Sony could face £5bn in legal claims over PlayStation game charges

theguardian.com:

Sony has been overcharging PlayStation gamers for six years, a new legal claim alleges, and could be forced to pay almost £5bn in damages if the claim succeeds.

According to Alex Neill, the consumer champion who has filed the case with the UK’s competition appeal tribunal, Sony has been abusing its dominance in the British market to impose unfair terms and conditions on the PlayStation Store, where it sells digital games, downloadable content and subscriptions.

The company charges a flat 30% fee to developers who want to sell games on the store, which often results in the prices of digital content being higher than a physical copy of the same title – despite the associated costs of making and shipping hardware.

Neill has filed the claim, which uses a British right to collective redress for consumer harms, on behalf of anyone in the UK who purchased digital games or add-on content on the store since 19 August 2016. It seeks damages of between £67 and £562 per individual member, which could take the total sum paid out up to £5bn if successful.

“The game is up for Sony PlayStation,” said Neill. “With this legal action I am standing up for the millions of UK people who have been unwittingly overcharged. We believe Sony has abused its position and ripped off its customers.

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“Gaming is now the biggest entertainment industry in the UK, ahead of TV, video and music and many vulnerable people rely on gaming for community and connection. The actions of Sony are costing millions of people who can’t afford it, particularly when we’re in the midst of a cost of living crisis and the consumer purse is being