tobslau
03-08-2010, 01:15 PM
http://videogames.yahoo.com/events/plugged-in/couple-starves-real-child-while-raising-virtual-one/1392152
All-night gaming binges are harmless in moderation, but this week one married Korean couple discovered the awful consequences of letting virtual life overtake real responsibilities.
The pair -- who were hooked on an online game called "Prius," where they were raising a virtual daughter -- were arrested by Korean police this week and charged with failing to care for their three-month-old baby daughter, who died of malnutrition last September.
They admitted to feeding their child rotten powdered milk, frequently spanking her, and leaving her at home during marathon sessions at the "PC bang" gaming clubs that are a staple of Korean gamer culture.
"They called in last September to report that they found their daughter dead after coming back home in the morning," a Seoul police detective told ABC. "They had spent 12 hours, all night, at a PC bang."
It's not the first Korean death linked to gaming addiction, either: in 2005 a man collapsed and died after playing 50 straight hours Starcraft at a PC bang. Roughly one-half of Korea's population play online games, and almost all of them have access to high-speed internet connections. Korean lawmakers are considering legislation to curb excessive gaming.
Starcraft 2 is going to cause havoc haha
All-night gaming binges are harmless in moderation, but this week one married Korean couple discovered the awful consequences of letting virtual life overtake real responsibilities.
The pair -- who were hooked on an online game called "Prius," where they were raising a virtual daughter -- were arrested by Korean police this week and charged with failing to care for their three-month-old baby daughter, who died of malnutrition last September.
They admitted to feeding their child rotten powdered milk, frequently spanking her, and leaving her at home during marathon sessions at the "PC bang" gaming clubs that are a staple of Korean gamer culture.
"They called in last September to report that they found their daughter dead after coming back home in the morning," a Seoul police detective told ABC. "They had spent 12 hours, all night, at a PC bang."
It's not the first Korean death linked to gaming addiction, either: in 2005 a man collapsed and died after playing 50 straight hours Starcraft at a PC bang. Roughly one-half of Korea's population play online games, and almost all of them have access to high-speed internet connections. Korean lawmakers are considering legislation to curb excessive gaming.
Starcraft 2 is going to cause havoc haha