Bloomberg (News - Alert) ran an article earlier this year entitled, “The Real Cost of Being a Gamer.” The grand total for a family of four in San Francisco for one year was over $17,000 – most of it in medical bills.

The article sparked reactions from journalists who found the claim laughable. But a situation involving 15-year-old from Columbus, Ohio has given that headline an entirely new meaning.

Reports said the boy was taken to the emergency room on Tuesday after collapsing due to severe dehydration as a result of a four-day tear on Modern Warfare III for Xbox. His doctor has advised other gamers to take breaks.

Fortunately, unlike the bath salt epidemic investigated by Dateline’s Chris Hansen, this seems to be an isolated incident.

Coincidentally, the gaming industry seems to be on the decline. Former Red Sox Pitcher, Curt Schilling, recently made headlines after he went broke from investing all of his money into his failed video game company. Pop star Beyonce Knowles was also featured in the news over a lawsuit filed against her by gaming company, 5 Gate, after she allegedly backed out of her contract. Her attorneys stated that her reason was the company’s failure in securing the necessary financing.

Although Microsoft (News - Alert) revealed that they sold 1.1 million Xbox 360 consoles this year, the number decreased from the 1.7 million sold the year before.

The boy’s mother, more than likely wallowing in guilt, mentioned to the doctor that she did notice him put down the game on occasion to grab a snack and even take a shower.

But in her defense, who would predict the addictive powers of this video game? She has reportedly taken away the game console, but some suggest throwing the baby out with the bathwater compromises the more harmless values of the system, such as Netflix, accessible from a few different platforms, including Xbox.

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