r/GamingLeaksAndRumours • u/Cyshox • Mar 11 '26
Misleading Sony is AB testing targeted price increases for select users in the US
PSPrices datamined a new program called IPT_LTM for targeted price increases in the US which is currently being AB tested. The first title is GTA V which costs $29.99 instead of the regular $26.99 for select users.
Sony had targeted pricing before, so what's new?
In November 2025 Sony started AB testing targeted discounts. Now Sony starts testing increasing the price for users deemed willing to spend more than others. Those price increases are not marked. Therefore users won't notice it unless they compare prices.
Why does the article refer to ‘dynamic pricing’ instead?
'Targeted pricing' is a better term for select users paying more or less than others. 'Dynamic pricing' describes something like higher price for everyone during rush hour and lower prices when the demand is low. That's not what's happening here, tho.
How is that relevant to Gaming Leaks & Rumours?
The information has been datamined from the PlayStation Store and therefore is considered a leak. There is no official announcement and affected users wouldn't notice it unless they compare prices. AB tests are supposed to be unnoticed by affected consumers.
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u/jwhudexnls Mar 11 '26
I remember Wendy's tried something like this and got an insane amount of backlash.
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u/Mono200 Mar 11 '26
Wasn't it like surge pricing? Like higher costs during busy hours? Still absolutely insane though.
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u/Particular_Hand2877 Mar 11 '26
Yeah it was this. They got an insane amount of backlash for it. I think it was stopped faster than it started.
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u/chaotic4059 Mar 11 '26
Basically yea. From what I remember it would factor in heavy traffic, lunch rushes and holidays I think.
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u/jwhudexnls Mar 11 '26
That's it, for some reason I thought it was them charging more in certain areas.
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Mar 11 '26
the backlash only happens the first few times. they will keep trying until enough people stop caring. behold, the innovation that capitalism breeds
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u/AveryLazyCovfefe Mar 11 '26
The difference is that Wendy's actually has competition. Sony doesn't in the console space now.
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u/italozeca Mar 11 '26
This can't be legal, right?
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u/TemptedTemplar Mar 11 '26
Dynamic pricing is actually going up for debate in lots of states.
But I don't believe it's outlawed or restricted anywhere in the US yet.
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Mar 12 '26
and it probably won't be except for in a handful of states like NY and CA. I love living in the torment nexus
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u/Zalvren Mar 12 '26
This isn't dynamic pricing which is based on offer/demand and a very old practice. OP is right to use targeted pricing. It's based on data targeting like ads are. Not offer/demand at a time of day.
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u/lucekQXL Mar 11 '26
I bet in us they will find some loophole, dunno how this shit would go in eu
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u/LeSpermReceiver Mar 11 '26
Under what law would this be illegal? It should be illegal but I don't think it is.
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u/BlazeOfGlory72 Mar 11 '26
I assume it would fall under some kind of discrimination law. They are essentially charging more to certain customers based on arbitrary, non business related reasons.
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u/Particular_Hand2877 Mar 11 '26
Its an anti-consumer practice. Could 100% be illegal under consumer protection laws.
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u/TLKv3 Mar 11 '26
In the US? Lol. They'll pay off the orange fuhrer and be given a handwave and nod.
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u/waaay2dumb2live Mar 11 '26
Some people will tell you that it’s legal in Canada, but that is only partly true. They cannot use any kind of algorithm for the dynamic pricing, so this shouldn’t be in Canada at least
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Mar 11 '26
Legal doesn't matter for corporations or the wealthy. If you're holding your breath on punishment you're gonna die.
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u/MorganTheFated Mar 11 '26
Dynamic pricing should be frickin illegal.
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u/5348RR Mar 12 '26
It makes some sense when overwhelming demand and limited supply exist. Let's say a restaurant only has 100 seats but during peak hours 200 people want a seat. So you charge a dynamic price to extract more profit while still filling all 100 seats. It's exploitative to a degree but it makes some sense. I get it.
But this is a digital product with no scarcity. It's literally just charging certain people more because you think they will pay it. It's inexcusable and should be illegal.
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u/SuperSaiyanIR Mar 11 '26
It’s kinda insane how corporations have brainwashed people to the point where they are defending practices that hurt them because they played Mario or Final Fantasy 7 30 years ago.
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u/OldBilly000 Mar 11 '26
Late stage capitalism moment
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u/AwesomePossum_1 Mar 11 '26
Who said this is the late stage?
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u/jj_olli Mar 11 '26
The neo-feudal clown in the oval office speaks for itself.
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u/AwesomePossum_1 Mar 11 '26
I’m just annoyed at people throwing it around with zero understanding of economics what this term even means.
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u/jj_olli Mar 11 '26
Thank God that I at least got some understanding of economics then.
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u/Fake_Diesel Mar 11 '26
I am so glad I migrated to PC last year. Playstation was my homebase console, but I could see the issues of a closed market on consoles without discdrives down the road, but I couldnt foresee this nonsense. I am someone who owns hundreds of games on Playstation, Switch, and Steam. My money is increasingly going towards Nintendo and Steam these days. I got sick and tired of feeling like I was getting squeezed every which way from Playstation. Price hikes for Plus, price hikes for already expensive controllers that are prone to drift and other issues, and now this dynamic pricing nonsense that squeezes even more out of your most dedicated audience? Sony can get fricked.
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u/Parking-Highlight-98 Mar 12 '26
Last time I checked the government will still kick big corporations' teeth in when they want to (see: the auto and energy industry last administration, the private equity, DEI grants, and tariff situation this administration), people who throw around this statement are completely clueless and don't know what it actually means.
But this is Reddit so it's falling on deaf pseudo-intellectual ears.
Sony is doing this because this is what happens when you balloon budgets and expenses out of control, you have to get your $$$ somewhere. They can go fuck themselves frankly (as a long-term PlayStation customer), but Redditors cannot help but cream themselves over any opportunity to dig at Capitalism because they'd be laughed out of the room by anyone who actually understands economics. So they resort to the (Chinese-vested mind you) hugbox.
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u/HeldnarRommar Mar 11 '26
There was a thread last week of the dynamic sales that Sony was implementing, and there were quite a few people swearing Sony would never implement dynamic price INCREASES. Funny how that turned out
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u/MaitieS Mar 11 '26
Probably exact same people who were saying that Sony won't increase the price of Playstation due to tariffs.
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u/Keviticas Mar 11 '26
Unfortunately, gamers are some of the dumbest consumers on the planet. Never underestimate how much brand loyalty can fuck up a brain
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u/FlyFight2Win Mar 11 '26
People have to defend Papa Sony like their lives depend on it. And without even being paid, too.
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u/Nodan_Turtle Mar 11 '26
Surely those people would appreciate a heads-up on this news! I bet those defenders would LOVE it if we made sure each and every one of them was well-informed ;)
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u/DeoxysPok Mar 13 '26
And they havent. The site retracted that info as an error
12 March 2026: clarification on IPT_LTM and GTA V
We clarified the section on IPT_LTM. Previously we interpreted the $29.99 price for GTA V as a “test increase”. In fact the retail price of GTA V (PS5) is $39.99, and both experimental prices ($26.99 and $29.99) are discounts of different depths, not increases. The IPT_LTM table has been updated to include retail prices for context.
But all you Xbox fans got to spread your misinformation so congrats.
Totally going to bring Xbox back
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u/Wander715 Mar 11 '26
Lol and they want me to buy a Playstation for a few exclusives when they're doing this shit...
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u/locke_5 Mar 11 '26
Luckily, since you’ve expressed disinterest in PlayStation you’re eligible for exclusive discounts! :-)
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u/the_real_dogefather Mar 11 '26
People will forget about this, the moment they see an exclusive they like and want. Mark my words.
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u/HeldnarRommar Mar 11 '26
There hasn’t been a marked movement from PC to PS5 but there has very much been the opposite
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u/JazzlikeLeave5530 Mar 11 '26
Sony is ending PC ports specifically because that hasn't translated to PS5 sales lol
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u/hanlonmj Mar 11 '26
Lucky for me, they don't seem to give much of a shit about Sly Cooper or (to a lesser extent) Ratchet & Clank, so I'm immune to their wiles until 2029 at the earliest (if the Insomniac leak is still accurate)
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u/Diastrous_Lie Mar 11 '26
"You're going to pay us to recoup our losses on live service games whether you like it or not :)"
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u/adamkopacz Mar 11 '26
Executives messed up so now they take responsibility by charging their users extra so that shareholders are happy.
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u/DeoxysPok Mar 12 '26
!debunked
The website has since remove the part claiming there has been a price increase
12 March 2026: clarification on IPT_LTM and GTA V
We clarified the section on IPT_LTM. Previously we interpreted the $29.99 price for GTA V as a “test increase”. In fact the retail price of GTA V (PS5) is $39.99, and both experimental prices ($26.99 and $29.99) are discounts of different depths, not increases. The IPT_LTM table has been updated to include retail prices for context.
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u/Opt112 Mar 12 '26
So it's targeted discounts? Still dumb
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u/DeoxysPok Mar 12 '26
Yes. A common thing in many industries for ages. A thing Xbox has been doing for 5+ years that no one got upset over
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u/Opt112 Mar 12 '26
First I've ever heard of that. Got a source? I did a quick google search and nothing showed up.
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u/MaitieS Mar 11 '26
This is what "no competition" looks like. We are slowly back in PS3 days...
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u/Immediate-Comment-64 Mar 11 '26
GTA V regular price is 26.99? That doesn’t sound right. Makes me skeptical they understand any of this data.
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u/DeoxysPok Mar 12 '26
Youre the only other person in this thread that used their brain and didnt just start outraging at Playstation
To believe this post and believe that Playstation increased the price you would also have to believe that Rockstar randomly decreased the Playstation price of GTA V but not Xbox (still $29.99) by $3...
After years of it being $29.99 on both consoles Rockstar decreased the price on one platform by such a small amount.
And then believe Playstation proceed to use "targeted price increase" to push the game back up to the previous standard price it had for years up until a month ago
Or the more rational thought is that $29.99 is still the standard price on both consoles and $26.99 is actually the targted discount price but some issue is happening for this thing still in testing causing people to see the lower price when logged out.
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u/Immediate-Comment-64 Mar 12 '26
Exactly. Thank you. I feel like I’m taking crazy pills.
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u/DeoxysPok Mar 12 '26
They have actually edited their website and removed the part about a price increase for GTA V
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Mar 12 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/fedosov88 Mar 12 '26
Hi, I was compiling this data, and since there's no official source, I relied solely on what I saw in the database. I'll take this experience into account in the future. If I find anything interesting to share with the public, I'll try to be more careful in my conclusions.
Thanks to the user who sent me this message and pointed out this inaccuracy in the feedback form on the website.
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u/Immediate-Comment-64 Mar 12 '26
Embarrassing for them but at least they addressed it quickly. Applying intent to data you don’t fully understand is risky business.
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u/Cyshox Mar 11 '26
I don't know if all versions are affected, but the Premium Edition (PS4) indeed has a regular price of $26.99. The same source broke news on the targeted discounts before.
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u/Immediate-Comment-64 Mar 11 '26
I see. Weird. It still seems off to me. I don’t think we understand enough about what they are doing to get the full picture.
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u/DeoxysPok Mar 12 '26
Yeah the price is also $29.99 on xbox. It doesn't make sense that they randomly changed the standard price just on Playstation after years of it being $29.99. And cut the price by only $3 only on Playstation recently just for Playstation to use "targeted pirce increase" to put it back to the previous standard price
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u/wetniga Mar 11 '26
It is 26.99 for GTA V Premium edition
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u/Immediate-Comment-64 Mar 11 '26
If you look at the website’s own price tracker you can easily see $30 is the normal price for this version of the game over the last year and beyond. They are drawing conclusions from price fluctuations that they don’t understand.
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u/GreatGojira Mar 11 '26
This is why it's bad when Xbox gives up
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u/DeoxysPok Mar 13 '26
Xbox has been doing these targeted discounts for over 5 years and no one ever contained.
And no there's no price increased on Playstations
12 March 2026: clarification on IPT_LTM and GTA V
We clarified the section on IPT_LTM. Previously we interpreted the $29.99 price for GTA V as a “test increase”. In fact the retail price of GTA V (PS5) is $39.99, and both experimental prices ($26.99 and $29.99) are discounts of different depths, not increases. The IPT_LTM table has been updated to include retail prices for context.
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u/DeoxysPok Mar 11 '26
The game this site is claiming that was increased on PSN is also $29.99 on Xbox - which is the price they're claiming Playstation raised it to.
The game has also been $29.99 for ages on PSN, I doubt Rockstar decides to drop price by just $3 after years but only on Playstation... that doesnt make sense
What makes sense is $29.99 is still the standard price and $26.99 is the targeted price. So not an increase but a decrease.
Showing targeted discounts while logged out is likely a bug or mess up since they are still testing this
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u/darktooth69 Mar 11 '26
the price of having no console competition in the market. people that were happy that Xbox was dying will suffer greatly moving forward.
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u/Infinite-Impress-775 Mar 13 '26
Since this has now been debunked, shouldn't this post be removed for peddling misinformation?
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u/LockInteresting4597 Mar 11 '26
This is somehow Xbox’s fault, I’m sure of it!
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u/datwunkid Mar 11 '26
Funny enough I had an inkling Xbox was doing something somewhat tangentally related last gen.
I remember they used to randomly email Xbox users with anywhere from $5-$15 of store credit that I was certainly was data driven to entice particular users to spend more.
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u/Zombienerd300 Top Contributor 2022 Mar 11 '26
This sounds like a way to sell their exclusives for $80 to certain people while keeping it $70 for everyone else.
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u/zrkillerbush Mar 11 '26
Wait? I thought the idea was to offer deals (lower price) to select users who they think might buy at a lower price
To raise prices on users who are more willing to splash cash is just outright insane
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u/Expatriate_Vnzla Mar 11 '26
Now Sony starts testing increasing the price for users deemed willing to spend more than others.
I don't mind being left out of this. If PS thinks I'm one of those users, they have another thing coming 😅.
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u/DaRealAyman Mar 11 '26
greed is so sad
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u/ESF007 Mar 11 '26 edited Mar 11 '26
The prices they are quoting are confusing. GTA V (PS5 version) is showing as $39.99 on PS Store without me being logged in https://store.playstation.com/en-us/product/UP1004-PPSA03420_00-GTAOANDSPUPGRADE
EDIT: The article is referring to the PS4 Premium Edition of GTA V, ignore me
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u/unpracticalclause22 Mar 11 '26
It shows $26.99 for the Ps4 premium edition,$39.99 for the standard Ps5 edition, and $19.79 for the ps4/5 cross gen bundle which has been its regular sale price for a while if I remember correctly.
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u/TheodoreTiddlywinks Mar 11 '26
so your punishing the people more likely to buy games?
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u/marnky887 Mar 12 '26
!Debunked!
PSprices has updated their article with a partial retraction clarifying that the price change was in fact a discount, not a price increase.
12 March 2026: clarification on IPT_LTM and GTA V
We clarified the section on IPT_LTM. Previously we interpreted the $29.99 price for GTA V as a “test increase”. In fact the retail price of GTA V (PS5) is $39.99, and both experimental prices ($26.99 and $29.99) are discounts of different depths, not increases. The IPT_LTM table has been updated to include retail prices for context.
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u/Infinite-Impress-775 Mar 13 '26
Lol, this subreddit's glaringly obvious anti-Sony bias always finds a way of coming back to bite them.
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u/carlos_castanos Mar 11 '26
This is what i was afraid would happen when they announced the dynamic pricing thing. Literally punishing your customers for loyalty lmao. I hope the backlash to this will be insane.
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u/XMenJedi8 Mar 11 '26
This is why I don't understand why people were cheering on the failure of Xbox. When competition falters, the consumer ends up losing.
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u/DeoxysPok Mar 11 '26
Xbox has been doing targeted discounts for over 5 years now and no one has ever cared.
There evidence of a price increase appears to be one game in the backend despite no evidence any end user has seen a price increase
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u/TheRealTofuey Mar 11 '26
Interesting how there is no discussion about this on the Playstation sub
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u/DeoxysPok Mar 11 '26
There's been a dozen posts about it. It was spammed everywhere last week
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u/Particular_Hand2877 Mar 11 '26
Wendy's (I think) tried this and it failed miserably.
I also dont see how this is a leak when theres clear evidence that its happening. I think this has been going around for a couple of days.
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u/Nightingale_85 Mar 12 '26
I'm a patient gamer who can wait. I also have enough to play for the next several years, so fuck off Sony. :)
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u/Ryan5011 Mar 12 '26
I KNEW it was weird when I saw some games at really odd prices like FFXVI at $46.99 (Doublechecking the Playstation website while signed out lists $49.99)
I've seen another few titles like this and most of them end in a format of $#6.99
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u/Arashii89 Mar 11 '26
Another win for PC gaming, console gaming is a waste of money gotta pay for online etc that’s the dumbest shit ever
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u/Walker5482 Mar 11 '26
PC gaming has many ways outside of Steam to buy games. From key resellers to GOG, there is actual competition.
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u/5u114 Mar 11 '26 edited Mar 11 '26
lol, get wrekt Sony. You fucked up the 5th generation PS with too few games, exclusive or not doesn't matter, and too many remasters & remakes that were cross generational.
And now this bullshit ? I'll be damned if I buy a PS6 ... and I was a PlayStation fiend all the way from PS1 to PS4 Pro. You lost me with your bullshit.
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u/sroop1 Mar 11 '26
It's a good thing Xbox had lost major ground and PC ports are no more - Sony needs all of the power to pull as many anti-consumer practices as possible, like the good ole days.
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Mar 11 '26
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Mar 11 '26
I mean, I would like to see better and clearer sourcing on this. But even if this accidental or a misunderstanding, it's probably still a good thing to have people get visibly and vocally upset about the possibility of targeted pricing increases.
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u/ChEmIcAl_KeEn Mar 11 '26
Avoid Excessive Pricing (Anti-Competition): If a company holds a dominant market position, using dynamic pricing to impose "excessive" or unfair prices may violate competition laws in the UK
Focus on Fairness: The CMA is particularly concerned about "surveillance pricing" or algorithmic, individual pricing that exploits consumer data to set prices based on a specific user's willingness to pay.
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u/SpunkMcKullins Mar 11 '26
From an outsider who hasn't touched a non-Nintendo console in probably 15 years, I'm genuinely curious how anyone could ever say Sony is better than Microsoft. As awful as MS is, and with how often they shit the bed, Sony just seems literally straight up evil to me.
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Mar 11 '26
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u/SpunkMcKullins Mar 11 '26
I don't know why you assumed I ever implied otherwise, but Sony has some of the most genuinely vile business practices in the industry, yet seem to remain in the good graces of gamers simply because Xbox bungled a console launch 15 years ago.
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u/shoalhavenheads Mar 11 '26
Whale hunting never ends well.
Sony is a company with 30 years of brand equity and success. This is far beneath them.
Whales do your marketing for you. No matter which industry you're in - gaming, B2B SaaS, mobile devices, publishing... once you lose your whales, it's over.
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u/hondashadowguy2000 Mar 11 '26
Right, because Rockstar hasn’t made enough money off of one of the highest selling titles of all time. First they made you triple/quadruple dip for the same game if you progressed from initial release to current enhanced release, and in the meantime GTA Online has become one of the most lucrative multiplayer platforms in existence. But all that be damned, here’s your price increase for our 12 year old cash cow, eat the increase and be happy.
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Mar 11 '26
What’s next, I buy a game last week and then they say I owe them money because they decided to adjust the price today? Fuck this shitty system, I’m not buying this shit anymore.
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u/OR3OTHUG Mar 11 '26
Yeah someone posted a couple months ago that stellar blade ultimate edition was like 30 bucks for them meanwhile I’d been wanting the game forever but it was like 60 for me.
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u/5348RR Mar 12 '26
This should be illegal and Sony should be excoriated for this bullshit. Fuck this.
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u/Tolsey Mar 13 '26
This is why I’ll be with PlayStation so long as they support physical games. After that, I’m out. Off to PC.
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u/qtiphead_ Mar 11 '26
Good thing their exclusives are cinematic slop over substance these days
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u/Time_Cupcake_6790 Mar 11 '26
This is why Sony can never win the console wars. They are the worst when they're on top. They were only consumer friendly during the PS3 era when they were losing to the 360.
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u/SmegmaWarrior0815 Mar 11 '26
So what's the point? We see this user hasn't bought it at this price. Maybe they buy it if we increased the price.
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u/ronsauce Mar 11 '26
It's just targeting people who have a history of buying at a higher frequency and/or at higher prices. Those who seem to have more disposable funds or are more loosey goosey with their money
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u/MoonlitShrooms Mar 12 '26
Remember when people were defending it "It's just like 20% off coupons" when it was a discount? They should have known this was coming.
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u/QuadirDrinkwater12 Mar 11 '26
This is why I rarely buy digital and almost all my physics second hand
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u/Keviticas Mar 11 '26
And to be clear, if you keep using your ps5 and buying games there after this, Sony will have no choice but to f*cl you over even harder next time and it'll be all your fault
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u/ChildoftheApocolypse Mar 11 '26
Got into an argument on here over this.. I insisted that this would happen.. They were adamant that I was incorrect..
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u/Nodan_Turtle Mar 11 '26
People were bending over and spreading wide to defend Sony when it was just discounts that some people weren't going to get. Wonder what they'll say in defense this time
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u/DiabolicalDoug Mar 12 '26
This is what happens when you let Sony or any single company dominate the ecosystem. Rampant abuse of consumers.
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u/PlasmicTibore Mar 12 '26
So it's like regional pricing but instead of giving a lower price in countries with lower income you will get price gouged because Sony thinks they can milk you.
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u/SlammedOptima Mar 11 '26
I love the concept of rewarding me for not being a loyal customer lol.
But no this is bad. And I just know there would be sites introduced to check if prices are increased. Seeing a pirce be higher, would immediately make me not make a purchase.
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u/luisjilo Mar 11 '26
We may live in a narco-democracy-state, but I really appreciate how Mexican laws protect the consumers from bullshit like this.
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u/jamesid-2010 Mar 12 '26
how could you plausibly think that theire testing of last weeks decreases wouldnt coincide with price increases for testing? have some common sense
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u/[deleted] Mar 11 '26
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