If your kid is anything like mine, they are one of about a quarter of a billion mostly obsessed with the game Fortnite.
The law of the land in my household is NO Fortnite on school nights or days! Only on Friday, Saturday and partial Sunday. And those days, the hours are limited. My son gets so intense playing this game! I haven’t had to get onto him since I put my foot down and cut down his hours!
A Montreal-based law firm launched a proposed class action in Canada on behalf of two Quebec parents who claim that “Fortnite” publisher Epic Games needs to pay the price for a game, they believe is as addictive, and potentially harmful, as cocaine.
The legal action says that when a person is engaged in the game Fortnite for long periods of time, the player’s brain releases the pleasure hormone, dopamine. Fortnite was developed by psychologists, statisticians and others over four years to develop the most addictive game possible.
Even though Fortnite is free to play, kids will spend tons of real money purchasing the in-game currency called V-Bucks. V-Bucks are used to purchase dances, skins and custom outfits for their virtual alter-egos.
The World Health Organization recently classified “gaming disorder” as a diagnose-able condition, giving mental health professionals a basis for setting up treatment and identifying risks for addictive behavior.
This isn’t the first time Epic Games has faced a possible lawsuit. In June, a federal case was brought in the northern district of California that alleged in part that “Fortnite” lacks built-in “parental controls that would allow parents or guardians of minors to make informed decisions regarding in-app purchases” and that minors who change their mind after making a purchase, even minutes after doing so, are not allowed a refund.
