to not let my 9 year old play Fortnite?

[Cultoffortnite]

Having a debated with DP over this as our Year 5 boy is claiming to be the only one in his class not playing Fortnite, which means he's getting left out as his mates play online together. I know that several of his close friends DO play ( older siblings in the house playing).

DP can be a bit of a 'Disney' parent and wants DS to have Fortnite. I object on the grounds that :
it's a 1st person shooter game aimed at 12+
it's violence dressed up as something else
We have a Wii Switch and DS can play that
We're strict on gaming time - usually reserved for weekends and this will be another screen/game to be battling with over time played
DS behaviour has been quite challenging recently and I don't really thin

So wise women and men of Mumsnet - should I give in? I'm wavering I have to admit and wondering if I'm being too draconian and being THAT parent.

[Waveysnail]

OP I'm having same struggle but dh agrees with me. We got it for our 11 year old a month ago - 12 in sept as all his friends were playing it. We watched him play it.

When people are injured they crawl around the floor. Headshot encouraged as kills quicker. Weapons are life like as are the people.

I have 7 yr old and a 9 yr old who seems.to be only ones in class not playing it sadly. But I'm not having my kids shooting characters in the head with lifelike guns

[Waveysnail]

I dont get people who say its cartoon like. The people characters look like people not really cartoon characters. Battle royal you go around hunting other plays with realistic looking weapons work out best way to kill them.

People when.injured crawl around the floor and you shoot them etc to kill them.

It's pretty disturbing

[Wejustdontknow]

I let my ds7 have it when lockdown started, he has been able to add friends from school and they can chat whilst playing together and he loves it, I don’t think the violence is an issue but do understand that the rating is due to the online chat element. We have the PS4 in the living room and I am around to monitor as he plays. We have had no issues with behavior or turning off when told but he did at the beginning ask for vbucks constantly. We have agreed he can have his weekly spending money on it but none of his birthday/Xmas money and once it’s gone it’s gone, this has been a bit of a learning curve but a great way to learn money management as he was initially spending it all straight away but he has now learnt to save for the battle pass/skins that might come into the shop

[Chipsahoy]

I don't get the addiction thing from my kids. They are 9 and 12, and probably play it once a week. They much prefer minecraft.

[Yeahnahmum]

Don't give in to the classic 'but all my friends do it' op

[Thurmanmurman]

My nearly 8 year old plays it. I was dead against it at first but have set strict rules around it. He can only play with friends for 30 mins a day and any whiff of him becoming angry or obsessed over it and he won’t be allowed to play. I allowed him because he can’t see his friends much at the moment and at least he’s connecting with them. We tried Zoom calls but 8 year old boys are not the best conversationalists with each other and it mainly consisted of shouting out silly things to one another and changing their names to ridiculous things. It does depend on the child to an extent.

[Spied]

If you are already worrying about the battle to keep him off it then don't agree to him having it. Fortnite has had a detrimental effect on my DS's behaviour.
He was never like this on any other game.

[Spied]

And the cost also needs to be considered.
It's not really free!

[chellochello]

If my DS (10) didn't play it he'd have very limited contact with his school friends during this lockdown - most of his school class play together - often not in the battle mode but the creative mode and it's a great way for them to keep in touch - he'd feel very left out and isolated it he wasn't allowed. He gets an hour or so each evening on it and whilst he does have a moan about having to come off once its switch off he can forget about it and concentrate on other things

[dannydyerismydad]

I worked for 15 years in the games industry. Age ratings are there for a reason. Gaming is a big part of our family life, but as part of a "balanced diet" of other activities. Games need to be age appropriate and no free to play junk gaming designed to encourage addictive behaviours and the purchase of add ons.