As gaming moves toward a fully digital future, Australians risk losing the protections that physical game discs have provided for decades.
When discs disappear, so does competition — leaving digital stores like PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo free to set prices without checks or balance.

That means higher prices, fewer discounts, and no choice.

We, the undersigned, call for a Digital Games Fair Pricing Standard to keep gaming affordable, transparent, and fair for all Australians.

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⚖️ Our Key Demands

1️⃣ Digital Price Transparency

Digital storefronts must be legally required to disclose:

• full price history
• discount history
• regional pricing justification

This prevents hidden digital price inflation and lets Australians identify unfair pricing.

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2️⃣ ACCC Oversight for Digital‑Only Consoles

When a console becomes digital‑only, the ACCC must initiate mandatory annual reviews of:

• pricing behaviour
• discount frequency
• market competitiveness
• consumer impact

This mirrors existing oversight used for fuel, supermarkets, and digital platforms.

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3️⃣ Third‑Party Digital Code Sales

Digital platforms must permit authorised Australian retailers (JB Hi‑Fi, EB Games, Amazon AU, etc.) to sell digital game codes at independent prices.
Competition keeps prices honest and prevents single‑store monopolies.

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4️⃣ Fair Pricing Rules

Digital game prices must not exceed:

• historical physical retail averages
• international market averages
• equivalent PC versions

Unless platforms provide documented justification.
This prevents unjustified digital price gouging.

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5️⃣ Mandatory Simple Digital Refund Rights

Digital storefronts must provide:

• a guaranteed right to return any digital game within 14 days, and
• a single, clearly visible “Refund” button that processes eligible refunds instantly — without support tickets, hidden menus, or manual approval.

Refund eligibility must automatically consider technical issues such as:

• crashes
• freezes
• lag
• failed downloads
• corrupted installs

Platforms like PlayStation already collect crash reports — these must be used to protect consumers, not punish them.

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6️⃣ Full Refunds if Games Are Deleted

If a purchased digital game is removed from sale or becomes unplayable due to server shutdown, consumers must receive:

• a full refund, or
• an offline version, or
• a replacement edition

Deleted content = failure to supply under Australian Consumer Law.

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7️⃣ Future‑Proof Digital Consumer Rights

Digital storefronts must meet ongoing consumer protection standards, including:

• visible refund options
• clear pre‑purchase refund eligibility
• automatic refunds for deleted or unplayable content
• ACCC compliance monitoring

This ensures digital gaming remains fair as technology evolves.

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💬 Why This Matters

Without discs, Australians lose:

• price competition
• retail discounts
• trade‑ins
• resale
• comparison pricing
• consumer choice

Digital storefronts become the sole sellers, controlling prices completely.
That’s not fair — and it’s not how Australia does business.