Sony faces $7.9 billion lawsuit over PlayStation Store pricing – November 21, 2023 at 10:25 p.m.

A London court ruled on Tuesday that Sony must file a class action lawsuit seeking up to 6.3 billion pounds ($7.9 billion) over allegations that the PlayStation maker abused its dominant position, resulting in unfair prices for customers.

Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) was sued last year on behalf of nearly 9 million people in the UK who purchased digital games or add-on content through Sony’s PlayStation Store.

Alex Neal, a consumer advocate who has worked on previous campaigns, has filed a lawsuit against Sony valued at up to 5 billion pounds ($6.23 billion) plus interest.

Her lawyers said in court papers last month that the total damages were estimated at £6.3 billion.

It says the company abused its dominant position by requiring that digital games and add-ons be bought and sold only through the PlayStation Store, which takes a 30% commission from developers and publishers.

This caused customers to pay higher prices for games and add-ons than they otherwise would have paid, the prosecution alleges.

Sony’s lawyers claimed the case was “flawed from beginning to end” and said the case should be dismissed.

The Competition Appeal Tribunal ruled that Neal’s case could go ahead, but said that people who made purchases from the PlayStation Store after the case was brought in 2022 should be removed from the proposed class of claimants.

Tuesday’s ruling was “the first step in ensuring consumers get what they are entitled to,” Neal said in a statement. Sony did not immediately respond to a request for comment. ($1 = 0.8025 pounds) (Reporting by Sam Tobin; Editing by Aurora Ellis and Jonathan Oatis)