The latest World of Warcraft game was eagerly awaited by millions, but there was one group who have been filled with dread by the game’s release: “Warcraft Widows”.

The game has such a firm grip over the lives of many men, that some wives complain they rarely see their spouses any more. One 39-year-old Warcraft Widow, Carolyn, recently told The Times that the game has so absorbed her husband Paul, that she sees him only during meal and lavatory breaks.

“We’ve had to enter into some heavy negotiation to work out the nights and weekends when Paul can play without me nagging him to stop, because it’s not just the odd half hour,” she said.

At a recent gaming convention, one player said a friend became so obsessed with the game that his wife gave him an ultimatum: quit Warcraft or the marriage is over. He started divorce proceedings the next day.

The game makers, Blizzard Entertainment, do not reveal the average time players spend on the game, but academic research estimates it as much as 25 hours a week. One unpublished study says the figure could be closer to 40 hours.

Spotting this trend, Relate, the relationship-counselling organisation, has introduced a training module for its counsellors on problems caused by online gaming-obsessions. An internet support group called “WOW_widow” has also sprung up with the motto: “Stop leveling and start living!”