Z Generation and Fortnite: New Ethical Paradigms in Video Games Design

Generation Z has new ways of user interaction and it represents a new challenge for software designers. The design of video games hooks can encourage the appearance of certain patterns of unexpected behaviour in users (as Internet Game Disorder) that is currently under medical investigation. In this article, we analyse the Fortnite videogame (561 children between 8 and 11 years old). After this study, developed behaviours and habits can be observed, mainly with respect to the demographics of the play groups, when they play and what design elements are most attractive to them. The main results are that they usually play with their friends at school and on weekends (74%) and / or holidays, some more than 2 hours a day (42%) and that what they are most hooked on is the mechanics of the hiding place. They play mostly (60%) children under the recommended age for this video game (12 years) and make purchases of skins and dances. This article aims to highlight the importance of the inclusion of ethical values in the design of video games addressed to children and giving information to parents about the positive and negative aspects of video games, moreover incorporate them into the discipline of the analysis of requirements, since it is intended to create new ethical paradigms in the development of video games.