According to the latest datamining efforts from Fortnite fans, the social shooter has a new set of in-game limitations and warnings designed to keep players from playing for too long – and potentially prevent the gaming addictions that some governments fear. Cases against prolonged video game play have increased in recent years as governments have gotten more involved, particularly when it comes to children’s gaming hours.
As one of the most popular games around, Fortnite has taken the brunt of these concerns, and lawsuits have even claimed that it’s as addictive as cocaine. The battle royale gameplay, endless stream of customization and character packages, and the social aspect of the online shooter combine to make it easy to play for hours on end. However, that’s something a Fortnite datamined filter would prevent.
The warnings were first posted by Fortnite data expert FireMonkey on Twitter, who copied a series of notifications from the latest version of the game. One warning says, “You have been online for three hours accumulatively…in-game gainings will be lowering by 50% from now on and challenge progress has been disabled.” Other notifications promise similar restrictions and punishments for continuing to play, while begging gamers to log off and get some rest. The punishments for ignoring the warnings also appear to increase over time, with one saying “Your in-game gainings is already lowered to zero and challenge progress has been disabled.” Apparently, the restrictions aren’t lifted until players spend at least five hours without logging in again.
FireMonkey was quick to note that these notifications came with a tag called, “TencentPlayTimeLimit.” Tencent is the government backed Chinese gaming company and pretty much all gaming in China must pass through it – and the company owns a significant chunk of Fortnite creator Epic Games. This info led FireMonkey to understandably assume that the locks are designed for China only…at least for the time being.
However, China is only one of the first governments to set strict “video game addiction” rules for younger players. Others are on their way. With gaming addiction officially recognized as a disorder by the World Health Organization by 2022 and growing concerns with video game monetization that preys on addicted gamers, it’s no surprise that gaming restrictions are being discussed by nations around the world. The datamined restrictions are no doubt prepared for more than China’s rules alone. Within a couple years, Fortnite may need to offer similar settings in many different countries – and perhaps give parents everywhere the option to turn them on at will.
Fortnite is available now on Mac, PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and Android and iOS mobile devices.
Source: FireMonkey/Twitter