Just Say No!

[The Kraig]

I heard that a Korean couple played WoW so long, their child died from neglect. So I looked it up ages ago, and sure enough. Link below.

http://www.gamespot.com/news/2005/06/20/news_6127866.html

But today I was reading The Metro and saw that a cyber funeral was held for a girl who died because she played for so long. What the fuck? Again, I looked it up.

http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=27466

Apparently someone else in China had died from their obsession with playing since her death. And apparently computer gaming is as addictive as drugs.

Now, I'm not worried, but I am disturbed. I've often played games for long periods of time (mainly over the holidays or whatever when everyone's on holiday) but how would you not fall asleep after a few days of playing non-stop? It just amazes me. And the fact they had a massively multiplayer funeral for her. I mean...how did they know she was dead? News? Family? I find it all very weird. And it's not as if gaming needed yet more bad publicity. Here's the picture that was in The Metro.

But the most disturbing thing is that upon hearing these incidents, I want the game more than ever. I mean, it must be REALLY good.

I think I'm a game addict. So if I suddenly stop posting...

[MalaCloudy Black]

That's messed up, but totally believable. Incidents like these have been around since the mid-90's, I'm pretty sure I've read of the same sort of thing happening to people when Doom originally came out.

It is scary though, but completely possible. I've almost done it a few times, but to no such degree to the point that I'm near-death.

[probablyoliver]

It's be so awesome if a level 8 mage crashed that party and killed everyone

[The Kraig]

I found The Metro atricle on the internet.

WHEN A GIRL died after a marathon session playing her favourite computer game, fellow devotees paid her the ultimate tribute.

She must have had no sleep at all for over a week

Hundreds went online and staged a virtual funeral for her.

They directed their characters to a cathedral in the World Of Warcraft fantasy game and spoke in memory of her. The digital characters could be seen kneeling in rows, heads bowed.

The player, known only as Snowly, died last month after playing the game for three days with barely a break during a week-long national holiday in China.

Her online friends said she had one of the highest attendance rates in the online game.

But days before she died, Snowly complained of feeling exhausted as she prepared for a particularly difficult stage of the challenge.

Weeks later, a second gamer, who nicknamed himself Thereafter, died in similar circumstances.

The deaths are the latest in a growing number of tragedies related to excessive games-playing in Asia.

They have sparked a flood of Internet postings from concerned fellow gamers. One player, calling himself Charlie, said: 'Some players really do play the game for three or four days without rest and they barely eat.'

Another, Trevor Hill, revealed: 'I've stayed up and only got three hours a night for the first year of law school.

'What the heck does someone have to do to die from fatigue? She must have had no sleep at all for over a week.'

Chinese authorities now want to impose restrictions on how long gamers can play online.

A three-hour limit is to be introduced next year. Several games makers have agreed also to install 'anti-obsession' systems to prevent more deaths.

World Of Warcraft is the latest phenomenon in the sphere of Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games and came to Britain a year ago.

Players form communities with other users from around the world to complete quests and carry out tasks.

The fantasy universe is inhabited by about 4million online players.

[Cole]

I can't even play for like 2 hours...

I need to know their secrets!

[Summers]

I think it's in the diet of dogs.

[apsham]

Yeah, a diet of non-dogs allows you to stay up longer.

[Mortis]

Seriously, the game isn't that good. Play it once for 6 hours straight and you will puke.

=/ Sorry, but I just think this is like 'the first video game' those people played, as it honestly isn't that special. =/

[Skummy]

I know someone who's been an avid gamer for about 15 years and swears blind that this is the greatest game he's ever played, and stayed up until 6.30am this morning playing it, so it must have some appeal.

[NobBe Nobbs]

It's be so awesome if a level 8 mage crashed that party and killed everyone

[MalaCloudy Black]

Seriously, the game isn't that good. Play it once for 6 hours straight and you will puke.

=/ Sorry, but I just think this is like 'the first video game' those people played, as it honestly isn't that special. =/

What, World of Warcraft?

Try telling that to the thousands of people utterly addicted to the game.

[apsham]

I'm beginning to worry that I am going to die from playing We Love Katamari for days on end.

[Kaney]

I'm beginning to worry that I am going to die from playing We Love Katamari for days on end.

But...you're not playing it now >_>

[apsham]

School is saving me.... at the moment Marvy, at the moment. But I'm pretty tired.

[Lowerdeck]

Sure I sorta was addicted to the GTA games, and now with OOTP 6.5. However, hours on hours on end. Nah, I need sleep, juice, food.

It's crazy when people become OCD enough to these games to kill themselves playing.

[Toe]

I'd respect the people if it was Civ 4. Now thats a game worth dying over.

[Pander Opiate]

I'm lucky I don't have the attention span to play a game obsessively. Even when playing the best game for only a few hours I want to do something different.

[probablyoliver]

I'd respect the people if it was Civ 4. Now thats a game worth dying over.

I played it for 6 hours straight yesterday. Rock and/or Roll.