A $2.7 billion (£1.97 billion) lawsuit against Sony has gone to trial in London, on behalf of around 12 million UK PlayStation users. Sony is accused of abusing its dominant market position by forcing digital game and add-on purchases exclusively through the PlayStation Store, keeping prices artificially higher than physical alternatives. The case is being heard at the
Competition Appeal Tribunal and is led by Alex Neill, who has stated that “gamers have paid too much and they should get some money back.” The claim was previously valued at up to $6.7 billion (£5 billion) before being revised down to its current figure. The case follows a similar pattern to other recent UK tech lawsuits. A comparable class action against Steam on behalf of 14 million users was cleared to proceed last month, and Apple was found in October to have abused its dominant position over App Store commissions, a ruling it is currently appealing.
Sony is fighting back, arguing it has invested years and billions into an integrated gaming platform that operates in a competitive market alongside Nintendo and Xbox, both of which use similar closed storefronts. Its lawyers contend that the margins earned on digital game sales aren’t excessive and that the lawsuit fails to account for Sony’s costs and the value of its platform. The company also frames the claimants’ position as essentially demanding that third parties be allowed to sell on PlayStation while free-riding on the Sony infrastructure. If successful, the roughly 12.2 million eligible users, anyone who bought a digital PlayStation game or in-game download over the past ten years, would receive an estimated $217 (£162) each, on an opt-out basis.
