PORTLAND, Maine (WMTW) – The mother of a 9-year-old from Maine is suing the developer behind some of the most popular video games for kids, claiming the games’ makers added features they knew would be addictive without implementing safety features.
Casey Henderson, the mother of a 9-year-old, is suing Microsoft and the makers of popular video games, including Roblox, Fortnite and Minecraft. The lawsuit, which was filed Tuesday, claims the games are marketed to young children with features the developers knew would be addictive in order to maximize time spent on the games and improve the odds of in-game purchases.
Henderson’s lawsuit claims the games have caused her 9-year-old “diminished social interactions, lack of interest in other hobbies, and withdrawal symptoms such as rage, anger, and physical outbursts.”
“Any attempt to remove [the child] from their games is met with severe withdrawal symptoms including anger, and refusal to maintain proper hygiene or sleep,” the lawsuit reads.
Attorney Brett Dwight Baber is representing Henderson.
“The most important thing is to hold these manufacturers accountable for their actions,” Baber said. “They have intentionally built these psychological devices into their games to get kids playing constantly, the more the better, and they profit off it. This is a billion-dollar industry with a capital B.”
The lawsuit seeks monetary relief, claiming Henderson has suffered and continues to suffer injuries and damages exceeding $75,000.
None of the defendants named immediately responded to requests for comment.
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