Cause of death: StarCraft

Written by Jason Cundall

August 10, 2005 | 13:59

Tags: #korea #online-games #south-korea #starcraft

Companies: #blizzard

It's been reported on various sites around the net that a 28 year old South Korean gamer has died after a marathon StarCraft session, in which he only paused for calls of nature and cat naps:

A South Korean man has died after reportedly playing an online computer game for 50 hours with few breaks.

The 28-year-old man collapsed after playing the game StarCraft at an internet cafe in the city of Taegu, according to South Korean authorities.

The man had not slept properly, and had eaten very little during his marathon session, said police.

Online gaming in South Korea is extremely popular thanks to its fast and widespread broadband network.

Games are televised and professional players are treated, as well as paid, like sports stars.

Professional gamers there attract huge sums in sponsorship and can make more than $100,000 a year.


More from the BBC here.

This isn't the first gaming related fatality in Korea, and I can't see it being the last, what with the Korean's ultra highspeed DSL and rabid gaming scene.

Just why do South Koreans get so hooked? Is it a cultural thing? Is this an isolated, Korean only problem, or do other Oriental countries have the same issues? Or Is it even more widespread, and occurs in European / US culture as well? As for that last question, probably not, as we'd never hear the last of it...

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