Game news Addiction to Roblox, Fortnite, Call of Duty and Minecraft is shaking!
Rockstar, Epic Games, Activision Blizzard and many others are accused of using psychological methods to addict their players. Legal proceedings without follow-up?
A series of six video game addiction lawsuits were recently filed against Roblox, Epic Games, Microsoft, and other major game developers and publishers. The complaints were all submitted to the courts within the last 12 months. These claim that game developers intentionally make players addicted to their games.
An old debate about addiction
An Arkansas lawsuit says Roblox, Fortnite, Call of Duty, Minecraft and other popular games used “addictive psychological characteristics” to keep players from dropping out. This is particularly the case of the son of the woman behind the complaint. He started playing around the age of 12. Now 21, he currently spends $350 a month on games. He dropped out of school and was diagnosed with major depressive disorder. According to the suit, in addition to anxiety disorders, the boy exhibits withdrawal symptoms such as anger, rage and physical outbursts. The complaint also mentions that the mother could not regulate her son’s games because she feared him because of his excesses.
According to the complaint, video game developers are accused of using the brain’s reward system to their advantage. This system, particularly powerful among minors, creates addictive behaviors in those who are too exposed to it. However, particularly large and well-known game developers respond this way:
You can’t sue us because our games are “too entertaining.”
A known issue?
The World Health Organization recognizes video game addiction as a disorder. The American Psychiatric Association says whether or not video games can be addictive is ‘still under debate’. However, the association also assures that “early evidence suggests that video games are one of the most addictive technologies.” The Chinese government will not wait for American psychiatrists to decide before taking action. They have already limited the number of hours children can play video games. In 2021, “parents reported that gaming addiction among some young people and children seriously harms their normal studies, lives and mental and physical health”, so it did not take long before the government took action .
Stories of people addicted to video games continue to multiply, to the great dismay of parents, who feel helpless in the face of this potential threat to their children’s health.. This Arkansas lawsuit is just one of many.