Captive Audience
It’s been at least a few hours since the last one started, so it’s time for another industry lawsuit. In the dock this time is Sony Interactive Entertainment, which is facing a class-action lawsuit over the exclusivity of digital software as it pertains to its online storefront, PlayStation Store.
As reported by Bloomberg, the consumer-led lawsuit accuses SIE own maintaining a monopoly over the price of digital games, given that the PlayStation Store is the only place said titles are available. While Sony previously allowed digital game codes to be sold over-the-counter in high street stores — as well as other third-party retailers — this practice was halted two years ago, making the PS Store the only place in town to officially acquire digital games for PlayStation platforms.
“Sony’s monopoly allows it to charge supracompetitive prices for digital PlayStation games,” reads a section of the suit filing. “[the digital games] are significantly higher than their physical counterparts sold in a competitive retail market, and significantly higher than they would be in a competitive retail market for digital games.”
The suit references examples of online customers being charged up to 175% more for purchasing a game via PlayStation Store than it would purchasing the same title in a hypothetical third-party-retailer environment. The case is set to be heard presently at the U.S. District Court in San Francisco, California.
