Valve Corp.'s Steam Platform Monopolizes Game Sales, Suit Says

Valve Corp. was hit with a consumer lawsuit in a Los Angeles federal court claiming it uses “most favored nation” agreements with PC game developers to monopolize the distribution market through its Steam platform, the industry’s leading app store.

“In a competitive market,” Steam would “either lower its commissions or otherwise increase the value of its platform,” the lawsuit says. “Developers would sell more PC games at the same level of profit, consumers would spend less money per PC game, and consumers would purchase more.”

But the MFN clause “saves the Steam platform from competing on the merits,” according to ...