As most folks know, misleading product information isn't anything new in any industry, and the video game industry certainly is no exception. However, it seems Sony is going to have to pay the price for its verbiage, or lack thereof, which one European regulatory agency says is misleading to consumers.

It's a fairly well-known fact that in 2019, console games typically require some form of subscription to be played online. Even so, "regulatory and competition authority," AGCOM, says Sony isn't being quite straightforward enough when it comes to informing consumers of its online subscription service, PlayStation Plus, being required to play certain games.

In the complaint, AGCOM goes as far as to accuse Sony of undergoing practices with the intention "to mislead consumers," citing a lack of information on the PS4's packaging as well as in language presented to consumers when they purchase games via the PlayStation Store. It is for this violation that the agency has issued Sony a fine of 2 million euros.

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Of course, the amount of the fine is surely well within Sony's massive budget, but the corporation will likely remain on AGCOM's radar for the foreseeable future, meaning it would be wise to enact necessary changes to its packaging and online policies to avoid more substantial fines down the road.

Sony's PlayStation Plus membership currently retails for about $60 for one year of service, and can alternatively be purchased for a monthly charge of about $10. The paid service allows players to connect to a game's online components and play with others around the world. On top of granting online access to subscribers, a PS Plus membership comes with a range of other benefits, including a monthly catalog of different, temporarily free games. This month's list of free games available to PS Plus members includes Portal Knights (PS4), Zone of the Enders HD Collection (PS3), and Super Mutant Alien Assault (PS Vita).

Elsewhere in the Sony-verse, speculation is heating up around the inevitable announcement of the PlayStation 5, which some rumors suggest could release as soon as next year. To that end, a recent Sony job listing seems to suggest that the successor to the PS4 will focus on cloud streaming and feature backwards compatibility.

Source: Resetera