South Korean dies after games session

[doe-sun]

From here

A South Korean man who played computer games for 50 hours almost non-stop died of heart failure minutes after finishing his mammoth session in an Internet cafe, authorities said on Tuesday.

The 28-year-old man, identified only by his family name Lee, had been playing online battle simulation games at the cybercafe in the southeastern city of Taegu, police said.

Lee had planted himself in front of a computer monitor to play online games on August 3. He only left the spot over the next three days to go to the toilet and take brief naps on a makeshift bed, they said.

"We presume the cause of death was heart failure stemming from exhaustion," a Taegu provincial police official said by telephone.

Lee had recently quit his job to spend more time playing games, the daily JoongAng Ilbo reported after interviewing former work colleagues and staff at the Internet cafe.

After he failed to return home, Lee's mother asked his former colleagues to find him. When they reached the cafe, Lee said he would finish the game and then go home, the paper reported.

He died a few minutes later, it said.

South Korea, one of the most wired countries in the world, has a large and highly developed game industry.

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Well, I guess that settles the debate about whether video games are addictive or not. RIP, dude.

[SunWuKong]

i don't know which is worse. this, or the guy in China that killed his friend for selling his virtual sword.

[LaiSteve66]

A fifty hour gaming stretch? That's crazy, but I never would of thought someone could die from it.

[deez nuts]

was he farming for in game dollars to sell for real dollars?

[Banana]

I couldn't help but laugh when I read this. Sorry.

[I'm a Robot]

If this happened in the US, some politician would have leapt all over this, accusing online games of being too violent/sexy/addictive/expensive/Satanic.

Anyway, this guy clearly had issues in his life. Now he doesn't, I guess.

[yoMAMA]

Jesus.

:(

[RiceWine]

Hm...I know most younger generations know this, but this might be evidence for addictive behavior.


It is distrubing that this could be a really problem, if not epidemic within Asians.

[I'm a Robot]

Originally Posted by RiceWine

Hm...I know most younger generations know this, but this might be evidence for addictive behavior.


It is distrubing that this could be a really problem, if not epidemic within Asians.

Well, it could be argued that the whole point of games (especially subscription-based games, like World of Warcraft) is to cause a state of mild addiction that keeps you playing for as long as possible. The more you play, the more you pay. So a game has to be fun enough to engage you over a long period of time.

South Korea has a VERY strong gaming element in its society. It's not too surprising, then, that a handful of unfortunate victims on the edges of society would make it more than a way of life. I wouldn't call it an epidemic, though, and certainly not some kind of problem exclusive to Asians.

[pikachupacabra]

He wasn't farming items because he was playing starcraft apparently.


At first I was like "50 hours? Hah. Weak." And then I didn't read anything about him eating or drinking in the article and I was like "whoa". I can hardly go 10 minutes without picking something (hopefully clean and tasty) up and munching on it.

[digitaholic83]

Go to www.shortnews.com

Go to the recreational section about the korean guy. Scroll down and read the comment by meltman.

He thinks all koreans play like this...dumbass.

[Martino]

Gods ...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4137782.stm

A South Korean man has died after reportedly playing an online computer game for 50 hours with few breaks.
The 28-year-old man collapsed after playing the game Starcraft at an internet cafe in the city of Taegu, according to South Korean authorities.

The man had not slept properly, and had eaten very little during his marathon session, said police.

Multi-player gaming in South Korea is extremely popular thanks to its fast and widespread broadband network.

Games are televised and professional players are treated, as well as paid, like sports stars.

Professional gamers there attract huge sums in sponsorship and can make more than $100,000 a year.

The man, identified by his family name, Lee, started playing Starcraft on 3 August. He only paused playing to go to the toilet and for short periods of sleep, said the police.

"We presume the cause of death was heart failure stemming from exhaustion," a Taegu provincial police official told the Reuters news agency.

He was taken to hospital following his collapse, but died shortly after, according to the police. It is not known whether he suffered from any previous health conditions.

They added that he had recently been fired from his job because he kept missing work to play computer games.

Online computer games are some of the most popular and largest growth areas in interactive entertainment.

Players can easily get immersed and feel compelled to play for hours at a stretch, particuarly in massively multiplayer online role playing games - MMORPGs - in which thousands of gamers play and interact in shared fantasy or science fiction worlds.

Reports of gamers spending 10 to 15 hours a day in front of video games, such as the highly popular World of Warcraft and EverQuest, are becoming more frequent. Experts say gamers should take regular screen breaks.

Psychologist Professor Mark Griffiths, author of several in-depth studies into online gaming and gambling addiction, told the BBC News website that, according to his research, playing excessively was not problematic in any shape or form for the majority of gamers.

He said: "It does seem to be the case that online gaming addiction for a small minority is a real phenomenon and people suffer the same symptoms as traditional addictions.

In one detailed survey of 540 gamers, Professor Griffith and his team found that there were four playing more than 80 hours a week, which is considered "excessive".

He explained many people liked to play MMORPGs for long periods of time because of the social aspect of the games.

"They are the types of games that completely engross the player. They are not games that you can play for 20 minutes and stop.

"If you are going to take it seriously, you have to spend time doing it," he said.

But he warned there was a difference between "healthy enthusiasm" and "unhealthy addiction." People who sacrificed jobs, partners and loved ones were considered "extreme players".

Unlike help for traditional addictions, such as gambling, there is very little help for computer game addiction, he said.

"It is not taken seriously yet - it is the same for internet addiction," he said.

He advised anyone worried about gaming addictions should contact their local GP and get referred to a psychologist.

More than 15 million people, or 30% of the population, are registered for online gaming in South Korea. The country also host the annual World Cyber Games.

[I'm a Robot]

This was posted on Tuesday in the Current Events section.

[TB4000]

What I want to know is...how many units did he have?

[ahsingjai]

Originally Posted by SunWuKong

i don't know which is worse. this, or the guy in China that killed his friend for selling his virtual sword.

Or Korean Cyber Gangs that would kill you if you in real life if you mess with them in a MMORPG.