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World of Warcraft is Bad for You!

WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 19 2007 3:00 AM

Submitted by Sid. Edited By erin_broadley.

TAGS: video games, bingeing

I love video games as much as many of you do. Hell, I spent the last six months of my life up until my big move west working in a video game store, and playing video games between classes.

Early on, I vowed not to become one of those World of "Warcrack" addicts after dating a fellow whose idea of a date was me coming over and watching him play said game, along with Halo 2 (he made me stand in a line with him for 3 hours for the midnight release of it, where I had at least seven dudes from the line recognize me from SG), and along with Unreal Tournament, which to this day makes me dizzy watching someone play. Besides being put off by the game because of these boring "dates", I was not willing to pay a monthly fee on top of paying the initial $50 for the game, and after playing a trial version, I decided I'd rather stick to D&D anyway. No offense to WoW players, it just wasn't my cup of tea.

However, this article is not about my game play, but rather of those who over-do it.

A man in southern China appears to have died of exhaustion after a three-day Internet gaming binge, state media said Monday.

The 30-year-old man fainted at a cyber cafe in the city of Guangzhou Saturday afternoon after he had been playing games online for three days, the Beijing News reported.

The report did not say what the man, whose name was not given, was playing.

Unfortunately, this is not an isolated case. Games Digest reports:

This certainly isn�t the first time people have died as a result of obsessive video game binges, although so far all of the incidents have occurred outside Europe and North America. So -- keeping playing safe, kids and always remember to, y�know, eat and stuff.

And you may laugh at the last line of the above quote. I mean, I seriously can't fathom being so wrapped up in a video game where I can't bring my WoW character into a pub, or hit the "pause" button in Halo, or just not continue right away after an untimely death in Unreal, or what-have-you, but one 24-year old South Korean man, died from just that in 2002.

Police said Kim had been virtually glued to the computer since for 86 hours and had not slept or eaten.

And 10 days after Kim's death, 27-year old Lien Wen-cheng died after playing games for 32 hours in Taiwan.

Upon researching the writing of this article, the longest I could find anybody playing video games, in this case, Starcraft, and dying as a result was a whopping 50 hours. Dag, yo!

So be careful game addicts!

And if you're going to "binge" on your video games, make sure you stock up on those energy drinks, I recommend either:

Mountain Dew Game Fuel (in the Halo 3 can)

or, my personal favorite:

Bawls

Sid is glad that Trevor and I are lucky enough to have a cat who warns us if we've played too much by knocking the controllers out of our hands.

76 Comments

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Lrnec

Ireland

September 2007

SEP 19, 2007 05:39 AM

"So - keeping playing safe, kids and always remember to, y’know, eat and stuff."

That reminds me of Baldurs Gate games, they used to remind you that you need to sleep and eat in real life as well as in the game

TheAngrySloth

York, ON

September 2003

SEP 19, 2007 06:08 AM

Video game addiction is SERIOUS BUSINESS.

Sorry, had to.

fountainofdreams

Mokena, IL

January 2005

SEP 19, 2007 07:19 AM

We already saw this in the WoW group, and one of the valid points people were pointing out is that the game the guy was playing is not listed. Why are we blaming WoW without any reference to it?

Keith

Oklahoma City, OK

August 2002

SEP 19, 2007 08:02 AM

Mmm.. warm, brown socks.

minusthepenguin

Glenview, IL

August 2005

SEP 19, 2007 08:07 AM

ongoingnightmare said:
I have seen the might of WOW defeat offers of sex.

theres always time to turn it off for some lovin

I am indeed addicted to WoW.. but I'd go afk for THAT.

"brb secks!"

TheAngrySloth

York, ON

September 2003

SEP 19, 2007 08:10 AM

fountainofdreams said:
We already saw this in the WoW group, and one of the valid points people were pointing out is that the game the guy was playing is not listed. Why are we blaming WoW without any reference to it?

True say.

jonzes

Madison, WI

July 2003

SEP 19, 2007 08:14 AM

And the worst thing is, it's not that much fun.

killerbean80

Cornwall On Hudson, NY

February 2007

SEP 19, 2007 08:24 AM

Damn i just don't get addicts video gamers or what ever but damn it is not like video games make you numb or feel good like a good drug does. so i don't get it. my longest stint was playing Bionical heroes. for a dumb lego game it is actually really fun. i racked up 7 whole hours but i did get up and leave in the middle....went to the store.....ate lunch....painted my spud launcher(another ridiculous and stupid thing to have but damn it's actually fun too) then came back to the game so i racked up like 3 or so hours on the game i never actually played. i life really so bad the the game is better? i don't know and i am a major escapist. i dive my mind into all kinds of stuff just so i don't have to think about the fact that i am alive and this is my reality. hey at least those who have died have died happy doing what they love.

killerbean80

Cornwall On Hudson, NY

February 2007

SEP 19, 2007 08:27 AM

i never saw white Bawls i'll have to try that boy do i love the Blue Bawls though.

BeachBumSoul

I'm lost

September 2007

SEP 19, 2007 08:31 AM

Enter "evidence" by conservative groups about the satanic nature of video games

Le sigh

Trahern

United Kingdom

March 2003

SEP 19, 2007 08:36 AM

I don't work for a living and over the past few years I've played EQ, SWG, a little Eve and now WoW. The only addiction I've had is due to New Toy Syndrome. Once that passes, I go back to the usual schedule that includes eating, sleeping and even bathing. It boggles the mind how some people can stay glued to the screen for so long, ignoring the growling belly or bursting bladder, that they actually kill themselves doing it. What idiots.

*logs into WoW as soon as the comment is posted*

tylerdurdn73

New York, NY

September 2007

SEP 19, 2007 08:44 AM

100 hour WOW marathon FTW!!!

_Tab

I'm lost

September 2004

SEP 19, 2007 08:46 AM

tonyrways said:
I wish i had time to "binge" on video games. I work for a living! If these people are the 30 somethings still living mom/grandma's basement; is the world really missing them?

I think it should be pointed out that there are people out there that are actually making their living playing games like Wow. IE: gold farming.
Since the majority of these people who are farming gold (to sell to people too lazy to earn it themselves) are said to be Chinese, maybe thats what this guy was doing

linky (scroll down)

_Tab

I'm lost

September 2004

SEP 19, 2007 08:47 AM

Markus001

United Kingdom

November 2004

SEP 19, 2007 08:48 AM

Stuff like this only seems to happen in China and S. Korea, S. Korea being a country whose economy is almost completely Starcraft driven. But seriously...they couldn't press pause and go and put a pizza in the oven? Or get some fresh air?

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