Chinese man dies after 3-day gaming session

Gaming addiction can prove to be a serious problem for some people - to the point where it's fatal.

A Chinese man has reportedly died from exhaustion after a non stop three day gaming session in a public internet cafe, according to FoxNews.

The 30-year old man has not been named, but had started a "three day gaming binge" at an internet cafe in Guangzhou. Paramedics were called to the scene after the man fainted at his PC in the cafe, but were unable to revive him and pronounced him dead at the scene. The Bejing Press later picked up the story, stating that he may have died "from exhaustion brought on by too many hours on the Internet".

Thankfully, nobody has been able to establish what games the man was playing and so nobody has been able to lead with headlines like "Counterstrike Kills Again".

It seems like barely a month goes by that another man doesn't end up dying from gaming addiction, a condition still unrecognised by many professionals as a serious problem for some gamers.

Strangely, the problem seems most prevalent in countries like China and Korea where MMO games are increasingly popular and 24-hour internet cafes are easy to find.

The news also again raises the question of why nobody thought to interrupt the man or to impose a maximum amount of time the PC could be rented for at a time.

Have an opinion on how internet cafes should regulate safe usage, or do you have first hand experience with gaming addiction? Either way, drop us your thoughts in the forums.
Quote p3n 18th September 2007, 09:54
Chinese man days after 3-day gaming session

Crazy people!
Quote CardJoe 18th September 2007, 09:56
:S
Quote yakyb 18th September 2007, 09:56
might want to change the title there

still how the hell do you sit at a chair and not get up until you die
Quote b1g-d0g 18th September 2007, 09:57
Ouch nut case i like online gaming but not till it kill`s me.
Quote HourBeforeDawn 18th September 2007, 10:06
lol another person died from probably playing wow... how pathetic can some of these people be, well the plus side to these peoples death is we dont have to worry about them breeding....
Quote Shielder 18th September 2007, 10:09
Maybe this is another candidate for a Darwin Award...
Quote mclean007 18th September 2007, 10:13
Quote:
Originally Posted by yakyb
might want to change the title there

still how the hell do you sit at a chair and not get up until you die
Did he get up after he died? :D

Again raises the question whether individuals should be responsible for regulating their own behaviour or whether the state has a responsibility to regulate internet cafés allowing this sort of thing to happen. Personally, I'm massively liberal on this - if you don't realise that 72 hours without sleep is a bad thing, that's your problem. Hadn't he seen "The Bourne Ultimatum" FFS?

That having been said, I think it is clear from the increasing frequency of stories like this (it's become so commonplace for a Chinese or Korean person to die from game related exhaustion that we're not really even shocked any more, are we?) that a growing number of people, particularly in the Far East, are suffering from a powerful addiction either to computer use generally or to specific MMOs, and they probably need the same support offered to other addicts.
Quote b1g-d0g 18th September 2007, 10:17
Was it after he got the bill :D
Quote will. 18th September 2007, 10:38
idiot.
Quote Bigturk 18th September 2007, 11:53
i guess in UK we got bindge Drinking, in China they have Bindge Gaming lol
Quote MiT 18th September 2007, 12:59
They probable never stopped him, because the cafe was making money off him, for the long hours.

but 3 days....thats crazy
Quote Stuey 18th September 2007, 13:16
Quote:
Originally Posted by HourBeforeDawn
lol another person died from probably playing wow... how pathetic can some of these people be, well the plus side to these peoples death is we dont have to worry about them breeding....
I totally agree! I mean, was this guy on a school break, or was he unemployed, or what?
Quote Hells_Bliss 18th September 2007, 13:22
Didn't you get the memo? The Chinese gold farmers are weeding out the weak :p

Seriously though, what game is really worth playing for 3 days straight? I'd be bored out of my mind doing the same thing for 72 hours
Quote Redbeaver 18th September 2007, 14:22
first thing i notice as soon as i open this page is "WOW, i gotta get myself that tiny table-top where i can put my drinks and ash tray!".....

3 days. i kinda blame the shop-owner too. IMO its his (or her) responsibilities to stop the guy after 3days not sleeping n nuking....
Quote D3s3rt_F0x 18th September 2007, 14:22
This man has gone and done what I could only dream of, although the dream is still to die from a heart attack while having sex.
Quote specofdust 18th September 2007, 14:35
Meh, he died doing something he presumably loved.

Good way to go.
Quote CardJoe 18th September 2007, 14:47
Quote:
Originally Posted by D3s3rt_F0x
This man has gone and done what I could only dream of, although the dream is still to die from a heart attack while having sex.

It would depend on with who I think, and either way I don't think they'd like it very much...
Quote capnPedro 18th September 2007, 16:30
Sensationalism really. People (Jack Thomson in particular) are going to spin this as games being super bad/really addictive. Gaming didn't kill this guy, fatigue did. He could have been kept away with reading and people wouldn't want to ban books.
Quote pendragon 18th September 2007, 18:16
Quote:
Originally Posted by capnPedro
Sensationalism really. People (Jack Thomson in particular) are going to spin this as games being super bad/really addictive. Gaming didn't kill this guy, fatigue did. He could have been kept away with reading and people wouldn't want to ban books.

so true. I'm just waiting for him to bring 'Teh Crazy' on this one.
Quote Bungle 18th September 2007, 18:52
I got a theory that this guy isn't actually dead. Anyone seen the Lawnmower man? I reckon his essence is in one of those online games he's playing and only his real life shell is deceased. He's probably having a big old laugh on the ingame chat channels as we speak:D
Quote Woodstock 18th September 2007, 22:36
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bungle
I got a theory that this guy isn't actually dead. Anyone seen the Lawnmower man? I reckon his essence is in one of those online games he's playing and only his real life shell is deceased. He's probably having a big old laugh on the ingame chat channels as we speak:D

what have you been smoking, come one share.

He isnt the first he wont be the last, and i still wont be able to understand it
Quote Bungle 18th September 2007, 23:42
Quote:
Originally Posted by Woodstock
what have you been smoking, come one share.

I'm either High on life or bored at work. Pick one.:D
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