'Fallout 4' is designed to be an involving, compelling game, and now a Russian gamer has sued Bethesda over his addiction to the video game. Considering that the objective of most games is to keep players coming back, it seems 'Fallout 4' has succeeded.
Evidently the Russian gamer from a town in Siberia has found Fallout 4 to be just a little too much to handle. According to the report, he evidently "went on a 3-week gaming marathon that cost him his health, job and wife. Had he known how alluring it was, he says, he would have either waited until the holidays to buy the game or avoided it entirely."
While it shouldn't come as a surprise that video games can be addicting (remember World of Warcraft?), it is a bit of a surprise that someone thinks they'll succeed at a lawsuit over a video game. However, considering the lawsuit is for 500,000 (about a mere $7,000), I certainly wonder if Bethesda will simply settle out of court. It would probably be easier and cost less than legal fees. According to Uproxx, "Cases of people suing video game companies for selling them an addictive product do pop up from time-to-time with mixed with results."
I've been a gamer since I was four years old, playing Captain Comic on Windows 95, but never in my life have I been so addicted to a video game that I let it affect my personal life to this degree. One of my favorite web-comics created a 9 Circles of MMO Hell that seems to be very appropriate for the situation.
Engadget sums up the issue quite well, "This man will have to convince the court that he was genuinely addicted, not just lacking in self-discipline."
So what do you think about this lawsuit? Tell us your thoughts in the comments section below.
