On December 1st, Capcom released the popular “Monster Hunter Freedom 3” in Japan for the PlayStation Portable (PSP) system. The game is almost a national icon. People camped-out in front of stores over the night before the release.

One high school student asked his elderly grandmother to wait in line for him. She grew sick while waiting and was taken to a hospital for treatment. The incident became internet-notorious after someone who worked at the hospital tweeted, “To the kid who made his sick grandma wait in line since six in the morning: Your grandma was taken to the ER and is still here at the hospital! Drop the game and come see her!”

The tweet implied that the poor old woman collapsed on the street, but it’s really not clear whether the author was a doctor, nurse, or some other staff at the hospital. The tragedy of the event is great nonetheless.
The incident happened on the northernmost of the main islands of the Japanese archipelago, Hokkaido. The night air temperature in Hokkaido in early December is frequently freezing. The kid who left his grandmother in the cold must have had no common sense or mercy. Perhaps he should work on his human sympathy before working on beating a game.

Translation by M.H 586