Addicted gamer wins first battle against NC Interactive

Craig Smallwood filed a lawsuit against NC Interactive, accusing her to be responsible for the psychosocial disorders caused by long hours of practice of the Lineage II. As in all such cases, the company tried to put an early end to the case, citing the terms of use of the game. The judge, however, refused to put the file.



The archive EULA (End-User License Agreement) in Lineage II stated that the company has no liability for damage may be caused to the user from the game. In most cases, this statement is enough to reject the reason of a company. However, Smallwood was able to use the labyrinthine legal status of U.S. variations from state to state. The lawsuit was filed in the state of Hawaii (where the complainant resides), and the court held that both the Law of Hawaii, and that Texas (where the company is based) have not accepted the advance waiver of liability.



In short, Smallwood was able to keep the case alive and might eventually lead the NC Interactive in court rooms.



The complainant reports a series of symptoms, which attaches to 20,000 hours spent in the game. Among other things, argues that the emotional disturbance caused by the Lineage II does not allow longer to get dressed, washed and communicate with those around him. He adds that not long ago he was admitted to psychiatric hospital and up to now follows three therapy sessions per week.