September 1, 2025 • 11 mins
From deadly gaming marathons to weddings with Nintendo characters, these bizarre but true gamer stories prove reality can be stranger than any video game plot. In this episode of The Strange History Podcast, host Amy takes you deep into the weird world of gaming legends — including South Korea’s infamous 50-hour StarCraft session, parents who raised a virtual baby while neglecting their real one, the man who married his Nintendo DS, lawsuits over a three-cent virtual sword, and the World of Warcraft funeral that got raided. Equal parts tragic, hilarious, and jaw-dropping, this episode is a pixel-perfect blend of history, humor, and “What were they thinking?!” moments.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to the Strange History Podcast, the show where we
dig up the oddest, weirdest, and most oh no humanity
moments in history, the kind of stories that make you
feel better about that embarrassing thing you did in high school,
because trust me, it's nothing compared to what we're covering today.
I'm Amy, and today we're venturing into the pixelated wilds
(00:21):
of gamer history, a place where reality and fantasy sometimes collide,
and not always in ways you'd expect. We're talking gamer obsession,
crimes over imaginary swords, weddings to Nintendo characters, and yes,
even deaths caused by gaming marathons. Buckle up, respawn if necessary,
and let's press start.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
The fifty hour StarCraft marathon of Doom.
Speaker 1 (00:46):
Let's start in two thousand and five South Korea, the
holy land of competitive gaming, where StarCraft is less of
a video game and more of a national pastime. Our
main character, Lee, twenty eight years old, on employed and
with the kind of laser focus you usually only see
in Navy seals or cats staring at laser pointers. Lee
(01:08):
walked into an internet cafe, ordered well, basically nothing, and
sat down to play StarCraft for fifty straight hours. No
real food, no real sleep, just a few bathroom breaks,
which honestly I'm scared to ask about, and maybe a
snack or two. By the end, his body said nope,
(01:29):
we're done here, and he collapsed from extreme fatigue and dehydration.
Moral of the story. In StarCraft, you might lose your base.
In real life, you might lose your actual life.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
The parents who raised a virtual baby but not their
real one.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
Fast forward to twenty ten, also in South Korea, a
married couple falls deeply, deeply in love with a digital
baby in the online world of Prius Online. They spent
twelve hours a day nurturing their virtual daughter, Anima. They
fed her, dressed her, and watched her grow, all while
(02:08):
their real life three month old was left alone for hours. Tragically,
the real baby died of malnutrition and the parents ended
up in prison. This is the only time in history
where you're spending too much time on That game should
have been shouted through a megaphone.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
Man marries his Nintendo DS.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
In two thousand and nine. In Japan, gamer sal nine
thousand took dating sims to their final boss level marriage.
His bride nane Anagasaki from the game Love Plus the
ceremony was held at a tech conference live streamed with
actual guests. Vows were exchanged, and yes, he took her
(02:49):
on a honeymoon to Guam. I imagine customs must have
been fun. Anything to declare, yes, my wife, that's a
Nintendo DS. Yes, and she's beautiful. What does the wedding
registry look like for that wedding? A new mouse keyboard
and case of Mountain dew to wash down the shame.
(03:11):
The three cent sword that started a lawsuit China. Twenty nineteen.
Two gamer buddies were sharing an in game sword in
Justice Online worth thousands of real world dollars. One friend,
the very definition of oops, accidentally listed it for sale
at three cents. Someone bought it instantly, que the courtroom drama.
(03:34):
The original owner sued, and the court ordered the buyer
to give it back. I'd like to think the judge
was rolling his eyes so hard he saw his own brain.
Speaker 2 (03:44):
The real life murder over a virtual weapon.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
Speaking of weapons, the game legend of mere Thie caused
an actual murder. In two thousand and four, a Chinese
gamer named Chu Chung Wi lent his ultra rare Dragon
Saber sword to a friend that friend sold it for
real cash. Q demanded it back. The friend refused, Q
responded by stabbing him to death with an actual knife.
(04:10):
It became one of the first major cases where virtual
theft ended in real world homicide, and yes, it still
gets discussed in gaming law conferences today.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
The World of Warcraft funeral raid the day grief got gangd.
Speaker 1 (04:26):
Here's one that's infamous in gamer lore. In two thousand
and six, a World of Warcraft guild held a virtual
funeral for a player who had died in real life.
It was meant to be a peaceful, respectful moment until
another guild, Serenity Now, launched a massive raid on the ceremony.
Imagine mourning a friend, and suddenly one hundred angry night
(04:47):
elves stormed the place, throwing fireballs. It's been called both
the most disrespectful thing ever and the most perfectly wow
thing ever.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
The guy who lost his job to farm gold in
RuneScape proof you can't pay rent in Dragon Hyde.
Speaker 1 (05:06):
A man in the UK reportedly quit his job in
the mid two thousands to farm virtual gold in RuneScape,
selling it for real world money. It worked for a
while until the game developers changed the rules. The market collapsed,
and he went from being RuneScape rich to very very unemployed.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
The call of Duty swatting incident when trash talk turns
into a tactical response.
Speaker 1 (05:33):
In twenty seventeen, two gamers got into an argument over
a call of Duty match over a one dollar fifty
cent bet. One player called in a fake hostage situation
at the other's address. But here's the tragic twist. The
address he gave wasn't even the guy he was mad at.
Police showed up and shot an innocent man. It became
(05:54):
one of the most infamous swatting cases in history. All right,
let's dive into true stories of how pokmon Go may
have gotten millions of people outside and exercising, but it
also turned the world into a giant game of Darwin
Awards Mobile edition. Here are some real, detailed and darkly
funny true stories of players who took got to catch
(06:17):
them all a little too literally right over the edge.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
The bluff Brothers of Encinitas, California.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
July twenty sixteen, only days after Pokemon Go launched, two
men aged twenty one and twenty seven were walking along
a fence at a San Diego area bluff while glued
to their phones. They ignored every stay back sign, They
ignored the fact that there was no railing, They ignored,
you know, gravity. They were chasing Pokemon when surprise, the
(06:49):
ground stopped existing beneath them. One fell fifty feet, the
other fell ninety feet. Both survived with injuries, and the
local fire department had to repair hell down to rescue them.
The kicker, the police refused to say which Pokemon they
were chasing. My money's on a zubat because falling into
a dark abyss feels thematically appropriate.
Speaker 2 (07:12):
The peer plunge in New Jersey.
Speaker 1 (07:15):
Also in July twenty sixteen, in New jerseys famed Atlantic
City Boardwalk area, two men were so focused on catching
Pokemon that they walked right off an unlit peer at night.
They both fell into the frigid Atlantic Ocean and had
to be fished out by police. When asked why they
didn't notice the peer ending, one said, I was looking
(07:35):
at my screen. The other added, I just followed him.
Lesson learned in Pokemon go, as in life. Don't blindly
follow someone unless you're prepared to share their fate.
Speaker 2 (07:49):
The Brisbane River Dive, Australia.
Speaker 1 (07:52):
A young man in Brisbane, was so intent on catching
a rare Pokemon along the river bank that he slipped, tumbled,
and fell into the Brisbane River. Phone wallet, dignity, and
all witnesses reported that he popped up out of the water,
still holding his phone above his head like a triumphant
(08:13):
Olympic torch. Apparently, the Pokemon was a magic harp, which
makes the whole thing poetic.
Speaker 2 (08:20):
The Japan Fountain fiasco.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
In Tokushima, Japan, a player chasing Pokemon through a public
park walked directly into a large decorative fountain. Security footage
shows him striding forward, completely unaware until he vanishes with
a splash. Park officials later confirmed the Pokemon he was
after wasn't even in the fountain, which means he fell
(08:44):
in for absolutely nothing, not even a slow poke.
Speaker 2 (08:48):
The Michigan Lake Leap.
Speaker 1 (08:50):
In Michigan, a player misjudged a concrete ledge while trying
to reach a pokey stop and ended up falling into
a lake. Local news reported that he emerged with a
smile and immediately went back to playing, dripping wet because
the poke stop was just within reach from the shore.
That's commitment or concussion symptoms. The Brooklyn Face planned Brooklyn,
(09:14):
New York. July twenty sixteen, a man playing Pokemon Go
at night tripped over a tree route in Prospect Park
and fell face first into the pavement. The result two
chip teeth, a black eye, and a Facebook post that
read caught the Pokemon lost the face.
Speaker 2 (09:34):
IGN exec goes above and beyond and off a peer,
all in the name of Gotta catch them All.
Speaker 1 (09:42):
In July twenty sixteen, during the early days of Pokemon Go,
IGN editor Andrew Goldfarb became part of a viral moment
when he fell off a peer while playing the game.
The incident occurred during a live segment of IGN's Up
at Noon show, where Goldfarb was discussing his Pokemon Catch adventures.
While engrossed in the game, he stepped backward, unaware of
(10:05):
his surroundings, and fell off the edge of the pier.
The fall was captured on camera, leading to widespread attention
and amusement across social media platforms. Despite the mishap, Goldfarb
appeared unharmed and continued with the segment, turning the incident
into a humorous and memorable moment in gaming journalism. So
(10:26):
what have we learned today that video games can be
amazing escapes, incredible social spaces, and sometimes absolute chaos factories.
Remember take breaks, drink water, and if you find yourself
planning to marry a Nintendo character, maybe just maybe talk
to a friend first. This has been the Strange History podcast,
(10:49):
reminding you that truth is stranger than fiction, especially when
there's a loading screen involved. Don't forget to subscribe and
share with friends who in the world wouldn't want to
listen to this weirdness while running dungeons or killing zombies.
Until next time, dear listeners, stay weird.
Welcome to the Strange History Podcast, the show where we
dig up the oddest, weirdest, and most oh no humanity
moments in history, the kind of stories that make you
feel better about that embarrassing thing you did in high school,
because trust me, it's nothing compared to what we're covering today.
I'm Amy, and today we're venturing into the pixelated wilds
(00:21):
of gamer history, a place where reality and fantasy sometimes collide,
and not always in ways you'd expect. We're talking gamer obsession,
crimes over imaginary swords, weddings to Nintendo characters, and yes,
even deaths caused by gaming marathons. Buckle up, respawn if necessary,
and let's press start.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
The fifty hour StarCraft marathon of Doom.
Speaker 1 (00:46):
Let's start in two thousand and five South Korea, the
holy land of competitive gaming, where StarCraft is less of
a video game and more of a national pastime. Our
main character, Lee, twenty eight years old, on employed and
with the kind of laser focus you usually only see
in Navy seals or cats staring at laser pointers. Lee
(01:08):
walked into an internet cafe, ordered well, basically nothing, and
sat down to play StarCraft for fifty straight hours. No
real food, no real sleep, just a few bathroom breaks,
which honestly I'm scared to ask about, and maybe a
snack or two. By the end, his body said nope,
(01:29):
we're done here, and he collapsed from extreme fatigue and dehydration.
Moral of the story. In StarCraft, you might lose your base.
In real life, you might lose your actual life.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
The parents who raised a virtual baby but not their
real one.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
Fast forward to twenty ten, also in South Korea, a
married couple falls deeply, deeply in love with a digital
baby in the online world of Prius Online. They spent
twelve hours a day nurturing their virtual daughter, Anima. They
fed her, dressed her, and watched her grow, all while
(02:08):
their real life three month old was left alone for hours. Tragically,
the real baby died of malnutrition and the parents ended
up in prison. This is the only time in history
where you're spending too much time on That game should
have been shouted through a megaphone.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
Man marries his Nintendo DS.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
In two thousand and nine. In Japan, gamer sal nine
thousand took dating sims to their final boss level marriage.
His bride nane Anagasaki from the game Love Plus the
ceremony was held at a tech conference live streamed with
actual guests. Vows were exchanged, and yes, he took her
(02:49):
on a honeymoon to Guam. I imagine customs must have
been fun. Anything to declare, yes, my wife, that's a
Nintendo DS. Yes, and she's beautiful. What does the wedding
registry look like for that wedding? A new mouse keyboard
and case of Mountain dew to wash down the shame.
(03:11):
The three cent sword that started a lawsuit China. Twenty nineteen.
Two gamer buddies were sharing an in game sword in
Justice Online worth thousands of real world dollars. One friend,
the very definition of oops, accidentally listed it for sale
at three cents. Someone bought it instantly, que the courtroom drama.
(03:34):
The original owner sued, and the court ordered the buyer
to give it back. I'd like to think the judge
was rolling his eyes so hard he saw his own brain.
Speaker 2 (03:44):
The real life murder over a virtual weapon.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
Speaking of weapons, the game legend of mere Thie caused
an actual murder. In two thousand and four, a Chinese
gamer named Chu Chung Wi lent his ultra rare Dragon
Saber sword to a friend that friend sold it for
real cash. Q demanded it back. The friend refused, Q
responded by stabbing him to death with an actual knife.
(04:10):
It became one of the first major cases where virtual
theft ended in real world homicide, and yes, it still
gets discussed in gaming law conferences today.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
The World of Warcraft funeral raid the day grief got gangd.
Speaker 1 (04:26):
Here's one that's infamous in gamer lore. In two thousand
and six, a World of Warcraft guild held a virtual
funeral for a player who had died in real life.
It was meant to be a peaceful, respectful moment until
another guild, Serenity Now, launched a massive raid on the ceremony.
Imagine mourning a friend, and suddenly one hundred angry night
(04:47):
elves stormed the place, throwing fireballs. It's been called both
the most disrespectful thing ever and the most perfectly wow
thing ever.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
The guy who lost his job to farm gold in
RuneScape proof you can't pay rent in Dragon Hyde.
Speaker 1 (05:06):
A man in the UK reportedly quit his job in
the mid two thousands to farm virtual gold in RuneScape,
selling it for real world money. It worked for a
while until the game developers changed the rules. The market collapsed,
and he went from being RuneScape rich to very very unemployed.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
The call of Duty swatting incident when trash talk turns
into a tactical response.
Speaker 1 (05:33):
In twenty seventeen, two gamers got into an argument over
a call of Duty match over a one dollar fifty
cent bet. One player called in a fake hostage situation
at the other's address. But here's the tragic twist. The
address he gave wasn't even the guy he was mad at.
Police showed up and shot an innocent man. It became
(05:54):
one of the most infamous swatting cases in history. All right,
let's dive into true stories of how pokmon Go may
have gotten millions of people outside and exercising, but it
also turned the world into a giant game of Darwin
Awards Mobile edition. Here are some real, detailed and darkly
funny true stories of players who took got to catch
(06:17):
them all a little too literally right over the edge.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
The bluff Brothers of Encinitas, California.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
July twenty sixteen, only days after Pokemon Go launched, two
men aged twenty one and twenty seven were walking along
a fence at a San Diego area bluff while glued
to their phones. They ignored every stay back sign, They
ignored the fact that there was no railing, They ignored,
you know, gravity. They were chasing Pokemon when surprise, the
(06:49):
ground stopped existing beneath them. One fell fifty feet, the
other fell ninety feet. Both survived with injuries, and the
local fire department had to repair hell down to rescue them.
The kicker, the police refused to say which Pokemon they
were chasing. My money's on a zubat because falling into
a dark abyss feels thematically appropriate.
Speaker 2 (07:12):
The peer plunge in New Jersey.
Speaker 1 (07:15):
Also in July twenty sixteen, in New jerseys famed Atlantic
City Boardwalk area, two men were so focused on catching
Pokemon that they walked right off an unlit peer at night.
They both fell into the frigid Atlantic Ocean and had
to be fished out by police. When asked why they
didn't notice the peer ending, one said, I was looking
(07:35):
at my screen. The other added, I just followed him.
Lesson learned in Pokemon go, as in life. Don't blindly
follow someone unless you're prepared to share their fate.
Speaker 2 (07:49):
The Brisbane River Dive, Australia.
Speaker 1 (07:52):
A young man in Brisbane, was so intent on catching
a rare Pokemon along the river bank that he slipped, tumbled,
and fell into the Brisbane River. Phone wallet, dignity, and
all witnesses reported that he popped up out of the water,
still holding his phone above his head like a triumphant
(08:13):
Olympic torch. Apparently, the Pokemon was a magic harp, which
makes the whole thing poetic.
Speaker 2 (08:20):
The Japan Fountain fiasco.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
In Tokushima, Japan, a player chasing Pokemon through a public
park walked directly into a large decorative fountain. Security footage
shows him striding forward, completely unaware until he vanishes with
a splash. Park officials later confirmed the Pokemon he was
after wasn't even in the fountain, which means he fell
(08:44):
in for absolutely nothing, not even a slow poke.
Speaker 2 (08:48):
The Michigan Lake Leap.
Speaker 1 (08:50):
In Michigan, a player misjudged a concrete ledge while trying
to reach a pokey stop and ended up falling into
a lake. Local news reported that he emerged with a
smile and immediately went back to playing, dripping wet because
the poke stop was just within reach from the shore.
That's commitment or concussion symptoms. The Brooklyn Face planned Brooklyn,
(09:14):
New York. July twenty sixteen, a man playing Pokemon Go
at night tripped over a tree route in Prospect Park
and fell face first into the pavement. The result two
chip teeth, a black eye, and a Facebook post that
read caught the Pokemon lost the face.
Speaker 2 (09:34):
IGN exec goes above and beyond and off a peer,
all in the name of Gotta catch them All.
Speaker 1 (09:42):
In July twenty sixteen, during the early days of Pokemon Go,
IGN editor Andrew Goldfarb became part of a viral moment
when he fell off a peer while playing the game.
The incident occurred during a live segment of IGN's Up
at Noon show, where Goldfarb was discussing his Pokemon Catch adventures.
While engrossed in the game, he stepped backward, unaware of
(10:05):
his surroundings, and fell off the edge of the pier.
The fall was captured on camera, leading to widespread attention
and amusement across social media platforms. Despite the mishap, Goldfarb
appeared unharmed and continued with the segment, turning the incident
into a humorous and memorable moment in gaming journalism. So
(10:26):
what have we learned today that video games can be
amazing escapes, incredible social spaces, and sometimes absolute chaos factories.
Remember take breaks, drink water, and if you find yourself
planning to marry a Nintendo character, maybe just maybe talk
to a friend first. This has been the Strange History podcast,
(10:49):
reminding you that truth is stranger than fiction, especially when
there's a loading screen involved. Don't forget to subscribe and
share with friends who in the world wouldn't want to
listen to this weirdness while running dungeons or killing zombies.
Until next time, dear listeners, stay weird.
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