Chinese online gamer dies after three days playing

Internet gaming still a problem in China

Chinese state media is today reporting the case of an addicted online gamer who died after reportedly spending three consecutive days engulfed in online games - as China seeks to help gamers battle their addictions.

The 30 year-old man from Guanhzhou in China's south was rushed to hospital after collapsing at a down-town internet cafe. "Police have ruled out the possibility of suicide," according to a local newspaper, while Reuters state that neither police nor local media have revealed which game the man was playing for so long.

Exhaustion is believed to be the cause of death, and China has been working hard to limit the availability and compelling nature of online games, that have enraptured large proportions of China's increasingly online savvy population. Thus far, most limitations have been focussed on younger player, who are banned from internet cafes late in the evening with measures in place to limit play-time, too.

However, China's "unhealthy" obsession with online gaming persists as the government looks to limit the social implications, as well as restrict online content availability as a whole. Clinics have even been setup to help players curb their addictions.

More soon.

By Luke Guttridge