Last year, a lawsuit was initiated against Sony, alleging that its exclusive video game platform led to excessive charges for players on the PlayStation Store. Recently, the London Tribunal decided to advance this lawsuit, despite resistance from the creators of PS5. Should the lawsuit triumph, it could lead to a substantial payout to UK players, potentially reaching $7.9 billion.
Initiated in August last year, the lawsuit contends that Sony engaged in anti-competitive behavior, enabling it to impose a 30 percent commission on all sales in the PlayStation Store. This, according to the claim, prevented the possibility of a reduced commission and consequent savings for consumers. Sony’s efforts to dismiss the case were met with a setback today, as the Competition Appeal Tribunal ruled against them. The Tribunal stated that Sony did not convincingly demonstrate that the complaint was baseless or had no chance of success at trial.
The lawsuit, led by consumer advocate Alex Neill, is set to move forward, with both parties preparing to debate its merits. It’s important to note that Sony isn’t being accused of covert price manipulation. Instead, the lawsuit challenges a common practice in modern gaming platforms: charging fees while excluding competitors. The central argument is that by not allowing third-party sales directly on the PlayStation Store, Sony is restricting competition and consequently inflating prices for gamers.
This case echoes similar disputes in the U.S., notably the Epic vs. Apple lawsuit and the ongoing Epic vs. Google court trial. Epic Games criticized both the App Store and Google Play for imposing hefty commissions on businesses operating on their platforms. To draw a parallel, imagine a scenario where PCs could only install Steam, making Valve’s platform the exclusive gateway to games. These arguments, however, haven’t seen much success in the U.S. courts. It remains to be seen whether the Sony lawsuit in the UK will meet a different fate.
