120 hours of World of Warcraft

by Elizabeth Harper Jul 24th 2007 at 8:10PM

120 hours, or five full days, is a lot of World of Warcraft playing -- especially if you plan on doing those 120 hours consecutively, like Cowiee is. And while a quite a few people on the forums are posting health warnings, Cowiee is endangering her health for a good cause -- money has been donated to the project and will be given to cancer research. While it's impossible to verify whether Cowiee is actually playing during this time window or whether any money gained goes to good cause, it's a use of game time that I haven't seen before. And regardless of your opinions on the venture, you can monitor Cowiee's progress via this thread on the EU forums. And after it's all over, Cowiee promises to post a journal detailing the project.

Tags: 120 hours, 120Hours, 5 days, 5Days, cowiee, world of warcraft, WorldOfWarcraft, wow

Filed under: Fan stuff

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

James Jul 24th 2007 8:46PM

That is dangerous given that Korean man who died after playing 50 hours straight.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4137782.stm

But, it is at least commendable in that Cowiee doing it for something worthwhile. Unlike those two clowns who supposedly dueled each other for 10 hours over 15 arena points, someone could actually benefit from this.

Snailking Jul 24th 2007 8:47PM

I did 32 hrs consecutively in Everquest on a bet in college.

Lame? Sure. But I won.

Jagoex Jul 25th 2007 2:22AM

Good cause. If only I had looked into this sort of thing when I invested all of my summer into the game to gain Rank 14...

Sleep Deprivation FTW Jul 24th 2007 9:14PM

If you cut off your own head and give the money raised to cancer research, is it any less stupid?

IKT Jul 24th 2007 9:53PM

roflmao @ people who think you die after staying awake 5 days straight.

If I had the energy to roll on the floor laughing I would.

Ryan Jul 24th 2007 10:01PM

Damn interesting read at http://www.damninteresting.com/?p=133

Storm Jul 24th 2007 10:27PM

@4 it depends on the state you're in for that time. If she's doing a lot of high concentration active content (which odds are she isn't since there isn't too much of that in WoW) then not sleeping for 5 days to play WoW is as unhealthy as not sleeping for 5 days. The Korean story in all odds the guy had his body producing adrenaline non stop and was unhealthy in 1st place = heart attack and dead. Do we honestly know what shape she's in or how playing the game affects her body. You also need to consider how it affects you when you can't concentrate being so tired (I'm sure a brain dead run of something when you're awake and alert isn't quite the same as when you haven't slept in days). Yes a person could die staying awake for 5 days straight and engaging in certain activities. If you were able to sit around not think not do anything and manage to stay awake for 5 days yeah you'd be ok, but that's not the case here. In this case neither you nor I know at what point health risks will become an issue for her and if you try to claim that you know then you're a fool who may as well go spam nothing but QQ and L2P on the forums.

In any case I honestly don't think it's possible to keep yourself awake for 5 straight days playing WoW and posting on the forums. It's just not that involved and the lack of concentration will put you to sleep. I think the longest I ever pushed myself was about 50 straight hours of writing code and that was pushing it. I honestly couldn't keep myself awake playing WoW if I wanted to.

jess Jul 24th 2007 11:58PM

It puts a bad taste in my moutht that someone would jepordize their health in the name of raising money for cancer research.

Shotgunbadger Jul 25th 2007 12:00AM

Is this what we have come to as a race? The only way we can get a good donation to charity is with a stupid stunt? Why did people not sponsoring this or whatever not just give the money? Why make some shmuck stay up for 5 days?

Yea his health isn't that big of a risk if he does it right (unlike the retarded Korean), but how pathetic of a statement for society is this? The only way we're exhalting donating money is when some guy stays up playing WoW for it?

Bob Jul 25th 2007 2:14AM

I don't think it is possible. Does anyone have a link to perhaps the world record?

navalpha Jul 25th 2007 4:00AM

Ive done 72 hours before.

It wasnt pretty.

on the last day, i was invited to join an unreal tournament.. tournament. I won, top of the scoreboard everytime. Went back home and slept for around 20hours :p

Hitman Jul 25th 2007 4:16AM

Since i cant login and send this to the EU forums. some1 mind doing it on my behalf? thanks

I'm a Registered Nurse from Australia and i just want to highlight a few points for you to read. Please consider them. No-one will think worse of you for stopping this expirement.

1. Your Doctor is a idiot. I'm sorry but it's true. Any qualified Dr would have told you that this expirement is extremely unhealthy and if seriously undertaken - should be monitored by health proffessionals.
2. Sleep deprivation can lead to early onset diabetes.
3. Sleep deprivation WILL affect your brain in various negative ways. In fact studies show that after 17 hours of being awake - ppl will perform tasks worse that other who are over the blood-alcohol limit for driving...
4. Sleep deprivation has been directly linked to heart disease.
5. Sleep deprivation can cause obesity. It is also associated with sleep apnoea.
6. Sleep deprivation is linked to irregular heart rhythms including atrial fibrillation
7. Sleep deprivation is linked to depression

other things associated with Sleep deprivation:

-anxiety
-stress
-ulcers
-hypertension (high blood pressure)
-irritability
-tremors
-slurred speech
-behavioural and social problems
-infection
-blurred vision
-breathing disorders

To be perfectly honest i could list alot more... Since your Dr is a moron let me tell you that what you are doing is dangerous and stupid. Raising money for cancer is indeed a great thing to do - but i look after oncology patients and i can tell you now that the last thing they would want is for some crazy person to risk their own health to raise a few $$ for them. ok?

Hitman Jul 25th 2007 4:21AM

oh bob - the world record is 11 days, 2hrs, 4 mins, 8 seconds

http://www.sleeplessinpenzance.co.uk/

i understand this was done under close observation and was done for research purposes.

CrpyTech Jul 25th 2007 5:47AM

Sleep isn't even the biggest concern. Long periods of relative inactivity can cause blood clots/thrombus in the legs. It has been proven that people on very long plane flights have died from pulmonary embolisms. There is nothing admirable about this. It's just stupid.

Kimkong Jul 25th 2007 5:50AM

"If you were able to sit around not think not do anything and manage to stay awake for 5 days yeah you'd be ok, but that's not the case here."

No, doing nothing isn't good at all, you could die from a blood clot forming in your legs and going into your lungs if you don't move enough from your chair, playing WoW... (called a "pulmonary embolism on a venous thrombus") especially if you're a young woman taking a birth pill (so I hope that Cowiee is not, or that she's going to take a break and walk !) or a old person. That's why we give you anticoagulant drugs when you're staying in a bed for too long (I'm not talking about sleeping till 3 p.m on Sunday), and we exhort you to move your butt as soon as you can when you're at the hospital. So, what will perhaps be the most dangerous for her, if she does non stop gaming, is the fact that she isn't going to move from her chair, not taking breaks long enough.

"2. Sleep deprivation can lead to early onset diabetes.
3. Sleep deprivation WILL affect your brain in various negative ways. In fact studies show that after 17 hours of being awake - ppl will perform tasks worse that other who are over the blood-alcohol limit for driving...
4. Sleep deprivation has been directly linked to heart disease.
5. Sleep deprivation can cause obesity. It is also associated with sleep apnoea.
6. Sleep deprivation is linked to irregular heart rhythms including atrial fibrillation
7. Sleep deprivation is linked to depression"

That's true, but most of what you listed is for chronic sleep deprivation, which is not the case here and are still under research. Anyway, not sleeping for five days isn't good for health !

But if she's in good health, what we'll happen if she stops sleeping ? Nothing... she'll just fell asleep later. And she'll be fine again, the brain can stand it. You can't stop sleeping forever, if you're really too tired, you'll eventually sleep (except maybe in some rare case of brain disease...). Once, I raided with someone reeeeaallly tired, who fell asleep in the middle of the dungeon, not responding anymore even if you shouted in TeamSpeak... even WoW (and guildmates shouting) can't prevent you from sleeping (I know he's not dead from sleep deprivation or anything else, because his wife was playing with us too ^^ ).

So my medical student's advices to Cowiee, if she really exists and is going to do this :

- Find another way to earn money for cancer research...
- Be sure you're in good medical condition
- Find a medical supervision
- Take breaks for walking, drinking, eating, etc.

Kimkong Jul 25th 2007 5:52AM

Ouch, CrpyTech, you were faster than me :p

Mask Jul 25th 2007 6:05AM

5 days of staying awake isnt going to hurt anything. As long as she takes care of basic bodiliy necessitiles (walking around some, going to the bathroom, eating) nothing is going to happen except she might just get too tired and fall asleep early =p

Cloud Jul 25th 2007 7:43AM

AS long as s/he eats and digests and moves around a bit im sure s/he'll be fine, and then fall asleep for 24 hours straight after.

Nick S Jul 25th 2007 8:30AM

i've stayed up for 3 consecutive days a few times - not pleasant, to be sure, and kind of makes you start to behave and think erratically. BUT i have no doubt that 5 days is possible. i wouldn't do it for anything less than a cure for cancer, though...

those who've mentioned the effects of sleep-deprivation, it must be noted that most of those effects (obesity, diabetes, and sleep apnea particularly) are shown to be the result of long-term sleep deprivation rather than one marathon session of sleeplessness.

John Jul 25th 2007 9:38AM

For what it is worth, though you may not trust the source in this case, Guiness world records no longer shows the world record on sleep deprivation due to the health risks...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Randy_Gardner_(sleep_deprived)

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