Sony Hit with Class Action Lawsuit Over High Digital Game and DLC Prices — Group Claims ‘Sony Tax’ Makes Digital Games Average 47% More Expensive Than Discs

Alright, so picture this: Dutch PlayStation folks are super ticked off about this thing they’re calling the ‘Sony tax.’ They’ve launched this huge group lawsuit against Sony, accusing the company of acting like a greedy monopoly. Apparently, if you grab a game online, you’re shelling out, like, 47% more than if you just bought the dang disc. Which I guess Sony can do ’cause they’re the digital game kingpin, right?

So, these Dutch gamers have been digging around and claim Sony’s been hogging the market for a decade, like some digital Scrooge McDuck. It’s wild. They’re saying 1.7 million of them are getting ripped off and have coughed up an extra €435 million since 2013. And, oh man, new games aren’t cheap anywhere. Like, $70 a pop in the U.S. Ouch.

Sony sets prices in their digital playground, but physical game shops keep cutting prices to snag buyers. Ah, the sweet chaos of capitalism. But, hey, when consoles go digital-only, where’s the competition? Yeah, nowhere.

I don’t know why, but Lucia Melcherts from this ‘Fair PlayStation’ thing totally sticks in my head here. She talks like Sony’s yanking the magic rug from under gamers. Like, Sony keeps slapping new costs without adding any fun extras. It’s like they’re slowly boiling us frogs — anyone else feel the heat, or is it just me?

Sony’s jacking up prices, bold as brass, showing they’re kinda ignoring the market dance of competitors and consumers. The digital-only revolution was supposed to make things cheaper, right? But kinda feels like we’re stuck in a walled-off garden with no exit in sight.

The ‘Fair PlayStation’ squad wants the court to slap some sense into Sony, force them to let others sell digital goodies. Sounds fair, right? They’ve pinned Sony as this greedy titan, making double profits, sitting on 80% of the Dutch console pie, and locking their store tight. I mean, even developers and publishers aren’t thrilled.

The first courtroom showdown is set for 2025 — mark your calendars, folks. The ultimate dream? They want Dutch courts to shake things up and open up Sony’s platform for other sellers. Fingers crossed.

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