Sony are being sued for £5bn over claims of ripping off customers

[John Elden Ring]

Sony PlayStation being sued for £5bn amid claims it 'ripped off' nine million consumers

Consumers have been overcharged for their digital gaming purchases by as much as £5bn over the last six years, the legal action states, with estimated damages per individual estimated as between £67 and £562.

news.sky.com

Apparently charging 30% commission for sales on PlayStation store is a ripoff and an abuse of their position.

 

[Dabaus]

Complaining about sony being market leader. "We should be allowed to buy publishers because we're not the market leader." Curious.

 

[ParaSeoul]

Playstation might as well just be gaming itself.

 

[Shmunter]

Won’t work. 30% does seem high. But fortune favours the bold.

Setting up a thriving console business is no small feat, together with the upfront investment and risks.

Nonsense. Valve charging 30% however…

 

[ethomaz]

Sony will just show they bank the consoles at $500 and that the 30% is a industry standard used in almost every one to not go bankrupt.

They probably will understand why the profit margins on game industry is so thin… your revenue is $20b but the profit less than $1b.

 

[Gamernyc78]

This was posted on gaf last year as well. It was explained its industry standard so no leverage there.

 

[Yurinka]

This doesn't make any sense.

First, the 30% an industry standard that all big gaming stores do: PSN, Apple App Store, Google Play, eShop, XBL or Steam all do the same, not a Sony thing.

Second, the publishers are the ones who pay it, not the consumers. If it would be reduced to let's say 10%, the consumer would continue paying the same prices for games, dlcs and mtx. The difference would be that the publisher/dev would get a higher % of it.

I agree that 30% is a ripoff, but for the publishers and devs. Not to the consumers. I think all stores should reduce it to a maximum 10% or so.

 

[Heisenberg007]

lol some moocher was bored.

30% is the industry standard. Why sue only Sony?

Besides, they could charge 100% if they wanted to. Nothing is hidden or misrepresented. People buy the games from PSN with their own free will and consent.

 

[ethomaz]

This doesn't make any sense.

First, the 30% an industry standard that all big gaming stores do: PSN, Apple App Store, Google Play, eShop, XBL or Steam all do the same, not a Sony thing.

Second, the publishers are the ones who pay it, not the consumers. If it would be reduced to let's say 10%, the consumer would continue paying the same prices for games, dlcs and mtx. The difference would be that the publisher/dev would get a higher % of it.

I agree that 30% is a ripoff, but for the publishers and devs. Not to the consumers. I think all stores should reduce it to a maximum 10% or so.

They expected games on EGS to be cheap with the 5% cut off but after realized is the publisher that got the money not the consumers lol
The game price won't change.

 

[Yurinka]

They expected games on EGS to be cheap with the 5% cut off but after realized is the publisher that got the money not the consumers lol
The game price won't change.

As I remember the EGS cut is 12%, not 5%.

In the other stores it's 30%, but there are cases of exceptions of discounts for a few certain top publishers due to specific special deals or having a smaller percentage for games that generated a very small revenue.

 

[ethomaz]

As I remember the EGS cut is 12%, not 5%.

In the other stores it's 30%, but there are cases of exceptions of discounts for a few certain top publishers due to specific special deals or having a smaller percentage for games that generated a very small revenue.

Sorry yeap... 5% is the UE use cut on Steam.

 

[Old Gamer]

I'm sure I'm repeating what others said, but:

- The 30% comission is an industry standard, Valve does it too.
- The comission is paid by the publisher, not charged to the consumer.
- The comission fee is a percentage of the price set by the publisher. Not a surplus charge nor tax.
- The publishers set the prices of the games, as well as of all additional content. Using DLC for hidden cost is the real "rip off", and that's not the doing of platform holders.

Not saying I agree with how things go, but this sounds like a misguided case, to say the least.

I assume they're going after Sony because in the grand scheme of things, they're not the biggest fish, and considered an easier lawsuit target than other companies.

 

[ethomaz]

BTW like I said if you look at the profit margins I don’t think a platform holder can survive with 10% and continue to subsidize hardware and hold strong AAA development.

 

[Yurinka]

Sorry yeap... 5% is the UE use cut on Steam.

I think this is old and that Steam dropped the precentage for some cases (not counting the ones for a few top publishers).

BTW like I said if you look at the profit margins I don’t think a platform holder can survive with 10% and continue to subsidize hardware and hold strong AAA development.

They get that % from thousands of games released every year generating a huge amount of money.

A game developer with publisher instead typically gets under 30% of what you pay for a game and they typically only release a game every few years. They deserve a higher percentage.

Regarding the console being sold at a loss, it depends on the specific device. Some are sold at a profit since launch and other are only sold at a loss during its first years. The money they get from games more than compensates it.

And well, PC and mobile stores don't have to subsidize anything since they aren't attached to the hardware manufacturer and in the case of Apple they sell their hardware at a (big) profit.

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

Microsoft shady tactics to dethrone the Absolute King. Shame on them

 

[Dabaus]

The fact that all the AstroTurf xbox ambassadors are celebrating this, and are all on the same talking points "it doesnt effect microsoft because they dont take a 30 percent cut because gamepass" should tell you who is behind this. They cant outsell sony, most software is sold on playstation, and gamepass is a floundering mess so now its lawfare time.

Why is this lawsuit aimed squarely at sony and non nintendo as well? Seriously, who do you think rules their online store with more of an iron fist, sony or nintendo? I mean come on!

 

[IntentionalPun]

Y'all actually think MS is behind a dumb lawsuit like this?

Like come on people lol Any challenge to the 30% status quo is a challenge to the entire industry.

You know who, in general, is behind lawsuits?

Lawyers.

 

[Dabaus]

Y'all actually think MS is behind a dumb lawsuit like this?

Like come on people lol Any challenge to the 30% status quo is a challenge to the entire industry.

You know who, in general, is behind lawsuits?

Lawyers.

You could at least quote me. Yes, i think microsoft has lawyers to stir the pot when and where they can because theyve been a failure everywhere else in the games industry. Its not about making a profit or even putting out a quality product for them anymore, its do everything they can to cripple playstation out of spite. To hell with the consequences and money spent.

 

[ethomaz]

Is this the lawsuit? Very weird.

https://playstationyouoweus.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Press-release-dated-22-August-2022.pdf

And why she left others "out" lol



They website is amateur imo.

The Sony Playstation Claim | Playstation You Owe Us

Did you own a Sony PlayStation 4 or 5 between August 2016 & today? Join the legal proceedings against Sony Playstation, and you could be part of this claim.

playstationyouoweus.co.uk

After ERA showed they wrote different dates in three different places they rushed to fix it lol

 

[DarkMage619]

You could at least quote me. Yes, i think microsoft has lawyers to stir the pot when and where they can because theyve been a failure everywhere else in the games industry. Its not about making a profit or even putting out a quality product for them anymore, its do everything they can to cripple playstation out of spite. To hell with the consequences and money spent.

Do you have any proof to support your conspiracy theory?