Microsoft warns game developers of security risk (Reuters)

SEATTLE (Reuters) - All too familiar with hackers lookingto exploit security flaws in its software, Microsoft Corp.(Nasdaq: - ) warned video game developers on Monday that their PCgames are now a target for criminals.

Popular massively multiplayer online games, such as "Worldof Warcraft," have created a market for valuable gameidentities loaded with gold or other hard-earned forms ofin-game currency that can be used to buy new weapons, magicspells or other trappings to advance within the game.

Using malware or software designed to infiltrate a computersystem, hackers steal account information for users of MMOgames and then sell off virtual gold, weapons and other itemsfor real money.

"Those of you who are working on massively multiplayeronline games, organized crime is already looking at you," saidDave Weinstein, a Microsoft security development engineer atthe company's Gamefest video game development conference.

In multiplayer online role-playing games, players assume afictional character and take control of the character's actionsand interact with other players in a virtual world. For Worldof Warcraft, a user buys the game software and then pays amonthly subscription rate to access the online world.

Online game accounts are already on sale in the blackmarket next to stolen credit card accounts, fraudulentpassports, fake work papers and other illegal items gathered byidentity theft.

In fact, some game accounts can be worth up to $10,000.

"For a lot of the customers out there, there is more storevalue on their MMO characters than there is on the credit cardwith which they pay for the account," said Weinstein.

"The police are really good at understanding someone stolemy credit card and ran up a lot of money. It's a lot harder toget them to buy into 'someone stole my magic sword."'

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