Sony Hit with French Fine for Allegedly Manipulating PS4 Controller Market | Push Square
France's antitrust regulator, Autorité de la Concurrence, has handed Japanese tech giant Sony a fine of 13.5 million Euros ($14.8 million) after finding it used its dominant position to corner the market, specifically in the realm of third-party PS4 controller manufacture.
Competition Policy International/Pymnts (thanks PSLS) reported that Autorité de la Concurrence said Sony's implemented technical measures made it extremely hard for third-party controller manufacturers to compete. The body found that the only controllers that reliably worked on PS4 were Sony's DualShock 4 and other officially licensed controllers. Several issues, including frequent disconnections, plagued all others.
Autorité de la Concurrence claims that Sony deliberately made guidelines for licensing controllers for the platform vague, leaving third-party manufacturers in the dark. The body slammed Sony for the lack of transparency in its licensing program, alleging it «applied the criteria in a discretionary manner, even though access to the program was the only way to avoid disconnections». Sony has yet to respond to the ruling and may choose to appeal.
Did you opt for any third-party controllers on PS4? What was your experience, if so? Let us know in the comments section below.
Khayl Adam is the second best video game journalist Australia has ever produced, and his ambitions of world domination have (thus far) been curbed by the twin siren songs of strategy games and CRPGs. He has always felt an affinity for the noble dachshund, the best kind of dog.
Oh NOW regulators want to start doing their jobs.
«The body found that the only controllers that reliably worked on PS4 were Sony's DualShock 4 and other officially licensed controllers»
So… its
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