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.
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.
Previous Article
22 Comments
Discuss in the forums ReplyCrazy people!
still how the hell do you sit at a chair and not get up until you die
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.
but 3 days....thats crazy
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
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....
Good way to go.
It would depend on with who I think, and either way I don't think they'd like it very much...
so true. I'm just waiting for him to bring 'Teh Crazy' on this one.
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
I'm either High on life or bored at work. Pick one.:D