Hawaii Man Claims Video Game Addiction

According to UPI.com, a Hawaii man is suing a video game maker for an addiction so debilitating that the man was unable to bathe, clothe himself or stay awake during the day.

 

Craig Smallwood, 51 of Ewa Beach, HI, filed suit against NCSoft Corp, stating that he suffered from “phenomena of psychological dependence and addiction” to a game called “Lineage II”.  The lawsuit says the game developer is guilty of causing emotional distress related to misrepresentation.  The game involves massive multi-player online role-playing in a medival fantasy setting.

 

From 2004 to 2009 Smallwood spent more than 20,000 hours playing the game, and he continues to have a “compulsive urge and need” to play.  He never received any warning from the company about the danger of addiction and would not have purchased and played the game had he known of its addictive nature.

 

Smallwood, a disabled veteran, also claims he is unable to function independently in his normal “daily activities such as getting up, getting dressed, bathing or communicating with family and friends.”

 

The law firm representing the defendant said “Smallwood fails to properly allege facts that would support each element of the emotional distress claim.” The defendant also stated the lack of support for Smallwood’s claims failed to give them proper notice of the claims.