18-year-old dies after playing Diablo 3 for 40 hours straight
"A person's day-to-day life should take precedence over any form of entertainment," says Blizzard.
Blizzard has called on gamers to play in moderation after an 18-year-old died following an uninterrupted 40 hour Diablo 3 session.
Taiwanese teenager Chuang, booked a private room at an internet café in Tainan, southern Taiwan, at noon on Friday 13th July and played for nearly two days without eating, the United Daily News (via The Australian, via the Australian Associated Press) reported.
On Sunday 15th July a worker at the café checked on Chuang, who was resting on a table. After the attendant woke him, he stood, took a few steps then collapsed. He was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at a local hospital.
The cause of death is unknown, but police, who are carrying out an autopsy, speculated that being sat down for so long created cardiovascular problems.
Blizzard responded to the news by issuing a statement recommending players prioritise their day-to-day life over "any form of entertainment".
"We're saddened to hear this news, and our thoughts are with his family and friends during this difficult time. We don't feel it would be appropriate for us to comment further without knowing all of the circumstances involved.
"While we recognise that it's ultimately up to each individual or their parent or guardian to determine playing habits, we feel that moderation is clearly important, and that a person's day-to-day life should take precedence over any form of entertainment."
As The Australian points out, this is the second death in Taiwan from playing video games this year. In February a man in New Taipei was found dead in a chair facing a computer after a 23 hour session. He died of cardiac arrest.