Japanese entertainment giant Sony is set to launch a £2 billion ($2.7 billion) class action lawsuit in London on Tuesday over accusations it breached competition law by overcharging millions of British PlayStation users. The plaintiff's website accuses Sony of "exploiting British consumers" over the past decade and "overpricing" PlayStation digital games and in-game content.
Alex Neill, a consumer activist who filed the lawsuit on behalf of about 12.2 million users, said: "This case aims to end this practice and obtain compensation for affected users."
The PlayStation Store is its official digital platform, where players can purchase Sony’s classic games (such as Gran Turismo and God of War), as well as AAA masterpieces from other studios (such as Call of Duty, Grand Theft Auto, and Assassin’s Creed).
The plaintiffs claim that Sony has a near-monopoly in the sales of digital games for its consoles, which allows it to dominate pricing and charge 30% sales commissions to game publishers.
According to the plaintiff, the more competitive PC game distribution platforms charge lower commissions, about 12% to 20%.