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[Thick Thighs Save Lives]

Found this news - which was originally posted by Idas on the other forum - interesting so I decided to share it here:

Sony is the target of an antitrust probe by the Romanian Competition Council.

They have concerns about Sony abusing its dominant position in the console gaming market through PlayStation, for example for selling online video games exclusively through the PlayStation Store and for banning competing distributors from accessing activation codes.

The second issue makes a bit more sense than the first one. But it’s going to be an interesting case to follow.

It’s clear that third party stores in “walled gardens” is going to be a point of contention for the majority of players (no matter the device) in the coming years.

The press release (in Romanian).

A (machine) translation:

The Competition Council has launched an investigation into a possible infringement of the competition rules by Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe Limited and its subsidiaries, Sony Interactive Entertainment Network Europe Limited and Sony Interactive Entertainment Direct Europe Limited - together referred to as Sony - in the video game distribution market for PlayStation consoles.

The competition authority has indications that Sony may have abused its dominant position in the video game console market both by selling online video games compatible with PlayStation consoles exclusively through the PlayStation Store platform and by prohibiting the sale of game activation codes video compatible with PlayStation consoles by competing distributors.

These practices would have reduced the purchasing options for PlayStation-compatible video games, leading to higher prices for video games for this type of console. Another effect of these practices is the discouraging of Romanian studios from developing video games compatible with PlayStation.

Sony's PlayStation brand consoles are preferred by Romanian gamers, according to public information, in Romania there are approximately 1.3 million console video game users and 127 video game development studios that would be affected by this possible anti-competitive practice of Sony.

As part of this investigation, the Competition Council carried out inspections at Sony's premises in Europe to gather information and evidence.

The inspections are justified by the need to obtain all the information and documents necessary to clarify the possible anti-competitive practices analyzed. Doing so does not prejudge the companies' guilt.

 

[Astray]

I expect more of those to happen in various countries tbh, but it's debatable if they will actually go anywhere..

 

[lh032]

Lol that makes no sense.

 

[Godot25]

Lol that makes no sense.

Ehh why?
More choices is better for consumer. If companies like Microsoft and Sony would be obliged to provide vouchers for digital games inside other stores you could have competition that would drive price down.
Why would you be against that?

 

[Perrott]

"PlayStation is bad for selling digital PlayStation games only through the PlayStation Store."

So fucking stupid.

 

[Three]

I guess boosteriod has some contacts.

"Another effect of these practices is the discouraging of Romanian studios from developing video games compatible with PlayStation."

I don't get this.

 

[Gudji]

Romanian CMA going all in.

 

[keraj37]

PlayStation is doing so good, that they need to squash it with the law to reach the level of competition

 

[nikolino840]

"PlayStation is bad for selling digital PlayStation games only through the PlayStation Store."

So fucking stupid.

I think there's something similar in cma/ftc about abk

 

[Insane Metal]

Jin Cyan... Are you Jim Ryan's alt account?

 

[lh032]

Ehh why?
More choices is better for consumer. If companies like Microsoft and Sony would be obliged to provide vouchers for digital games inside other stores you could have competition that would drive price down.
Why would you be against that?

I mean the exclusive game part

 

[jm89]

Does romania have third party psn credit sellers?

In the UK at least this hasn't been a problem for me personally, as you can get a pretty decent discount on psn credit through sellers like shopto.

But yeah digital game resellers would be nice. It will make me a bit more welcoming of the digital future.

 

[Tomeru]

 

[Dr.brain64]

Sony's PlayStation brand consoles are preferred by Romanian gamers, according to public information, in Romania there are approximately 1.3 million console video game users and 127 video game development studios that would be affected by this possible anti-competitive practice of Sony.

 

[Roufianos]

"PlayStation is bad for selling digital PlayStation games only through the PlayStation Store."

So fucking stupid.

The issue is the fact they don't allow alternative means of purchase, not that they simply sell games. For example, on Xbox you can buy redemption codes for various games.

All the people shitting on investigations like these will be the same ones bitching when physical is dead and Sony, one of the company's that pioneered the £70/$70 price point, are free to charge whatever they feel.

 

[squarealex]

Apple is bad for selling Apple One only on AppStore
Valve is bad of selling SteamDeck or Valve Index only on Steam
Nintendo is bad of selling Switch game only on eShop


Ya know people really want this 30% tax

 

[hemo memo]

They should include all 3.

 

[Godot25]

I mean the exclusive game part

Well. It's true. Currently, you can't buy digital game for PlayStation outside of PlayStation Store. Which is a point of this probe.
Only way you can "circumvent" this is to buy PS Credit with voucher and then buy game on PlayStation Store. Which is not a great solution.

As I said. It would be great for consumer if both Microsoft and Sony had to provide vouchers with games into stores or ability to buy a code from third-party side, like you can for Steam. It would drive prices of digital games lower and would be a win for consumers.

 

[squarealex]

They should include all 3.

No, Microsoft share GamePass on Pringles, that's pro-consumer.

 

[dDoc]

Didn't some entity/person already raise this matter to court against Sony?

Anyone aware of the result of that attempt?

Sony not allowing vouchers to be used on it's store should not be a thing for the benefit of the consumer.

 

[The Cockatrice]

Romanian here. Im assuming with the rise of digital future, having multiple cheaper selling options is a good thing for everyone. U can certainly buy steam games from a lot of third party key sellers for cheaper prices and you have more options when it comes to sales, you dont have to wait for a steam sale to pick a game cheaper, you can just go on humble, cdkeys or whatever else and get it when its on sale there. Playstation doesnt allow that. Is it anti-consumer? Eh, not really, doubt the council will succeed but in our poor ass country where the average income is extremely low, we do rely on sales/cheaper keys which is what probably started this.

 

[RoboFu]

Sony sells digital gift cards at various stores. Idk if stores make any money off them or of it’s just a promotional deal though.

 

[Thick Thighs Save Lives]

Jin Cyan... Are you Jim Ryan's alt account?

The alternate version of Jim Ryan who is pro-consumer and pro-competition.

 

[reksveks]

I suspect this will fail but at some point, some market will win on this topic.

 

[Mr Branding]

Romanian here. Im assuming with the rise of digital future, having multiple cheaper selling options is a good thing for everyone. U can certainly buy steam games from a lot of third party key sellers for cheaper prices and you have more options when it comes to sales, you dont have to wait for a steam sale to pick a game cheaper, you can just go on humble, cdkeys or whatever else and get it when its on sale there. Playstation doesnt allow that. Is it anti-consumer? Eh, not really, doubt the council will succeed but in our poor ass country where the average income is extremely low, we do rely on sales/cheaper keys which is what probably started this.

Hai noroc

 

[Thick Thighs Save Lives]

Sony sells digital gift cards at various stores. Idk if stores make any money off them or of it’s just a promotional deal though.

Retailers make 3% or something like that from selling these top-up cards.

 

[Moses85]

Who in the world gives a fuck about romania

A country full of thieves and currupt people

 

[RoboFu]

LaWho in the world gives a fuck about romania

A country full of thieves and currupt people

And vampires.. don’t forget vampires.

 

[ChuckeRearmed]

I expect more of those to happen in various countries tbh, but it's debatable if they will actually go anywhere..

It essentially boils down to how digital market act is gonna be implemented. Gaming market will be affected sooner or later. That's why it was stupid for Sony to defend their "high performance home console" market.

 

[reksveks]

Didn't some entity/person already raise this matter to court against Sony?

Anyone aware of the result of that attempt?

Sony not allowing vouchers to be used on it's store should not be a thing for the benefit of the consumer.

There was one that was dismiss I think but there is still one I think active in California.

Caccuri v. Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC, 3:21-cv-03361 - CourtListener.com

Docket for Caccuri v. Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC, 3:21-cv-03361 — Brought to you by Free Law Project, a non-profit dedicated to creating high quality open legal information.

www.courtlistener.com

 

[reksveks]

It essentially boils down to how digital market act is gonna be implemented. Gaming market will be affected sooner or later. That's why it was stupid for Sony to defend their "high performance home console" market.

I am still wondering how much ps/orbis os users need to grow to be caught by the DMA.

 

[Mr Branding]

Who in the world gives a fuck about romania

A country full of thieves and currupt people

Ignorance at it’s best

 

[ChuckeRearmed]

Who in the world gives a fuck about romania

A country full of thieves and currupt people

It is part of EU you know...

I am still wondering how much ps/orbis os users need to grow to be caught by the DMA.

It will be caught sooner or later. According to EC, PS is already at 70% in Europe.

 

[Roufianos]

Who in the world gives a fuck about romania

A country full of thieves and currupt people

The fact it's in the EU means it should.

Some people eh, they'd rather insult an entire nation, or shit on the idea of fair competition, than see Sony's feelings hurt.

 

[reksveks]

The fact it's in the EU means it should.

Some people eh, they'd rather insult an entire nation, or shit on the idea of fair competition, than see Sony's feelings hurt.

Corporation have done a number on some consumers.

 

[reksveks]

It will be caught sooner or later. According to EC, PS is already at 70% in Europe.

Yeah, it is based on an absolute number but it will/should hit the requirements at some point.

 

[Topher]

Seems we may be entering a new era where ecosystems are more regulated than before. Not entirely against the idea really. But if they are going after something then prioritize Sony's shitty refund policy (or lack thereof) over activation codes.

 

[Fuz]

Of all the things they should held them accountable for...

 

[Perrott]

The issue is the fact they don't allow alternative means of purchase, not that they simply sell games. For example, on Xbox you can buy redemption codes for various games.

All the people shitting on investigations like these will be the same ones bitching when physical is dead and Sony, one of the company's that pioneered the £70/$70 price point, are free to charge whatever they feel.

I mean, why would they? They'd earn less money that way.

I feel this is more of an issue of retailers being unable to compete in today's climate of digital media dominance, but oh they are getting what they deserve. Remember the used physical games debacle from a decade ago? That was all on them, hell, that whole shitshow even played its part in driving the old THQ out of business, killed a bunch of promising franchises and planted the seed for the over saturation of open-world games that we saw during the last generation of consoles, so fuck them.

 

[Astray]

It essentially boils down to how digital market act is gonna be implemented. Gaming market will be affected sooner or later. That's why it was stupid for Sony to defend their "high performance home console" market.

That depends on a lot of things imo.

Also the FTC came up with the high performance thing, not Sony.

 

[Negotiator101]

Didn't you read the OP?

 

[ChuckeRearmed]

That depends on a lot of things imo.

Also the FTC came up with the high performance thing, not Sony.

But Sony agreed with them (and aggressively pushed for it claiming that Nintendo was for children, had no violent games and so on), unlike Microsoft who tried to argue that Nintendo was also part of the market (everybody remembers those funny slides with Bayonetta and so on).

Anyway, as high performance home console market now exists as a real entity, Sony might find itself in a position where MSFT was in 90s...

 

[Three]

If this gets any traction it would mean Google play and Apple app store would need to introduce app specific vouchers instead of the store credit they sell in retail stores.

It makes no difference anyway because they get the same percentage of the store credit they sell. It just prevents having to manage individual code inventory for every app or game.

 

[Unknown?]

Romanian here. Im assuming with the rise of digital future, having multiple cheaper selling options is a good thing for everyone. U can certainly buy steam games from a lot of third party key sellers for cheaper prices and you have more options when it comes to sales, you dont have to wait for a steam sale to pick a game cheaper, you can just go on humble, cdkeys or whatever else and get it when its on sale there. Playstation doesnt allow that. Is it anti-consumer? Eh, not really, doubt the council will succeed but in our poor ass country where the average income is extremely low, we do rely on sales/cheaper keys which is what probably started this.

Then they should also sue all three for digital only allowing you a license to play games and not actually own a copy of the software.

 

[Senua]

good for consumers

bad for sony and corporate shills

 

[bitbydeath]

I would like to see every Windows game and application available on OSX too while they’re at it.

 

[ChuckeRearmed]

I would like to see every Windows game and application available on OSX too while they’re at it.

It has no relation to Windows.

 

[geary]

Who in the world gives a fuck about romania

A country full of thieves and currupt people

At least we dont have wokeness....If i have to choose...hmm

 

[StueyDuck]

Basically they are wanting key reselling so they can resell to an international market and make big profits

Sony should just do what steam does. But I'd prefer my PS5 be location free and Romanians can't resell keys. So when I go overseas I can buy a game and not worry

 

[Ozriel]

"PlayStation is bad for selling digital PlayStation games only through the PlayStation Store."

So fucking stupid.

You could buy digital codes for PlayStation 4 games off other retailers. Still mandatory activation on PSN, but at least you had options where to put your payment details or could use gift cards etc.

Sony stopped that in 2019

Sony confirms it will stop letting GameStop and other retailers sell PS4 download codes

The policy goes into effect on April 1st

www.theverge.com

So no, it’s not ‘stupid’.