The Japanese company Sony is faced with a big problem. In the Netherlands, he was officially launched Mass claim From -with the alleged increase in the price of digital games for PlayStation StoreThe field of mass damage and consumers is convinced that Sony abuses its dominant market position, which affects at least 1.7 million owners of PlayStation.
According to the complaint, PlayStation players often pay 47 % more for digital versions of the games compared to their physical copies. This is despite the fact that digital distribution is much cheaper for Sony. The organization of consumers even calls this practice ‘Sony tax“ – an additional fee that Sony has full control over a digital store.
The action is based on information that Sony is more than half the margin of digital products sold in the PlayStation store. For this reason, Sony should build artificial barriers around his favorite console.
The main problem in accordance with the action is that users of the PlayStation Console, especially the PS5 Digital Edition, Completely depend on the purchases of games in the official digital store SonyThe field, unlike Microsoft and Nintendo, Sony does not allow to buy digital codes from other retail sellers, which significantly limits competition and choice.
According to the study, damage to Dutch consumers has reached higher since 2013 435 million EUleading
Lucia Melchert, the chairman of the fund, warns that “Since the release of the Sony PS5, it is increasingly insisting on the sale of digital consoles that do not support physical discs at all. It is these versions that customers unconsciously pay the most. ” He adds that this situation of the shortcomings of not only players, but also developers, because they should submit the rules of one digital market – without a place for negotiations.
According to the claim, Sony uses its position (PlayStation has a share of more than 80 % among internal consoles in the Netherlands) to raise the PS Store and PlayStation Plus Games without real feedback from the market. “Sony Today is almost the only digital content supplier on the most common game platform. He can do what he wants. “ He says Melcherts. The organization had to be accumulated More than 20,000 participantsField
Although it is unclear whether the Dutch action will be the result of (waiting for a court decision to give action further), this is not an isolated case. Such legal steps also begin in the UK and France. If the European Union was also involved in the situation, the pressure on changes can be more realistic. The question is whether the platforms in the digital world can dictate the rules without an alternative – and whether the choice should.
Something like this has long decided AppleThis American company was supposed to open iOS and other stores after the pressure of the European Union.
Source :Indian TV
