Sony Hit with Class Action Lawsuit Over High Digital Game and DLC Prices — “Sony Tax” Allegedly Causes Digital Games to Cost 47% More Than Physical Copies

Sure thing! Here goes nothing…

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Okay, so here’s the scoop. Dutch PlayStation gamers are in revolt over what they’re calling the “Sony tax.” And yeah, they’re not just sitting around grumbling — they’ve gone full-scale class action lawsuit. Saying that buying games digitally on the PlayStation is like 47% pricier compared to the old-school physical discs. Yeah, you read that right. Why? Well, according to them, Sony’s running a digital monopoly game. Gotta love the classics, right?

So, there’s this Dutch crew that did some digging. They’ve been poking around and they reckon Sony’s been at this game, monopolizing, for what? A decade? Maybe more. And get this, by keeping rival app stores out, Sony’s supposedly got folks paying way over the odds — something like €435 million more since 2013. That’s enough to buy… well, way too many badly made coffees.

Guess what? It doesn’t matter where you are, new PS5 games are expensive. It’s like they casually drop for $69.99 in the U.S., and ’cause Sony’s got this iron grip on digital pricing — no wonder, right? Meanwhile, physical game sellers are racing each other to bargain town. But hey, digital consoles? They’re changing the rules of the game.

And Lucia Melcherts, leader of —— what was it? Stichting Massaschade & Consument. She’s one of the loud voices in this ‘Fair PlayStation’ fuss. She calls Sony out for squeezing too much money without really giving anything in return. Is it just me, or is that like the old frog-in-the-pot story? Little by little, right? Then boom — price hikes, and we’re boiling.

Now hold up, Sony went bold this past April, hiking up a bunch of stuff’s prices. Melcherts says their so-called “Sony tax” is a power play — Sony’s in this comfy spot where competition? Hah, barely a hiccup. You’d think, hey, digital means cheaper for everyone, but no dice when it’s all locked down.

So, they’re saying Sony’s raking it in double with digital sales. That’s 80% of the Dutch market they’ve cornered, mind you. And those walls they’ve built? Keeping the competition out and all that.

Big date looming ahead — 2025. Dutch courts, gather ‘round. This group’s crossing fingers Sony will have to let others sell digital games. In the end, it’s about more choices and knocking some of those walls down, right?

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And there you have it. Off-the-cuff and all over the place, just the way life happens sometimes.