Dutch Consumer Group Sues Sony Over "Articicially Inflated" Prices

The Dutch consumer foundation Stichting Massaschade & Consument has filed a class action lawsuit against PlayStation over the company setting high prices for its games and in-game content.

The foundation claims (via Dutch News), "Sony charges excessive prices for digital games in its PlayStation Store by abusing its dominant position in the console market." As said by the organization, the move from physical game discs to digital copies can only be conducted through Sony's PlayStation Store, and it has led to the company setting up a "Sony tax," which the foundation wants to "claim back." Thus, according to the group, the prices are set to 47% more for digital copies of games.

"For digital PlayStation content, Sony is the only remaining retailer, eliminating any form of price competition," notes Lucia Melcherts, chair of Stichting Massaschade & Consument. She points out that game creators have to comply with Sony's terms, which include prices for their games in the PlayStation Store, while at the same time, the game company itself has reduced its costs, as there are no expenses on physical stores or transportation. Thus, these circumstances led to "artificially inflated" prices.

As noted by the consumer group, other game stores like Microsoft and Epic Games are not "exclusively tied to a device that controls the majority of the market," which makes them "actively compete for users."

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