In the gaming world, the avid gamer wants to find a game they love and will enjoy for months at a time. No one wants to buy and play a game they expect they will put down in a short time. Therefore, many have used the term “addictive” as a form of enjoyment or a positive outlook for those that may be interested in getting the game. Addiction is a real negative thing unfortunately, that affects people’s lives and their families. This has caused “Gaming Disorder” to enter the forefront. Now a new Canadian Lawsuit against the popular battle royale game Fortnite, seeks class-action and claims the game was made to be addictive and many users have been seeking psychiatric help.
As most gamers know, Fortnite’s battle royale became quite a global phenomenon. Many don’t know Fortnite use to be a PVE game that required you to play together as a team and build forts to protect your base against raids of deadly alien monsters. When Fortnite introduced their building mechanics blended with battle royale, it took off like wildfire, becoming one of the biggest free-to-play games on consoles ever, ranking in $3 billion for developer Epic Games last year. The game has nearly 250 million users worldwide as of March and is still climbing but nevertheless is under fire for its ability to hook players.
On Friday, a legal notice was filled in Quebec Superior Court accusing Epic Games of designing the game specifically to hook users. A notice on a Canada news broadcast have claimed players have had to seek treatment for their addiction, according to the complaint. “The addiction to the Fortnite game has real consequences for the lives of players: Several don’t eat or shower, and no longer socialize,” the notice says. Jean-Philippe Caron, the lawyer who brought the lawsuit, stated the game’s creators enlisted the help of “psychologists to help make the game addictive.” Jean says something that was made to be addictive should be in a disclaimer warning users about the potential problems similar to tobacco products.
It is unfortunate now what many gamers are seeing their old term for enjoyment and “getting their money’s worth” is being brandished with the negativity and stigma that is real addiction. Nevertheless, addiction is a real thing and a disease that affects many people, so for those who are prone to get “hooked” on something, maybe there should be a warning if that’s what it was made for.