The Sun leads with 'Death by Xbox' cover story

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The Sun leads with a story that has no doubt caused headaches at Microsoft.

With a headline of ‘Death by Xbox’, the paper has pushed to the fore the tragic case of Chris Staniforth, a 20-year-old who died of deep-vein-thrombosis (DVT).

The report directly links the DVT to Staniforth spending up to 12 hours playing Xbox games – his father said he was “sucked in” to online multiplayer for games like Halo.

DVT is the formation of a blood clot that develops often without symptoms and is most commonly occurring in immobilised hospital patients or regular smokers - but is also linked to long-haul flights and travel, where it occurs due to lack of movement in transit.

The Sun throws in that “in recent years it has been increasingly been seen among those who sit for long spells in front of computer screens”. As tragic as this story is, that’s an odd claim to throw in when it can occur in anyone immobilised or still for a long period of time. (And let’s not forget an Xbox needs to be plugged into a TV, not a computer.)

Staniforth’s father David said he is now launching a campaign to raise awareness of DVT and video games – but added he isn’t levelling criticism at Microsoft.

“Kids all over the country are playing these video games,” he told The Sun. “They don’t realise it could kill them.

“I’m not for one minute blaming the manufacturer of Xbox. It isn’t their fault that people use them for so long. But I want to highlight the dangers that can arise.

“Playing on it for so long is what killed him – and I don’t want another child to die.”

A statement from Microsoft said: “We recommend gamers take breaks to exercise as well as make time for other pursuits.”

The report comes just a few days after The Sun published a report about an asthmatic teenage girl who suffered “a heart attack while playing on her Xbox”, and four months after it ran a widely-mocked report about how the Nintendo 3DS poses a health-risk and made players ill or dizzy.

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"The Sun leads with 'Death by Xbox' cover story" :: Login/Create an Account :: 92 comments

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AnkokuPosted:

I play all the time everyday all night for years, i don't ever think of a health problem like that? i mean take breaks people don't be a dumbass and sit there for 20 hours freaking straight. If you choose to so that then it's all on you kid, break every hour for at least 15 minutes to 30 minutes do hand exercises to get you're blood flowing in your hand.

GuyNamedBobPosted:

skatertg Yeah... but it's the sun... a newspaper for idiots
yeah i've never even read the sun, but that title gives me a pretty good idea of how big of a joke this newspaper is

KeyloggerPosted:

The longest I've played is 22 hours but that's with a couple 15 minute breaks and going to the bathroom and a shower and dinner.

DecPosted:

This is stupid, why would you sit there for 12 hours a day, I can't even manage 2.

StablePosted:

I think Xbox should shutdown the Xbox LIVE Servers for at least an hour every 4 to 5 hours. that way. people would have no choice but to get up and do something besides sitting.

ChaosClayPosted:

Derp- He was playing for 12 hours? most gamers don't play for 12 hours straight.




ohh jeez e.o
i;ve been playing for about 16+ hours a day D:

BuqqyPosted:

I can barely sit there for 2 hours and play..

YarPosted:

Xman Lets launch a campaign to raise awareness of DVT and people who work behind a desk for 8 or more hours a day . . . .


LOL yeah good idea

XmanPosted:

Lets launch a campaign to raise awareness of DVT and people who work behind a desk for 8 or more hours a day . . . .

SuperNewbPosted:

Probably very unlikely to happen to any of us, unless you guys sit for 60 hours, while eating, and going to the bathroom. ( all while sitting ) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEAIPtjUSHE&feature=related