Getting Games Early

We all know what it’s like to hear about the next big game years before it comes out but when the last few days creep around we still all toy with how we can get our hands on a copy early. Tuesday we the worldwide release of Modern Warfare 3 and all over the world gamers had been idly sitting, waiting for their preorders. A few folk have been lucky enough once again to land a copy through some unscrupulous independent retailers who just don’t give a damn about the official release date of the game. So why is it that some retailers dispatch their games early when they are supposedly legally bound to the distribution contract?

I can understand why some stores (especially Indie stores) break the street date but at the same time it’s there for a reason. Everyone is entitled to get a free shot at selling to each customer but Indie shops are usually overlooked. I think this could very well be because of financial issues - the big shops like GAME and Gamestation are the retailers where all the customers go once they open their doors on release day.

Of course the legal contract binds the retailers to the watertight promise not to see the game before it is officially released. Of course we all know these contracts are broken on a regular basis but no-one seem to bring it up after the game has gone on sale. Unofficially it’s probably that the developers don’t really care, they will get paid whether they sell it a day early or not. It’s also highly unlikely that early game sellers will ever affect the final sales figures in a detrimental manner.

Ultimately it’s down to a stores ‘internal policy’ which judging by the current early releases tend to be a bit illegal at times. I must say that it’s only a few stores that break the rules but some of the ramifications can be a little harsh. Microsoft have previously issued warnings that players caught playing games early on Xbox Live would be banned but in some instances this could be down to the consumers unknowing. The release data agreement for example is set between the retailer and the supplier and not the consumer. Unfortunately if the stores do break the release date window then they could potentially get people banned from playing online even when some consumers think that they are legitimately buying a copy of the next big game.

It’s a cutthroat business and certainly one where the rules can be broken. On the next big game release I might see if I can wangle a copy early from some of the indie shops our way. Bit of a shame I didn’t think of this sooner.

Have any of you experienced release date issues or managed to obtain a copy in store before the listed release dates?