The Claim
Alex Neill is seeking compensation from Sony on behalf of 8.9 million UK users of PlayStation.
We believe that Sony's conduct in relation to PlayStation breaches competition law. This is because:
1. Sony has a near monopoly on the sale of digital games and add-on content through its control of the PlayStation Store.
2. Sony uses this dominance to enforce strict terms and conditions on game developers and publishers.
3. These terms allow Sony to set the price of digital games and in-game content and charge a 30% commission on every purchase of digital games and in-game content from the PlayStation Store.
4. This results in excessive and unfair prices to consumers for their digital games and in-game content.
5. These prices are out of all proportion to the costs of Sony providing these services to its customers.
We say it needs to stop, now.
The business model of gaming has changed dramatically over recent years. The move from games sold as physical disks to games sold digitally has seen the introduction of in-game content, where players must now also pay to progress, unlock more features, or customise their experience with new characters or weapons. Games are now designed to incentivise players to spend as much money as possible (including children).
We believe that customers are paying too much for these digital products and that they deserve to be treated better by Sony and compensated.
Our legal action is the first of its kind against Sony in the UK.
Documents
You can learn more about the claim from the associated documentation. Click the link below to visit the documents page.
