Taiwanese player collapses after 40 hours in front of Blizzard's online action role-playing game, pronounced dead at hospital.

A Taiwanese man collapsed and died over the weekend after playing Blizzard's 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 entered an Internet caf… in southern Taiwan around noon on Friday, booked a private room, and played almost two days without stopping to eat. On Sunday morning, an employee of the caf… entered the room to check on the man and found him resting on a table. Shortly after being roused, the man collapsed and was later pronounced dead at a local hospital.

This is far from the first time a marathon gaming session has ended in tragedy. The AAP reported that another Taiwanese man died in February after a 23-hour gaming jag ended with a heart attack. In 2007, a 30-year-old man collapsed and died in Guangzhou, China, after gaming for three straight days, In 2005, a 28-year-old South Korean man died after a 50-hour gaming session. In 2003, police in Hong Kong cited a six-hour stint playing Diablo II at an Internet caf… as a contributing factor in a 28-year-old man's death. In 2002, a 24-year-old South Korean man died after 86 uninterrupted hours of gameplay. That same month, a 27-year-old Taiwanese man lasted 32 hours before succumbing to death by exhaustion.

[UPDATE]: 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."

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