The Romanian Anti-Monopoly Committee has initiated an investigation into competition violations by Sony Interactive Entertainment
While Microsoft is fighting for the right to acquire Activision Blizzard for a second year, a new high-profile legal battle could be brewing in the games industry. This time against Microsoft's main rival, which has been stalling the completion of the deal between the two American giants - the Japanese company Sony.
Here's What We Know
The Romanian Competition Council (Consiliul Concurenței România) has announced the start of an investigation into possible violations of competition rules by Sony Interactive Entertainment.
Romanian authorities say the main reason for the proceedings is the fact that digital versions of games for PlayStation consoles can only be purchased from the PlayStation Store.
According to the Romanian Competition Council, this monopoly does not allow prices to go down because third-party distributors do not have access to Sony games. Consequently, consumers have no alternative choice of site for purchase, giving the Japanese company complete control over pricing.
This raises a legitimate question: why doesn't the Romanian Competition Council make the same claims against Microsoft, Apple, Google, Epic, and Nintendo, since they too are monopolists of their products and services.
Yes, Romanian officials noted in the document that it is PlayStation that holds 80% of the game console market in Romania, but is this the real reason for accusing Sony of violating competition policy?
