The popular battle royale game Fortnite from publisher Epic Games has trouble brewing for it again in the form of a lawsuit. The latest case that was brought on behalf of a Canadian couple who say that their children allegedly can’t regulate their desire to play Fortnite. The case went on to compare Fortnite to casinos and argues that children are not mentally equipped to exercise self-control. This litigation gives Fortnite developers Epic Games to respond to the lawsuit.
The case also argues that the game was developed by psychologists to, “develop the most addictive game possible.” The plaintiffs’ lawyers argued that the complaint was brought because the client’s (parents) kids had been addicted to the game. According to Rutgers New Jersey Medical School psychologist Dr. Petros Levounis, games can be designed to be more competitive than others. Yet he did not agree with the lawsuit’s argument that the game would be as addictive as cocaine. Fortnite, PUBG and PUBG Mobile have all been at the forefront of controversies not just in the UK but worldwide as well, particularly in India, following multiple deaths.
Numerous incidents with the game have depicted it in poor light. Parents and others in India have even called for a ban on the game. Despite its growing popularity, the battle-royale game has been banned at a few places. Countries like Nepal, Iraq have banned the game, while parents in the UAE continue to demand a ban. The game was temporarily banned in a few areas in India as well. But the ban has since been lifted.
Parents and teachers continue to seek a ban on PUBG citing its various adverse effects on children. Nevertheless, studies have found that video games do not really have much impact on the attitudes of children towards abuse, to mitigate the parents ‘ fear. Numerous studies have come to this conclusion, and the new one has taken place at the University of Oxford. Investigators believed that the common belief was contrary to their conclusions.
