Valve has been accused of monopoly on the PC market once again — this time in the Netherlands
The Dutch human rights organization The Consumer Competition Claims Foundation (CCCF) has taken a stand against the owner of Steam.
CCCF is convinced that Valve engages in anticompetitive practices, which force gamers in the Netherlands to consistently overpay for games. The human rights group has compiled four complaints against the company:
1. CCCF claims that Valve prohibits developers from selling games cheaper in other stores than on Steam;
2. according to the organization, Valve persuaded publishers not to distribute cheaper Steam keys meant for Eastern Europe in Western Europe;
3. CCCF considers Steam's 30% commission to be excessively high;
4. CCCF is also dissatisfied that in-game purchases on Steam can only be paid for via the Steam wallet.
Currently, CCCF is calling on Dutch gamers to join their campaign against Valve. They have stated that in the first stage, they will try to reach an amicable agreement with the owner of Steam, but if this attempt fails, they will proceed with a class-action lawsuit.
The human rights defenders hope they can persuade Valve to change Steam's policies and simultaneously pay substantial compensation to the affected residents of the Netherlands. According to CCCF's estimates, local gamers have overpaid more than 220 million euros on Steam — an amount they believe should be refunded.