This is very tragic news.  Over the weekend a Taiwanese man collapsed and died after playing Blizzard’s new Diablo III for 40 straight hours.  The Australian Associated Press reported the story, citing the Taiwanese United Daily News as the source of the information.

According to the report, the 18-year old man (no name given) entered an internet café in souther Taiwan around noon on Friday, July 13th, booked a private room and played for almost 2 days without stopping to eat.  Early Sunday morning, a café employee entered the room to check on the man and round him resting on the table.  After he roused, the young man collapsed and was later pronounced dead at a local hospital.

As sad as it may be, this is not the first time this has happened.  Early this February another Taiwanese man died after a 23 hour gaming jag ended with his heart attack.  Back in 2007, a 30-year old man collapsed and died after a three day MMOG binge in Guangzhou, China.  There are several other occurrences taking place all over the world and the age ranges.  All I can say is that however tragic it is, it teaches a lesson.  There is more to life than sitting at your computer gaming.

Blizzard released the following comment on the news:

“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 recognize 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.”

Source: GameSpot