Culture
47%
Max Knoblauch
2/24/25

A fresh lawsuit filed against Sony alleges that video games sold on the PlayStation Store are 47% more expensive than their disc counterparts. Considering costs associated with manufacturing, packaging, and distribution aren’t associated with digital games, the cost discrepancy is shocking.

The lawsuit, filed in the Netherlands, accuses Sony of artificially keeping game prices high and echoes a similar multibillion-dollar lawsuit filed against Sony in the UK in 2022. Another lawsuit filed in Portugal makes many of the same claims.

Sony stopped allowing retailers to sell (and therefore discount) digital game keys in 2019 ahead of the debut of its PS5 console. Both Nintendo and Microsoft’s Xbox allow for third-party digital code sales.

Sony’s latest version of the PS5, the souped-up $700 PS5 Pro, is all-digital and customers who want to use physical games have to buy a separate disc drive for $80. Sony sold 9.5 million consoles in its most recent quarter, up 16% from the 2023 holiday season. The company, which hiked its gaming outlook for the year, said digital software sales rose about 14% year over year.

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culture
Max Knoblauch
9/2/25

Paramount and Microsoft’s Activision agree to partner on a “Call of Duty” movie

Less than a month after forming, Paramount Skydance has landed another major piece of intellectual property. The studio said it’s signed a deal with Microsoft’s Activision to create a live-action “Call of Duty” film.

The competitive shooter is one of the most popular gaming franchises in the world and has been the US’s bestselling series for the past 16 years. The next title in the 22-year-old franchise, “Black Ops 7,” will debut in November.

Paramount, which closed its merger with Skydance in August, has had a summer of big deals. It acquired UFC broadcast rights in a $7.7 billion deal with TKO last month, following a $1.5 billion deal for “South Park” rights in July. The company also lured “Stranger Things” creators away from Netflix last month for a four-year film and TV development deal.

Paramount & Activision Team For ‘Call Of Duty’ Movie

Paramount & Activision Team For ‘Call Of Duty’ Movie

The competitive shooter is one of the most popular gaming franchises in the world and has been the US’s bestselling series for the past 16 years. The next title in the 22-year-old franchise, “Black Ops 7,” will debut in November.

Paramount, which closed its merger with Skydance in August, has had a summer of big deals. It acquired UFC broadcast rights in a $7.7 billion deal with TKO last month, following a $1.5 billion deal for “South Park” rights in July. The company also lured “Stranger Things” creators away from Netflix last month for a four-year film and TV development deal.

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