Lawyer Sues Over "Seizure Triggers" in Videogames

[Chaos Theory]

/sigh

 

[KaiRai]

I agree with the original post, almost all games carry a warning about seizures.

As far as all the rest goes, shut the hell up you lying bastard of a lawyer. I mean serious, excessive eye blinking? Get out.

 

[TheEvilCheese]

Well, I don't know about overseas but every game in the UK and (correct me if im wrong) the EU has a big Seizure warning on it.

This lawyer doesn't have a leg to stand on.

 

[ChaosReaver]

Issuing a warning does not relieve one of liability. Just look at tobacco companies. For 40 years warnings were issued about smoking being bad for one's health before the companies were finally taken to court where they lost. If steps are being taken in other similar markets to ensure this isn't happening, then why aren't they being taken here?

Well, for one thing maybe because video games companies don't put harmful and or addictive chemicals in their products. Also some companies do put their games through testing to prevent seizures.

Does anyone else smell a law practicing rat?

OT: This guy won't win. I've been looking through all my old game cases/ manuals goning back to my N64 and they all have seizure warnings. I think the only way this guy could make money is go after video game companies that had stuff in the '70s or charge a lot of cash just to meet him. I'm suspecting the latter.

 

[Sub_par]

oooo this will be fun. how about this. my first seizure was triggered by a video game, i dont blame the game people, and it got me into a hospital and directly resulted in discovering a potentially life threatening brain malformation and got me treatment for it. YAY videogame seizures!

 

[2fish]

I have seizures and I think that this falls to the parents not the company as long as the company has warnings...I seem to recall warning somwhere on the box. But should he/she/it(whatever lawyers are) win I would like my payment in a PS3 with the epilepsy ribbon on it please .

 

[FROGGEman2]

Aren't there little warning labels on games?

Doesn't that, like, clear them of everything?

 

[Danpascooch]

WOW! I went to the site, and these guys (the lawyers) are actually based in Syracuse NY! like 10 minutes from my house!

(also, if you have epilepsy (knowingly), and you try to play a videogame, you don't deserve a seizure, you deserve to be hit by a truck, and if you discover epilepsy when playing a game, that just means you have a very very sucky medical condition, its not like the game GAVE you epilepsy, just the seizure associated with your condition, its not the games fault, blame the DNA, DAMN DNA!)

 

[nondescript]

I have a family member with seizures, so I know a bit about this, and if any parents started that lawsuit they ought to be countersued for bad parenting. Seizures are known to be caused by flashing lights, changing colors, or a variety of visual effects you can get from a video game. (You can get them from some movies, but I digress.) Some seizures aren't triggered by that, though. One woman I know was affected by weather changes, and another person had no known triggers. So if these parents weren't aware of the condition, you can't go saying "My kid got epilepsy from his Xbox!" And if they *knew* he had the condition, they were being negligent in their care of the child to allow him to play/watch the game.

So all you whiney parents with your lawyer-limpet can blow it out your subpeona.

 

[theklng]

i'm somewhat inclined to agree with the lawyers here. sure there are epileptic warnings on games etc.; but honestly, how many of you people actually take that seriously? i've had eye twitches before as well as minor spasms as a result of sitting at a computer too long (hard for a computer scientist/programmer); and i've been thinking that it could be the early stages of epilepsy. there is an increased risk for developing epilepsy or other seizure disorders for people staring at a screen all day long; so i'd vote that something be done about this to minimize the amount of seizure inducing effects in general, not just in games.

that being said, i think the lawsuit is preposterous (as are most lawsuits in the US), but i won't deny that this is a real problem and can become a worry for our current and future computerized generations.

 

[Rekuiem]

This just how little self responsibility we have these days, suing because a game gave you a seizure thats like suing the beach because the sun gave you melanoma... Sorry but I don't see this suit as valid. Specially given the warnings and all, we've seen em for years.

 

[akmarksman]

i'm somewhat inclined to agree with the lawyers here. sure there are epileptic warnings on games etc.; but honestly, how many of you people actually take that seriously? i've had eye twitches before as well as minor spasms as a result of sitting at a computer too long (hard for a computer scientist/programmer); and i've been thinking that it could be the early stages of epilepsy. there is an increased risk for developing epilepsy or other seizure disorders for people staring at a screen all day long; so i'd vote that something be done about this to minimize the amount of seizure inducing effects in general, not just in games.

that being said, i think the lawsuit is preposterous (as are most lawsuits in the US), but i won't deny that this is a real problem and can become a worry for our current and future computerized generations.

I've played computer games for about 10 hours straight (it was a mac game called Escape Velocity..and the mods that were released..holy SHIT)and I didnt get seizures or anything.
Hell I've been playing videogames since the Atari 2600


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Escape-Velocity-title.png

I remember the warnings that were on the NES system.

 

[FLSH_BNG]

Against my better judgment... I am posting rather than ignoring.

What the FUCK is this shit!?

 

[theklng]

i'm somewhat inclined to agree with the lawyers here. sure there are epileptic warnings on games etc.; but honestly, how many of you people actually take that seriously? i've had eye twitches before as well as minor spasms as a result of sitting at a computer too long (hard for a computer scientist/programmer); and i've been thinking that it could be the early stages of epilepsy. there is an increased risk for developing epilepsy or other seizure disorders for people staring at a screen all day long; so i'd vote that something be done about this to minimize the amount of seizure inducing effects in general, not just in games.

that being said, i think the lawsuit is preposterous (as are most lawsuits in the US), but i won't deny that this is a real problem and can become a worry for our current and future computerized generations.

I've played computer games for about 10 hours straight (it was a mac game called Escape Velocity..and the mods that were released..holy SHIT)and I didnt get seizures or anything.
Hell I've been playing videogames since the Atari 2600


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Escape-Velocity-title.png

I remember the warnings that were on the NES system.

exactly how is this relevant? it doesn't matter whether you have experienced them or not, it matters that people in general have a chance of experiencing them.

 

[Morganan]

Issuing a warning does not relieve one of liability. Just look at tobacco companies. For 40 years warnings were issued about smoking being bad for one's health before the companies were finally taken to court where they lost. If steps are being taken in other similar markets to ensure this isn't happening, then why aren't they being taken here?

Well, for one thing maybe because video games companies don't put harmful and or addictive chemicals in their products. Also some companies do put their games through testing to prevent seizures.

Does anyone else smell a law practicing rat?

OT: This guy won't win. I've been looking through all my old game cases/ manuals goning back to my N64 and they all have seizure warnings. I think the only way this guy could make money is go after video game companies that had stuff in the '70s or charge a lot of cash just to meet him. I'm suspecting the latter.

I really don't know the cases details enough to make a judgment as to whether it will be won or lost. I do know however issuing a warning does not preclude a party from being liable in a civil case. The differences between civil and criminal law are large, and there is a far lower burden of proof required to win a case in civil court. I think many of the posters here assume this is a criminal case where someone is trying to find the companies liable for criminal negligence, which I agree with them in that this case would go nowhere.

However, since this is most likely a civil case, expect to see a settlement reached within 24 months simply for economic reasons for the companies involved. The only defendants that would be interested in seeing this case go to trial would be ones who couldn't afford a large settlement, and you can rest assured there will be no defendants named who have that problem.

 

[Scumpernickle]

Isn't there a whole booklet in every single game that tells you about health concerns and epilepsy?

And how can developers "fix" the causes of seizures in games?

So many questions...