If you thought that trash talk and a real-world butt-kicking were only byproducts of first-person shooter gaming, then think again. As one Warcraft III gamer has discovered, RTS fans can be just as passionate and aggressive.
The Vancouver Sun reports that secondary school student Eric Hamber was confronted and beaten down during lunch by a group of boys. They forced him to kiss their feet, and then broke his fingers by bashing his hand with batons.
Vancouver police constable Lindsey Houghton confirmed on Thursday that the group of assailants had tracked down Hamber after playing against the victim and his friends during a round of Defense of the Ancients for Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos the night before. Hamber’s group won the round and proceeded to taunt the losers.
Houghton said that the losing opposition didn’t care for the trash talk. "It's very unusual," Houghton said. "Something that is exceptionally rare, given the number of people who play video games. Most people can separate reality from online fiction."
"I guess some people take these things exceptionally seriously,” he added.
Currently there haven’t been any arrests, however the Vancouver police youth squad is investigating the assault. Hamber and witnesses said the group comprised of four or five assailants being in their late teens.
