TOPIC: Man dies after online game marathon

Just a warning for all you online gamers out there...

www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/asiapcf/08/09/game.death.reut/index.html

SEOUL, South Korea (Reuters) -- A South Korean man who played computer games for 50 hours almost non-stop died of heart failure minutes after finishing his mammoth session in an Internet cafe, authorities said on Tuesday.

The 28-year-old man, identified only by his family name Lee, had been playing online battle simulation games at the cybercafe in the southeastern city of Taegu, police said.

Lee had planted himself in front of a computer monitor to play on-line games on August 3. He only left the spot over the next three days to go to the toilet and take brief naps on a makeshift bed, they said.

"We presume the cause of death was heart failure stemming from exhaustion," a Taegu provincial police official said by telephone.

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.

He died a few minutes later, it said.

South Korea, one of the most wired countries in the world, has a large and highly developed game industry.

I think we have a few TD volunteers that might be in danger as well...

That seems like it would be the happiest way to go though, doing something you love that much.

Dude that just sad. Being a geek, nerd, or a dork is one thing but losing ones job over a game. And spending countless hour on the game. I love my online games but not that much to die from it. It is supposed to be enjoyable escape from reality not reality itself.