Two months after a 20 year old gamer died in the UK, his father is now leading a campaign to let others become aware of the possible dangers of playing games for long periods of time. The BBC reports that the gamer in question, Chris Staniforth, died in May of deep vein thrombosis. Stainiforth reportedly played games on his Xbox 360 console for up to 12 hours at a time. His father now believes that Staniforth"s death was caused in part due to his marathon gaming sessions.
Deep vein thrombosis occurs when a blood clot is formed in a deep blood vein. Such clots are normally formed in the legs and are caused due to long periods of inactivity. This kind of condition can occur with people who travel frequently in airplanes which have long periods of travel. The condition can also occur with other long haul travelers in cars, trains and other vehicles. In Staniforth"s case, a clot formed in his left calf that then moved to his lungs and caused a blockage.
His father, David Staniforth, now believes that his son"s death was due to his immobility while playing his Xbox 360 for very long periods of time. He says, "After my research I saw there was no difference to Chris sitting at a desk on his Xbox and someone on a long-haul flight. Sitting still is literally the danger zone. Chris loved to play and would stay up all night. Millions of people worldwide are playing these games for hours, and there is a risk." David Staniforth is planning to launch a web site to educate others on the dangers of marathon gaming.
In a statement, Microsoft said it has always encouraged its Xbox 360 gamers to play safely, saying, "We recommend that gamers take periodic breaks to exercise as well as make time for other pursuits."