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Prison Architect 2 is a 3D sequel to a beloved indie game, and it's arriving March 26
Prison Architect 2 is a sequel to the cult hit from 2015 and brings the franchise to 3D, while retaining much of the simulation goodness from the original. It releases on March 26 for PC via Steam, Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5.
Sam Bankman-Fried sent to jail for witness tampering
FTX Founder Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF) was sent to jail Friday after the judge overseeing his case revoked bail. US District Judge Lewis Kaplan found probable cause that the disgraced former CEO repeatedly tampered with witnesses. In addition, Kaplan rejected Bankman-Fried’s attorneys’ request to delay his detention pending appeal.
France threatens large fines and possible jail time for e-bike mods
France does not look kindly upon e-bike owners that hot rod their wheels. The country has just introduced a law that could see "offenders" slapped with a maximum fine of €30,000 (US$34,000), and up to a year in jail. And they could have their driving license suspended for up to three years.
Google helped create a jail data map to shape reform policy (updated)
Most people in the US agree that the country needs to reform its criminal justice system. In 2017, for instance, a poll conducted by the American Civil Liberties Union found that 71 percent of Americans said it was important for the country to reduce its prison population. Of course, the question of how to tackle the issue is where there's little consensus.
Senator Wyden wants to jail execs who don't protect consumer data
Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) released a draft the Consumer Data Protection Act, which would create new protections for consumer information and strict punishments for those found to be abusing user data. The proposed bill would send senior executives to jail for 10 to 20 years if they fail to follow the guidelines for data use.
Russian blogger found guilty of playing 'Pokémon Go' in church
A Russian judge has found a Russian YouTuber guilty of inciting hatred for posting antireligious videos after he filmed himself playing Pokémon Go in a church. Ruslan Sokolovsky, a 22-year-old man from the Ural mountain city of Yekaterinburg (around 1,000 miles east of Moscow), could have faced up to five years in jail for "offending religious sensibilities." Sokolovsky was handed a three and a half year suspended sentence.
British YouTubers jailed for faking an art gallery heist
Four members of the YouTube channel Trollstation have been jailed staging hoax raids on two prestigious London galleries. The group pleaded guilty to two counts of using threatening words or behaviour after they performed a fake kidnapping and caused mass panic at the National Portrait Gallery and Tate Britain in July 2015.
Software glitch let 3,200 US prison inmates out early
Washington's Department of Corrections has been forced to admit that around three percent of the prison population has been released early since 2002. The issue, which was admitted yesterday by Governor Jay Inslee, surrounds a software glitch that's been incorrectly calculating the duration of inmates sentences. According to the Seattle Times, a Supreme Court ruling mandated that good time credits should be used to reduce prison terms. When the DoC's computer systems were amended to take that into consideration, however, there was an inaccurate calculation of how long a good time credit was. Unfortunately, it wasn't until 2012 when the family of a victim raised the issue of a prisoner's release, that the department became aware.
Recommended Reading: The harsh realities of internet fame
Recommended Reading highlights the best long-form writing on technology and more in print and on the web. Some weeks, you'll also find short reviews of books that we think are worth your time. We hope you enjoy the read. Get Rich or Die Vlogging: The Sad Economics of Internet Fame Gaby Dunn, Fusion Just because you're famous on the internet, doesn't mean you're rolling in the dough. This piece takes a look at the harsh realities of being famous on the web and trying to survive in the real world. As it turns out, YouTube fame, for some, isn't all it's cracked up to be.
MapleStory 2 begins closed beta signups next week, will include a jail system
Another day, another game we can't have yet. This one's MapleStory 2, the sequel to Nexon's MapleStory, which in spite of its cuteness is still one of the biggest MMORPGs in the world. Steparu reports that MS2 is set to enter its first closed beta phase on January 21st; signups go live for Korean players on Christmas eve. Over on the official site (in Korean), Nexon further discusses the MMO's jail system, something fans of games like Ultima Online and ArcheAge know well. This particular jail is meant to hold those who make wreckage of chat channels, though Nexon says will punish counter-abuse "severely." What could possibly go wrong? We don't yet know whether the game will come here, but since classic MapleStory has a global version that's earned Nexon boatloads of money, it's pretty darn likely. We've embedded Steparu's MapleStory 2 customization video below.
Former Silicon Knights dev sentenced in child pornography case
Former Precursor Games and Silicon Knights designer Ken McCulloch was sentenced this week in an Ontario Court of Justice in St. Catharines, Canada on child pornography charges. Judge Joseph Nadel sentenced McCulloch to 12 months of time served; McCulloch has been jailed since his arrest in late June 2013, after he pleaded guilty to making child pornography available. According to The Welland Tribune, Niagara Regional Police also charged McCulloch with sexual assault, forcible confinement and sexual interference during his time in jail in the past year. McCulloch will remain in custody, returning to court on August 26 to answer to those charges. As a result of the initial sentencing, McCulloch will be added to the provincial sex offender registry for the next 20 years. Judge Nadel also ordered McCulloch to stay away from any child under the age of 16 and from schools, parks, recreation centers and public pools for 10 years.
Dungeon Fighter Online thieves go to jail
A pair of cyber-thieves have been sentenced to two years of prison time in China for stealing from another player in Dungeon Fighter Online. The unemployed thieves stole the login and password of a player, accessed his account, and sold off his inventory to the tune of $6,405. They were caught soon after and will face not only jail but fines for the crime. Late last year 10 Chinese thieves were caught stealing World of Warcraft accounts and selling players' possessions. They too received about two years in jail and had to cough up fines. [Thanks to Hagu for the tip!]
ArcheAge player sentenced to 13 hours in jail by peers
ArcheAge's court system came into the limelight yesterday when a player in beta was sentenced to over 13 hours of in-game jail time by a jury of his or her peers. Players who break the various laws in the game and then die have a choice to either accept a short prison sentence or go to court and plead their case to a jury of five other players. These players then vote on the defendant's guilt or innocence, and in the case of the former, sentence the defendant to prison. Prisoners can wait out their sentence, play soccer in the jail courtyard, or attempt to tunnel their way to freedom. This particular player had over 100 criminal charges, which incurred a high amount (770 minutes) of jail time. If you want to learn more about ArcheAge's criminal justice system, check out the video after the break!
WoW account thieves get fines, two-year prison sentences
WoW Insider reports on a group of 10 Chinese men who have received prison sentences for their roles in a World of Warcraft account-stealing scheme. The group compromised 11,500 accounts, some of which were purchased for $1 a piece before being emptied and having their virtual contents resold "for an average of $3 per account." The group's ringleader was found guilty and slapped with an $8,000 fine as well as two years of jail time, while his accomplices received $1,000 fines and "just under two years in prison."
Precursor Games distancing itself from co-founder following child pornography arrest
Precursor Games writer, game designer and artist Ken McCulloch has been arrested by Niagara Regional Police on child pornography possession and distribution charges, Bullet News Niagara reports. Police confiscated a "significant" amount of computer hardware after exercising a search warrant on a home in St. Catharines yesterday. "Having just learned of these disturbing charges today and based on the serious nature of them, Ken McCulloch is no longer affiliated in any way with Precursor Games," CEO Paul Caporicci said in a statement on the developer's official forums. McCulloch's employee profile has been removed the site, and now directs to a 404 error. McCulloch is currently in custody while he awaits a bail hearing, Bullet News Niagara reports. Precursor Games, an independent developer formed from ex-Silicon Knights employees, is generally known for its controversial, unorthodox (and temporarily cancelled) attempts at crowdfunding Shadows of the Eternals, a spiritual successor to Denis Dyack's cult Gamecube classic Eternal Darkness. We've reached out to Precursor Games for comment. [Thanks, Drake.]
Former GameStop VP sentenced 51 months for embezzling over $1.7M
The Northern District Court of Texas sentenced Frank Christopher Olivera, the former VP of corporate communications and public affairs at GameStop, to 51 months in federal prison. Olivera, who pleaded guilty to embezzling over $1.7 million via mail fraud, was also fined $57,375 for funds unpaid on GameStop's loss, and a further $77,275 in restitution.According to federal documents, Olivera set up a fictitious Nevada-based company called Cloud Communications to send payments from GameStop to, across a period of July 2009 to April 2011. Olivera placed the payments in an account held by Cloud Communications, and then transferred the money to his personal bank account.
XL teases fans with another impressive ArcheAge trailer
Ready for a new ArcheAge trailer? XLGAMES is in a coy mood, and the four-minute clip is a doozy that shows off everything from crafting and gathering to a giant kraken beast to some sort of player wedding. There are also glimpses of the game's crime and punishment system as well as the typically scrumptious shots of sailing ships and underwater exploration. ArcheAge creator Jake Song starts the clip off with a brief introductory spiel, and if any of you fine commenters are fluent in Korean, we'd love to know what he says!
Leaderboard: Good guys vs. bad guys in open PvP
Age of Wushu has an abundance of interesting MMO mechanics, chief among them a PK penalty system that puts players in virtual jail if they're caught murdering their fellows. The mechanic is a crucial part of the game's PvP system, and as Massively columnist Patrick Mackey explained in his beta preview, it's a novel approach for preventing an open PvP world from devolving into a gank-fest. The system also allows for player alignment to actually mean something beyond a number on a character sheet or a statement in a bio, and in Age of Wushu you really can be a bad guy or a good guy and use your powers to affect your fellow gamers. That brings us to today's Leaderboard question. Assuming you play open PvP games, or games with meaningful alignment systems, how do you generally present yourself? Do you play the good guy? The bad guy? Do you stay neutral if the option exists? Vote after the cut! Ever wish that you could put to rest a long-standing MMO debate once and for all? Then welcome to the battle royal of Massively's Leaderboard, where two sides enter the pit o' judgment -- and only one leaves. Vote to make your opinion known, and see whether your choice tops the Leaderboard!
Jailed ARMA devs thank fans and friends for support in handwritten note
The Bohemia Interactive developers being detained in Greece sent a handwritten note to fans and friends expressing thanks for words of encouragement and the knowledge that they are "not forgotten." The note, sent last week, is now online at HelpIvanMartin.org.Ivan Buchta and Martin Pezlar were arrested after being accused of spying on Greek military installations on the island of Lemnos. They've since spent 81 days in jail, with the Czech president recently asking the Greek president to treat their case with "special care."In the note, the Czech devs say they are being treated well, and that they are doing their best "to stay optimistic and use this time well." They go on to thank the 14,000+ signatories of the petition created to show support for the detained pair.We have a full version of the note in text after the break.
The Daily Grind: Would you play an MMO where you might go to jail?
While plenty of sandbox titles give players total freedom, ArcheAge is taking the concept a step further by offering actual in-game consequences for choosing a life of crime. We're very interested to see if XLGAMES can manage to keep griefers in check while providing fun gameplay for both criminals and victims, but we're also interested to see your responses to the system so far. If you're a law-abiding type, does ArcheAge's system sound like a good idea? If you're prone to playing criminal characters, would you roll in a game where you might spend some of your fun time in virtual jail? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
