Parents whose children are addicted to the popular video game Fortnite can still hope to be compensated, since a class action brought against the designer Epic Games can go ahead.
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“It’s a step forward for our members, that’s for sure. Now, we will be able to start the process of compiling evidence from May or June this year, ”said Me Jean-Philippe Caron, lawyer at the Calex firm, responsible for the class action, in an interview.
The creators of the Fortnite video game were dismissed by the Quebec Court of Appeal, when they hoped to be able to block a class action that had been authorized against them last December.
The parents of three underage players had decided in 2019 to bring this action because they accused Fortnite of creating an addiction to the game, similar “to that which heroin or cocaine can create”, described judge Sylvain Lussier in its decision rendered almost three months ago.
Compensation
Since the Court of Appeal rejected Fortnite’s request, the parents of video game addicts will however have to wait a while longer before being compensated for the damages they believe they have suffered, since the proof is still to be done. The class action has only just been authorized.
However, parents could receive compensation depending on the psychological and physical consequences of their child.
“Amounts spent by underage players to purchase VBUCKS [un type de monnaie inventé par le jeu] could also be returned,” added Me Caron, adding, however, that it is still too early to discuss the details.
Many harms
Several of the Fortnite players “would have developed problems such that they do not eat, do not shower, and do not socialize”, could we read in the decision of judge Lussier, rendered last December.
The parents of one of the teenagers at the heart of the class action soon noticed a change in their then 15-year-old son following his Fortnite sign-up.
« [Il] spent several hours a day playing Fortnite, whether at home or during his breaks at work,” reads the judgment issued last December.
As of March 17, 2020, the teenager had played the equivalent of 42 full days of play.
Despite numerous attempts by parents to limit their son’s playing time, such as putting a padlock on the computer, the teenager’s condition is deteriorating. At a certain point, his parents no longer recognize him.
“Aggressive and vulgar”
“He is no longer interested in family activities […]he neglects his studies […] and when he plays Fortnite with his friends, his language becomes very aggressive and vulgar, which is not the case in real life,” the document states.
The game would be a source of conflict in the family, since the teenager gets more and more angry when he loses, but does not want to stop playing. The youngster goes so far as to abuse his gaming equipment to vent his anger. He even had his first panic attack while playing Fortnite, which had never happened to him before, according to his parents.
One day, when they went to their son’s financial institution, they noticed several thousand dollars spent on his bank account. The teenager therefore admitted to having spent the majority of his savings, which were to be placed eventually in an account for his studies.
Similar behaviors were also observed in the two other children involved in the collective action.
Video game addiction
Among the symptoms observed in children addicted to the Fortnite video game, there are migraines, back and neck pain, lack of basic hygiene, sleep disturbances and significant social disturbances.
Unusual expenses in the child’s or parent’s bank account are also to be watched, since the young “addict” can go so far as to spend astronomical sums in VBUCKS, common currency in the game, in order to distinguish himself from the others. players.
The World Health Organization (WHO) describes this disease as “a behavior associated with playing video games that is characterized by a loss of control over the game, an increased priority given to the game and the increasing practice of the game in despite the damaging repercussions”.
In 2021, Fortnite made over $5.8 billion in revenue, surpassing the $5.1 billion amount in 2020