Comments on: Chinese Gamer Dies - What Now? http://neilsclark.com/archives/195 games, addiction and other serious business Thu, 04 Dec 2008 21:43:33 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7-beta2 hourly 1 By: Neils Clark http://neilsclark.com/archives/195/comment-page-1#comment-312 Neils Clark Mon, 24 Sep 2007 00:34:46 +0000 http://neilsclark.com/archives/195#comment-312 Exactly. We have to be open-ended when getting the COD on the next few gaming deaths. Some of them are going to be because an individual had certain genetic or behavioral problem, unrelated to gaming. Some are going to be linked to things like sitting - and there's been far too much generalizing up to this point. And wow. I know people who've talked about staying up all night at the casinos, but I hadn't heard about casino deaths. Once we start (if we ever do) looking at physiological stimulation in gamers, we should compare that to gambling in order to see how similar/different the two are with respect to brain chemistry. But, like, yeah. We've got to start with the basics, and that means getting accurate info! Exactly. We have to be open-ended when getting the COD on the next few gaming deaths. Some of them are going to be because an individual had certain genetic or behavioral problem, unrelated to gaming. Some are going to be linked to things like sitting - and there’s been far too much generalizing up to this point.

And wow. I know people who’ve talked about staying up all night at the casinos, but I hadn’t heard about casino deaths. Once we start (if we ever do) looking at physiological stimulation in gamers, we should compare that to gambling in order to see how similar/different the two are with respect to brain chemistry.

But, like, yeah. We’ve got to start with the basics, and that means getting accurate info!

]]> By: Ryan http://neilsclark.com/archives/195/comment-page-1#comment-311 Ryan Mon, 24 Sep 2007 00:12:23 +0000 http://neilsclark.com/archives/195#comment-311 Casinos. I'm a volunteer fire fighter and know that my neighboring department probably has 25% or more of its medical calls to a casino. You don't hear about that because it's not sensational, "Elderly male dies of heart attack while playing Black Jack." Then news loves bashing new technologies like cell phones, iPods etc (i.e. you never hear about the car crash caused by someone messing with the radio, you DO if they were using the cell phone.) And of course younger people dying is bigger news than elderly. As stated by Neils ... you need to know the actual causes, what led up to it it. If it is just DVT, then let's educate and get people moving around. Casinos. I’m a volunteer fire fighter and know that my neighboring department probably has 25% or more of its medical calls to a casino. You don’t hear about that because it’s not sensational, “Elderly male dies of heart attack while playing Black Jack.” Then news loves bashing new technologies like cell phones, iPods etc (i.e. you never hear about the car crash caused by someone messing with the radio, you DO if they were using the cell phone.) And of course younger people dying is bigger news than elderly.

As stated by Neils … you need to know the actual causes, what led up to it it. If it is just DVT, then let’s educate and get people moving around.

]]> By: Neils Clark http://neilsclark.com/archives/195/comment-page-1#comment-287 Neils Clark Wed, 19 Sep 2007 18:25:43 +0000 http://neilsclark.com/archives/195#comment-287 Yeah, I've heard about similar wino laws here in the states. Since I haven't trespassed on them, I'm not sure exactly how they work. What I *DO* know is that some of the bars in my hometown have some clever ways of getting rid of people at "last call." The problem with gamer cafes and "last call" laws, I think, is what I saw in Singapore. Some operators lock everybody in at 3AM. Despite that, I met some attendants at cafes who saw a heavy level of self-regulation, and knew that plainclothes people would occasionally do spot-checks (though primarily for younger kids, I think). Casinos are another cool case study for this. From TV shows, which are of course the epitome of real-ness, they'll send someone down to "help" them spend their money. Maybe a buxom lass, maybe a muscley Italian guy, it doesn't matter. Then again, that's only when they're winning. You've got a good question: what about the guy with massive rings around his eyes at 7am? You know, the one that just gave the house $30,000? Yeah, I’ve heard about similar wino laws here in the states. Since I haven’t trespassed on them, I’m not sure exactly how they work. What I *DO* know is that some of the bars in my hometown have some clever ways of getting rid of people at “last call.” The problem with gamer cafes and “last call” laws, I think, is what I saw in Singapore. Some operators lock everybody in at 3AM.

Despite that, I met some attendants at cafes who saw a heavy level of self-regulation, and knew that plainclothes people would occasionally do spot-checks (though primarily for younger kids, I think).

Casinos are another cool case study for this. From TV shows, which are of course the epitome of real-ness, they’ll send someone down to “help” them spend their money. Maybe a buxom lass, maybe a muscley Italian guy, it doesn’t matter. Then again, that’s only when they’re winning. You’ve got a good question: what about the guy with massive rings around his eyes at 7am? You know, the one that just gave the house $30,000?

]]> By: Linn http://neilsclark.com/archives/195/comment-page-1#comment-284 Linn Wed, 19 Sep 2007 06:18:33 +0000 http://neilsclark.com/archives/195#comment-284 Huh - yeah - maybe cybercafés should have the same type of rules as bars (at least here in Norway). If the customer is drunk as a skunk it is illegal to serve him alcohol. I wonder if there's any help to find in how casino's are run. Why do we not hear about gamblers dying? Is it because they inevitably run out of money before it wares down on their health? Do casino's have policies to keep an eye on people who've been gambling for over 24 hours? Huh - yeah - maybe cybercafés should have the same type of rules as bars (at least here in Norway). If the customer is drunk as a skunk it is illegal to serve him alcohol.

I wonder if there’s any help to find in how casino’s are run. Why do we not hear about gamblers dying? Is it because they inevitably run out of money before it wares down on their health? Do casino’s have policies to keep an eye on people who’ve been gambling for over 24 hours?

]]> By: Neils Clark http://neilsclark.com/archives/195/comment-page-1#comment-279 Neils Clark Tue, 18 Sep 2007 17:15:58 +0000 http://neilsclark.com/archives/195#comment-279 One update from http://www.newsique.com/odd/online_addict_dies_after_maratho/ reports that the binge was related to the Chinese Lunar Festival, and that a number of other recreational options had been shut down. This extra coverage gives an interesting cultural perspective on what sounds like a 7-day binge. The 150-kg (330-lb) man from Jinzhou, in Liaoning province, collapsed on Saturday, the last day of the holiday, after spending "almost all" of the seven-day break playing online games, the China Daily said, citing his parents. Xu Yan, a local teacher, said the "dull life" during the holiday prompted many people to turn to computer games for entertainment. "There are only two options. TV or computer. What else can I do in the holiday as all markets, KTV and cafeterias are shut down?" the paper quoted Xu as saying. China has seen an alarming rise in the number of teenage and young adult Internet addicts in recent years, despite attempts to restrict minors from cybercafes and limit online game playing times. About 2.6 million -- or 13 percent -- of China's 20 million Internet users under 18 are classed as addicts, state media have reported. One update from

http://www.newsique.com/odd/online_addict_dies_after_maratho/

reports that the binge was related to the Chinese Lunar Festival, and that a number of other recreational options had been shut down. This extra coverage gives an interesting cultural perspective on what sounds like a 7-day binge.

The 150-kg (330-lb) man from Jinzhou, in Liaoning province, collapsed on Saturday, the last day of the holiday, after spending “almost all” of the seven-day break playing online games, the China Daily said, citing his parents.

Xu Yan, a local teacher, said the “dull life” during the holiday prompted many people to turn to computer games for entertainment.

“There are only two options. TV or computer. What else can I do in the holiday as all markets, KTV and cafeterias are shut down?” the paper quoted Xu as saying.

China has seen an alarming rise in the number of teenage and young adult Internet addicts in recent years, despite attempts to restrict minors from cybercafes and limit online game playing times.

About 2.6 million — or 13 percent — of China’s 20 million Internet users under 18 are classed as addicts, state media have reported.

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