Stop Killing Games and DoesItPlay publicly announced their full support for the Dutch collective lawsuit led by Stichting Massaschade & Consument (SM&C), which challenges Sony's monopoly on digital game sales through the PlayStation Store and the so-called 'Sony Tax' on game pricing [1, 2, 3].
The lawsuit alleges Sony abuses its dominant market position by restricting PlayStation digital game sales exclusively to its storefront and charging significantly higher prices compared to physical and second-hand versions. For example, the game Spider-Man 2 costs £69.99 digitally on the PlayStation Store, while the physical retail version sells for £37.77 [1, 2, 3].
Sony announced plans to cease production of physical PlayStation game media starting January 2028, which would likely end physical game sales and second-hand markets. SM&C argues this will further increase Sony's control over game sales, pricing, and conditions within its closed digital ecosystem [1, 2, 3].
Stop Killing Games views the lawsuit as more than just a fight for game preservation but as a broader effort to protect consumers from unfair pricing practices. A representative said, "We’re putting our full weight behind SM&C’s case, with the Dutch court. SM&C has to show the court it actually represents gamers, not just claims to." In a video, they asked, "Have you ever noticed that digital PlayStation games are more expensive than physical ones?" [2, 3]
The original lawsuit was launched in early 2025, and Stop Killing Games’ announcement of support came on August 10, 2026 [2, 3].
Sony’s planned end to physical game production by January 2028 is a key point in the case’s timeline that could potentially reshape the PlayStation market [1, 2, 3].
