Pixel P&L: OnePlus Targets College Gamers With BGMI Campus Tournament

Welcome to another Pixel P&L edition. This issue takes 4 minutes to read. If you only have one, here are the 5 most important things:

• Sony faces a major Dutch lawsuit over PlayStation Store pricing, with consumers allegedly paying 47% more for digital games — learn why below.

• OnePlus launches a ₹6 lakh gaming tournament targeting Indian college students — major BGMI competition details inside.

• Saudi Arabia's Humain targets the gaming industry with AI-powered creative tools, supporting the kingdom's $38 billion gaming strategy.

• New Balance signs its first-ever gaming ambassador, bridging virtual and physical sports to reach younger consumers.

• Nintendo Pictures secretly worked on PlayStation exclusive Death Stranding 2.

Let's get into it.

Sony Faces Dutch Lawsuit Over PlayStation Store Pricing

A Dutch consumer advocacy group has filed a collective lawsuit against Sony, alleging the gaming giant exploits its market dominance to maintain artificially high prices for digital games.

Stichting Massaschade & Consument claims at least 1.7 million PlayStation owners in the Netherlands overpay for digital titles. Research cited by the foundation shows consumers pay an average of 47% more for digital games compared to physical copies.

The lawsuit, filed June 24, accuses Sony of excluding competition and exploiting both consumers and game developers through its PlayStation Store monopoly. Foundation chair Lucia Melcherts said consumers are being "pushed towards digital-only consoles" with the latest PlayStation 5 generation.

Sony faces similar legal challenges elsewhere. A UK lawsuit over the company's 30% digital sales commission could cost Sony up to £6.3 million ($8 million) in damages. The Dutch case reflects broader scrutiny of digital platform operators, with Valve facing a £656 million ($820 million) lawsuit over Steam pricing, while Apple received a $568.6 million European Union fine for App Store practices.

OnePlus Announces Gaming Tournament for Indian College Students

OnePlus has unveiled a mobile gaming tournament targeting college students across India, part of the smartphone manufacturer's broader efforts in the country's gaming market.

The "OnePlus Campus Dominate – Road to BGMS" tournament will feature Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) competition with a total prize pool of ₹6 lakhs. Winners will also receive OnePlus Nord 5 devices. The company is accepting registrations from Indian colleges until July 12, limiting participation to 1,280 teams. If applications exceed that number, teams will be selected through a lottery system.

Eligibility requires current college enrollment in India, minimum age of 18, and a BGMI account at level 20 or higher. Online qualifiers will precede live finals, with winning teams earning spots in the BGMS 2025 tournament.

Marcel Campos, OnePlus India's director of product strategy, said gaming represents a core element of the company's community focus.

⚡Quick Bytes

Saudi AI Firm Targets Gaming Industry With New Creative Division

Saudi Arabia's Humain launched a gaming-focused division called Humain Create, partnering with Luma AI to develop photorealistic image and video tools for game production. The move supports the kingdom's $38 billion gaming investment strategy, targeting a domestic market with 23 million active gamers as Saudi Arabia aims to establish 250 gaming companies by 2030.

New Balance Signs First Gaming Ambassador to Expand Market Reach

New Balance appointed its first gaming ambassador, signing content creator SV2, known as Eman, who specializes in FIFA and football-related content. The athletic apparel company aims to appeal to younger consumers by bridging virtual and physical sports. Eman will oversee gaming activations and create content while New Balance supports his community growth, marking the brand's entry into the expanding gaming market.

Nintendo-Owned Studio Worked on PlayStation Exclusive Game

Nintendo Pictures, a motion capture company acquired by Nintendo in 2022, contributed to Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, according to the PlayStation 5 game's credits. The work likely predates Nintendo's acquisition of the formerly independent Dynamo Pictures, which also contributed to the original Death Stranding.

⚔️Side Quest

📺 Listen: You know that feeling when a game world feels so real you forget you're playing? Jackson Vaughan breaks down the neuroscience and psychology behind gaming's most immersive experiences. Perfect for developers and gamers who want to understand what makes virtual worlds truly unforgettable.

🎮 Play: Remember when AI villains actually terrified you? SHODAN returns with enhanced menace in this lovingly crafted remaster of System Shock 2. Whether you're discovering this sci-fi horror masterpiece for the first time or revisiting a classic, the updated visuals and mod support make this the definitive way to experience gaming's most chilling AI.

📚 Read: Ever notice how 2025 became the year of Big Wheels in gaming? This absurd article explores why two different games decided giant wheels were the answer and why terrible ideas sometimes make the most memorable design choices. Perfect for anyone who loves gaming's weirdest coincidences.

💡Did You Know

SteamOS now outperforms Windows 11 in gaming benchmarks, marking a dramatic reversal from nearly a decade ago when Valve's operating system lagged significantly behind Microsoft's platform. Recent testing on the Lenovo Legion Go S handheld found that games run 8-36% faster on SteamOS 3.7 compared to Windows 11, despite requiring a Proton translation layer to run Windows games. This performance boost comes from eliminating Windows' background overhead and Valve's optimized Mesa graphics drivers. The SteamOS-powered Legion Go S also costs $130 less than its Windows counterpart, making superior performance more affordable.

📜 Quote of the Day

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