Age of Conan GM fired amidst in-game sex scandal
Filed under: Fantasy, Age of Conan, Culture, News items
An Age of Conan player tricked a naïve, Funcom-employed Game Master (an in-game customer service representative) into pursuing cybersex with him. The player posed as a female playing a male character and enticed the male GM with flirtatious remarks and innuendos. After the GM fully threw himself into the moment, the player revealed that he was male, and that the conversation had been a prank.Friends of the player posted screenshots of the conversation on MMORPG's forums, and the ensuing controversy led Funcom to fire the GM for unacceptable behavior and violation of the customer service guidelines. Destructoid then interviewed the prankster and hosted the unedited version of the conversation screenshots.
Frankly, we're not sure who is the bigger jackass -- the GM for his unprofessional behavior, or the player for baiting him into it. Everyone seems to have his or her own unique interpretation of this fiasco.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
8-14-2008 @ 7:45PM
crsh said...
The GM got what he deserved, but the baiting player should get perma-banned from the game.
Reply
8-14-2008 @ 9:44PM
äsdf said...
I have no problems with what this player did at all. Sure he baited the GM into it, but at least it ultimately helped get rid of what was obviously an unfit GM.
If it was that easy for him to be tricked into cybering with someone who knows what else this GM could have been doing "on the job" that did nothing to benefit the players.
There have been some comparisons of this situation to that of "To Catch A Predator". All of the people on that show are baited into their situations, but aren't we all glad that they are? I wouldn't say bad GMs are as bad as child molesters, but I'm still glad to see this person lose his "job" over it.
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8-14-2008 @ 9:46PM
Tony said...
I think you have to consider intent here, though. The intent of to catch a predator is quite different in a lot of ways. You can't describe what they do on that show as a "prank" as sensationalized as it is.
This is a prank. Fine, the guy bought into it and was fired. I think that's fair. But to give this person any credit beyond trying to humiliate someone doesn't make sense to me.
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8-14-2008 @ 10:49PM
äsdf said...
Yeah, fair enough. The intent was to acquire some "lulz" and he ended up with that plus rooting out a potentially bad GM.
8-14-2008 @ 10:11PM
Jobe479 said...
AoC has some of the worst (and useless) GM's I've ever encountered in an MMO. This really isn't surprising, funny though.
Reply
8-14-2008 @ 11:33PM
Pingmeister said...
He got someone fired so he could post his big accomplishment on the net. Sure, the GM was an idiot...but I don't think he deserves to be unemployed because of a nitwit's prank.
Reply
8-15-2008 @ 4:39AM
Jacob said...
i hope the player gets banned aswell tbh, a fairly disgusting thing to do under any circumstances
8-15-2008 @ 6:20AM
sean said...
This is pretty much unacceptable, he deserve what he got!
Reply
8-15-2008 @ 9:34AM
Regalx said...
You need to keep in mind that what the player did was Entrapment. The player was doing everything possible to trick the GM into doing something he wouldn't normally do. It's very possible for a regular person like you or me to be manipulated and/or seduced into doing something illegal if said person was good enough.
Either way that GM would have had to quit due to the shame and he will probably never get another job in the gaming business because of it.
Don't think for a second that this player is anything more than a jack ass that gets his kicks off messing with people's minds.
Reply
8-15-2008 @ 10:34AM
prefect46 said...
He had virtual sex with a customer, on the job. That's not entrapment, that's being stupid. The GM was an idiot and the griefer was a griefer. AoC's better for it, and hopefully the GM learned a few important lessons about the internet.
8-15-2008 @ 6:47PM
Nmaster said...
For the record, he was not fired due to "the ensuing controversy". FunCom keeps tabs on it's GMs, and he was fired before the scandal ever hit the net, like, immediately.
Reply
8-17-2008 @ 2:15AM
Steve said...
First, "entrapment" as a ploy does not "count" in court as an argument for the defense of any action. Recent U.S. Supreme Court rules have stipulated that IF an individual is presented with an "opportunity" to commit any illegal/immoral act and (s)he chooses to commit said act, then THEY alone are responsible for their actions.
In other words, the "Devil made me do it" only "works" for the Vatican when defending priest-pedophilia or ephibophelia and NOT for any practical alibis for unacceptable behaviors committed by well-intentioned, easily-led, peer-pressured idiots.
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8-17-2008 @ 10:04AM
recursive said...
Fortunately, sex is not something you go to court for in most countries.
Extortion is though..
Reply
8-27-2008 @ 1:39AM
Wayfarer said...
Just keep the game with a rating that allows only 18 year olds or older to play and then you can role play anything you like.....problem solved! It shouldn't matter how anyone plays Age of Conan.
Reply