Toronto: Microsoft has offered $50,000 for the whereabouts of a missing Canadian boy who disappeared after being stopped by his parents from playing a video game made by the software giant.
An Internet addict, 15-year-old Brandon Crisp went missing Oct 13 from his home in Barrie city near here after a fight with his parents over overplaying the video game.
Steve Crisp, father of the missing teen, said his son ran away from their home when he was told not to get addicted to Call of Duty 4 on the Microsoft Xbox console. Parents fear their son may have been lured away by someone among the 200 names listed on his gaming Xbox.
When the news of his disappearance appeared on Canadian television networks, Microsoft executives contacted the family to announce the reward to trace their son.
The software giant on Saturday doubled the initial $25,000 reward to $50,000 as there were still clues about the missing boy after seven days of search.
Canadian search and rescue expert Terry Grant, who also hosts the reality show Mantracker, joined hundreds of volunteers in scouring the surrounding areas in search of the teen. People across Canada and the US offered to help in tracing the boy.
Microsoft also said it was cooperating with police by providing necessary information about those whom the missing boy contacted on the gaming site.
The boy was last seen near an abandoned railway corridor outside the city. But police search of the area has led to no clues about the missing boy.
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