We all know that guy who gets into MMOs a little too hard, but you would never think of him taking his online brunts into the real world. However this is exactly what has happened in Russia, when a Lineage II player from a rival clan beat another to death.

The altercation started on December 31st when an online battle between the victim and the killer’s clan resulted in the killer’s clan being wiped out. The situation escalated from there, with a real life confrontation forming and the 33 year old man being beaten to death. The killer has been identified as a 22 year old student who reportedly shows no remorse for the victim and lives by his clan rule:

“Beat everything that moves, and everything that doesn’t move - move and beat!”

Unfortunately the rival gang don’t not seem to be able to differentiate real life from online as pointed out when the victim’s sister talked to Russia Today:

“I think [the rival clan] have confused the game and reality. And after we buried him on December 31, they continued to threaten us.”

While this may seem a one-off freak incident, it is tragically Russia’s second Lineage II related murder in a year.

via Russia Today

Bits bytes pixels & sprites made me laugh this morning.

Break out the black turtleneck sweater and beret, because this Friday Xbox Live Video Marketplace is featuring 45 short films from the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. Of course the opportunity to thumb your nose at Hollywood big budget and harp on about penumbras is never free, with each movie costing you 160 Microsoft points (US$1.99).

For those without an Xbox 360 the films will also be available on iTunes and Netflix. If you truly want to stick it to the man or are just a cheap bastard then one film a day will be free on Sundance.org during the 10 day festival period.

via Joystiq

While at home or at work, or whenever separated from our consoles, it’s always nice to have a reminder of our favorite pastime nearby. And if none of the many over-priced figurines take your fancy, perhaps something a little DIY/rustic will - such as these hand-knitted Mario mushrooms. You will probably have to get someone else to knit these for you as they’re not for sale. Once you do lock that lucky person in to the task, be sure to download the pattern from here.

via Skyline Chilly

Those of you with friends who like zombies and Christmas can send them all a Dead Island Christmas card from Techland’s website.

If you’re scrambling for a gift for that guy who builds his own robots and always wears the same t-shirt with the nerdy joke you don’t get, then maybe you want to check out this Pac-Man hoodie. The downside of this plan is that you will have to go into a Hot Topic to buy one. Such a sacrifice is probably worth it when you consider the fact that the garment in question won’t be leaving your friends body for about a decade.

via Siliconera

Valve’s Weighted Companion Cube plushy may have sold out at a frightening speed but in our opinion something much better has taken its place – the HL2 Headcrab Hat. Who hasn’t wanted to walk onto public transport moaning with a headcrab on their head, only to pay the fare and sit down quietly? Ok, so it’s a specific fantasy but for US$29.95 it could soon be reality.

via BBPS

In an attempt to curb the growing number of obese children in San Francisco, mayor Gavin Newsom proposed a law which charged big stores an extra fee for every bottle of sugar-based soda they sell. The law, which would hopefully discourage unhealthy overconsumption of unhealthy beverages, obviously came as a thorn in the side of the American Beverage Association. However, instead of attacking the law and its creator, the ABA have shifted the focus toward easily-scapegoatable video game companies. Apparently it’s these evil people who keep your children in the house and force feed them soda calorie-laden beverages.

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I’m not usually a fan of Nike, but these are some shoes I can get behind. If you remember doing full loops and editing the files to make your mentor decidedly more obscene, then you remember Skate or Die. That’s exactly what these sneakers are based off – the box art to Skate or Die. There has truly never been a cooler or more obscure piece of gaming memorabilia. Inside view and box art pic after the jump.

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It was bound to happen…and frankly we are surprised it took so long. Nonetheless, very soon you will be able to order a figurine of your World of Warcraft character. The idea comes from one of the Xbox’s founding fathers, Ed Fries, after he saw the Spore figure system.

The company is called FigurePrints and you can already demo the system. Having a little figure to demonstrate how much of your life you’ve wasted won’t come cheap though; as one will set you back US$100. Even at that price we are sure they will have trouble keeping up with demands.

via WoW Insider