The technology sector has its fair share of frivolous lawsuits (just take a look at most patent disputes) but this one may very well take the cake.
RT News is reporting that an unnamed 28-year-old man from Siberia is suing Bethesda because he became "addicted" to Fallout 4. The individual in question says he planned to play the game a few nights each week but ended up on a three-week binge that resulted in the loss of his job. He claims he was so addicted that he couldn't even make time to eat or sleep. Oh, and his wife left him.
Now, he is seeking around $7,000 in compensation for emotional distress.
The man said that if he knew the game could become so addictive, he would have been a lot more wary of it. Specifically, he said he either wouldn't have bought it or would have saved it until he was on vacation or had spare time over the holidays.
Serious questions of accountability aside, the case is largely being viewed as a test in Russia as there haven't been any like it before. The law firm has acknowledged as much, saying they want to see how far they can go with the case.
As ludicrous as it is, such claims aren't new. In 2010, Craig Smallwood from Hawaii sued Lineage II maker NC Interactive after logging more than 20,000 hours in the game. As The Register recalls, the man claimed he had to be hospitalized and suffered long-lasting distress and depression due to the gaming binge. Amazingly enough, Smallwood won his case.