Blizzard to be sued over World of Warcraft player's death

Thirteen year-old died while acting out a scene from the online game, say parents

November 21, 2005

Parents of a thirteen year-old boy in China are prepared to sue Blizzard Entertainment, claiming that their online game World of Warcraft is responsible for their son's death.

The parents claim that their son was acting out a scene from the massively-multiplayer online RPG when he jumped to his death.

The parents' case is supported by activist Zhang Chunliang, who's mission is to warn of the potential dangers of the Internet, particularly involving addiction to online games.

World of Warcraft has over 4 million subscribers worldwide, including more than 1.5 million in China.

Blizzard has not commented on the matter, but has recently made an FAQ available on its Web site regarding a parental control feature, which would allow parents of young gamers to set a master password and control their children's usage of the game.