Fortnite makers shocked by Prince Harry’s call to ban ‘addictive’ game
TWO Epic Games bosses flatly denied the game had been designed to be compelling, would not reveal how many gamers play the game an "unhealthy" amount, and denied "making money from people playing the game".
The firm's marketing chief and head lawyer appeared in Parliament to defend Fortnite against claims it is addictive and they don't do enough to stop underage children playing it.
It was part of the immersive and addictive technologies inquiry which has been looking at the impact of modern games and other tech have on young people in the UK.
Epic's legal chief, Canon Pence, said he was "taken aback" by Prince Harry's outspoken attack on the game in April.
The royal called for the game to be banned when talking to youth charity workers, saying: "That game shouldn’t be allowed. Where is the benefit of having it in your household?
"It's created to addict, an addiction to keep you in front of a computer for as long as possible. It’s so irresponsible."
As with movies, video game age ratings are enforced at the point of sale by whoever is selling the game, but Labour's Ian Lucas pressed the firm on why it did not attempt to verify the ages of users as they played.
When games are sold digitally, this information is checked by the platform holder - Sony on PlayStation, Microsoft for Xbox and Nintendo on Switch.
Epic said it did collect this information for those with Epic accounts, which are required if you buy the game directly from them on PC or for Android phones.
Talking to Sun Online recently, Microsoft's Dave McCarthy said he welcomed this sort of attention from legislators, and would even welcome new laws on the matter.
"I want to get more parents and kids aware of the tools that are there and I think it's good that that gets out in the social sphere," he said.
Recently, an international team of psychologists has written an online quiz, which takes about 20 minutes to complete, that tests you against the the criteria recently set by the World Health Organisation.
The WHO description of gaming disorder does make it clear that it's the potential negative impacts that define game addiction, and recognise that "spending copious amounts of time gaming" on its own isn't enough to define addiction.
The test doesn't provide a formal diagnosis, but it will flag if you are "meet the WHO criteria for gaming disorder" so that you can seek professional help, according to lead researcher Dr Bruno Schivinski.
The UK games industry has previously hit out at the WHO and the idea of gaming disorder, claiming there was "no evidence" linking playing games to addiction.
your Microsoft account. Then:
- Find your child’s name and select Screen time.
- If you want to use the same schedule for all devices, switch Use one screen time schedule from Off to On. If you’d rather have separate schedules, scroll down and switch on screen time for PC and Xbox One individually.
- Set how much time your child is allowed to spend with their devices each day, and when they can use them. If you want to give them the full amount of time you’ve scheduled, select Max scheduled. (Example: If you’ve allowed screen time from 8 am to 8 pm, they could use their devices that entire time.)
You can read about all of the Xbox Parental Controls and how to apply them here.
Reports of "gaming disorder" have been coming from all quarters, with one professional footballer revealing to The Sun how he feared it might ruin his career.
Children as young as 11 are reportedly being taken into care as a result of the disorder, while other parents have reported the troubling effects of compulsive gaming on their own children.
Adults have reported problems too, with one revealing he wrecked his life after blowing £15,000 of wedding savings on video games.
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