Gabe Newell ordered to make in-person deposition in anti-trust case
The Valve boss had requested to provide his deposition remotely, which was declined
Valve boss Gabe Newell has been ordered to give an in-person deposition in regard to the ongoing antitrust lawsuit filed by Wolfire Games.
As reported by GamesIndustry.biz, an order filed on November 16 in US District Court for the Western District of Washington, Wolfire Games said Gabe Newell “is uniquely positioned to testify on all aspects of (Valve‘s) business strategy”.
The goal of the in-person deposition “would allow (it) to adequately assess Newell’s credibility.”
According to reports, Newell had initially asked for a remote deposition due to his concerns around COVID, however the court denied this, claiming that Newell had presented “insubstantial evidence to suggest that he is at particularised risk of serious illness.”
The suit in question is an antitrust lawsuit filed by Wolfire Games in 2021 claiming that Valve employed anti-trust practices on Steam.
The suit argues that Valve’s 30% cut of all purchases means that Valve had used “dominance to take an extraordinarily high cut from nearly every sale that passes through its store” and that it has used its position to “exploit publishers and consumers.”
The suit was dismissed in November 2021 which the US District judge at the time arguing that the suit “not articulate sufficient facts to plausibly allege an antitrust injury based on that market.”
However, at the time, the court said Wolfire Game could file another complaint should they address the missing facts, which they did in 2022.
