Teenager takes down Call of Duty online mode, cops called in

A 17-year-old kid from Manchester in the United Kingdom single-handedly brought down the online mode of Call of Duty: Black Ops, one of the world’s most popular games. It’s sort of like a modern David vs. Goliath tale, if David had been a petulant, self-absorbed little jerk.

The teen launched a cyber attack from his bedroom, bringing Call of Duty: Black Ops to a temporary online standstill earlier this week. He managed it all using a program called Phenom Booter, a piece of malicious software that allows those playing the shooter to outscore opponents.

Alas, publisher Activision’s lawyers were none too amused, and he’s now been arrested by police, after large numbers of players said they were unable to play the game online. Fortunately, the douche-induced lull in service (during which I like to think some players tried other games) is now over, so you can get back to getting your frag on.

[Via BBC]