Man Sues Publisher, Claims Game Addiction Ruined His Life

lineage 2Wired.com is reporting that a Hawaii man (seriously? Hawaii? Go outside, dude!) is suing NCsoft of South Korea because their game, Lineage II, is too addictive and has left him unable to function independently. The plaintiff, Craig Smallwood alleges that the company:

acted negligently in failing to warn or instruct or adequately warn or instruct plaintiff and other players of Lineage II of its dangerous and defective characteristics, and of the safe and proper method of using the game.

He also claims, and this is my favorite part, that he would never have started playing the game if he knew that he would become addicted to it. The suit goes on to say that between 2004 and 2009, he played Lineage II for 20,000 hours. Makes your mom’s Farmville obsession seem tame in comparision, eh?

Now, you get to be the judge. How would you rule in this case? Personally, I am of the opinion that if a few million people play a game or see a movie and only one or two act crazy, the problem is clearly with those one or two people, not the product. What do you think?

Source: Wired