Sony Interactive Entertainment has agreed to settle a class action lawsuit in the U.S. District Court in San Francisco, resolving claims that its restrictions on PlayStation digital game sales led to consumers overpaying for games. The company has committed to providing $7.85 million in electronic credits to affected customers as part of the settlement, pending approval by U.S. District Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín.
The lawsuit, initially filed in 2021, accused Sony of reducing competition in the digital game marketplace by preventing major retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, and GameStop from offering game-specific vouchers for PlayStation titles. The plaintiffs, representing a class estimated at over 4.4 million people, argued that these restrictions unfairly inflated game prices, leading to financial harm.
In a filing made on Friday, Sony stated that it chose to settle the case to avoid the further costs and distractions of ongoing litigation, though the company denied any wrongdoing. As part of the settlement, eligible purchases made between April 2019 and December 2023 will be covered, with electronic credits distributed to qualifying PlayStation customers. For those whose accounts were deactivated, an alternative compensation method will be arranged.
Plaintiffs’ legal representatives, who claim to have invested approximately 13,700 hours into the litigation, will seek up to 33% of the settlement, or approximately $2.61 million, in legal fees.
The case is Agustin Caccuri et al v. Sony Interactive Entertainment, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, No. 3:21-cv-03361-AMO.
Lawyers for Plaintiffs: Michael Buchman, Motley Rice
Lawyers for Defendant: Meredith Dearborn, Andrew Finch, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison
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