Gaming Addiction Lawsuit Investigation | Gaming Disorder
The consumer protection lawyers at The Lyon Firm are investigating new claims of predatory video game tactics that allegedly result in the impairment of brain impulse control in children and adults who are addicted to gaming. Gaming addiction lawsuits have been filed against several companies, supported by more and more evidence that details the harmful impact of so-called “gaming disorder.”
How Do Gaming Addictions Affect the Brain?
For decades now, the gaming industry has been a concern for mental health experts who warned against the long-term abuse of video games, particularly in children. The negative health impacts of gaming have largely been circumstantial, making any diagnosis of real impacts difficult. However, recent evidence and advanced brain imaging suggest that gaming triggers dopamine releases comparable to cocaine use.
Studies document gray matter reductions in the prefrontal cortex impairing impulse control, and many claim that the industry is not only well-aware of these addictive mechanisms, but also uses them to keep a steady line of revenue. As a result, some recent lawsuits have been filed, holding gaming companies accountable and claiming mental health deterioration and financial losses.
Allegations by victims and plaintiffs say many games are designed to be addictive without proper warnings. Some games use predatory techniques like microtransactions, loot boxes, and feedback loops. The following companies have been named defendants in gaming addiction lawsuits:
- Microsoft: a platform provider for popular games like Minecraft
- Epic Games: the maker of Fortnite and other games has accused of using predatory techniques to encourage compulsive gaming
- Electronic Arts (EA): makes popular games such as Call of Duty
- Activision Blizzard
- Roblox
- Nintendo
- Take-Two Interactive Software
- Sony Interactive Entertainment
- Mojang Studios
Can You File a Gaming Addiction Lawsuit?
Many of these suits have been tossed by the courts for a lack of evidence of real harm to individuals, though that could change in the years to come. One gaming addiction lawsuit filed in the last few years stated that a child’s video game addiction caused physical pain, obesity, and aggression.
Plaintiffs have noted that an addiction greatly exacerbates any attention disorders, and performance in school has rapidly declined in many cases. Some even drop out of high school and college due to circumstances related to their video game addictions.
Another gaming disorder lawsuit was filed by a 24-year-old woman who said she was addicted to video games which directly caused “brain damage, cognitive impairment, lost job opportunities and unemployment, depression, anxiety, and withdrawal symptoms.”
What is Gaming Disorder?
The World Health Organization (WHO) formally classified gaming disorder as a disease in 2019. The agency says anywhere from 1.7% to 4.9% of adolescents and young adults battle some level of gaming addiction.
Gaming disorder is characterized by impaired control over gaming, increasing priority given to gaming over other activities, and continuation or escalation of gaming despite the occurrence of negative consequences. For gaming disorder to be diagnosed, the behavior pattern must result in significant impairment in personal, family, social, educational, occupational or other important areas of functioning for a year or more.
Contact our attorneys to discuss more about gaming addiction litigation if you or a loved one has suffered a mental illness and financial losses due to a gaming disorder. Call for a free case review and consultation.