Epic Games Is Being Sued for Making Fortnite Too Addicting

[Tsing]

Parental responsibility? Never heard of it. A legal firm out of Montreal is readying a class-action lawsuit against Epic Games, which allegedly developed Fortnite to be "as addictive as possible."

Attorneys with Calex Legal took on the case after it was contacted by parents who likened the Battle Royale multi-player title to a cocaine high, which supposedly ruined their childrens' lives. Epic Games's terms of service prohibits players from taking the company to court, but that may not stand up to Quebec's Consumer Protection Act.

"Epic Games, when they created Fortnite, 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. They knowingly put on the market a very, very addictive game which was also geared toward youth."

 

[SeymourGore]

I dunno, if that's the case, seems like every online multiplayer title developed in the past few years could fall under this lawsuit.

Didn't Everquest (or Evercrack) have lawsuits filed against it for similar reasons back in the day?

 

[Peter_Brosdahl]

I understand that some people have grief with Epic and I get it but when it comes this, people just need to grow up and be accountable for themselves and parenting their children. If going as 'addictive as possible' then every marketing and advertising ever done needs to be sued.

edit: I admit that I'm probably not being as politically correct as I should but I did grow up in the era when censorship encroached upon everything from 40 year old cartoons to basic rock & roll and emerging hip hop.

 

[MacLeod]

This seriously could be the most ridiculous lawsuit I've ever seen. This is just some ambulance chasing lawyer looking for a payday. I hope Epic doesn't settle and fights this all the way then sues the ambulance chasers for legal fees.

 

[Grimlakin]

This seriously could be the most ridiculous lawsuit I've ever seen. This is just some ambulance chasing lawyer looking for a payday. I hope Epic doesn't settle and fights this all the way then sues the ambulance chasers for legal fees.

Here's the deal. Where is the line between entertainment and addictive substance. Ecigs.. entertainment until you start having non regulated entities putting together ecig oil that is literally killing people.

There is an argument to be made if Epic (or whomever) specifically created this game to be as addictive as possible to people of specific age demographics. The problem is when do you differentiate between a successful product and an dangerously addictive one? Having a successful lawsuit here will BE a problem for every other game maker. They will be subject to not being able to sell or market to segments of the population.

Kind of like Camel Cigarettes marketing to the teen market back in the day with their cartoon camels getting action.

 

[Brian_B]

A business has a financial responsibility to move as much product at as great a margin as they can.
Where exactly that intersects with moral responsibility.... tobacco has been shown to have detrimental health effects, so ok I can sort of get that one

but a video game.... I guess if you want to argue the kid isnt getting exercise? I don’t know - really a stretch on this one

 

[jtm55]

Hi All,
Seems like a frivolous lawsuit. It's Ridiculous to think there's anything valid here. The Judge should throw it out, and the lawyer should be disbarred for wasting the courts time

 

[MacLeod]

Here's the deal. Where is the line between entertainment and addictive substance. Ecigs.. entertainment until you start having non regulated entities putting together ecig oil that is literally killing people.

There is an argument to be made if Epic (or whomever) specifically created this game to be as addictive as possible to people of specific age demographics. The problem is when do you differentiate between a successful product and an dangerously addictive one? Having a successful lawsuit here will BE a problem for every other game maker. They will be subject to not being able to sell or market to segments of the population.

Kind of like Camel Cigarettes marketing to the teen market back in the day with their cartoon camels getting action.

That's not even realistic. A chemical substance that can become addictive is the same as a video game?

Nicotine is addictive. You can identify and scientifically prove it is. What chemical in Fortnite is addictive? Why isn't Apex Legends or Black Ops or PUBG addictive? What is Epic doing that other developers are not that makes it addictive?

Don't you think that if developers could intentionally make a video game that is addictive as cigarettes that they would be making them in droves?

Fortnite became a cultural phenomenon mainly with kids and it took off. In a year or two, kids will outgrow it and it'll fade away just like all fads do.

And teens didn't smoke Camel cigarettes because they had a cartoon on the package. Marlboro had a cowboy on their marketing and more people smoked Marlboros.

Stop blaming somebody else if you or your kid become "addicted" to something.

 

[ThreeDee]

Alright! ... this gives me hope in pursuing a lawsuit against Crytek and their Hunt:Showdown game! It's ruining my life!! .. and somebody needs to PAY!!!!!11111

 

[Peter_Brosdahl]

Here's the deal. Where is the line between entertainment and addictive substance. Ecigs.. entertainment until you start having non regulated entities putting together ecig oil that is literally killing people.

There is an argument to be made if Epic (or whomever) specifically created this game to be as addictive as possible to people of specific age demographics. The problem is when do you differentiate between a successful product and an dangerously addictive one? Having a successful lawsuit here will BE a problem for every other game maker. They will be subject to not being able to sell or market to segments of the population.

Kind of like Camel Cigarettes marketing to the teen market back in the day with their cartoon camels getting action.

I liked this post because it begins a more detailed analytical discussion of this avenue of entertainment. I do believe the lawyer might have some ethical point in pushing the case but believe it more to be a financial incentive along with fame. Hope I'm wrong. As virtual reality, in all it's incarnations, moves forward the points you raise about differentiating between a successful product and purposely designing an addiction will become more relevant.

 

[Peter_Brosdahl]

Alright! ... this gives me hope in pursuing a lawsuit against Crytek and their Hunt:Showdown game! It's ruining my life!! .. and somebody needs to PAY!!!!!11111

You and a number of people over at [H]ard.

 

[ThreeDee]

You and a number of people over at [H]ard.

maybe I need to sue Kyle for pushing this digital crack on meh..!

 

[Grimlakin]

That's not even realistic. A chemical substance that can become addictive is the same as a video game?

Nicotine is addictive. You can identify and scientifically prove it is. What chemical in Fortnite is addictive? Why isn't Apex Legends or Black Ops or PUBG addictive? What is Epic doing that other developers are not that makes it addictive?

Don't you think that if developers could intentionally make a video game that is addictive as cigarettes that they would be making them in droves?

Fortnite became a cultural phenomenon mainly with kids and it took off. In a year or two, kids will outgrow it and it'll fade away just like all fads do.

And teens didn't smoke Camel cigarettes because they had a cartoon on the package. Marlboro had a cowboy on their marketing and more people smoked Marlboros.

Stop blaming somebody else if you or your kid become "addicted" to something.

Talk to me again in 5 years. Performance modification and thought modification are already happening in our digital content via facebook and others. And you don't think a video game can be made to deliver specific reactions to the consumer? Really?

I really want to pull a Matrix "You think that's air your breathing now? huh..."