When Gaming Goes Too Far: The Russian Fallout 4 Lawsuit

Steve Anderson : End Game
Steve Anderson
The Video Store Guy
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When Gaming Goes Too Far: The Russian Fallout 4 Lawsuit

Today, I spotted yet another piece of news related to Fallout 4, but a piece that wasn't about the game itself. Instead, it was about one man's reaction to Fallout 4, and one that illustrated specific matters in gaming itself.

The man in question--a 28 year old man from Krashnoyarsk--noted that Fallout 4 proved to be so addictive that he lost his job, his wife, and his friends all thanks to his play. He picked up the game not long after launch, planning to play a little bit each week, a couple nights or so. This plan quickly went by the wayside as the man found himself on a three-week bender that got him fired from his job, prompted his wife to leave him, and even gave him a few health problems related to his not eating or sleeping as he should have.

Said Russian then noted he would be filing suit for a hefty 500,000 roubles--around $7,000 US--for the "emotional distress" the game brought about. Had he known about the game's addictive qualities, he notes, he would have instead waited for the New Year holidays, or other vacation time, to play.

Most every gamer out there either knows personally or has heard a story like this one. And if you haven't, congratulations; you just did. It might be a safe bet that this isn't the first time the guy got hooked on a game and ran a three-week bender. Fallout 4 was likely just the latest cause, and the fact that he's suing for $7,000 is even more ridiculous. Chances are this case will be laughed out of court--granted, I'm not a lawyer and I'm even less a lawyer in Russian case law--but the idea that such a suit exists to begin with is just madness. We all know that games can be addictive; Fallout 4 certainly has that kind of depth of experience to make a player want to come back for more. It's the problem that gamers have suffered all their lives, but we go to work, we come home, and then we play.

It's a cautionary tale of sorts; we know games are a powerful lure, and the kind of thing that can really mess up a life if taken too far. Most of us get along just fine, and some struggle with it, more so than others. Though the lawsuit will likely fail, it still serves to show us all just what can happen when a game goes too far.


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