Douglas Wayne Myres, Jr.

May 6, 2001 4:34 PM

Douglas Wayne Myres, Jr. died due to an asthma attack. He is a co-founder of G.o.d. games. It's the worst thing when good people die young. He was 36.
posted by john (11 comments total)

The game industry is hard enough as it is. I amired what this companies has done. Good games, good people.

I don't know much about asthma, but how likely is it for people to die from it? I know it's the worst part of the season too. It just seems like it shouldn't have happened.
posted by john at 4:43 PM on May 6, 2001

being a rather mild asthmatic myself i've come across some severe attacks this time of the year. Anything can basically throw you into one: allergic reaction(s), weather, colds and flu-like symptoms, stress. I tell you, basically not being able to breathe is one of the scariest things to experience. For some people, I think "preventive medication" builds dependence on azmacort/proventil or whatever generic brand doctors say your lungs "need."

Doug must have had a pretty severe reaction. I'm saddened to hear this bit.
posted by wantwit at 5:08 PM on May 6, 2001

Asthma isn't really becoming more fatal -- it's becoming dramatically more common. A young white yuppie certainly isn't in the demographic where it's increasing, though (mainly inner-city blacks, and somewhat among the poor elderly). It does seem that fatal attacks tend to be linked to overexertion and underutilization of available care.
posted by dhartung at 8:01 PM on May 6, 2001

Underutilization of available care?? That care is only available to the insured.

Currently I, like so many other Americans -- don't have health insurance. I tried to buy my inhalors and medicine out-of-pocket....but the total would have been over $500. I bought just one inhalor, which cost me $122.
posted by jennak at 8:38 PM on May 6, 2001

Not speaking to that, but the link was illuminating how even paid-for care, paid-for-and-acquired medicine, isn't used. That certainly seems relevant to the individual's situation.
posted by dhartung at 5:30 AM on May 7, 2001

All-encompassing creative pursuits seem to be a more and more common way for talented people to die. Jim Henson died an early death because he refused to see a doctor when he contracted pneumonia. While you could argue that a person brings this particular lifestyle upon himself, it's truly disheartening to consider how many people have been lost prematurely because the United States has always considered art to be as trivial, thus forcing people to work long and hard hours for companies to unleash their grandiose visions.

I like the people at GOD Games. They have a good instinct when it comes to publishing smart, quirky games (recently, Tropico and Serious Sam). It's truly a loss to see Myers go so young.
posted by ed at 8:17 AM on May 7, 2001

ed: I don't get your logic. Are you saying people should get money or something because they happen to be artistic? I don't get how either of these deaths reflect people's appreciation of art....
posted by owillis at 9:22 AM on May 7, 2001

owillis: The point of my post above was that Western society (not people, but the capitalistic system we all function in) typically does not favor art unless it is driven by profitability and that there are possibly adverse side effects of artists running themselves into the ground needlessly. In the worst case scenario, it involves potentially a series of untimely deaths. Consider Disney animators who work in sweatshop-like conditions. How fast does their talent burn out prematurely? And how much of this is a loss to the great gestalt?
posted by ed at 11:26 AM on May 7, 2001

Have you seen the Disney animation studios? I have. The very antithesis of sweatshop.

You seem to be making a huge logic leap here...
posted by owillis at 11:33 AM on May 7, 2001

Okay, "sweatshop" may have been too strong of a word. But I know a couple of people on the inside and they've told me some interesting stories.
posted by ed at 1:15 PM on May 7, 2001

Read this story for more.
posted by ed at 1:30 PM on May 7, 2001