Wii-deprivation drives man to kidnap himself

Sure, Wii is great and all, but we're guessing a man in China who tried to extort $1,400 from his parents by "kidnapping" himself and demanding a ransom after they refused to buy him a "Nintendo computer" was probably a little too infatuated with Ninety's white box. The man -- who we're hoping is more of a "boy" -- apparently hired two men to kidnap him, and was arrested after he withdrew his own ransom from an ATM. Genius. Quick tip, kids: real tennis, bowling, golf, and boxing are almost as much fun as Wii Sports, believe it or not -- and they involve just slightly less jail time.

[Via Wii Fanboy]

[patriotsn1 @ Aug 1st 2008 10:36PM]

Did it really cost less to hire 2 guys to kidnap him than it would cost for him to buy a wii?

[Aguiluz @ Aug 1st 2008 10:44PM]

$1400 = Ransom

$363.91 = Wii

$1036.09 = ???

Well, looks like one big bill... Besides, when he gets a Wii, how can he play it without getting seen!?

[msm @ Aug 1st 2008 10:55PM]

making Engadget news = priceless.

[Ignatius @ Aug 1st 2008 10:59PM]

The funny thing about all this is that he's going to do exactly what I did with my Wii. It's collecting dust when I'm not playing GameCube games...

I stood outside for 7 hours for this damn thing on launch day... and this douche is so desperate he hires people to kidnap him? Oi vei...

[Kamokazi @ Aug 1st 2008 11:02PM]

It's China. Lower-class city workers often make less than USD100/mo. Rural areas can get much worse.

[jupiterthunder @ Aug 1st 2008 11:13PM]

@kamokazi

Might be true, but if his parents had $1400 to pay his ransom, then I don't think being strapped for cash was an issue. That, and he must have had a tv if he was asking for a wii.

[JohnTitor @ Aug 2nd 2008 12:54AM]

he shoulda just gotten a Vii

[liv @ Aug 2nd 2008 7:50AM]

He lives in China... so we should take into consideration the act that he might not have a TV. If this were the case... I'm curious as to what he'll do to buy a TV.

"In other news, Hsu Lin, a man from Beijing, has kidnaped his father in exchange for a TV. Fortunately, he has been captured and his hands have been cut off.

The Beijing Olympic Games......"

[Shnugi @ Aug 2nd 2008 11:09AM]

@jupiterthunder, kamokazi was referring to why the 'kiddnappers' would cost so little. Obviously, this dude's parents had a decent amount of money.

[Muhammed @ Aug 1st 2008 10:39PM]

omg thats so LAME !!!
go get a life!

[Chuckles McGee @ Aug 1st 2008 11:30PM]

Does real tennis come with instant replays? Noooo. Wii 1 Real Life 0

[Nick @ Aug 2nd 2008 12:42AM]

Not unless you record your game... Wii-0 Real Life-100

Don't be an idiot, the Wii is great for when its snowing out and theres nothing to do, but in the summer, go out and play, meet girls, hang out with friends, party.. etc. Don't just consume yourself on the Wii.

Cheers,
Nick

[Abuzar Baloach @ Aug 2nd 2008 2:21AM]

Getting a life would involve social and physical skills that this guy probably doesn't have.

[TerraCotta @ Aug 1st 2008 10:40PM]

He wonit do jail time. In China, he will be executed.

[Muhammed @ Aug 1st 2008 10:41PM]

or they might send him to guantanamo bay.

[Charlie Calhoun @ Aug 2nd 2008 1:18AM]

which is only code word for Chuck Norris' Basement.

[James @ Aug 1st 2008 10:41PM]

It wasn't a Wii, it was a Nintendo Computer like this one: http://gizmodo.com/assets/resources/2007/11/nesadvanced.jpg

PS: When I become ruler of the world... Automatic death sentence for anyone referring to Nintendo as "Ninty."

That includes you Nilay Patel.

[HOOPER @ Aug 1st 2008 10:51PM]

Whoa, I want that.

[Link2877 @ Aug 1st 2008 10:52PM]

dude that was never released that was the original prototype of the NES for America and that picture was taken at Nintendo world in new york.

[James @ Aug 1st 2008 11:05PM]

@ link2877

Yeah, no sh*t Sherlock.

I guess I should put a "j/k" or a ":-)" or a "/sarcasm" tag just for you. If only Engadget would let us edit our comments.

[Nilay Patel @ Aug 1st 2008 11:45PM]

It's a good bet that you'll never become ruler of the world by being a dick to people who have the power to edit, delete, and ban you.

[Link2877 @ Aug 1st 2008 11:48PM]

yea I had a feeling you were messing around, just thought I make sure. You forgive me right :( I'll give you a cookie.

[James @ Aug 1st 2008 11:51PM]

Cookie accepted :-)

[Nick @ Aug 2nd 2008 12:46AM]

@James, really smartass to be threatening an Admin/Moderator on Engadget.. Really smart.. Not.

Shame that theres so many people like you, thinking one sided and being arrogant as always, i suggest changing the attitude as a word of advice before you get banned for good.

Cheers,
Nick

[Chris2306 @ Aug 2nd 2008 4:12AM]

Woah, he was clearly joking, everyone dismount the high horses!
And nick, we can all see your damn name above your post no need to put a pretentious sig at the end.
Cheers
Ijustwokeup

[giuliop @ Aug 2nd 2008 7:35AM]

@James

Apparently, Engadget editors need j/k tags, too. They could even add them themselves, with their mighty "edit" feature that makes them closer to ruling the world much more than you could ever be, but that would first require them to accomplish the incredible feat of understanding the jokes in the first instance.

/sarcasm

[KEROLiUKAS @ Aug 1st 2008 10:44PM]

Brilliant.

[Chris Cox @ Aug 1st 2008 10:49PM]

The future belongs to these.

[BigD145 @ Aug 1st 2008 11:04PM]

It's better than people killing each other to get a PS3.

[jupiterthunder @ Aug 1st 2008 11:11PM]

Depends on if the people were planning to kill to get the PS3. Orchestrating this is just stupid.

[BigD145 @ Aug 1st 2008 11:53PM]

Depends on what? Accident vs intent? "Oh, I'm sorry. I just happened to have this gun/knife on me and I was willing to use it. Killing you was just an accident." That's still murder of the 1st in many states. Kidnapping oneself is nothing compared to that.

"DADE CITY -- A man police say shot his neighbor over a missing Playstation 3 was arrested Wednesday night."

"The latest report of violence over the Playstation 3 comes from San Francisco. It seems Hani Attia was killed on Monday for doing the right thing. Attia was a witness of a man trying to steal a PS3 from two women who were attempting to sell it to him. Attia confronted the man, got into an altercation and was stabbed. He was announced dead at Saint Francis Memorial Hospital."

"A Cal State Fresno student from Hayward shot three men -- killing one -- after getting in a fight over a video game console [a PS3] at an apartment near campus, police said Tuesday."

[SINNN @ Aug 1st 2008 11:33PM]

What would he do to get his dirty hands on my 3g iphone? Scary!

[andres @ Aug 2nd 2008 12:21AM]

take it and run. im sure most of the readers here would support him.

[King @ Aug 1st 2008 11:37PM]

Wii is a one time fee, but the real sports are pay as you go. Different deal. One time fee or long term payments?

[Funke, Tobias Dr. @ Aug 2nd 2008 12:11AM]

My concern is, and I've got to check with my accountant, but that this might bump him up into a higher tax bracket.

[phanbouy @ Aug 2nd 2008 1:00PM]

you should be David Cross' understudy

[chris gill @ Aug 2nd 2008 12:14AM]

Best story I've heard in a long time.... Keep it up, World.

[Yevon @ Aug 2nd 2008 12:51AM]

1. Hire 2 guys to kidnap you
2. Ask for a ransom.
3. ?????
4. Profit!

[Nick @ Aug 2nd 2008 12:51AM]

This couldn't be any funnier.. shame that half the people are so desperate for something material that they all start shooting at each other with guns and stab each other.. oh well, to be out of the ordinary, I still like Luigi. That can't be changed..

*remembers back when his dad bought him the NES and SMB 1-3, best ever.*

Cheers,
Nick

[vander @ Aug 2nd 2008 2:08AM]

I'm imagining the phonecall to the distressed parents now.

"If you do not immediately go down to the shops and buy a Wii console with Wii sports, and an extra controller and .. what you want a nunchuck instead.. and 2 nunchuck's in 24 hours little Chan will.. what was that, a Wii Sh*t.. oh and a WiiFit then you will never see your son again.. "

[bob @ Aug 2nd 2008 3:42AM]

OK. Isn't anyone going to be like hey, where'd you get that wii when he came back? I see a flaw in his cunning plan....

[phanbouy @ Aug 2nd 2008 1:01PM]

Baldrich? This is Black Adder!

[loosely_coupled @ Aug 2nd 2008 4:00AM]

HAHAH. You guys have to read the original story on the "read" link from Chinadaily...

the title is "Computer-crazy youth fakes self-abduction". "fake self-abduction"? um.....What the hell is a real "self-abduction" ????

[Bobs @ Aug 2nd 2008 4:14AM]

when you kidnap yourself and wont let yourself go untill you get the ransom

[jP @ Aug 2nd 2008 8:51PM]

@ Bobs

Like a savings account?

[BlakNinja @ Aug 2nd 2008 9:46AM]

LOL, fake kidnap becomes real jail time .

[BlakNinja @ Aug 2nd 2008 9:46AM]

Lol, fake kidnap becomes real jail time.

[champ22 @ Aug 3rd 2008 9:18AM]

what?......really?

[Crooked Style @ Aug 3rd 2008 6:10PM]

A man? maybe it's a 40 year old virgin living in his parents basement.

[tonyb @ Aug 4th 2008 3:43PM]

I'm gonna take a guess and say he asked for 10,000 yuan, which is $1,461 USD. Makes sense :)