South Korean Dies After Playing Online Games

December 09, 2005

On-line gamer dies after playing 10 days non-stop.

A South Korean man collapsed and died from exhaustion after playing computer games for 10 days without a proper rest.

The 38-year-old man collapsed Thursday as he was playing an on-line game at an Internet cafe in Incheon, west of Seoul.

He was carried to a nearby hospital but declared dead on arrival," a police officer told AFP.

The officer said the man had played computer games from morning to night every day and had barely stopped to sleep.

In August, a 28-year-old man died in southeastern Taegu city after playing an online computer game for more than two days.

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Physorg news: [url]http://www.physorg.com/news8913.html[/url]

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other player dies in august this year:

S Korean dies after games session

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.

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BBC News: [url]http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4137782.stm[/url]

other info from ^^^^:

Small minority

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

"But the good news is that it is a small minority."

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.

 

damn south korean
<~ S. Korean

 

They are pretty addicted at online games

 

All I have to say is get a life people. Play games for fun, not for your life.

 

Whatt! Im south korean! 50% and im a gamer too, uh oh!

 

I heard about the one in August that happned the day afte.r It was insane

 

crazy gamers.....need to learn when to stop and take a break

 

what a waste of life

 

WoW....
it kills you

 

wow is all i have to say

 

article is wrong, World Cyber Games have not been in South Korea since 2003. 2004 was San Francisco, 2005 was Singapore, 2006 in Monza Italy

 

holy smokes that is crazy!

 

I remember hearing about another Death after playing online games at an internet gaming cafe in Asia last year. It's sad that nothing's going on over there to prevent it - EX: limiting use for X hours until the next day.

 

It's always in Korea , Korea and Korea ....

I just wonder what game is that ... I don't believe WoW , Guild Wars and other online games could kill.

 

Wow, that's wierd. But normal gamers don't do crazy stuff like that.
He was probably on drugs...