Getting Irked about Release Dates!!!

[kragnorok]

I don't know if it's like this in the U.S as much as here in Canada, but as far as I am concerned, it's Tuesdays and Tuesdays alone that new games should be coming out. That is how it has been since as long as I know. Movies never seem to get delayed, maybe harder to find if you want the BD version of a movie but always out on the right day.

The thing that is really making me angry is I am seeing release dates like, for example today, March 25th, for Crisis Core, the FF7 prequel. So I check out my local walmart, and not there. Thats fine , the Electronics section is useless there anyway and they never have anything. So I drive to Calgary, (about a 20 minute drive from where I live) and go to Futureshop. I had checked on the website and they said it was out today... Nothing there...

Ok well luckily there is an EB about 5 stores down from the futureshop so I walk over. Look around can't find anything. Go up to the guy working at the desk "Hey you got a copy of Crisis Core back there?" Since he was unpacking some games from boxes. And I get this "That game doesn't come out until tomorrow." With the most ridiculously snobby attitude I have ever gotten in a long time . So I just walked out , no need to start a yelling match with the guy or anything lol.

But the main thing of this is, don't know if it should be in the Steam Vent forum or not, sorry if it's in the wrong place but, is this bugging anyone else?

Games are supposed to be released on a Tuesday or even when they aren't they still don't seem to be coming out on time here at all. Like with Condemned 2 for the PS3 I still can't find a copy of it and it was supposed to come out... 2 weeks ago now. So ya, is it like this in the States? Or just up in the frigid Northern part of the continent?

 

[hopjohn]

bugs me too

I'm no expert on the subject, but here are some things I've witnessed first hand when buying for my 360:

1. Big titles expecting lots of sales volume arrive on specific dates and often have 12:01 AM sales events at store locations that would otherwise be closed.

2. Gamestop has repeatedly told me and other people I've spoken with on the subject: The date you see published as a release date is in fact a ship date, and the following day is the actual day you should consider.

3. I have bought games on Gamestops' "ship date" elsewhere.

4. Circuit city sometimes has the releases listed available in the sales ad on the Tuesdays in the afternoon (usually like 2pm).

5. A growing trend seems to be releasing later in the week, possibly to coincide with stronger sales on weekends (Friday paychecks).

As far as the Tuesday movie release date thing, I think the distribution of movies is much more streamlined and with greater financial backing. Hopefully the gaming industry gets a clue and starts taking release dates more seriously, and demands more from their distributors and retailers because it is extremely annoying to have to preorder every title you want for fear of not getting a copy. Gamestop seems to thrive on this and gives very little credence to ordering more copies than they have presold.

 

[kragnorok]

While your post doesn't make me less mad at any of the stores I shop from, makes me feel better that I am not the only one that is experiencing this thanks for that post, calmed me down a little.

Still makes me a little though

 

[MDS]

Am I interpreting the post correctly? Certain games are supposed to be released on a given date and when they are not available at that time you get hopping mad?

There are so many more important things to worry about. I'm looking to buy one of the new Toshiba LCDs and the 'release date' was supposed to be February. It's now the end of March and they are just starting to trickle in to the retailers. It's not worth the time and aggravation to get all crazy about the fact that something isn't actually available on the date it was supposed to be available.

Do you really need to be one of the first to obtain it? What if you buy it five minutes after it is available and are disappointed anyway?

 

[kragnorok]

Am I interpreting the post correctly? Certain games are supposed to be released on a given date and when they are not available at that time you get hopping mad?

There are so many more important things to worry about. I'm looking to buy one of the new Toshiba LCDs and the 'release date' was supposed to be February. It's now the end of March and they are just starting to trickle in to the retailers. It's not worth the time and aggravation to get all crazy about the fact that something isn't actually available on the date it was supposed to be available.

Do you really need to be one of the first to obtain it? What if you buy it five minutes after it is available and are disappointed anyway?

It's not a big deal to me to not have it the day it comes out, what I'm getting mad at is when I make a trip that takes around an hour out of my night, after I get off work, to go get a game that supposedly is in stores, (the futureshop website said they had it in stores) and it isn't there. Waste of my time, yesterday was the only day this week I will have a chance to go into town and look. So I probably won't end up getting it until the weekend, I just wish that release dates for video games weren't so damn inaccurate as of late.

I have a buddy who lives around an hour one way from any kind of electronics shop, and he usually goes in 3/4 days after a game is released he is really looking forward to getting just to be safe. And still he is going out to find that a game isn't there, and won't be for another 2 weeks even though the release date was that week.

My first post was mad because I just searched all over for this game, but I still am frustrated. Like I said I probably won't get this game till the weekend at the earliest, and have been looking forward to this game since, well, Final Fantasy 7 ended... like 10 years ago hah.

 

[Thunder18]

This is really an interesting post for a few reasons.
1. Gamestop has told me the same thing about release dates actually being ship dates.
2. My local Circuit City never gets new release games in stock until way after i've alrady bought them elsewhere. This annoys me because I have one of their Gamer's Edge cards that gets you 10% off your game. I've used in once since last year because I can never find a new game there.
3. Best Buy also takes forever to get games. Last game that was suppossed to be out on a Tuesday, they said come back next Tuesday when they get their scheduled shipment.
4. Strangely enough, my local Fry's Electronics always has the games available on the "Release date." Always! They have them in by 2 p.m. and they usually sell them that first week for $52.99 instead of $59.99 making my CC Gamer's Edge card worthless and the crappy trade in I get at Gamestop...I've stopped giving my used games away to them because I still end up getting the game cheaper at Fry's.

 

[kragnorok]

Well I definitely wish they had a Fry's here in Alberta, would be pretty nice by the sounds of it.