Sure thing, here’s that reworked piece:
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Okay, so here’s the deal – Dutch PlayStation fans are seriously ticked off about this thing they’re calling the ‘Sony tax’. And, honestly, I get it. They’ve taken their beef to court, and it’s all about what they say is Sony’s sneaky monopolistic shtick. Basically, the ‘Fair PlayStation’ crew is saying players are paying like 47% more for digital games than if they bought the shiny disc version. It’s like…what’s going on?
Their research — and yeah, who knew gamers can be researchers too? — found out that Sony’s been kinda ruling the roost in the console scene for at least a decade. The kicker? They’ve blocked other app stores. I’m thinking that’s maybe why 1.7 million Dutch peeps have been coughing up extra for games, and they’re not happy campers about it. These guys reckon consumers have been played out of a cool €435 million since 2013. Wild, right?
And by the way, doesn’t matter where you are, those new PS5 games? Yikes, they’re not cheap. I’m talking $69.99 in the U.S. Sony’s got the digital pricing game on lock, so physical copy sellers scramble, slashing their margins just to keep up. But now, digital-only consoles? Feels like the competition is packing its bags.
Oh, side note – Lucia Melcherts from some place called Stichting Massaschade & Consument (try saying that five times fast) is leading the charge for ‘Fair PlayStation’. She’s calling out how Sony’s jacking up the prices without any heads-up. One more price jump in April? Yeah, that was a thing. It’s like she’s saying Sony’s just, uh, testing how hot they can crank the water without the frog, aka us, jumping out. Weird visual, right?
This whole situation paints Sony as this big bad guy, bold enough to play by their own rules while everyone else just… I don’t know, watches? And don’t get me started on digital distribution! Thought that was supposed to be cheaper for everyone. Apparently not with Sony’s walled garden and these invisible walls they’ve set up?
To sum it up, ‘Fair PlayStation’ is saying Sony’s sitting on an 80% slice of the Dutch console pie, banking double on digital games, and keeping developers and publishers on a pretty tight leash. The courtroom drama is set for 2025, and if the Dutch court sees their side, maybe Sony will have to let others sell digital stuff on PS. Fingers crossed, I guess?
Anyway — not that it’s super connected — but if you’re into tech updates, Tom’s Hardware has all the juicy bits to fill your inbox. Just hit the follow. Mmm, tasty tech tidbits.
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