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While Sony continues its private battle to block Microsoft’s purchase of Activision Blizzard, it seems that this is not the only legal issue at hand. And it is that the antitrust authority of Romania has launched an investigation into a possible infringement of competition rules by Sony’s European subsidiaries, in relation to the distribution market for video game consoles.
The Competition Council declares that Sony would have engaged in anti-competitive practices when selling PlayStation video game consoles only through your own store online and at prohibit other distributors sell game activation keys compatible with them. The authority has indications that Sony may have abused a dominant position in the market.
Romanian competition council investigates Sony
As quoted in the regulator’s official statement, the Romanian Competition Council has launched an investigation into the possible infringement of competition rules by Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe Limited and its European subsidiaries, in the market for the distribution of video games for the PlayStation console.
The Romanian Competition Council has indications that Sony has abused its dominant position in the video game console market by exclusively selling PlayStation-compatible video games through the PlayStation Store and by eliminating the distribution of activation codes by third parties.
These practices would reduced video game purchase options of PlayStation, which would have resulted in higher prices of video games for the console brand. Another impact of these practices would have been deter Romanian studies to develop video games for PlayStation.
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Within this investigation, the Romanian Competition Council inspected Sony stores in Europe to gather information and evidence. The inspections are justified by the need to obtain all the relevant information and documents that may clarify the anti-competitive practices investigated.
Sony’s PlayStation brand consoles are a favorite of Romanian gamers. Currently in Romania there are approx. 1.3 million console gamers and 127 development studios that would have been affected by the investigated practice.