Does Fortnite turn your kid into an arsehole too?

[SkaTastic]

Just banned DS12 off it for life and put the Xbox in the bottom of my wardrobe. He is generally a lovely kid but holy fuck does this game turn him into a monster. And no matter how many times I shout (yes I know) STOP SHOUTING he still continues to bellow at his mates about twatting Spooky Towers or whatever the fuck it is called.

Fucking hell fire.

Dunno it's seemed to help with managing temper in our house!

Son got agitated we talked about ways to get that out without yelling or hitting the controller on the floor and it all calmed down.

Given the amount of adults who lose their shit over things like road rage I think managing frustration is a good skill to teach them!!

never heard of this game. DS (16) is on his xbox a lot though, mainly playing Fifa as he seems to have outgrown Minecraft. However, I have noticed him doing more shouting recently while playing so wonder if it is this Fortnite game. I shall find out.

I've watched my DS play it, because I've heard all this stuff, and I'm not seeing what's so different about it compared to other, similar games..

To be fair, I don't let DS have any kind of chat, so perhaps it's the social aspect of the game that's the problem, and he doesn't participate in that?

'Yabu to blame the game.

It's parents who allow children to play for hours on end fault really. Any game played for that amount of time may lead to personality changes in some people who are more susceptible.

Strict time limits and plenty of time doing other more active stuff and it will rarely then become a problem.'

Absolutely not true or maybe you're just very lucky. We have totally enforced time limits and game limits on this and the second they sit in front of it they turn into edgy zombies. Everyone I encounter with this problem says the same

For the people with headphones, we don't have them and were on one evening and there was a little boy on. A man came on and said 'so what's your name' and the boy said 'x' and he said 'hi, x, I'm Arthur'. They played together and Arthur cursed. The whole thing felt so off I can't even tell you. The only good thing was then the game was suddenly over but them I just worried about it. Didn't get any names so couldn't report, but a roughly 7yo and a guy that sounded in his fifties. Didn't like it one bit

Got to say I love it. I play it myself with my 14yr old DD. I have switched off all chat though. Minimal shouting at the tele, it's usually just "oh crap" when we die (again).
Re time spent playing - to be honest we are both so rubbish that we are usually dead within 10 mins, so probably play an hour at most - take it in turns to play.
We both love the 50v50 battles as its allows us to play for longer before we are killed (once that disappears again then we won't play as often).

No, my kids are fine with it (12,12&13). But they have their own consoles and still like getting out walking in the fresh air for a couple of hours as well as just sitting playing video games.

I quit playing as soon as I realised they were better than me

They do spend most of their pocket money on battle passes and v bucks which seems like a massive waste of money to me but hey, it’s their cash they’re wasting!

Stayathomer - interesting you say that about headphones, that's exactly my issue with them as well.
We don't have headphones, but they want one. Random people can join to play the game with them when on Fortnite, you can hear them talking. would be really uncomfortable them having headphones and not being able to hear what was going on, I'm surprised so many parents are OK with that aspect especially the ones who let younger kids play. Unless they're unaware?

@LethalDrizzle If that was a dig at me, and you'd like to prove my 7 years of research wrong, go for it. I'd be really keen to see your results.

Do parents realise that they can turn all chat off. My DD is 14 yet I don't want her to be able to hear any random chatting on there. It's still a great game without chatting to your mates (and randoms)

I only started playing as my partners son wanted it and like some above I had heard all the mostly untrue hype about it being a scam etc

I think it's really important to play the games (not just this one) yourself, understand what features can be switched off and become savvy.
You can mute other players, they do not need a mike to play for instance. You should already have set locks up re spending, you absolutely do not need to spend any money at all to play this game. Educate yourselves.

And YY to previous mentions or Muselk, Loserfruit, Bazza and Cray - total legends! I might have a bit of a crush on Muself

I think playing Fortnite has been good for my 2 DS, both 16. They played a lot when they first had it but they self regulate. They meet friends from school on it and also now have more friends in real life for cinema visits and the like. I also think it's giving one of them more career ideas in software and gaming (the other wants to do something in medicine so not interested in that aspect). He's also said he wants to go to Counter Strike Global Operations in Cologne after exams which is a massive gamer convention and I think is good too.

I expect both of them to pull some all night gaming sessions when GCSEs are over, but it'll be summer then and no school so it's fine.

How do you turn chat off if you don't have headphones? Would love to know, thanks

Hate it, my DS13 who is a really good kid has spent £160 using my card on the fucking thing. His prized collection of pop figures is currently on eBay and xbox taken for a month.
Totally totally out of character for him.

My dad was playing it with my ds last night with headphones but as a private group chat so they could talk to each other but not all the randoms.

I think that’s the problem though a lot of the parents don’t understand all the functions on the games and consoles and either let the children run riot or are too scared to let them on them.

They are more likely to be at risk of being groomed playing minecraft with chat functions available with parents who have no idea than playing Fortnite where parents understand it all.

Get on the game yourselves. Die repeatedly. DEMONSTRATE to your children an appropriate response to dying in a computer game.

My kids don't scream and wail and hit things when they lose at a game, because I don't do that. if all they ever see is reaction clickbait on Youtube, that's how they're going to act. Involve yourselves and teach them how to react.

Exactly the same for my son, even when I shout him for dinner it's as if it's an inconvenience having to be fed and the way he moans about things going wrong on the game 😥😥

Foxy, if he doesn't come when called, switch it off at the plug. No warnings, just do it. DOn't allow them to value a computer game over listening to you.

Voice chat is under the settings

www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/gaming/fortnite-battle-royale-latest-update-playstation-xbox-features-nspcc-children-parent-warning-a8334261.html

Frankly I'm happier with FN than that bloody twattery of a FIFA game. Now that really DID bring out the worst in DS (13). FN wouldn't be my choice of game but he's learnt how to lose and I'm restricting use after the weekend due to a v v disappointing parents night this week. My fault, should have restricted it sooner.... Live and learn !!

VBucks.....

Just saying

Care to elaborate?

For those with strops over coming off the game, try a twenty minute heads up before the required log out - it's the average length of matches so if another one is started after that point the modem can be happily switched off. 🙂

They can only buy the vbucks if you leave your card details saved and don’t require a password for purchases.

Yet again that’s parents not monitoring/understanding how to safeguard on technology same as with the App Store/google store.