French Watchdog Dislikes Sony’s Playstation Commitments

The Autorité considers that the commitments proposed by Sony do not adequately address the identified competition concerns. The case has been returned for investigation, reported the watchdog in a press release Monday, October 26.

The preliminary assessment by the Investigation Services identified competition concerns involving two types of practices implemented by Sony. First of all, from November 2015, Sony began implementing a technical countermeasure system to affect the operation of third-party controllers that Sony presumes to be counterfeit. Secondly, certain companies wishing to market controllers compatible with the PlayStation 4 console were refused membership to Sony’s official licensing program.

The Investigation Services therefore considered that, by implementing these two practices, Sony was likely to have exploited its dominant position in the market for eighth-generation static video game consoles to hinder, prevent, or even deter the entry and development of third parties in the market for game controllers compatible with the PlayStation 4 console.

Want more news? Subscribe to CPI’s free daily newsletter for more headlines and updates on antitrust developments around the world.