An unnamed (for obvious reasons) UK district judge feigned illness in order to skip work the day following the release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.

An article on the Times Online details the judge’s story as part of an account detailing "secret gamers," i.e. those who can juggle playing games and maintain a successful career… go figure! The 48-year old judge, a married father of two, waited in line for an hour at midnight in order to score a copy of the game on launch day, feeling “like Charlie waiting outside the chocolate factory.” He apparently stayed up late playing the game, necessitating his call in to work the next day. “Will” spends “hundreds of pounds a year” on new games.

The article also details the gaming habits of a 37 year-old advertising executive—who plays Lego Batman with his kids—and a 35 year-old female speech and language therapist, who is deep into playing Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune 2 with her boyfriend.

The story introduces the aspect of videogame addiction, but plays down that part of gaming by quoting a psychologist who in 22 years of experience has “only met 10 people who are genuinely addicted.”

A related article, written by a former member of the video appeals committee, a part of the British Board of Film Classification, details the writer’s brief addiction with Carmageddon, one she stopped because she claimed to feel the urge to run down grandmothers in real life following extended bouts playing the game.

She noted losing interest in the title once in-game granny tire targets were changed to aliens and their blood changed from red to green.