing more worldly threats, including online predators and scammers who want to swipe their game accounts.‘City of Heroes’ maker NCsoft Corp. on Tuesday announced a programme to warn its customers about real-world risks in the virtual universe of its games. “The single biggest mistake people make is, they meet people online, and once they start communicating, they slip up,” said Robert Garriott, chief executive of NCsoft North America.

Though its ‘PlaySmart’ initiative is still in the early phase, it suggests the following: Parents should play the games with their children and be aware of the potential harms caused by voice chat and text-message exchanges.

Ron Teixeira, executive director of the National Cyber Security Alliance, called NCsoft’s program a good first step.

“Parents may think games are games,” Teixeira said. “They think nothing bad can happen, but the reality is that children virtually are somewhere else and interacting with people that may not be good.”