The9 to punish virtual thieves

Shares of The9 Limited (Nasdaq:NCTY), an online game operator in China, are sagging following news before the start of trading today that it will freeze the accounts of players who steal and sell virtual coins used to play World of Warcraft. The Shanghai-based company gets most of its revenue from operating the popular role-playing game.

At 3:24 p.m. ET, the stock was down $1.53, or 7%, to $19.56. For detailed price information and recent news stories about The9 Limited, click NCTY.

---