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Gaming

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Original poster

Fortnite - ds in tears - help me understand battle pass!

40 replies

Crocuspie · 30/04/2018 21:40

DS loves this game madness plays with his friends online whenever I let him. He would play dawn to dusk at weekends. His pocket money goes on this and any more he can nag out of me, to the point that dh and I have said no more.

Tonight I've been told he cannot play at all anymore unless I buy him a battle pass. Searching tell me there is a new season, and it looks like that means his achievements (and all the ££ spent on loot) gets put back to zero. Am I understanding this correctly? It just seems such a waste of money. I've rarely seen him so upset.

OP posts:

blossomy · 30/04/2018 21:42

It isn't healthy for him to be 'this upset' over a computer game.

I know that's not what you want to hear, but really the best thing for him would be not playing it at all.

PerspicaciaTick · 30/04/2018 21:46

Fortnite is the only game that my DCs school have ever felt the need to quite forcibly recommend children should not be playing. Not only is there the usual danger of talking to people but the pop-up advertising is apparently highly inappropriate - lots of links to adult porn sites.

Original poster

Crocuspie · 30/04/2018 21:47

I've been happy before when he played it tbh as it seemed to cement some friendships with boys in his class (new school, find sit hard to make new friends) so I have not wanted to take it away from him entirely. But I'd like a way to spend minimal money on it.

OP posts:

Theromanempire · 30/04/2018 21:49

I don't fully understand but I do know a new battle pass is coming out tomorrow. This is a new 'season' but I don't believe it deletes all their previous progress/purchases. Certainly my 2 DC still have their purchases from previous seasons even after those seasons have ended.

What I do know is that the new battle pass is superhero based so although they haven't released info about which superheroes will be included, clearly the chance to play as Spiderman (for example) is very attractive to young boys!! So there us a huge buzz about the new battle pass and maybe it is just that he thinks he is going to miss out by not buying it?

Fwiw, my 2 spend all their pocket money and chore money on it - I'm quite relaxed about it as I prefer that to them buying some tat from a toy shop which ends up unused in a corner somewhere.

Hope that helps a bit?

Original poster

Crocuspie · 30/04/2018 21:49

Yikes Persp that sounds awful. He is on a games console and I didn't think adverts could appear. I do have restrictions on it too. Will need to check. He also only plays with RL friends.

OP posts:

Theromanempire · 30/04/2018 21:51

My 2 play it on the Xbox in the lounge so I see a lot of what they do and I have never seen any pop up adverts ever! Also, I keep a check on who their friends are and they know they cannot speak to strangers in the game.

madeyemoodysmum · 30/04/2018 21:52

He will get to keep his old stuff. Dances. Outfits etc but new stuff costs more v bucks.

It's how the game makes money as it's a free game initially but they know how to suck the kids in.

My son plays on x box but I've never seen porn pop ups. I play too sometimes? Maybe that's only on phone or pc

CheeseandGherkins · 30/04/2018 21:54

There is a new battlepass coming out tomorrow. You don't need it to play. You can only do the weekly achievements when you have it and you only get all the skins, emotes etc through the battlepass as you level it up. They are separate from the ones you can buy from the shop.

I play it, my two sons enjoy it too. They're 14 and 11.

Original poster

Crocuspie · 30/04/2018 21:54

Thanks Theroman that's very useful. I did wonder at first why such a popular game was free - I have learned how they make the money!
He was insistent tonight that he couldn't enter a battle at all without the pass. I might have a look tomorrow when he's out to see!

OP posts:

Poppiesway1 · 30/04/2018 21:54

Just asked ds2 Who has also been obsessed with it.. he says you can’t have as much fun without a battle pass. You Can’t play as much and can only do 2 challenges a day... but he says everything your ds has already brought on there he keeps, but there will be more skins in season 4 (released tomorrow) Conveniently based on superheroes.
Ds2 has had his gaming time rationed due to this game as he was almost addicted to it. He’s never been like it with any other game.

He’s plays it in our living room (no consoles in bedrooms) and Ive not seen any pop up ads while he’s played it on Xbox so not sure about when they occur. He doesn’t have his mic on so he doesn’t talk to anyone, we could hear them if they spoke but it’s very rare we hear anyone.

BettyPitts · 30/04/2018 21:56

How old is he? Very young kids are playing it at my school and it's not appropriate at all.

Knitjob · 30/04/2018 21:57

My kids love it. It doesn't seem that bad to me.
Yes there is a new battle pass coming out tomorrow. My kids seem excited about it though, not upset. They can't wait for tomorrow so they can play and watch YouTube videos of other people playing.
They seem to have known for a while this is happening so they have been saving up their money.
I have not seen any ads for open and I do regularly stick my head round the door when they are playing. I've never heard them chat to anyone other than their friends either.

It does sound like your boy is a bit over-invested in it though.

Original poster

Crocuspie · 30/04/2018 21:59

This has been a great source of information - thank you to everyone who's posted. Two challenges a day only - does that mean two games, ie he couldn't play for so long? That might be very appealing actually!

OP posts:

CheeseandGherkins · 30/04/2018 22:00

You can play as much as you like without a battlepass, you just don't get the weekly challenges.

They think the new skins will be superhero based due to the company that own a lot of epic games (who make Fortnite), having the rights to DC.

I can see why they charge for in game items, the game is free to play but obviously costs money to play, and upkeep. It's also been in development for many years.

Original poster

Crocuspie · 30/04/2018 22:04

To be honest Knitjob he is also in tears when asked to do his homework at times, life is a bit of a drama. He's 11 so probably on the young side for it but lots of his class play. I'm told he's the only one not allowed to play 18s

OP posts:

CommanderDaisy · 30/04/2018 22:09

Yup, new battle pass today. Heard all about it from DS11 so asked him for you.
It's a series of levels they can access to earn things and gain achievements. If he doesn't get it , he won't be able to "level" up as rapidly as his friends who have it. DS11 says you can still play, you'll just be slower to improve unless you buy stuff in the shop, and he says you still keep all your stuff. I have now reminded him about the pass, and he's off to see if it's released yet.

No pop up ads on our Xbox, have you set the parental controls on the console? If your DS is using the console to watch videos of others playing Fortnite on Youtube ( yes that's a thing) that's where the pop-up ads appear, and the inappropriate ones can be binned by setting YouTube restrictions.

And Fortnite is not a evil game, provided you educate yourself about it, educate your son about online stranger danger, and supervise.
Don't ban him from it, control the amount of time that he spends on it. DS11 is limited to one hour after school, and 3-4 hours on weekends.He thinks this is shit, but has no choice in the matter.

To be honest, buying him a battle pass for him to earn his extra's in game rather than want to buy them in the shop may actually be a better option.Less nagging for money.

Poppiesway1 · 30/04/2018 22:09

Over invested in it is a great way to put it!!
I can’t ask ds2 any more as he’s now back in bed. I’m also told he’s not the only one not allowed to play 18’s games (he’s 11 almost 12 now). It has helped forge some friendships since starting high school. Academically or sportily he’s not the best (he has Aspergers) but gaming is something he can do well and play with a few friends and helped conversations with them at school.

I won’t ban it completely but he does have timed sessions on it. (He’s also the only one not allowed to play it non stop apparently too )

Knitjob · 30/04/2018 22:11

My boys are 10 and 12 and honestly Fortnite doesn't worry me at all. My 6 yr old plays too but he prefers slime rancher. Its rated 12. I know there is some shooting and killing but the main point of it seems to be survival and working with your friends to survive better than other teams. Maybe I'm just incredibly naive though.
I don't allow Call of Duty or GTA. I often get the same 'everyone else plays them' but I'm not budging on those. We don't have any 18 rated games and their Xbox accounts are set up to prevent 15+ content.

PiggeryPorcombe · 30/04/2018 22:13

Ds plays on the pc version and we’ve never had a pop up either.

KirstyJC · 30/04/2018 22:18

We all play it without a battle pass, although DS14 has saved his pocket money and is going to buy the new one tomorrow. I played it for a couple of hours today myself on the X box and we have never seen any videos. Just make sure the settings on his X Box log on are age-restricted as you can decide whether you want to allow certain things or not. We set all the kids as child accounts so they can't talk, or buy anything without an adult confirming it with PIN etc. Seems to work OK.

cdtaylornats · 01/05/2018 08:23

It isn't healthy for him to be 'this upset' over a computer game.

Really - how about I take away your book, 10 pages from the end; or not let you see the last episode of your favourite TV series; or white out the last couple of steps in all your recipes?

He isn't upset about the game, he is upset about losing the time he has invested.

Raven88 · 01/05/2018 08:35

The battle pass is £10 and I think you need it to play with teams for this seasons challenges and that's why he could be upset because without it I don't think you can play with your friends if they are doing the challenges for this season. This is from the info I gathered online.

blossomy · 01/05/2018 17:01

I don’t make recipes or watch tv series “dawn to dusk” and I don’t get more upset than my mother has ever seen me, when doing so, @cdtaylornats

Poppiesway1 · 01/05/2018 21:21

Oh dear.. ds2 has accidentally purchased some axe thing. He went on to buy the battle pass item for new season today. Don’t quite know how he done it but googled it and he may have been able to get a refund for it as some certain items can be refunded... however.. the systems not currently working. He’s distraught! Ds1 (19) has told him off and doesn’t know how he manged to even do it.

I’m keeping out of it!! Glad it’s his pocket money and not linked to my bank account!! He’s learnt a lesson from that hopefully.

cdtaylornats · 01/05/2018 21:22

Well how about this, you play a team sport say football- you've practised hard, regularly turn out for the team, then your told you can still play - just on your own.

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