Sony’s $6 billion PlayStation class action suit

Sony PlayStation is the subject of a class action lawsuit in London that could award it as much as $5.9 billion in damages, following allegations that it overcharged customers for video games and miscellaneous purchases.

At the heart of the lawsuit are allegations that Sony’s role as a major player in the $200 billion global gaming market has allowed the company to administer unfair terms to developers.

As a result, developers allegedly provided customers with prices “excessive and unfair“.

The action was filed with the Competition Appeal Tribunal in London.

It is pending approval by the judges as an opt-out class action. The class action could affect 8.9 million customers.

Customers eligible for compensation are those in the UK who purchased digital games and content on their PlayStation console through its online store since August 2016.

The Sony PlayStation Network – which includes the PlayStation Store – has about 102 million monthly active users in June 2022, up from 111 million users in December 2021.

Sony faces a potential legal hurdle, but will look to leverage its recent purchase of Bungie, the original creator of “Halo” and the current developer of “Destiny“.

In July, Sony completed its purchase of Bungie for $3.6 billion. The company will continue to develop and publish games independently, but will use Sony to speed up development of its projects.