Web Game Nets Creator $1.5M

An Internet crime game has earned its young creator nearly $1.5 miilion. Torn, a text-based game noir that lets players commit murder and mayhem, boasts some 41,000 active players and 1.3 million account holders worldwide. The game is free, but players can opt to pay $5 a month for extra points. British creator Joe Chedburn, 21, came up with the idea when he was just 15.

"My parents used to tell me off for spending too much time on my computer. They're quite happy with what I'm doing now," he said. (More internet stories.)