“If we could have done anything different, we probably wouldn’t have announced the game when we did,†saidWilson. “We could have waited a little longer. We thought we were closer to release. We want people to get excited, but we don’t want them to feel like they’re strung along. We always try to have a dialogue with the audience and exceed their expectations. “Sterne Agee analyst Arvind Bhati said “Diablo III,†only available to play on PC and Mac computers, not game consoles, has the potential to sell more than 4 million copies. He estimated Blizzard would sell 3.5 million copies this year. “Diablo II,†released in the summer of 2000, sold 4 million copies in the year after it debuted. In February, 23-year-old Chen Rong-yu was found dead in an Internet cafe inNew Taipei City,Taiwan, after having played the videogame League of Legends for 23 hours straight, according to the Taipei Times.
The 18-year-old, who has only been identified by his first name, Chuang, had booked a private room at theTainancafe in southernTaiwanon the afternoon of July 13, according to the the Australian, which cited the United Daily News broadsheet. Chuang then proceeded to play the videogame for 40 hours straight without eating. On July 15, an attendant went into the room where Chuang had been playing and found the teen resting on the table, according to the Australian. The attendant was able to wake Chuang, who stood up, took a few steps and then collapsed onto the ground. He was pronounced dead soon after arriving at the hospital.
According to the Mirror, authorities believe the teenager may have suffered a blood clot due to sitting for such a long period of time. Blizzard, the developer of “Diablo 3,†released the following statement, obtained by the Mirror and other news outlets, regarding the teen’s death: We’re saddened to hear this news, and our thoughts are with his family and friends during this difficult time. 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. Chuang is not the first individual to die following a long gaming session.
