Class Action Targets Sony Over High Digital Game and DLC Prices — Alleged ‘Sony Tax’ Causes Digital Games to Cost 47% More Than Discs

Sure thing, here it goes—hold on tight, we’re diving into the chaos of the mind.

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So, Dutch gamers are like, totally losing it over something they’re calling the “Sony tax.” We’re talking about a group of PlayStation fans who are fed up and have decided to drag Sony to court. Imagine yelling in unison, “Not cool, dude!” The gist—fair warning, I’m probably getting some of the numbers wrong—comes down to this: folks are saying they’re coughing up about 47% more for digital games compared to the old-school disc kind. Ridiculous, right?

This whole situation, apparently, has been brewing for at least a decade. At least that’s what these people claim in their research—I haven’t seen it myself. They’re saying Sony’s been playing the villain with its overwhelming market power and basically squeezing out any other digital stores. Makes you wonder how they sleep at night, right?

Oh, and here’s a kicker: the campaigners—yeah, that’s what they call themselves—came up with this wild number: €435 million extra that Dutch PlayStation peeps have forked over. Like, what the heck? That’s a lot of zeros. You look around at these game costs all over the place, and the numbers are shocking… wait, are they justified? Like $69.99 in the U.S. or something. I swear my wallet cried when I read that.

So, Sony’s known for pushing game prices higher on digital, while other sellers slash prices like it’s a Black Friday frenzy. But there’s an issue when you’re stuck in Sony’s little digital sandbox. It’s like fighting a boss with infinite health—unfair, doesn’t even cover it.

Lucia Melcherts—she’s like the voice of this movement or something—piped up about how some of us are practically emptying our bank accounts just to keep up with game purchases. Apparently, Sony’s yanking on strings nobody agreed to, asking for more cash without adding anything nifty in return. Can you say, “boiling the frog”? I just did. It’s like, Sony cranked the heat subtly over time, and suddenly, here we are. Real smooth, guys.

She even said Sony’s pulling off these price jumps in 2025 (I barely believe it’s this year already) showcasing all their monopoly-like swagger. It’s as if Sony woke up and decided, “Let’s make some bold moves,” completely ignoring competition and, oh, us—you know, the people with the money. Like, where’s the loyalty?

Long story short, this ‘Fair PlayStation’ troop’s fighting the good fight, claiming Sony’s making bank by doubling profit margins digitally, boxing out the competition, with this monstrous grip on the Dutch markets. Not just bad for the little guys like us, but developers are probably feeling it too.

The first legal showdown’s heating up for later in 2025. Could be a Netflix special someday, who knows? They’re hoping the Dutch judges see things their way and actually make Sony open its doors to other digital stores. Maybe? Fingers crossed, right?

Gosh, this is like a video game plot on its own.

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That’s all of it, tangled like a cat’s yarn—or something.