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Man Dies After 50-hour Gaming Marathon

Orbital writes "CNN is reporting that a South Korean man has collapsed and died of heart failure just minutes after wrapping up a 50-hour gaming marathon during which he only took short breaks to go to the bathroom or a quick nap on a makeshift bed." From the article: "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."

15 of 177 comments (clear)

  1. Most important details missing - by MBraynard · · Score: 4, Interesting
    What game was he playing?

    And where can I get it?

    Ok, joking. Seriously, he had other health problems for this to have happened and pushed him over the edge. He could have been at the office doing a 50 hour shift or even competing in military training. Somehow there is an unspoken link in the article suggesting that the game killed him.

    My guess is it was either Lineage, or a map-hacked version of StarCraft.

  2. In other news... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    The average IQ of human population suddenly increased.

  3. push push push by Dachannien · · Score: 5, Interesting

    As it turns out, if you wire up the part of a mouse's brain that generates sexual gratification to a switch, and then give the mouse access to that switch, it will repeatedly push that button to the abandonment of all other necessities of life (food, sleep) until it dies.

    Apparently, all it took in this case was a game, and the game didn't even involve sex. I wonder what that says about humans.

    1. Re:push push push by blighter · · Score: 4, Funny
      Just imagine how much worse the effect would be if the game did involve sex!!!

      Now I understand why the rampant violence and cursing in San Andreas wasn't a problem but unlockable low-rez simulated dry-humping was such a huge deal!

      Before I just thought it was uninformed rank lunacy on the part of anti-game zealots and uninformed hypocritcal pandering on the part of politicians but now I see they were just trying to protect us from dying like drug-addicted rats in a cage...

    2. Re:push push push by mapmaker · · Score: 4, Funny
      Apparently, all it took in this case was a game, and the game didn't even involve sex. I wonder what that says about humans.

      That we really kick ass at designing games.

  4. Starcraft... by alphaseven · · Score: 5, Informative
    My guess is it was either Lineage, or a map-hacked version of StarCraft.

    Yup, Starcraft.
    http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200508 /200508080012.html

  5. Gamer's Legacy by UberMenchier · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Do you think that it was worth it? Did the man die with a smile on his face after 50 hours of intense gaming? I would think so...

    This man actually QUIT HIS JOB so that he could spend more time gaming. Perhaps some better health management could be desired, but the man was the epitome of a GAMER.

    Rest in Peace buddy.

    --
    Stop complaining, get off your ass, and DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!
  6. Well at least he didn't die working by Dr.+Spork · · Score: 4, Insightful
    Seriously, how many readers here have jobs that at one time or another required them to do a 50-hour work marathon with only bathroom breaks and short naps? Statisically, I think many more people die from this than from gaming, because this sort of situation is quite common at some jobs. It just (sadly) too routine and mundane to get widely reported.

    This story is much less sad. I'd much rather game myself to death than work to death. Who knows what would have happened to this guy if he hadn't quit his job?

  7. After He Quit by wickedj · · Score: 5, Funny

    Obviously, since he perished after quiting the game, it was the "lack" of gaming that killed him. Let that be a lesson to you parents. When your kid says "5 more minutes Mom!", that might be the only thing keeping them alive.

  8. Respawn by mchappee · · Score: 5, Funny


    Has he respawned yet?

    MC

    --
    /. finds me to be 20% Troll, 80% Funny
  9. Re:What game? by harrkev · · Score: 5, Funny
    So does that mean BF1942 or something along those lines?
    Possibly. But if so, the good news is that this guys family just has to go to the right spot and wait for him to re-spawn. ;)
    --
    "-1 Troll" is the apparently the same as "-1 I disagree with you."
  10. Devil's Advocate... by Anm · · Score: 4, Interesting

    As a gamer, a game developer, and a programmer in a lab that focuses on educational software explicitly designed to motivate students, the technology does scare me.

    The technology to hit the pleasure centers that motivate humans is only in its infancy, but already having effects in addiction. People are already expanding our research beyond simple pavlovian reward stimuli. At GDC 2004, a psychology consultant for Microsoft games gave a talk focused around motivation curves and how to design games that maximized long term engagement (motivation type x will generally degrade at this rate, so after y minutes of gameplay offer new task types, and here are the motivation profiles for those tasks). In the education domain, we are beginning to look at the different effects of various intrinsic and extrinsic motivations on different personailties.

    At what point is it the responsability of the software developer to build shutdown timers into the system? Maybe thresholds of gameplay (actual user input/interaction, not just sitting at a pause screen) over the last 8 hours, 24 hours, and 72 hours will trigger enforced breaks of progressively longer duration or just "have you eaten?" reminders.

    What happens when the same technology is put into marketing? Can adware be designed to engage the user to the point practically gauranteeing a purchase?

    What about the merger of the two domains? Pizza Hut already has code inside Everquest 2. This is from a application that already requires a credit card, and thus could easily look up your address and offer you a timely list of local delivery food every 4 hours. ("You've just played through your local dinner time. I bet you're hungry for one of these fine establishments still open in your area!!") As games become more adaptive, it will be easier for applications to insert more subtle hints. (Two hours into a quest with your party, you come across a ranger's camp with the smell of a fresh roast wafting through the air.)

    Some would say we are beginning to allow machines to dominate human culture. The extreme view is something along the line's of Marshall Brain's Manna story (fast food workers as the arms an legs of a persuasive computer manager in a headset) and associated Robot Nation essays.

    Anm

  11. Re:...and its opposite by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    Can we please start the litmus test that requires HUMOR to be a part of getting mod points?

    No.

    *goes back to abusing the mod system..*

    *Overrated*
    *Overrated*
    *Overrated*
    OOh, something anti-linux.. *Offtopic*
    Hmm.. *sticks tongue out*... *Redundant*

    muahahahhahhaha!

  12. His last words by b1t+r0t · · Score: 4, Funny

    "I told you I was hardcore."

    --

    --
    "Open source is good." - Steve Jobs
    "Open source is evil." - Microsoft
  13. Re:Shouldn't someone have sent him home? by Tim+Browse · · Score: 5, Funny

    "So boss, is there anyone that's been here more than 12 hours?"
    "Hmm...I don't know...we all look alike to me."