A Hawaii man says he is unable to wake up, bathe or get dressed due to “phenomena of psychological dependence and addiction” brought on by a video game, and he’s proceeding with a lawsuit against its South Korean developer after a federal judge granted a motion by the company to dismiss half of the eight charges against it.
Craig Smallwood, 51, says the 2003 game Lineage II caused him “extreme and serious emotional distress and depression.” He says he was hospitalized for three weeks and now requires therapy three times a week.
Which begs the question: Who is responsible for video game addiction?