While gamers and game companies often do good things, like raising money for charity by streaming, online gaming communities don't always have the best reputation. Sometimes, these poor reputations are deserved. But that's why it's always nice to hear about positive experiences in online games, and that's just what happened to one young fellow stuck in a coronavirus lockdown during his birthday.
Fortnite is primarily known as a battle royale, although as the game has continued to evolve, new modes like party royale have emerged, giving players something to do other than trying to survive a battle of the fittest. The game continues to thrive, coming in as one of the most downloaded games on the PS4 in April, but it wasn't players climbing to the top of the charts that make this story memorable.
A group of six young men playing Fortnite made one mother so proud that it left her in tears. Her teenage son, who has been playing games regularly during the coronavirus lockdown with his friends over the net, booted up Fortnite. Soon enough, the group met a player going by the name JamMaster who seemed "pretty chill," as mom Tiffany Pitts puts it.
After playing together for a short while, the teens learned that JamMaster was only 10, but about to become 11 the very next day. While this would normally be a pretty exciting day for a little kid, JamMaster would be stuck spending the day without friends or a party due to the coronavirus.
Apparently, Pitts has a good son with good friends, as they decided they couldn't let this stand. The group of teenagers swiftly pounced upon the opportunity to help celebrate the younger player's birthday, taking him on "a bunch of adventures," by fighting together, sharing loot with him, and keeping him up until midnight so they could officially sing him the Happy Birthday song.
In addition to providing JamMaster with a wonderful day he'll likely remember for years to come, Pitts' son left an extremely positive impression on his mother regarding video games and the people who play them. While some parents have worried about children playing Fortnite, she has seen for herself that online gaming can be a positive experience. As she put it, "In conclusion: video games, hell yeah."
Fortnite is available now for mobile, PC, PS4, and Xbox One.