- Mexican lawmakers are preparing to file an antitrust complaint against Sony following its announcement to end disc production.
- This move ends consumer choice and true game ownership, forcing users to buy new PS5 games only from the PlayStation Store.
- This would also result in a loss of competition from retailers and the collapse of second-hand and game trading markets.
Sony stunned the entire gaming industry by announcing its plans to end the production of first-party discs starting in 2028. Gamers and developers have retaliated, but even politicians have joined forces to call out the gaming company over monopoly concerns.
Mexican lawmakers Iraís Reyes and Luis Donaldo Colosio are preparing to file an antitrust complaint against Sony with Mexico’s National Antitrust Commission over PlayStation Store monopoly concerns.
Why it matters: Sony’s move to end discs would give it a monopoly over game pricing on the PlayStation Store and remove consumer choice. The complaint aims to investigate whether its decision constitutes antitrust behavior.
The report by LevelUp claims that these lawmakers ask regulators to investigate whether Sony is using its market position to become the sole distributor of games on PlayStation Store, harming both consumers and competing businesses.
Sony would become both the referee and the player within its own ecosystem, and we know what can happen when a single company controls every part of the market.
-Federal Representative, IraIs Reyes.
Competing retailers would also no longer sell new PS5 games. There are also concerns that second-hand and game trading markets will disappear via Sony’s controversial move.
Gamers will lose true ownership of games, as digital purchases are mere licenses over tangible products you actually own.
The lawmakers cite previous examples, such as Sony removing purchased content for European users in 2022 and its recent announcement to revoke over 500 movies and TV shows.
The complaint also argues that Sony assumes everyone has high-speed internet to access its digital offerings, which isn’t the case in Mexico and other developing countries. Game developers, publishers, and studios would also be affected worldwide.
They will have to rely on PlayStation’s digital structure and platform commissions. Compliance with Sony’s every commercial term would be necessary, and they would have to abandon all physical retail channels to reach PlayStation users.
What do you think about this antitrust complaint being filed by the lawmakers? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below, or join the discussion on the Tech4Gamers forum.
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Shameer Sarfaraz has previously worked for eXputer as a Senior News Writer for several years. Now with Tech4Gamers, he loves to devoutly keep up with the latest gaming and entertainment industries. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science and years of experience reporting on games. Besides his passion for breaking news stories, Shahmeer loves spending his leisure time farming away in Stardew Valley. VGC, IGN, GameSpot, Game Rant, TheGamer, GamingBolt, The Verge, NME, Metro, Dot Esports, GameByte, Kotaku Australia, PC Gamer, and more have cited his articles.
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