The Polish competition authority is targeting the PlayStation Store and Steam due to possible anti-competitive practices.
UOKiK, the Polish competition authority, has initiated a preliminary investigation into the PlayStation Store and Steam.
Inspections have already been carried out at SONY’s headquarters in Poland and at two unnamed video game developers and publishers. The evidence collected will be used to examine whether there are signs of “prohibited agreements or abuse of market dominance by providers of digital distribution platforms for video games”.
Anti-competitive practices harm consumers and exclude competition. The exploitation of developers and publishers could lead to increased prices for consumers.
Tomasz Chróstny, President of UOKiK, said: “The market for digital distribution of games is displacing traditional sales.”
“Players are increasingly less likely to buy games in packaging and are instead buying digital copies on online sales platforms. At the same time, we note that the major players in this market may be adopting restrictive practices.”
The companies could face a fine of up to 10% of annual profits, while the managers involved could face a fine of up to $507,000.
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