X'an Shin wrote:Well, that works in some instances. In other instances, when the disk printing doesn't quite meet the demand for the product, pre-ordering is the only way to get a copy of something for weeks. See: Katamari Damacy. I had to call about 8 stores and drive for an hour to get to the nearest store that had a copy in stock. This was still 3 weeks after it had shipped. It's that rare.
Wow, that does seem pretty rare, but I don't think most games that are appealing to me will have a rarity like that, so I don't even think it's a gamble. SWG was the only game I thought I was gambling on as far as not preordering. If I was a console gamer, maybe things would be different, but I haven't bought a console since the Sega 32X (which would explain why I don't buy consoles anymore).
X'an Shin wrote:And this is what I hate about Walmart, Best Buy, and other huge retailers like Target.
They break street dates. That is, in effect, breaking a contract. The main problem with them doing this is that it then forces stores like EB and Gamestop to then ALSO break the street date so that they're not sitting on stock in their backroom while everyone else is out making money.
In the end, marketing campaigns are thrown entirely out of whack when a 2 million dollar TV spot for the product is aired, and then there's no product to buy on the shelves when the commercial says it's available, because the retailer leaked it too early.
On a personal level, people are pissed because they had the interest and the presence of mind to pay for the software four months ago, and are "rewarded" for their loyalty by having to wait longer than the casual gamers.
But then Walmart will just continue to do whatever the fuck they want, because they're Walmart, and distributors still bow down before them no matter how many times they've taken it up the keyster from the Waltons, simply because there's no other game in town to play. When Walmart makes up for ONE THIRD of most video game sales, you're screwed.
Ok, ok... before we dig up Sam Walton so we can take turns kicking him in the crotch, let's make sure our anger is placed correctly.
Walmart did not violate ANYTHING by putting JtL on their shelves and selling it. If there is anyone you should be upset with, it's places like Gamestop, EB, Babbages, (Software) etc. They've created this culture around ship dates and release dates, so much so that if something is contrary to what they are doing then it seems that said contrary thing is wrong.
Notice what yesterday was? It was a Tuesday. Why is that relevant? Because releases in the music, home movie, and video game market are done on Tuesdays. Waiting for a CD to come out? It'll happen on a Tuesday. Suncoast Video in my area got their Star Wars DVDs on the Saturday shipment, but had til wait til Tuesday (or midnight Monday like Best Buy) to put them on the shelves. GTA: SA? Tuesday. Halo 2? Tuesday. Half Life 2? Tuesday. JtL was shipped and went live yesterday.
Now, maybe it was the fact that SWG shipped on Monday and was released on Tuesday that makes people think that shipping dates are not the live dates. JTL went live yesterday and most stores got the game yesterday. Walmart can flex some muscle and say we want it in the morning because it is a retail giant. Just for scale, Toys R Us is filling for reorganization because Walmart now controls the toy market. So, Walmart gets their shipment Tuesday morning (possibly Monday night) and puts them on the shelf.
They didn't do anything wrong. If SOE wanted Wednesday to be the release date, they would have locked out the servers, the same way they did for people like me who got SWG before everyone else.
Walmart did nothing wrong.
