PlayStation Store prices: Sony sued for around 6 billion euros

Sony was sued by consumer advocates in Great Britain because of too high PlayStation Store prices. If successful, over 660 euros per person await. The total amount of the claim for damages is 5.92 billion euros.

PlayStation Store prices: Sony’s store is too expensive

On August 19, the British consumer protection organization Competition Appeal Tribunal filed a class action lawsuit against Sony. The reason is the PlayStation Store prices. Thus, the organization believes that the costs for digital games and expansions are set significantly too high and buyers are at a disadvantage compared to retail versions, i.e. physical data carriers.

The damage was also caused because Sony retains a commission of 30 percent of all sales in the PlayStation Store, which the consumer protection organization considers to be unlawful. A total of around nine million customers are said to have been “ripped off” for Sony in this way, as reported by Sky News and The Independent, among others.

The commission, they say, has forced game developers and publishers to charge higher prices for their games and add-ons. Attorney Alex Neill says she wants the class action lawsuit to stand up for all customers who paid too much for their games.

“We feel that Sony has taken advantage of its position and ripped off customers,” Neill is quoted as saying on Sky News.

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Total amount of about 6 billion euros

At issue are all PlayStation Store purchases since August 19, 2016, with the Competition Appeal Tribunal saying anyone who has purchased digital content since then is entitled to damages ranging from £67 (about 80 euros) to up to £562 (about 665 euros), plus interest.

The total amount of the claim is around 5 billion pounds, which is equivalent to just under 5.92 billion euros.

Why Sony, of all companies, is being sued (and apparently only Sony at the moment) and not Microsoft, Nintendo, Valve or other manufacturers that offer a similar model and a similar commission rate for their digital stores is unclear.

However, it is a fact that one and the same game is often significantly more expensive in the PlayStation Store than in the form of a physical copy in stores. The action game The Last of Us Part II for PlayStation 4 costs 39.99 Euros on the PlayStation Store – the lowest price in stores is currently 14.99 Euros.