Sneak was aware that excessive gaming can be hazardous to health, but it seems the risks run much deeper than simple eyestrain or RSI-afflictions of the trigger finger. In the US, the launch of the much-anticipated PlayStation 3 has left numerous games fans hospitalised even before they’ve grasped the controller. An Associated Press report lists the litany of violence. In Indiana, a man was stabbed after he and a friend decided it would be good idea to rob two other men of consoles they had queued for 36 hours to buy. In California, a crowd waiting to buy the new games machine surged forward and trampled on fallers. Police were called to subdue unruly crowds outside shops with limited supplies in many other states. In Massachusetts, a shopper was beaten and robbed of his unit minutes after he bought it. And in Ohio, two men wearing ski masks stole five consoles from a shop at gunpoint.

Fortunately, the European release of the PS3 has been delayed until March 2007, giving UK fans a few months yet to polish up their real-life combat skills.

21 Nov 2006