Sony is entangled in a colossal lawsuit concerning the pricing of games on the PlayStation Store.
PS owners in the UK initiated the lawsuit in 2022, aiming for compensation from Sony, alleging that the company artificially inflated game prices due to its industry dominance and exclusive game agreements.
Sony Accused of Monopolizing Games
As spotted by The Sun, the lawsuit argues that Sony's monopolistic position in the gaming industry allowed it to secure exclusive titles for PlayStation.
With no other storefront selling these games, the suit contends that Sony exploited this exclusivity to inflate prices on the PlayStation Store.
PlayStation Owners Eligible For $8 Billion Payout
Sony's legal team vehemently challenged the lawsuit, labeling it as "flawed from start to finish." Despite Sony's defense, the Competition Appeal Tribunal has granted permission for the case to proceed, indicating potential merit in the claims made by PlayStation owners.
Originally filed for £5 billion ($6.5 billion), the lawsuit has now been expanded to a staggering £6.3 billion ($8 billion). If Sony faces defeat in court, individuals who made purchases on the PlayStation Store before the lawsuit's 2022 filing could be eligible for compensation.
Sony is not new when it comes to lawsuits. Back in 2021, the gaming firm was sued because of the controller drift issue in PS5 DualSense. Apparently, the plaintiff claimed that Sony allegedly had an idea about the defect. It only kept it a secret from the buyers.
In 2015, Sony dropped the lawsuit related to the PlayStation Vita advertisement. At that time, the final verdict of the court stated that the said feature was entirely implemented when PS4 came. The original claim Sony said that remote play can allow gamers to play PS3 titles via Vita.
As a result, the company had to compensate PS Vita owners, offering options like a $25 check, $25 in-store credit, or game bundles.
Potential Impact on Game Prices
If the current lawsuit proves successful, similar compensation could be on the table for affected PlayStation owners. However, a more far-reaching outcome could be a precedent that forces PlayStation to reconsider its pricing strategy, potentially leading to lower prices for exclusive games on the PS Store in the future.
In another report by Forbes, the recent Sony lawsuit does not make sense at all. The writer says that it's not proven if the 30% cut that Sony takes is harming the buyers. Apparently, it is being passed to the publishers and developers.
Outside the talk about Sony's lawsuits and the like, Tech Times reported that Rockstar Games canceled its open-world zombie game dubbed "Agent."
According to the report, the New York City-based developer discontinued the survival game after a year of development because everyone was focused on GTA IV. Although fans wanted to play it so badly, it was ditched right away in the list.
