In 2021, a group of American gamers sued Sony due to the inability to purchase digital versions of games for its consoles anywhere other than the PlayStation Store. They claimed the company created a monopoly which led to price increases. Recently, Sony attempted to reach a settlement with the plaintiffs, but the court did not approve it.
Sony proposed to distribute vouchers worth a total of $7.85 million in the PlayStation Store among the dissatisfied gamers as compensation. Although the amount seems large at first glance, in reality, each plaintiff would receive very little. This is because a total of 4.4 million people signed the class-action complaint, meaning they would each receive approximately $1.80.
The court noted that such “coupon” deals are generally not well-received. Additionally, Sony did not adequately specify the structure of the agreement or how it plans to distribute the vouchers among the specific plaintiffs.
It is notable that Sony did not admit fault. The company informed the court that it sought a settlement to avoid further expenses and to stop diverting attention to the litigation.
Source:
Got a story you’d like to share? Reach us at press@gameworldobserver.com
Tags:
