It looks like Bethesda will have to stick a label onto new issues of Fallout 4 that warns players about game addiction and emotional distress. A Russian from the city of Krasnoyarsk is suing Bethesda for causing him a Fallout 4 addiction that lost him his job and his wife. The 28-year-old man played the game for three weeks straight and is blaming Bethesda for the consequences.
Man Plays Fallout 4 for Three Weeks, Loses Job and Wife
Fallout 4 was first released this past November to great sales on all platforms it supported. It was especially great to this Russian victim, who skipped out of work to play so often that he was fired from his job. His addiction was at such levels that he stopped speaking to friends and family until his wife left him. The man inevitably also fell ill from not sleeping or eating right.
Curiosity Gone Wrong
His initial intention was to download the game and play only a few nights per week. This took a big downward spiral, as he could not stop playing for three weeks. On his addiction, the unnamed man has said that he should’ve known the game was this addictive. He’s suing Bethesda under these grounds because people might by discouraged from buying it if they are aware that it is addictive. The man is only looking to save some jobs and marriages.
Can Bethesda Be Held Responsible?
According to him, Bethesda is 100% responsible for the tragedies that have struck his life since he started playing Fallout 4. The game developer, apparently, should be held unaccountable for him being unable to turn off his computer to take breaks.
The man, whose name is being held for security, is suing Bethesda and the Russian localization firm 500,000 Russian roubles, which is roughly $7,000, for emotional distress. This is the first lawsuit of its kind in Russia, and they’re willing to entertain it and see how far it can get.
What Could this Lawsuit Bring for Bethesda?
One of two things can happen thanks to this development. Bethesda can choose to ignore it completely. Since after all it was perfectly within the man’s capability to pause the game or split it into sessions if he actually cared about his job and family, the developer cannot be held accountable. If the man has an addictive personality, he can either exercise caution or get help. On the other hand, Bethesda can take this opportunity and introduce a ‘break’ sequence on the next game update.
Russian Man Could Kickstart A New Gaming Trend
This may not turn out to be so bad for the game, and could get widespread so that ‘highly addictive’ games feature it. A simple reminder for gamers to take a drink of water or break for a meal or for sleep. This could actually be very helpful for gamers who get lost in the action. This shouldn’t be too specific, either. A simple message at the end of an exciting segment would actually be beneficial to many gamers, and it would put families and friends at ease. This would be helpful even for online sessions if groups are encouraged to take collective breaks if only to rest their hands and talk amongst each other.
Bethesda Has Not Given an Official Response to this Lawsuit
Bethesda hasn’t issued an official response to this lawsuit, but we can expect one of those two outcomes to play out. This Russian man is confirming what others only talk about, and some health and safety tips inserted throughout the game couldn’t do much harm. Whether or not gamers like to be taken out of the action, it’d be nice to have reminders for water, food or sleep. Some of these messages can be sprinkled onto character dialogue, or show up after a certain amount of hours of gameplay on a given day.
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