NCsoft of South Korea is facing some major trouble as a gamer of their MMORPG Lineage II has filed a negligence suit against them, which a federal judge has allowed to proceed.

The addicted gamer/plaintiff is Craig Smallwood, and he is seeking redress because of the addictive nature of the game, resulting to him being "unable to function independently in usual daily activities such as getting up, getting dressed, bathing or communicating with family and friends."

According to Smallwood, he has spent some 20,000 hours from 2004 to 2009 just playing Lineage II. Because it got him hooked so bad, he is now asking for an unspecified amount of money as damages from NCsoft.

He also alleged that NCsoft "acted negligently in failing to warn or instruct or adequately warn or instruct plaintiff and other players of Lineage II of its dangerous and defective characteristics, and of the safe and proper method of using the game." Had he known that the game would be that addicting, he said he wouldn't have touched it in the first place.





The judge handling the case, U.S. District Judge Alan Kay gave out a ruling earlier this month, making it possible for the case to proceed to trial: "In light of plaintiff's allegations, the court finds that plaintiff has stated a claim for both negligence and gross negligence."

NCsoft is not immediately available for comment on the ruling, but has already filed an appeal to the judge for the dismissal of the case.

Earlier this year, back in February, NCsoft opened Lineage II absolutely free for two whole weeks.

Via [Wired]

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