Viruses become part of Sims 2 life

Electronic Arts' simulated life game, Sims 2, lets players create their own digital lifestyle--one that is not supposed to include computer viruses.

However, hacks of in-game items and users' penchant for showing off their houses has led to an epidemic of strange items appearing in player's homes, according to computer security site SecurityFocus. Suddenly, players are finding that magic espresso makers and dishwashing machines named Candace have popped up in their digital homes.

The issue is a study in unintended consequences, and not the fault of "griefers." Electronic Arts allows hackers to modify items in the games and place them on the Sims 2 Exchange site for download. However, people downloading the virtual objects may end up replacing the code for the original object--all dishwashing machines in their simulated world will be named Candace, for example.

Those changes could spread to other digital homes. A Sims 2 player who downloaded a hacked item and, at a later time, uploaded a showcase home to the Sims 2 Exchange, would spread the changes to anyone who downloaded their home file. The victim's homes in the game would then exhibit the changes, the SecurityFocus article said.

Even virtual life has its issues, it seems.