Epic Games is currently dealing with a class-action lawsuit around Fortnite, over this year’s January data-breach which was millions of account details exposed. Law firm Franklin D. Azar & Associates corralled 100 complainants, claiming that Epic failed to “maintain adequate security measures and notify users of the security breach in a timely manner.”
And now it looks like they’ll be facing another class-action suit. This time though, it smacks of opportunism. Canadian law firm Calex Légal is preparing a class-action lawsuit against Fortnite maker Epic Games, accusing the developer of “knowingly” creating a “very, very addictive game.”
“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,” said attorney Alessandra Esposito Chartrand. “They knowingly put on the market a very, very addictive game which was also geared toward youth.”
Chartrand likens this case to one in 2015 where the Quebec Superior Court found that tobacco companies didn’t do enough to warn smokers of the dangers of setting fire to little rolled bundles of tobacco dipped in dangerous chemicals and inhaling the result. Wild.
Chartrand says that Epic willingly made the game the game “as addictive as possible” an d failed to inform children and parents of its addictive properties. The legal notice (which was filed on behalf of parents of two boys, aged 10 and 15) cites the recent WHO classification of gaming addiction as a disorder.
“In our case, the two parents that came forward and told [us], ‘If we knew it was so addictive it would ruin our child’s life, we would never have let them start playing Fortnite or we would have monitored it a lot more closely’,” Chartrand said.
And that itself is telling. The fact that they even state that “we would have monitored it a lot more closely” shows a parental failure to manage and monitor what their children do online. I have a 15-year-old son of my own who plays Fortnite, but he’s not allowed to play games at all during the week, and weekend gaming time is limited and monitored. While he enjoys Fortnite and plays it regularly, he’s not caught up in that cycle of having to complete all of the challenges – and hasn’t once even contemplated buying Battle Passes or any of that nonsense.
It’s worth noting, however, that to play Fortnite, you give up the right to sue the company by accepting the game’s terms. Chartrand however, believes that those terms “don’t stand up in court in Quebec because the province’s Consumer Protection Act requires companies to clearly disclose risks associated with products or services”.
Anyway, it seems opportunistic to me; a lawsuit brought about by a failure to parent properly.
Last Updated: October 7, 2019
Pennywise The Dancing Clown
October 7, 2019 at 09:18
Oh dear. I see the stupid has been allowed to breed. Again.
Oh no.
Original Heretic
October 7, 2019 at 09:18
Are…are they mentally challenged?
“We have failed as parents, so now we need someone to blame.”
For the Emperor!
October 7, 2019 at 11:32
Obviously they are. But that is how things go in Northern America. I would not be surprised though if this couple are originally from the US…
Magoo マグ
October 7, 2019 at 12:16
Reminds me of one of favourite Eminem songs
Pennywise The Dancing Clown
October 7, 2019 at 09:19
Can I sue Stephen King for all the time spent staring at a thing with words and pages, for all the time wasted enjoying IT??
HvR
October 7, 2019 at 09:49
And it all started with a UN organisation AGAIN overstepping their mandate and going against generally accepted scientific studies and experts in the field.
Llama In The Rift
October 7, 2019 at 10:18
On my way to a laywer….Sueig Critical Hit for very very addictive Articles and Reviews….cause that just what people do these days.
Raptor Rants
October 7, 2019 at 09:18
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/a447f8176ace1b53eb4860587072cc6dd92a3b78c286d7d69fdd3860010ae223.png
Admiral Chief
October 7, 2019 at 11:31
xD
Original Heretic
October 7, 2019 at 09:19
Spot on.
Pennywise The Dancing Clown
October 7, 2019 at 09:25
Bethesda need to invest in some good lube.
Fallout and Doom is going to be such a pain in the arse for them. Just wait till a lawyer happens into my sewer.
Pennywise The Dancing Clown
October 7, 2019 at 09:25
Bethesda need to invest in some good lube.
Fallout and Doom is going to be such a pain in the arse for them. Just wait till a lawyer happens into my sewer.
Pariah
October 7, 2019 at 09:25
Yup. My first thought was “WoW did that 15 years ago and every game ever has tried to replicate that.”
Let’s not even get into the Korean or mobile markets because Fortnite is nothing.
Raptor Rants
October 7, 2019 at 09:33
Dude, Gacha style games are literally based on gambling and how it makes a person feel.
Raptor Rants
October 7, 2019 at 09:33
Wait, wait wait.
So let me get this straight… You allowed your child to play endless hours of a game without limitations? You let them play something you did 0 investigation in to? Did not go look to see that people are shooting others in the face?
Didn’t check that the age rating is PEGI12(Or whatever for your region) and go see WHAT that PEGI rating means in accordance to the classification boards?
You failed to monitor the hours spent on this?
You failed to notice they are in voice chats for this with other peers or even perhaps older players?
I hope the parents haven’t given out credit card details here without asking what it was needed for?
How is this the fault of a game company?
They have:
Classified their game
Specified the age limits for in-app purchases where minors needed their guardian acceptance
Set out Tc&Cs about the use of the game etc.
It’s the same with “Video games cause violence”
No, unsupervised children whose parents are not taking an active role in their online lives and ensuring boundaries are set raises that risk.
Parents, take interest in your children, set boundaries (They will thank you for it later in life) and take an active role in finding out what they are doing, what they enjoy and identify the worrying areas in their lives and then HELP THEM DEAL WITH IT. Not just in gaming but their LIVES. Your children need you to apply some adult vision and foresight in to their lives because YOU’VE LIVED LIFE AND LEARNT THROUGH YOUR EXPERIENCES! PASS THAT LEARNING AND EXPERIENCE ALONG TO YOUR CHILDREN!
Pariah
October 7, 2019 at 09:33
*whose.
I wanted to tl;dr, but a) Kasie beat me to it (he’s good at being first 😛 ) and b) I read it.
Raptor Rants
October 7, 2019 at 09:41
*whose fixed now
Pariah
October 7, 2019 at 09:41
Much better. My eyes have stopped bleeding and your post now suddenly makes sense in its entirety. 😛
Lol. I’m such a troll sometimes. Honestly, spot on with your rants, as usual.
Raptor Rants
October 7, 2019 at 09:41
haha. You’re a likeable troll, so all good 😛
Pariah
October 7, 2019 at 09:41
Is… Is that a compliment?
https://media.giphy.com/media/FyKfqRxVbzciY/giphy.gif
Raptor Rants
October 7, 2019 at 09:41
You get one. Back off fluffy
Pariah
October 7, 2019 at 09:41
https://media.giphy.com/media/jnQYWZ0T4mkhCmkzcn/giphy.gif
Admiral Chief
October 7, 2019 at 10:36
You need to take you 7 essential minerals in the morning, else you are grumpy
Admiral Chief
October 7, 2019 at 10:28
I too find you mildly likeable
HvR
October 7, 2019 at 10:36
I’m so offended and hurt right now, I thought I was your mildly likeable friend.
Admiral Chief
October 7, 2019 at 10:36
No, you are my above average likeable friend
HvR
October 7, 2019 at 10:36
o/
HairyEwok
October 7, 2019 at 10:18
Give me a minute while I get a lawyer to sue each and every successful game to ever be released….. These parents need to be taught a lesson, not sure how but it needs to happen.
For the Emperor!
October 7, 2019 at 11:32
“for years and years, hired psychologists” – I would like to see any evidence to support such a wild claim!