23-year-old Chen Jung-yu was found dead at an internet cafe in New Taipei, Taiwan on Tuesday night.
Jung-yu was rigid in his chair with hands on the keyboard and mouse, according to local police. He had been playing the popular online multiplayer game World of Warcraft when he died (though another outlet is suggesting the game may have been League of Legends). Reports state that he had been dead up to nine hours going unnoticed by over 30 cafe patrons during that time.
Even after the discovery of his body, police say that gamers were disinterested and wanted to keep playing during the investigation.
The family of the deceased noted that he had been treated for heart problems in September of 2011. While an autopsy is being performed to determine the specific cause of death, this is not the first time an Asian gamer has died after a prolonged play session in an internet cafe.
Recent studies have shown that sitting for long stretches of time can contribute to heart disease. While the studies are aimed at people who work behind a desk all day, they most certainly apply to gamers as well, especially when coupled with a lack of sleep and malnutrition.
Via Taipei Times (warning: includes image of crime scene and corpse)