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Posted by: Stephanie Carmichael

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A teenager collapsed and died after playing Diablo 3 for a 40-hour stretch.

The 18-year-old, identified by his surname Chuang, booked a private room at a Taiwanese Internet cafe and played Diablo 3 for nearly two days without eating. When an attendant found him on July 15, he took a few steps and collapsed.

Shortly after arriving at a local hospital, he died. Authorities suspected that sitting down for an extended length of time caused cardiovascular problems for Chuang.

His death marks the second in Taiwan this year. A man in New Taipei died of cardiac arrest after playing a computer game for 23 hours.

"We're saddened to hear this news, and our thoughts are with his family and friends during this difficult time," Blizzard commented in a statement. "We don't feel it would be appropriate for us to comment further without knowing all of the circumstances involved.

"While we recognise 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."

Cases like these are the exception, but remember to take a break every so often from whatever you're playing.

Follow @wita on Twitter for tales of superheroes, plumbers in overalls, and literary adventures.

[The Australian]

Tags: Blizzard, Diablo 3