WoW online funeral commemorates death of young gamer

by Alan Rose { Nov 4th 2005 at 12:05AM }

Another tragedy from the virtual battlefields. During China's week-long National Day holiday last month, a young girl died after playing World of Warcraft for several consecutive days. Her nickname was "Snowy" (perhaps inspired by Maggie Cheung's tragic character in Hero?) and her passing was acknowledged in an online funeral service by fellow WoW gamers. A young South Korean boy met the same fate back in August and there have been other instances of online game addiction resulting in exhaustion, bodily neglect, and death.

While Chinese gamers have protested their government's plan to limit online gaming to three-hour intervals starting next year, this most recent tragedy helps make the case for some kind of regulation. It also raises issues of responsibility, both at the individual and gaming community level. What other forms of intervention should be considered to help avoid these accidents in the future, and should the developers and publishers take action? Let us know what you think.

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

JamesP @ Dec 18th 2005 10:03PM

Even though this kid died, I still find this strangly hilarious.

Scythe @ Dec 18th 2005 10:03PM

I'm sorry but if your stupid enough to let yourself get that bad off just playing a game then you deserve what you get. That keeps morons like that from reproducing and making more stupid kids. If you don't know when to put the controller down and go eat and sleep then your a moron. LISTEN JUST BECAUSE THE CONNECTION IS ALWAYS ON DOESN'T MEAN YOU HAVE TO BE TOO!

vc @ Dec 18th 2005 10:03PM

1. faked by kid looking for attention. The EQ and WoW communities see people faking their deaths all the time... How do we know this was real?

2. faked by Chinese government to generate popular support for their move to limit gameplaying.

3. real, in which case it's sad.

vc @ Dec 18th 2005 10:03PM

It's also a possibility that the young person was terminally ill and played the game for hours on end because he/she was bedridden. The state-owned media, of course, conveniently leaves out the context.

College kids deprive themselves of sleep for days on end and don't die from studying. This is not believable.

CcntMnky @ Dec 18th 2005 10:03PM

That's a pretty weak case for regulation. It's a pretty good case for parents. If the general public doesn't know that no food or sleep for a week will kill you, we've got bigger problems than video games.

I used to play games to the point I forgot to eat, and didn't want to sleep. Eventually the sounds of my mother got so loud I couldn't ignore it anymore. Thank you mom for keeping me alive.

SickNic @ Dec 18th 2005 10:03PM

I just don't understand how a videogame can be so incredibly addicting that you neglect your own health for multiple consecutive days. Maybe thats just because I have no free time to get that involve, and I haven't found the right game.
I think its a good thing that china made those laws...

Iced_Eagle @ Dec 18th 2005 10:03PM

Developers and publishers definetely should NOT get involved...

Shit, they should be proud that they can create such an addicting game! :D

If they start putting in controls and timers so users can "get a break" from the game, then I will be quite upset... Let game devs make the games, and let the politicians worry about the politics.

CornPuff @ Dec 18th 2005 10:03PM

Its probably not fake, thats the conspiracy theory paranoid viewpoint.

The problem is game devs and especially publishers and industry groups will have to start taking it seriously, fake or not. Self regulation is the best thing for the industry. ESRB has been a great success in avoiding legislation. Some existing group (Blizzard, maybe) will have to start an informational campaign in order to avoid incidents and legislation.

The bottom line is this is horrible press for the game industry, and in order to thrive the industry must do anything it can to mitigate the damages.

Ben @ Dec 18th 2005 10:03PM

Does anybody give a crap about this, other that for laughs? Seriously, if you cant live a few weeks playing WOW, it probably isnt too bad a loss.

Dragon @ Dec 18th 2005 10:03PM

I don't blame the kid, or think him stupid. He's a kid, and he puts enjoyment first. However, his parents should have been able to get him to go to sleep, eat, etc. If they were gone for the week or something, it's still their fault leaving a kid that doesn't have enough responsibility to take care of himself alone. I can only blame the parents, not the game or kid. Sure, there would've been a point where I was too hungry to concentrate on the game, but would I have cared as a kid? Probably not.

Qubit @ Dec 18th 2005 10:03PM

I don't think government enforced gameplay limiting would really make a difference. There must have been something else seriously wrong with the kid; depression or some other disorder. People probably use games like these to escape reality (I would if I lived in China). It almost seems like a form of suicide. If they didn't have the game to play, would they have resorted to suicide anyways?

No matter what caused it, its sad that this happens to people.

Ellie @ Dec 18th 2005 10:03PM

It's not the responsibility of the government to govern things that parents should be doing, such as making sure their child is you know, eating, breathing, pooing, etc.

Chris_C @ Dec 18th 2005 10:03PM

Ugh, that's so sad and scary, thanks for a horrible ending to an already sucky day.

Leitzge @ Dec 18th 2005 10:03PM

I feel sorry for the kid, however I can't imagine why her parents didn't say anything. Maybe she was ill already, and she couldn't go to sleep, so she just played WoW. That's what I do when I can't sleep, well, I always play WoW. :P It's scary to see how such a game can take over your life.

Nick Coffin @ Dec 18th 2005 10:03PM

My suggestion would be parents actually take some time out of their busy to raise their damn kids.

The government steps in because the other authorities below them yet above the people dieing are not stepping in.

Megaclops @ Dec 18th 2005 10:03PM

GAME OVER!

Kwipper @ Dec 18th 2005 10:03PM

I as a gamer see the importance of food and sleep. I always make sure to at least take a break from time to time during my gaming sessions. During that time you can recharge your body and mind so that you go back to another gaming session, your mind and body will be fit.

Steve H @ Dec 18th 2005 10:03PM

It's sad but hilarious in some ways...if your too stuppid to get up and have a drink or something to eat then you should not have been brought into the gene pool in the first place. it's common sense, body says i'm hungry, you eat! plain and simple! Hell i've gone 7 days with no sleep in the army and very little food or drink, yeah you start hallucinating somewhat, but was still healthy at the end of the week.

Ken @ Dec 18th 2005 10:03PM

All speculation at this point as we don't know enough bout the kid and the factors involved. All I can say something is went wrong with the culture over there (i.e Japan, all bout honor, slef sacriface and discipline back then, now its a superficial place full of perverts. China itself is a centre for capitalism and money can buy anything, but the social infrastructire is lacking.

Chris @ Dec 18th 2005 10:03PM

I used to play WoW. On the server I was on I just happened to be in Stormwind when a global message pops up "Everyone invited to the wedding in the Cathedral".

Too good an opportunity to miss! I went there and "gate crashed" this retarded "virtual wedding" by being the guy who had something to say at that point where the Priest says "If anyone has any reason why these two should NOT be married, speak now or forever hold your peace".

I shouted out about the sordid love affair I had with the wife-to-be and how she's pregnant with my child.

I hate it when retards take a game way too seriously. FFS! Get outside an LIVE life!

HoozyerdadE @ Dec 18th 2005 10:03PM

Why do we always feel the need to legislate what should be common sense? This has apparently become the generation when personal responsibility was tossed out in favor of laws and regulations telling everyone what they should or shouldn't do and when they should or shouldn't do them. I'm old enough to have played with realistic toy guns in neighborhood war games before videogames existed. I've had every game system and love 1st person shooters, violent action games, etc., and not ONCE has any of that carried over into my "real world" relationships. Anything I did I took responsibilty for. There were no "outs" because of some violent game I played or any other "bad influence". You did what you did and you alone were held accountable.

Sup Sailors? @ Dec 18th 2005 10:03PM

bodily neglect??

Hahaha.. most people in these forums haven't done a pushup in years

PSPoontang Player @ Dec 18th 2005 10:03PM

I have a new-found respect for Blizzard now because of the fact that they actually took the time to make a memorial service. Kinda makes me want to go back to WoW.

alienwhere @ Dec 18th 2005 10:03PM

HoozyerdadE, yr right on the money. It absolutely sickens me to see that our world (the REAL world, with living, breathing people, not avatars) is so content to relinquish the control of their own lives to someone else (gov) because they're unable and unwilling to take responsibility for their actions. As a human who embraces logic and utilizes common sense, it actually hurts my brain to hear this stuff. Is it sad? The death of young people usually is. I just lost a young cousin who fought for his life after an accident for 6 mos in the ICU... He wanted to live so much, but couldn't. And thousands of people like this don't care at all about their lives and most get to go on living them. I don't feel bad about this. We've been needing to thin the herd for quite some time now... wake up, people, don't point fingers. Live and own yr lives.

jacko8 @ Dec 18th 2005 10:03PM

ONE QUESTION - WHERE WERE THIS GIRLS PARENTS?

GlitchCog @ Dec 18th 2005 10:03PM

So if a kid were so addicted to, say, baseball, that he wouldn't stop playing it to eat or sleep, would we blame the sport of baseball, or would we just say that kid was seriously unbalanced and move on?

Jessica @ Dec 18th 2005 10:03PM

VC, I agree with you. I think there must be a lot more to these stories about kid dying after days of gaming. Maybe stimulant drug use is involved, maybe the kids were already sick, who knows. I did notice that the last time this happenned there was no actual cause of death given, and no autopsy done. I'd like more information.

Sean @ Dec 18th 2005 10:03PM

Ok: #1, this is the Chinese government owned media, and they are giving a reason to the masses that a certain law must be passed. (Do you realize how much internet regulation they have there?) Can we accept that, true or not, this is propaganda for their political goals? If a child dying of neglect because the parents were letting this video game raise their kid instead of doing it themselves is sad, how much more so that the Chinese government is using that incident to drive a political agenda; one of further encroachment on the slim hope of expanding freedom, no less.

Let this be a warning to those of us in free countries: raise your children, and the governments will have no reason to suggest that we need legislative help.

Mike Kiser @ Dec 18th 2005 10:03PM

"It's not the responsibility of the government to govern things that parents should be doing, such as making sure their child is you know, eating, breathing, pooing, etc." - by Ellie

"ONE QUESTION - WHERE WERE THIS GIRLS PARENTS?" - by jacko8

BINGO! It's sad that parents are encouraging their own government to step in and do the job they continue to neglect. Hopefully, as gaming becomes a more mainstream media (like music and movies), they'll realize they have a role in all of this.

Kiser
Site Admin
gamerparents.com

Christopher7xii @ Dec 18th 2005 10:03PM

"I hate it when retards take a game way too seriously. FFS! Get outside an LIVE life!"

Personally, I hate pricks like you. They aren't taking the game too seriously, they're just enjoying it on a level you don't. Some choose to roleplay instead of powergame. Some choose to kill newbs, others kill for the competition. Some play for funds(goldfarmers), other play to escape the nagging of their wife. I play because I like to have fun and let go of reality for a bit. The more engrossing the experience, the better. Hence why games are minimizing/eliminating HUDs, adding 5.1 surround sound support, force feedback controllers... All to immerse yourself more. I mean, if you're playing a roleplaying game, why wouldn't you roleplay?

Anyways, I do agree this girl was dumb. No pity for someone who kills themself, let alone for the cause of some game she probably wouldn't of been playing 5 years from now. Serioiusly though, where were her parents/friends?

yay @ Dec 18th 2005 10:03PM

This is nothing but Natural Selection. It's the bottom of the food chain.

Sense @ Dec 18th 2005 10:03PM

I see a lot of posts asking where the parents were. Unfortunately, there's a good chance they're addicted to an online game as well. There was a story a few months ago about a couple that left their baby alone so they could go play WoW at an internet cafe. The baby turned over in its sleep and suffocated. The really sad part about that story is that the child's grandmother lived UPSTAIRS from the parents. Yet they never thought to leave the baby with her.

Something needs to happen. I don't know what but something. There's another story like this in Korea or China every week.

And I really don't think the online funeral is appropriate. It's not like the girl was murdered. It's kinda of like your best buddy dying of an overdose and you saying "well, let's mourn his death by getting high."

Proto @ Dec 18th 2005 10:03PM

OMG what a stupid little bitch!

i hope the WoW servers would crash and delete all of the characters...oh man, mass suicide world wide.

Beanie @ Dec 18th 2005 10:03PM

That's hardcore. Don't understand why no one rezzd her. you can do that in real life right?

Wesley @ Dec 18th 2005 10:03PM

This person chose to commit suicide. That they chose to do it by starving themselves to death because of a video game (while horrible) is incredibly stupid.

This was a personal choice and I don't think the government should intervene in any way. Let these people do what they will with their lives (and deaths).

I Know my Sh*t @ Dec 18th 2005 10:03PM

She was probably around the age of 13. Most likely there were a number a facts left out of the story. I think it was some type of mental illness. If you went even two days without food and water your stomach would start cramping and it would be difficult for you to concentrate and stay focused. My little bro is a hardcore gamer. I remember when he used to play Diablo and Starcraft all the time. He would stay up all night to play those games while I got tired and went to bed. But when I woke up in the morning and looked at the floor there was trash everywhere from him snacking and drinking pop. He never forgot to eat and take breaks. What I am trying to say is that a person in the right mind would remember to eat. The press just wants to put the blame on the video game and not address the real problem which is the parents. They could have prevented this very easily. Just take the game away if she won't eat or listen. You have to disipline your children. You are not a real parent if you let your child starve to death. FORGET ABOUT THE GAME AND THINK ABOUT THE PARENTS. WHERE WERE THEY.

bpenticuff @ Dec 18th 2005 10:03PM

Darwin

Brad @ Dec 18th 2005 10:03PM

Darwin award winner

vpr611 @ Dec 18th 2005 10:03PM

I wonder what the obituary read?

�Snowy� A level 58 dwarf warrior, of Ironforge passed away on Thursday morning at the age of ??. Snowy was a beloved Guild member of the Guild and is survived by Stormy, level 60 Priest. Come and share your condolences and memories with her loving guild Sunday night in Onxyias Lair. Memorials may be made in Snowys name to the Orphans of Stormwind fund.

Diemer @ Dec 18th 2005 10:03PM

If it was faked, she could come back and call her self WoW Messiah.

Derbeste @ Dec 18th 2005 10:03PM

I have to make one point about those that are crying, "It's not the governments place to get involved!"

You need to remember that you are talking about a culture VERY different from our own. You cannot judge them by our standards of appropriateness. They are a communist country and the government not only has more power to intervene, but is expected to.

I agree that for the western world, We should always lean toward letting the people govern themselves. But it is awefully arrogant of us to assume we know how the other cultures should live their lives.

Slashbunny @ Dec 18th 2005 10:03PM

Wait, so they have a one-child birth control policy, but they care about people being too stupid to know when to stop playing video games? It's natural population control! Let them game all they want.

I Know my Sh*t @ Dec 18th 2005 10:03PM

How the hell can you forget to eat. There was something wrong with that girl. As I say again the facts are not shown. Has there ever been something like this in the US, or is it just in China. Here is a comment to #35. Of course we don't know about the other cultures, but what culture makes it alright for young childern to play video games all day with no eating and no sleeping?

Obvious @ Dec 18th 2005 10:03PM

Next, I think we should regulate sugar!!! Or maybe just chocolate!!!! I mean, it kills dogs!!!!

Seriously, the media, society, and the powers that be need to focus on more pressing shit than some idiot gamer that dies because of WoW.

rasbill @ Dec 18th 2005 10:03PM

ive got to say, im suprized that no1 accually cares that someone accually died, and the hateful things that have been said here. not much love in the gaming comminity i guess, and dont go flamming me cause i said it eather, thats just even more disrespectful

alienwhere @ Dec 18th 2005 10:03PM

Rasbill:

Yeah, it's terrible that someone died, but what's more terrible is that we live in a world where people are ok with not making decisions for themselves and blaming anything and everything for their inability to govern their own lives. She was not murdered by WoW. She allowed herself to starve because playing a game was more important to her than simple self-preservation. That is just ridiculous. And people are actually wondering if the GAME is dangerous? No one's even thinking about the bigger picture...