April Fool's 2010 saw some pretty clever online pranks. Google, for instance, changed its name to Topeka for the entirety of April First. This came in response to a stunt by Topeka, KS, which temporarily changed its name to 'Google' in a bid to win Google's ultra-fast broadband.
But one prank, so unique in its maleficence, distinguishes itself. The devious prank, pulled by GameStation, an online gaming store, resulted in the voluntary surrender of 7,500 souls.
The soul-snatching was made possible through what Switched calls the "immortal soul clause" buried in the site's terms and conditions. The clause, as published by GameStation, reads,
By placing an order via this Web site on the first day of the fourth month of the year 2010 Anno Domini, you agree to grant Us a non transferable option to claim, for now and for ever more, your immortal soul. Should We wish to exercise this option, you agree to surrender your immortal soul, and any claim you may have on it, within 5 (five) working days of receiving written notification from gamesation.co.uk or one of its duly authorized minions.
Fox News commented on the poignancy of the prank: "[N]o one reads the online terms and conditions of shopping, and companies are free to insert whatever language they want into the documents."
Indeed, only 12 percent of purchasers noticed the ruse, news:lite reports. GameStation even included a hyper-linked option that read "click here to nullify your soul transfer" and rewarded astute shoppers with a coupon worth 5 GBP. Nevertheless, 88 percent of the day's transactions included human souls.
Now that April Fool's Day has passed, the benevolent GameStation has nullified all claims to their customers' souls.
Rest easy, gamers. (via Switched)