Spencer Cheveallier could only watch as a double-dealing friend plucked a powerful sword from the loot that lay scattered around his lifeless body.
Cheveallier, the very-much-alive manager of a video game store in Memphis, Tennessee, had seen his character die and his valuables plundered in an online version of "Phantasy Star" on the Sega Dreamcast video game system.
Cheveallier's advice? You can't trust a stranger on the Internet.
But Sony Corp. and Microsoft Corp. are betting that video game players will do just that as they get ready to launch the next-generation of Internet gaming on the PlayStation and Xbox consoles.
The challenge, of course, will be persuading game players to spend even more money for the opportunity to slay monsters or just play football with someone across the street, overseas, or wherever else the Internet is available.
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