Sony Hit with Class Action Over High Digital Game and DLC Pricing: Group Claims ‘Sony Tax’ Makes Digital Games 47% Pricier Than Discs

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So, okay, picture this: a bunch of Dutch gamers are all worked up over what they’re calling—dramatic pause—the ‘Sony tax.’ Yeah, sounds intense, right? These folks aren’t just whining on forums, they’re taking legal action. They’ve banded together into something called the ‘Fair PlayStation’ group and they’ve actually filed a class action lawsuit against Sony. Apparently, they’ve had it with paying more for digital games than physical ones. Like, up to 47% more. Crazy, huh?

Anyway, this Dutch group did some digging and claim Sony’s been playing monopoly (not the board game, just to be clear) in the console market for like, ten years. They’re saying Sony’s not letting other app stores on their platform, which—I mean—I guess that forces people to pay too much for digital stuff? It’s a whole thing. They did the math (not my favorite subject) and say Dutch gamers have spent an extra €435 million since 2013. Yikes!

Now, I don’t know about you, but everywhere you look, those PlayStation 5 games are already pricey. New releases cost, like, $69.99 in the U.S. And Sony can just jack up the prices on their digital store anytime. Meanwhile, other folks selling physical games will cut prices, trying to hustle more sales. That kind of healthy battle for our wallets is getting trashed because of these new digital-only consoles. Weirdly fascinating, right?

Oh, and speaking of people who are pretty much over Sony’s tactics, there’s Lucia Melcherts. She’s heading the ‘Fair PlayStation’ campaign and she’s kinda ticked that gamers are throwing big bucks at Sony for games. She says Sony’s pulling one over on us by changing rules and demanding more dough without reason. Kind of like that frog in boiling water, you know? You don’t notice until it’s too late. Yeah, they even cranked up prices in April.

Melcherts is fuming at how bold Sony’s gotten with this so-called ‘Sony tax.’ It’s like they don’t even care what everyone else—like developers or us, the gamers—thinks. They sold us this digital revolution as cheaper, but nope. It’s still pricey. Like the price drop fairy got stuck in traffic or something. That’s what happens when digital stores have their gates closed tighter than a drum.

Long story short, the ‘Fair PlayStation’ crew says Sony’s pretty much doubling their profits on digital sales. They own 80% of the console market in the Netherlands, so yeah, that’s massive. It’s not just us getting the short end; game developers and publishers aren’t thrilled either.

Mark your calendars! The first legal showdown is set for later in 2025. Fingers crossed, right? The gamers are hoping the Dutch courts will back them up and make Sony open the doors to other digital sellers. Imagine that.

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