Fortnite "Ruined Our Child's Life", Claims Family At The Centre Of New Class-Action Lawsuit

This literally makes me loose brain cells. By those parents reasoning I should be able to sue them for that.

What age rating is fortnite? No parent can complain if they get their child or let their child have games that they are too young for

I am not sure if they will get anywhere with this, but I will certainly keep an eye on this out of interest. I am curious to see if they can prove not only that Epic talked to psychologists, but that it was with a malevolent intent.

EDIT: Just to clarify, I don't think they will win; but it is interesting the claims they have made.

Sounds stupid, but it's against fortnite, so I'm all for it

Also pubg were around before fortnite with this idea so surely they would eb to blame if there was any case

Yes sue the game because you can't control what your kids do. Pathetic.

Not this again....
People never learn...

Geez...what a see through shakedown over bad parenting.

Well maybe actually try being a parent and have some discipline. This is the parents fault and now they are trying to get a pay day from it....

Another case of parents not managing their kid's time playing. Typical.

Remember when games caused violence?

Remember that Pokémon was not only a gateway to drugs, but Satan in general?

Remember when Doom amd GTA made Columbine Shooting happen?

Remember when Call of Duty was attributed to Timothy McVeigh's actions?

Yeah, this gets add to THAT pile.

I'm suing my heroine dealer for the same reason. The first sample was free and he did not make the addictive nature of the substance clear to me.

@playstation_king it's rated Teen, but it's so cartoonish I think a more fitting rating would be E 10+.

I wonder what exactly do they mean by "ruined their children's life"? I mean they're still kids, and good parents can still fix what they neglected up to this point. Their life aren't ruined (yet) I assume. Cause they didn't really start yet.
On the other hand yeah those manipulative practices are a real problem. So is bad parenting.

Fortnight is an awful game, back in my day I saw friends lose days to Halo and CoD but this Fortnight epidemic is so much worse. Kids can’t function. They are failing classes because the game is on their phones now. It is like that episode of Star Trek where everyone is addicted to a game and nothing gets done. The show predicted Fortnight Lol

Ive had this conversation when I first read it with my Discord buddies and it is to be said here... This is an underhanded attack at gaming and Fortnite is the opportunistic scapegoat. Addiction... we can do that with any game. Those saying “its against Fortnite, its all right” do not know what they are saying. Ends must not justify the means here. If legal precedence gets a hold of this, it can spell trouble for any other game they think its bad, while we gamers think its good.

So, nothing about the microtransactions? He didn't rack up tens of thousands of dollars on your credit card? Instead your kids are just playing it a lot?

Game addiction is a real thing, but it's not the publisher's responsibility. They're a business, and it's in their best interest to make you want to come back for more. Not to the point of "tearing their lives apart" but you'll have a heck of a time trying to prove otherwise in court.

Incidentally, if you **follow the links** to the original CBC article, you'll find good resources on treating video game addiction.

Oh my goodness those poor children, ruined for life, I really feel for them.

People becoming absorbed into games is nothing new. Skinner Box tactics to get people to keep playing is nothing new. And unfortunately you can't really stop people from playing Fortnite since it's free. But as a parent, I simply talk to my kids about the games they play, adamantly refuse to allow them to buy virtual goods with real money, and limit the time they're allowed to spend on electronic entertainment. Funny--they're not losing their minds about the game. They're seeing it for what it is. My daughter abandoned Fortnite on her own because she was tired of the loop and grind and meaninglessness of it all. My son doesn't even like it at all. Funny how a little instruction and setting boundaries helps...instead of demanding a payday from a company, do your job as a parent.

Get real. If they'd wanted to get people hopelessly addicted, they would've made the game FUN.

Only by the end of your child's life would you be able to claim that it actually ruined it. He is still young enough to turn things over.

I wonder if Blizzard ever got sued for the same reasons for World of Warcraft...

I am seeing a lot of the same voices that normally would call out the manipulative nature of loot boxes ruins games also bash the lawsuit as stupid, and that is very weird.

Be f×€£!~& parent and rip it out of his hand and tell him he cant play it anymore

Its not a problem with the game
its a problem with you

So they moved on from suing Pokemon GO.

Bad parenting.

Simple solution, unplug the computers or consoles.

People need to get a grip.

I don't like fortnite but this is too far. I could maybe understand this if they made the game pay to win but the main mode everyone cares about has no such things.

instead of suing fornite how about suing EA and 2k for their gambling/lootbox crap practices in their games.

@BarefootBowser I don't doubt that video game companies talk to psychologists. Most of the monetization in the games are manipulative, but it is trying to prove that Epic were acting with bad intent which is the issue as far as I can see.

Anything that hinders micro-transactions is a good thing though.

I actually feel conflicted on this 1. On the 1 hand I think the claims are ridiculous but on the other hand it is being used against the cesspool that is Fortnite so...
I'm happy with either 1 losing

Since addictive products can be regulated, I can see an argument against forever evolving games and micro transactions, because you never get to complete the game. When you can buy a complete-able game experience for a finite cost, then you can get tired of it.

I'm Switch friend's with my friend's kid, and he's been playing Fortnite for two years, way more than I ever payed a game. But I only had had NES/Geneis, which you can get tired of.

@Zuljaras I understand you are defensive. But that's rather heartless for you to say that so bluntly. As a parent, I've learned it's really hard to judge parenting — because it's a really really tough job. I'm sure these people are not terribly parents for letting their kids play a video game. Plus, please consider your position... you are prioritizing a corporation over other human beings. Are you sure that's how you feel?

Absolute idiots. I cant even begin to describe their ignorance.

Betting this is an entirely baseless claim: "for years and years, hired psychologists - they really dug into the human brain and they really made the effort to make it as addictive as possible"

Can’t you just set aside how much time your kids are allowed to play. It’s bad parenting.

But how did it ruin your children's lives?

I hope this case reveals some interesting ways game companies manipulate their audience. I would be really interested to find out if Epic Games actually did hire psychologists to find ways to keep players addicted. I have my doubts they needed psychologists to give them manipulation tactics. Many Las Vegas slot machines have already perfected the method

@Galenmereth Nice to see a reaction that isn't a knee jerk 'defend the game'.

Yes, to sue Epic sounds like just a cash in.

But lazy parenting is letting your kids play instead of doing homework, chores and sleeping.

It is NOT spotting that a toy, marketed at children and clearly marked as being suitable for ages 12 and up, contains mechanics designed to cause obsessive repetition and dependency.

The hooks that are being used in Fortnite are deeply unhealthy and I've seen their results first hand. This isn't the future I want for my hobby.

@Ooccoo_Jr,

To be honest that heroin is a bit moreish.

Well clearly they shouldn't have had kids... I doubt their kids are even that bad. Probably forgetting about homework or ignoring it entirely every once in awhile because its too stressful to keep up with. I had the same issue when I was their age and figured classwork is time consuming enough. Home time is me time.

When it comes to these kind of people I always have to ask: at what point does parenting ever get into the picture? I mean how hard is it to take a game console or cell phone away, or implement some parental controls or something? There are no shortage of means for parents to control how much gaming their kids are doing if they actually bothered to be, you know, parents.

Regardless of what sides people want to take, I'd hope we can all agree that these companies have no business forcing consumers to waive their right to sue through their Terms of Service.

This is pathetic. It was bad enough with the Wii Fit game making kids lose weight and parents were trying to sue nintendo for it, but this is just bad parenting. I monitor my kids game times, they know when the time is up...it's up! This is the parents faults, not the games fault. It's like putting them in front of the TV for the whole day when they could be outside instead!

I think it’s really disgusting how some people are personally attacking the parents it doesn’t help anything and reflects badly on us all. It is perfectly fine to disagree with the parents everyone is entitled to their opinion but it’s not OK to attack them.

If Epic Games did engage in making their game as addictive as possible shouldn’t that be something we all take issue with? Do we really want that kind of business model to flourish like loot boxes have?

@JLPick "It was bad enough with the Wii Fit game making kids lose weight and parents were trying to sue nintendo for it"

Wait, really? This was a thing?!

Or we would have monitored it a lot more closely.

That right there is what they shoulda done in the first place. Turning off the videogame or taking away the console till the kid does homework, chores, and improves their attitude is free in every parent's toolkit. Those idiots just want money.

As a psychologist myself, I can't say I disagree 100%.
I think that a non-great education open doors to kids getting addicted to something like fortnite.

why fortnite is bad. fortnite is bad because the game tries to make people spend money on things that you don't even need to spend money on. Fortnite tries to get people playing it 24/7 even though that is really a long time playing a game and you probably shoudn't play it that long without stopping. Another thing is they update the game so when you do stop playing its pushes you to get back on to play. (the game is somewhat fun for a little while but its not really a great game to spend money on when you can play it for free, The stuff you buy doesn't even give you anything towards helping you in the game its just for cosmetics.) Some things i like about the game 1. its a fun team game when you can crossplay with your friends on any console really. 2. Its fun building and blocking people from shooting you. 3. its fun to meet new people (Sometimes). Sorry if i'm going long but this is just my opinion

1 other thing is I would spend money on an actual game than a free-to-play one. If you don't have money for a new game just don't buy anything on fortnite because in the end its all cosmetics.

I completely understand the issues with tactics some of these developers use to get people to buy into microtransactions

I completely understand the idea that peer pressure exist in this context. That's nothing new.

What I can't wrap my head around is the idea that peer pressure somehow trumps parental responsibility. On the one hand, I get parents can't control everything. I'm learning that first hand myself. But at the end of the day, the buck stops with me and my wife. Granted, our kids are 6 and 2 (amost 3). So its not nearly as bad as say a parent of middle or high schooler. But even then, what are these parents doing in that they don't know what games their kids are playing? And when it comes to spending money on microtransactions, where are these kids getting this money from? (Outside of those who may be making their own little money with a job)

@Galenmereth Oh yes. Its so hard to deal with. Nevermind modern parents have tools aside from turning the damn thing off, like game time restrictions you can actually set on the console.

Nevermind that they don't hafta buy kids dlc and microtransactions. Poor poor parents are utterly helpless against this terrible onslaught. And the words No? Or Your done? What language is that?

I may not like Epic, but I hope they win this fight. If the parents are letting their kid play to much and get to an addicted state then they are not very good parents. However you know as I as growing up I played a ton of video games hours and hours every day when I could, and it didn't ruin my life.

Yes, as a small child Q-bert ruined my trust in humanity. Years later, Big Sky Trooper would permanently end up ruining my life.

"We would have monitored it more closely" "Monitored it more closely" "more closely"... Lol well done.

"Fortnite revealed our own lack of parenting skills to us. They must pay!"

"They knowingly put on the market a very, very addictive game which was also geared toward youth"

Just like Nintendo is now doing with it's mobile crap.

I play a lot of fortnite and it hasn't ruined my life yet, there's plenty of other things ruining it but not fortnite

@DockEllisD Haha well spotted. Although I am rather partial to the 90s cartoon era Rogue...

@Varubajia Well, maybe then parents will realize that children don't need an iphone to make it through elementary school. I don't know about the rest of the world but here in Germany, this is getting ridiculous.

Honestly, all these stories about children paying a ton of money on microtransactions just further prove to me that the average parent fails at their job. It's easy to be a parent when you don't care about being a parent. Yes, having a child is hard work, that's also why you shouldn't get one on a whim.

"you mean i should monitor what my kids do" Bad parenting just blame everything else. This is stupid I hate the lack of parenting.

@MajinSoul I obviously agree that parents should supervise their children better, but that doesn't mean that Nintendo becoming predators of children for money is okay either.

When you know a game is amazing ; )

My son (aged 12) played Fortnite for about a month. Then it bored him and he went on to play something else. Of course, we always supervise what he plays, and how much time he spends playing games.

What irks me in this case is... these people are the PARENTS. It is THEIR JOB to supervise what their children do. I mean, the minute your kid starts showing some signs of being completely addicted to a game (or anything, for that matter), it is YOUR JOB to help him overcome this. If you don't do anything because you don't want to be "that type of parent", then it's not society's fault. It's still yours.

Now, there is an interesting thing going on in this case, is that it may be exposed publicly that many game companies out there (especially those dealing with mobile games) hire psychologists to help them craft more "profitable" schemes for them by understanding players behaviors better. It's similar to how companies like Google and Amazon are tracking whatever they can about you so this data can be used to better sell you crap. This is no secret that game comapnies are analyzing game data to make people part with their money more efficiently.

Although, that being said, I don't understand how a parent can blame a game company for not having been able to to their job as parents.

@Zuljaras I doubt they are doing it for money. They are doing it to send a message to the public. That’s generally what these lawsuits are about. It’s no lie that a company like Epic has employed the use of psychology in marketing; it’s extremely common practice in the modern era. It’s a similar reason that companies re-release older games; nostalgia is extremely influential in people’s decision making. All good companies study their client base before selling; it’s just such a shame that the addictive nature of video games becomes a marketing exploit, sometimes. That being said, I think it’s perfectly understandable that they are being sued. Tobacco and alcohol have extremely clear warnings about their negative side effects when misused. Video games should have clear warnings, too, not just an ESRB label.

@Galenmereth Exactly this, right here. Parents only know so much. Video games have become increasingly complex. It’s absurd to expect every parent to fully understand the weight behind every game, especially if they don’t play games. It’s easy for a gamer to self regulate, it’s next to impossible for a child.

It worries me that this doesn't mention microtransactions, only hours playing. Still, I hope it can do something about microtransactions and how games are built around maximizing people purchasing microtransactions.

I though this whole bad parenting stuff was only present here in Brazil. Guess it's a new kind of cancer

@Galenmereth I don't think anyone would disagree that companies like EA, Epic or whomever else deal in these practices should be held accountable. They absolutely should. I also don't think keeping your child completely away from gaming is gonna work either.

And as a parent myself, I get how hard it is to regulate what their consuming all the time. My daughter loves certain Youtube channels and personalities. There are some, however, she is familiar with that I have emphatically stated I am not comfortable with. But she does have older cousins that she spends a good deal of time with and I find out it's during those moments that she discovers a lot of new stuff. Some fine and some a bit on the line. So I get it.

But at the same time, that doesn't stop you from doing the work in making sure the content that you can be in control in is monitored. The statement in this case from the parents kind of says, to me, the ball was dropped on that front.

And while complete ignorance might have been a valid excuse 20 or 30 years ago, I find it hard to believe a parent today who, in general, are probably around my age (36 or not too much older) aren't in a position to do their due diligence in knowing what they're purchasing for their kid or what to research the content their kid is consuming.

Again, I don't disagree that companies and their tactics should be exposed and they should be held accountable. But that doesn't absolve parents from the work they have to do when they have all the resources to do so

I guess I don't have a human brain as I didn't find it at all addictive, just boring trash. I hope they win if it stops my nephew's doing the annoying dances.

@ReaperExTenebris A few questions and points relating to your post.

1. Yes parents have an obligation to look after their children. But consider a toy that had a hidden spike inside. Would you blame a parent for not realising it was there? It is assumed on sites like this that everyone is aware of preditory tactics of publishers but thats not true. The rating for the game is 12 and does not suggest parental supervision.

2. Fortnite does not contain loot boxes. Many praise it for its more transparent battle pass system. But it is this system that is so addictive. It is totally designed to stop you playing other games and is full of physiological traps that most people, even those aware of the dangers of lootboxes, are aware of.

3. The word addictive, as it has been used in gaming for many years, means 'so enjoyable you want to repeat it'. This is addiction in the terms of a behavioural change and a dependency that requires the game. You can play a game for 500 hours and not be addicted to it. Thats a developers job. Not to keep you in their shop so they can milk you for your cash.

4. Yes, don't just 'not care' that's ultimately pointless. If you dont have an opinion thats fine but why post it.

I wish this was funny but it's not.

I think the government should just step in and ban all video games and forms of entertainment. We need protection from ourselves.

That, and parents need to be parents.

And fanship is a risk that should be "disclosed" in some unimaginably plainer terms nowadays? This isn't alcohol or cocaine or even some kind of zany "25th frame" conspiracy. Getting obsessed with fiction works is an issue entirely on the audience aside and needs to be [self-]regulated/treated - as such before it escalates to worse levels. Those not up to it should avoid exposure to the works in question, not mash the lawsuit button post factum. But the parents quoted here can't be expected to do the homework on these matters when they sound like they didn't even do the homework on their own child.

I'm getting tired of this crap. If you give birth to a human being, you kinda sign up to monitor them VERY closely - not just police them, but share and discuss their experiences and discoveries as much as possible and guide them and teach them to filter impressions and temptations and separate the wheat from the chaff... it's really tough, but if you don't want this part of the childcare package, maybe consider just getting a baby sim or a tamagochi egg/app instead? :V

It'll be wiser, saner and more civil than accusing Fiction (and/or whatever else gets in the way) of your failures and jaded negligence.

"It was so addictive it would ruin our child's life"'

Please elaborate. Is your child dead because of Fortnite? Are they irreparably disabled because of the game?

Or are they simply not putting down the video games when you say it's enough or it's dinner time? Because I got news for you: That isn't a ruined life. Furthermore, it isn't Epic's job to raise your child, and if your kid is a little shit about stopping gaming when you deem he's had enough, then the real problem here starts at home with your parenting. That is what is ruining your child's life here for real: poor parenting.

Yea.....I guess they overlooked their parenting skills...

@Paraka Thanks to man-baby chump, that whole uninformed argument, where games are the scapegoat and the single, sole reason for societal decay, went mainstream again.

Parents win: If it's about addiction, the plaintiffs will donate all awards to combating addiction. If it's about getting money out of a video game company, they'll keep the money they are awarded. If they say it's about sending a message to the video game companies, it was really about the money.

Company wins: Legal fees impact year on year profits. Game prices and microtransaction costs go up. Generally speaking, businesses don't get squeezed, consumers do.

I am an American living in Haiti. I see every day, countless ways to ruin a child's life that don't include running water, indoor toilets or electricity. I guess 'ruined' is in the eye of the beholder.

@EVIL-C - Sadly, it's not even just him. Multiple congressman played that card before he did then suddenly railed against him because "orange man bad."

Not too keen on him, either, but it shows how aggressive they get to deflect. My congressmen has pulled that since Columbine.

Fortnite is insanely addicting. I’m not sure why the parents would sue unless they’re upset their kids have spent far too much on vbucks without their knowledge 😅Seriously though.. all games have a serious potential to be very addicting.

@Galenmereth & @BumpkinRich worded perfectly.

these kinds of people should not have kids

Find the breaker for the kids room, trip it.
Tada!

Poor kid. The next 70 years of his life are now ruined all cuz of video games! Curse you Fortnite!

This is a perfect example of bad parenting. How about you watch what your kid plays, and determine is it’s not a game he or she should be playing. I don’t like Fortnite, but seriously the parents are absolutely stupid. Watch what your kid plays before making stupid stuff like this.

Why does everyone hate Fortnight so much?

@Ooccoo_Jr while I'm laughing at your comment, I really hope you're joking about your addiction

Game addiction is terrible, and they do have a point that anything with addictive design as part of their business model should be clearly marked and shouldn't be rated for children; who have a lot of free time, are expected to be conditioned by the world they interact with, and traditionally don't have their own money.

That being said, while I doubt this case will go anywhere, there will be more cases. Whether it's a store, passes, or loot boxes. Any game that has content to make money after purchase is designed to keep them playing and prod them into paying. Games designed to be perpetual, like battle royale, hero shooters, or even MMORPGs, have cranked up that design to aggressive levels.

We're probably at the forefront of the same battles that made governments ultimately decide smoking and drinking are so dangerous they needed regulated access. Sooner or later, the right plaintiff is going to say the right things the right way about the right company.

Uhh, these people do realize that the battle Royale portion of Fortnite was created in two weeks.

@Rect_Pola Thanks for getting exactly what I wanted to say ahead of me, so I don’t have to!

Micro-transaction games are flat out designed to be addictive, but so are many things that are perfectly legal. The issue that I think is difficult for many to see is that not everyone is susceptible to it. It’s the same with all kinds of things that can trigger addiction, whether it’s games, substances, gambling, etc. The majority of people can drink, gamble, play a video game and never be addicted to it. But if you are easily susceptible to addiction (due to environmental or genetic factors) these things that are harmless to most, can cause extremely negative results. I don’t know if a lawsuit is the answer or not, but I think it’s something of which people need to become aware.

@BENDsli Fear not, as was pointed out to me earlier I couldn't even spell heroin correctly! Think I will just stick with my "video game addiction" instead.

This again? How many times has this come up? The last time I remember this being a thing was with WoW and other MMORPGS

@CodyMKW ah OK so it can be argued that parents are in the wrong for letting any kids play this that aren't teens

I don't know about the child's life being ruined, but their taste in games certainly is.

Here's my fix to this problem. Don't play Fortnite, easy to do since the game sucks! (IMO)

Well it’s rated T so a 10-year old should not have been playing it to begin with

@ReaperExTenebris I am defining a loot box as a reward that you can pay for when you do not know what you will recieve. Fortnite did have these but they were removed.

I underatand very well how addiction works. You are only refering to what attracts most people to most activities. We evolved to produce dopamine when curious and most games mimic curiousity and reward this. This is not Fortnites primary gameplay loop. It explots a number of other less desirable human traits. Firstly the desire to find order in randomness. People believe they can control the randomness in the game to try to replicate a good run. Secondly, and more insidiously, the nature of time limited items preys on our desire to fit in, leading people to play not for fun but for social acceptence. Thirdly is the sunk cost falicy which tricks you into thinking that once you have put money and time into the pass that you need to continue playing to get the most out of it. Thats just 3, but I should hope I've demonstrated that I know the difference between using dopamine to keep a player invested in a exploring a metroidvania and using seemingly innocent tactics to keep people in your casino till they part with their cash.

I'm suing Ben and Jerry's because my kid got fat eating their ice cream. How was I to know it was so addicting?

"Do you read Sutter Cain?"

"I stood by helpless as my child played a crappy f2p game. How on earth could I possibly stop this? By regulating game time and internet access? By interacting with my kid in shared activities? My god what if I'm forced to talk to my child or some other obscene act?! I tried nothing and am out of ideas!"
-These parents

Kid plays video game and likes it enough to play it for years?

NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE IN SOCIETY.

Gee, I was drawing Super Mario World and Donkey Kong Country maps for years as a child. Should I sue Nintendo claiming SMW and DKC are some kind of video-tobacco?

And what about speedrunners that, you know, pick a game and main it for years?

I’m Canadian and I can tell you that this is the Canadian mentality. Everything is someone else’s fault and everyone owes me for everything ever. We are a very entitled, spoiled society. That’s what comes from living in a nanny state.

@Zuljaras No, they should put informative labels with things regarding the loot boxes and the competitive and addictive nature of the online play. Perhaps a warning to monitor and limit the child’s play during online interactions. That sort of thing, doesn’t have to be drastic.

Perhaps it isn't just the addictive gameplay that catches the attention of younger players.

It's likely also the result of the bandwagon, which continues to lead a lot of gamers' choices.

@Lizuka Exactly. Agree 100%. The majority of the user base is slamming the parents. Yes, they played a part in their current situation, but I know that video game companies are happy doing the bare minimum when it comes to informing their customers about their products.

@KingMike Video games are so addictive, there are treatment centers for the people that fall too far into it and are unable to dig themselves out. When I see a speed runner grinding the same game, 12 hours a day, I see addiction. When I see a kid playing the same game for an hour a day, I think that’s a lot different than addiction.

I'm a Canadian and I can tell you this is not the Canadian mentality.

This is just pathetic. Parents want to blame everyone and everything else for their own incompetence. If you can't tell your child "no" then you messed up.

Child does badly in school? Teacher's fault. Child uses bad language? TV/Game/Music's fault. Child is rude? It's their friend's fault. Child doesn't listen to the parents? It's anyone's fault but the parents!

Oh wait! Maybe if you actually raised your children, talked to them, disciplined them, rewarded them, and acted like a real parent, you wouldn't have these problems!

Another bit of advice to parents: Handing your child a tablet, Switch, or laptop in order to "keep them quiet" is not raising your child. It's distracting them to give yourself a break.

If your child is misbehaving, you have to discipline them. That's not going to be fun, it's not going to be easy, but it is important. You're the parent, not their buddy. If you don't teach your children how to handle the word "no" you are basically ruining their life. They will have to learn the hard way later on and it will be much worse for all involved parties.

Shame it can't be sued for being unplayable. If you're a new user there is literally no tutorial or matching of players by skill level, meaning nothing but endless slaughter takes place.

My take: Get the Popcorn ready.

Parents should be parents, or give their child up for adoption. A child is not a toy to be played with only at certain times, but a living being to be protected, cared for, guided, and raised right.

Addictive gameplay mechanics, and microtransactions/loot-boxes/etc. are unfortunately a thing, that also unfortunately, when combined are used to further gamers into spending (real) money. These need to be stopped, but almost no co. probably ever will, unless forced, since it is seen as near non-stop profits.

"If... or we would have monitored it a lot more closely"

There shouldn't be special conditions for you to be a good parent.

they will undooubtable get laughed at to the shadow realm

Let's sue Nintendo for bringing too much happiness into our life

@MS7000 I was living in Florida, and it came through as the 'dumb news lawsuits'. Yup, it happened. I'm guessing the lady lost the case, but it was ridiculous! Went right up there with the mcdonalds coffee case!

"Epic Games spent "many years" working with psychologists to find out how to make its Battle Royale game as addictive as possible so that players would become hopelessly hooked"

Sounds like a heaping pile of llama feces! We should all know that anyone who works at Epic Games isn't nearly smart enough to concoct a plan that evil just to get kids' money. They saw Youtube videos of internet memes, and just put that in the game. That's it. It's what children love, and children are easily manipulated into liking flashy and colorful things. So of course, kids are going to become enticed with fortnite because it has all that. I will not say that they knew this would happen, but parents need to stop blaming games and Companies for their own faults at being cr@ppy parents.

Stop buying them V-bucks for stupid dances and skins, start monitoring their playtime and who they talk to and how they talk to them, and for God's sake, turn off the system, and go outside with your kids and talk to them! DON'T MAKE THIS THE DEVELOPERS' FAULTS!

@duffmmann it gets worse when you see parents jist give into the little brats' tantrums and the mother looks like she's freaking 22! I have no contempt for parents who act irresponsible and blaim it on anything the kid likes. That's just Lazy!

@Doctor_Pancakes That's not because of the game. The problem is parents allowing the behavior. There is nothing specially addictive about Fortnite, the parents are too scared of making their kids upset so they wont tell the kid no. Teachers have their hands tied because schools do not allow them to punish the students for using their phones in class. When parents "raise" their kids by handing them a tablet, Game Boy or smartphone to keep them quiet so they can ignore the child, it's teaching the kid "annoy mom and dad so I can play games".

Fortnite ruined it? ......or your parenting or lack thereof did?

Every game developer (especially free to play developers) wants to take measures to make sure their game is replayable. Essentially, the suit boils down to "We're bad parents, but we're not gonna admit that because that'd be responsible, so we'll conjure up this lawsuit to act like it's their fault and try to make some money while we're at it." I have no respect for parents who don't take the time to monitor what their kids are doing and just leave them with an iPad so they can have some peace and quiet.

@Paraka Indeed. There are so few principled people in both politics and media. If one's opponent actually says something you basically agree with, don't act like it's wrong! I'm so sick of that hypocracy crap.

Which reminds me to get into the new season soon!

Thanks, lawsuit people!

And this comes out when in the news this morning there is more help for 18-25 year olds with video game addiction. But what about the rest of us??

But I really don't get this, if you don't want your kids to play on a game, don't let them. Isn't it called parenting?? Why don't you let your kids take drugs and then blame the poppy growers.
Sorry but this is just stupid.

Also I don't get the appeal of Fortnite, just looks really boring to me, all you do is shoot people. But I don't get Minecraft either, maybe it's just my age

The users in this case are "the kids". The parents did not sign any agreement not to sue and by law any contracts made by minors are not binding.

The attitude that anything goes in the pursuit of a business making money makes me sick.

Don't see why they should blame us its the parents fault for leting him have the game..

As a Canadian parent who refuses to even let Fortnite in my home for my near 10yo to play: I am sorry for these parents who can`t make the right decisions for the kids let them play Fortnite, GTA or CoD. Yes lets blame everyone else.....

@BumpkinRich That's different, this is more of an offshoot of the tv outcries.

If a toy was unsafe and the company went out of their way to hide it, is one thing.

Parents have options to limit time spent with electronic devices. I say this as a person who games and as a parent who has a daughter who games.

If a parent doesn't bother to set limits that's on them, not the company. Plus these people are being kind of vague on how it ruined their kid's life.

I also find it difficult to believe that parents have no options for finding out about stuff. Especially when people have a wealth of info at their fingertips.

Gaming has also become common place. Plenty of late 70s/80s/90s kids have grown up playing and had kids of their own. And several of people on this very board have pointed out that they set limits for their kids.

I don't like loot boxes, dlc and microtransactions and agree they're stupid and addictive. but in this case, its like trying to sue a candy company for your kid getting diabetes when your always giving them money for candy or buying it for them instead.

@Likethepear If it makes you feel better, or worse. That's just a human attitude and has been for thousands of years.

Ah here we go, the blaming game, because apparently video game makers are responsible for a kids upbringing, not the parents. Seriously if you have a child you are responsible for them not someone else, it's not rocket science

I tried Fortnite once and that was enough for me...

@Tempestryke as you have qualified your statement by mentioning you're a parent, here's my experience, I am a father, a game developer of 10 years and I also advise magicians on the psychology of misirection.

And even though I know you won't believe me i will still say this - they dont need to hide the spike in the toy because you think its safe.

The easiest person to fool is the fool who thinks they know the rules.

Epic literally added parental controls so stuff like this doesn't happen but they decided to blame the game still anyway

@Ooccoo_Jr Where can I buy these heroines?

@teamdave2002 because its bloody stupid. Why can't people just say "two weeks"?

Maybe you parents didn't do the right thing. Addictive behavior should not be blamed on video games like Fortnite, but rather on the parents who were not responsible enough to teach their children how to respond appropriately to the material they are given. And how has it supossedly ruined your children's lives? If they are happily playing the game and having fun, then HOW ARE THEY LIVES RUINED?!

And why is it so addictive? Probably because the game has an excellent execution, I could go on like a reviewer, but maybe you should play the game too and see what makes Fortnite so special and "addictive" in a good way.

Seriously, join us........ just kidding