According to recent reports, the UK Government wants to take action against PS5 and Xbox Series X/S scalpers and resellers. Appropriate laws are intended to prevent coveted goods from being bought up by means of bots and resold at excessive prices.
When the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S was launched, retailers and gamers alike were confronted with the problem that reseller groups scoured the contingents with bots and bought up the available consoles.
The coveted next-gen consoles were then offered on platforms such as eBay at significantly higher prices. According to analysts, the reseller groups could have “earned” profits of around 29 million US dollars with this procedure alone from the resale of the PS5 and the Xbox Series X/S. A procedure that the UK Government would like to put a stop to with a corresponding law in the future.
The bill states that the resale of game consoles and computer components at prices that are far above the retail price recommended by the manufacturer should be prohibited. So far, the motion has been signed by nine MPs calling on the UK government to make the resale of goods purchased through automated bots an illegal activity.
“New releases of gaming consoles and computer components should be available to all customers at no more than the Manufacturer’s Recommended Retail Price, and not be bought in bulk by the use of automated bots which often circumvent maximum purchase quantities imposed by the retailer.”
It goes on to say that actively cracking down on bots would “[deny] unscrupulous vendors the chance to make themselves vast profits at the expense of genuine gamers and computer users, while also deterring fraudulent cybercriminal activity.”
To what extent the nine MPs will be able to put their bill to a vote in the British Parliament, only time will tell. A tougher approach would be desirable from the point of view of the customers, who miss out on the launch of consoles or other coveted goods, but definitely.