For three minutes, twenty-one players at Arcade America watched Sameer convulse on the floor.
Witnesses recall Sameer Shaheed, a 12-year-old refugee boy, calling out before the time of his death. Sameer had been playing Stormhill, a popular virtual reality game set in a fictionalized version of his home country.
“I remember being scared at the time. His words sounded like the bad guys from Stormhill,” said Lyola Thomas, a frequent customer at Arcade America.
As owner Chuck DeMarco recalls, a couple of days had passed since the official launch of Stormhill. Touted as the first title of its kind, Microsoft Game Studio’s flagship offering promised players realistic combat scenarios with cutting edge features like 3D stereophonics and haptic feedback. As of this October, sales for the game at major retailers have reached an all-time high, with arcade versions reaching over three hundred dollars.
The game was becoming big business at Arcade America. Since its launch, Mr.DeMarco’s small establishment had been packed, so he says it took time for him to notice the commotion at the game module that day.
“I thought I heard yelling in Arabic. I grabbed my gear and walked over to see what was happening.” Mr.DeMarco, a registered gear owner, carries a Glock G19 for self-defense.
“When I got to the module, he was rolling on the floor. I immediately called 911.”
Autopsies revealed that a faulty glass panel shattered inside Sameer’s virtual reality helmet during his convulsion, imparting numerous lacerations on his skull. Sameer passed at 4:05 PM on November 12th from severe blood loss. Helmet maker Oculus has since issued a recall on its latest arcade helmets.
Coroners from the Langone Health system explained that Sameer suffered from a nonepileptic seizure, likely in response to the graphic combat environments depicted in the game.
“We see this type of behavior occur in veterans suffering from PTSD” said Dr.Bruce Kaplan, a specialist in stress disorders. “Not children, usually.”
Criminal justice lawyers are filing a lawsuit against Microsoft Game Studios. They are set to debate the nature of our disintegrating realities.
When witnesses were asked why they did not open Sameer’s helmet during his convulsion, many demurred from commenting. “He was yelling. It seemed dangerous” said Kyle Thomas, a lanky seventeen-year-old. “I thought, maybe this was part of the game.”