Second Taiwanese man dies after gaming binge

Another person has died this year after a days-long gaming binge at an Internet cafe on the island state of Taiwan, a report says.

The 32-year-old man, identified as Hsieh by family members, was found motionless in his chair at a café in Kaohsiung city in southern Taiwan, the Taipei Times reported on Saturday.

An employee first realized he was not breathing before he was rushed to the hospital.

“Hsieh was a regular customer here and always played for consecutive days. When tired, he would sleep face-down on the table or doze off slumped in his chair. That is why we were not aware of his condition in the beginning,” the employee said.

Doctors confirmed the man had suffered cardiac failure, ruling it a “sudden death” from prolonged computer gaming, the report said.

At the time of his death, Hsieh was playing some sort of “combat computer game,” the report added.

The death marks the second such incident in Taiwan this year.

A 38-year-old man was found dead playing at an Internet cafe in New Taipei City on January 1. He had reportedly played for five straight days.

In both cases this year, other gamers appeared indifferent about the deaths, playing alongside investigators who were gathering evidence at the scene,police said.

Researchers have associated too much screen time to major health risks, including obesity, aggression and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) problems, among others.