According to this Salon article, Peter Ludlow, professor of philosophy and linguistics at the University of Michigan, was banned recently from EA and Maxis' The Sims Online. Ludlow, who goes by the name Urizenus in the game, writes a blog in which he exposes the dark side of Alphaville, a large city within the game. In his blog,
The Alphaville Helrald, he interviews some of the more dubious people in the game, from thieves, to scammers, to under aged prostitutes, and exposes all the sorts of chaos that goes on in this MMOG gone wrong.

Well this apparently doesn't sit well with EA. Ludlow's account was banned, and since numerous news sources have been covering this event. Although EA's reasoning for the ban was a link to an external site in his profile and on his in-game property, which apparently constitutes a violation of the Terms Of Service. Ludlow believes it was over the Alphaville herald, and he may be right, as other players associated with the site have had their accounts suspended.

The Sims Online is a game based off the very popular game The Sims. In it, you play god over a simulated person, taking care of it and helping it through life by balancing
it's different needs like sleep and hunger. The Sims Online takes the computer controlled sims and replaces them with a real live human being, however, since the game's release some players have turned the game into a very nasty place. Extortion, thievery, and even prostitution have popped up and have succeeded in being a major annoyance to legitimate players.