Game grading company Wata Games is the target of a new US class action lawsuit accusing it of unfair business practices and of manipulating the retro gaming market for its own gain.
Kahn is accused of working with auction house Heritage Auctions co-founder Jim Halperin – a previous Wata investor and advisory board member – to manipulate the retro games market through promotional efforts and media interviews, in which the pair are said to have claimed that retro games prices would continue to rise.
The lawsuit also highlights that Wata and Heritage both benefit financially from grading and game sales, meaning they stand to benefit considerably from a rise in market prices.
Notably, Wata and Heritage Auctions have been connected to a string of eye-watering vintage game sales over the last few years.