Rockstar, Mojang, Activision Blizzard, Epic Games, Roblox and more have been sued for making their games too addictive. Several complaints have come from across the United States, targeting game developers who allegedly exploit players.
A lawsuit from Arkansas (thanks, PCGamer) claims that a woman has seen a sharp deterioration in her son’s behavior after he started playing addictive video games. She first noticed this behavior when he was 12 years old. Today, the son is 21 years old and reportedly spends $350 a month on gambling, has dropped out of school, been diagnosed with depression and anxiety, and is experiencing withdrawal symptoms resulting in “rage, anger and physical outbursts”.
The lawsuit claims that the creators are responsible for the damages caused by their negligent design, but the game developers do not intend to settle. Their argument is that the fact that they find their games too entertaining is not a reason to shut them down.
Many games today reward you both for the time you spend on them and for your overall skill. Fortnite’s battle pass, for example, requires you to keep playing, at the risk of losing those precious skins at the end of the reward lane.
Do you think the lawsuits are right?
