Proceeding the PlayStation 3 Linux Class Action Settlement and recent PS5 C-Bomb CMOS Battery Issue, according to mainstream media reports including Bloomberg and IGN Sony now faces a lawsuit with proposed class-action status in Caccuri v. Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC (3:21-cv-03361) filed on May 5th in a San Francisco U.S. Northern District of California Court over purportedly creating an unlawful monopoly in limiting the digital purchase of PlayStation games to PSN Store by halting digital download game code sales through 3rd-party retailers such as Amazon, Best Buy and Walmart in 2019.
According to IGN.com on this matter, to quote: "While Sony brought an end to digital download codes being sold by other retailers, those companies are allowed to sell PSN credit.
However, this still requires a user to pay Sony’s asking price for a game, rather than being able to pay the often cheaper prices retailers offer for disc-based versions of the same game."
Bloomberg.com points out the following argument from the suit as well, to quote: "Sony’s monopoly allows it to charge supracompetitive prices for digital PlayStation games, which are significantly higher than their physical counterparts sold in a competitive retail market, and significantly higher than they would be in a competitive retail market for digital games."
As with the PS5 C-Bomb CMOS Battery Issue, this exclusivity is particularly concerning to those with a PS5 Digital Edition console who do not have the option to purchase disc-based games at more competitive prices than $ony offers on their store... with the push towards an all-digital videogame console similar to online video streaming services, it will be interesting to see where this leads.
According to IGN.com on this matter, to quote: "While Sony brought an end to digital download codes being sold by other retailers, those companies are allowed to sell PSN credit.
However, this still requires a user to pay Sony’s asking price for a game, rather than being able to pay the often cheaper prices retailers offer for disc-based versions of the same game."
Bloomberg.com points out the following argument from the suit as well, to quote: "Sony’s monopoly allows it to charge supracompetitive prices for digital PlayStation games, which are significantly higher than their physical counterparts sold in a competitive retail market, and significantly higher than they would be in a competitive retail market for digital games."
As with the PS5 C-Bomb CMOS Battery Issue, this exclusivity is particularly concerning to those with a PS5 Digital Edition console who do not have the option to purchase disc-based games at more competitive prices than $ony offers on their store... with the push towards an all-digital videogame console similar to online video streaming services, it will be interesting to see where this leads.