In the UK, a court has ordered Valve to appear in court over a class action lawsuit for £656 million (approximately $878 million USD). The lawsuit is led by Vicki Shotbolt, CEO of the Parent Zone organization, and concerns the 30% commission that the Steam store charges on all transactions.
According to Shotbolt, the 30% commission is "excessive," and Valve itself "manipulates the market and exploits British gamers". The case is largely reminiscent of the legal battle previously initiated by Epic Games against Apple over similar commission policies in the digital app store.
In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Shotbolt emphasized that video games are an important part of the modern digital ecosystem.
Games are an extremely important sector. It is important for young people who play, and for adults who spend a lot of time communicating and playing. Therefore, the industry must operate fairly and not overcharge.
According to her, Steam is a key platform in the PC gaming market, and it is "obliged to act honestly, but it is obvious that this is not happening".
Shotbolt hopes that if they win in court, the market will become more balanced for both developers and players around the world. However, she admits that lower game prices are not guaranteed even with a reduced commission.
This is beyond my control. You can say that 30% is too much and this is an unreasonable amount. I would like to believe that some developers will lower prices and pass the benefit on to consumers. I think that's how the market works. But this is only possible if the requirement of price parity disappears.
At the same time, Shotbolt admits that some studios may prefer to keep the additional profit rather than reduce the cost of games. Nevertheless, in her opinion, a competitive environment should encourage developers to reduce prices in order to attract an audience.