- Lawsuit against Sony for “unfair” PlayStation Store accusations has begun
- He accuses Sony of “exploiting” UK customers by charging higher prices in its store.
- Around 12.2 million PlayStation users in the UK could be compensated for any purchases, totaling around £2 billion if the case is won.
A class action brought against Sony could mean millions of UK PlayStation users are entitled to a collective £2 billion in compensation for allegedly unfair fees charged on the PlayStation Store.
As Sky reports, the case, dubbed “PlayStation You Owe Us”, was filed in 2022 by consumer rights advocate Alex Neill, who accuses Sony of “exploiting its UK customers by overcharging them” for the sale of digital games and gaming content.
The lawsuit also claims that Sony violated competition law by controlling the PlayStation Store and claims that “Sony has a near-monopoly on the sale of digital games and complementary content.”
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Given that game developers receive a 30% commission for selling their games on the PlayStation Store and Sony sets the price of games, Neill says the cost is “excessive and unfair” and 20% more than physical editions.
“The result is that Sony can and does set the retail prices for all of this content itself without facing any retail competition for digital content,” said Robert Palmer KC, on behalf of the plaintiff. “This allows it to obtain monopolistic profits through digital distribution, by setting retail prices at what it calls its target margin, an excessive and unfair margin of 30% above the digital wholesale price level.”
He also added that gamers are inclined to purchase digital games from the PlayStation Store, since only three of Sony’s current consoles contain a disc drive.
If Neill wins the case, it is estimated that 12.2 million PlayStation users in the UK could be compensated for any purchases “over a period of approximately” 10 years (specifically between August 2016 and February 2026), for a total amount of around £2 billion, or £162 each.
Users will be automatically included in any judgment on an “opt-out” basis.
Sony has objected to these claims, saying its distribution model is justified because allowing downloads in third-party stores would pose security and privacy risks.
The trial began on Tuesday March 10 and is expected to last approximately nine weeks before a verdict is reached.
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