Yeah, so the pre-order thing

[DaveC]

So, I phone up an EB close to me (Best Buy is halfway across town and so not worth the drive). Sure enough, they are open at 12:01 to sell Halo 2. Cool, what about special editions? Nope, pre-order only and they aren't getting any more. Oh, okay so they'll have lots of normal versions then? Nope, pre-order only. So the guy suggests I go to Future Shop because you can get Special Edition plus some figurines and a hat or something. I was willing to pay $10 more to get it tonight too. Wow, does EB know how to lose sales or what?

[Anaxagoras]

Maybe they cut some sort of deal with Bungie so they can sell Halo 2 special editions only to pre-orders? I can't imagine why Bungie would make such a demand, but I can't imagine why EB wouldn' voluntarily sell them, either.

[Lum]

I ran into the same thing with San Andreas a couple days after it released. Despite it being after release day, and despite the hundred or so copies lovingly stacked behind the clerk, he insisted "Preorders only." Shrug. So I went to Best Buy next door and picked it up.

Maybe they're trying to encourage pre-orders? I know if I want to go to the trouble of pre-ordering something, I'll do it via the website and have it shipped to me. Gets there the same time it gets to stores, and I don't actually have to find a parking space at the mall.

[Jazar]

Avid QT3 readers should've been warned by now! *slap*

Sucks about walks ins days after release though. That's new to me.

[olaf]

I find it bizarre that any store would refuse to sell otherwise unaccounted for inventory. It does not make any kind of sense.

olaf

[DaveC]

I find it bizarre that any store would refuse to sell otherwise unaccounted for inventory. It does not make any kind of sense.

olaf

Same here considering their competition doesn't restrict it.

[stusser]

Preordering is not only an interest-free loan but also allows stores to predict how much product they need to procure, the bane of the retail business. They want you to preorder. A lot.

[Sean Tudor]

Wow, does EB know how to lose sales or what?

Let's all ... beat ... that ... drum ... :roll:

[Kevin Grey]

Are stores with massive preorders like EB and Gamestop even likely to have copies above their preorder amount? My local GS got 700 copies in, all preordered.

Sure you can walk into Walmart, BB, Target, etc and get it right off the shelf but those stores don't push preorders and I'd bet that the vast majority of their copies go on the shelf vice being reserved which is the reverse of EB and GS.

[Wholly Schmidt]

I did the last minute preorder trick. I knew I had a good shot at Wal-Mart, but I checked at EB Games around 8 pm and they said I might as well go ahead and preorder (regular edition). So I dropped $5 then, and the other $45 later. I'm not big on preordering in advance, but pre-ordering the night of doesn't bother me.

[Silverlight]

I did the last minute preorder trick. I knew I had a good shot at Wal-Mart, but I checked at EB Games around 8 pm and they said I might as well go ahead and preorder (regular edition). So I dropped $5 then, and the other $45 later. I'm not big on preordering in advance, but pre-ordering the night of doesn't bother me.
That really shoots down their inventory-control claims, then, as well as the claim that they don't have copies for non-preorders.

It simply wouldn't be possible for them to take a preorder at that point and change their shipment, because at that point the truck is already loaded at the warehouse and/or on the road.

[dannimal]

Considering that many stores were open at midnight to hand out pre-orders, I'd bet that if you pre-ordered at 8pm Monday that your product was already in back.

[Silverlight]

Considering that many stores were open at midnight to hand out pre-orders, I'd bet that if you pre-ordered at 8pm Monday that your product was already in back.
What I'm betting is that if you pre-ordered at 8pm Monday that your product was already in the store, ready to hand to you. In other words, EB could have sold a walk-in that copy at midnight.

[Ephraim]

It seems to me that not all EB stores are created equal.

Last night, not long past midnight, I walked in and out of the local EB Games and picked up a copy of Halo 2. I hadn't preordered, they'd planned for a certain amount of walk-in purchases and stocked accordingly.

Exact same thing I did two weeks ago on Monday evening with GTA: SA.

Either I'm blessed with a very understanding EB, or something weird is going on with some of yours!

/Eph

[VegasRobb]

Well in Vegas, EB was the only game in town if you wanted a copy of EQ2.

Every store was holding onto copies for preorders only, and at least one store didn't have enough copies to cover preorders.

Today, Tuesday, EB is not the only game in town for EQ2.

[greywind]

I had to post this response from their customer service agent. They really just don't get it. At all.

Hello,

Thank you for contacting EBgames.com.

People who preordered get first priority in shipments. They paid money to reserve a copy for themselves. If we gave you their copy it wouldn't be right because they already purchased part or all of it. Every company that have preorders fill out those customer first and if there are extra copies then they will be sold to the rest of the public. The store orders more than enough copies, but they continue selling preorders till the game actually arrives.

If you require further assistance, we are available 7 days a week from 8AM to Midnight EST.

Have a great day!

Original Message Follows:
-------------------------

I just wanted to pass on to you my displeasure with your current retail store policy (is it a policy?--it seems to be true in every case of a major release) of only shipping enough copies to your retail stores to cover pre-order sales, and then sending shelf copies two days later. I don't believe in pre-ordering anything, I shouldn't have to give you my money in advance to purchase a game on release date.

Don't get me wrong--I like EB Games and frequent your stores for most of my game purchases. I like to support the only retailer in Calgary that specialises in my favourite hobby. But this practice of selling only pre-orders on release day has cost you sales with me. Today, GTA: San Andreas is sold out in every EB games store in Calgary and they are not getting more for another two days, yet Futureshop and ToysRUs are putting their copies on sale later today, and Walmart will probably have them on their shelves tomorrow. You aren't encouraging me to pre-order by this nonsense, you're encouraging me to buy elsewhere.

ian

[Ergo]

I like how they didn't answer any of your points.

[Backov]

Yep, that was a clear example of a moronic response. But, the course is clear - merely stop shopping with them.

[mutt]

I had to post this response from their customer service agent. They really just don't get it. At all.

Here's my interpretation of what they're saying: Those who preordered get priority when a store's shipment arrives. Stores typically purchase enough initial copies to cover the preorders and have some left over for the shelves. However, many preorders are made in the time period between when the store's order is placed with the distributor and the shipment arrives at the store. Hence, those copies that were originally intended for the shelves are now claimed.

It's easy to say, "Well, why don't they order more copies?" But the order is placed well in advance of the release date, so the proper order quantity can only be an educated guess. It may seem like a no-brainer in the case of something like GTA:SA to buy huge quantities, but trust me, shit happens, and no one wants to be left holding cases and cases of unsold goods. What if BB has a blowout sale and everybody in town decides to buy from BB instead of EB? What initially looked like a no-brainer for EB now looks like a really dumb move.

That's my guess, anyway, as to why things are as they are. I'm not in the game distribution biz, but I spent many years at a distributor in another, unrelated, industry and that was the reality there. You don't want all kinds of money tied up in product sitting unsold on your shelves, yet you want to be able to satisfy likely demand. It can be a tough balancing act.

[mouselock]

So:

They get X preorders..

They ship out X+Y games..

This allows them to take Y preorders, even on the day the game is supposed to go on sale.

Once they've taken X+Y pre-orders, they no longer have any product for sale that's not been reserved by people who are obviously more serious about getting the game than someone who just wanders in off the streets.

So your argument is, what, Y is too small? Based on the feeling that if they don't have a copy for you, they're not servicing any of their customers? The (equally valid) counter-argument is that all you have to do is pre-order it. If you don't want to float them a loan for three months, float them a $5 loan for 2 days instead. (Or two hours.. whatever..)

[MattKeil]

Or just buy it at a real store where you don't have to put up with this preorder shit.

[Jason McMaster]

or don't do it at all. fuck em

[mutt]

The (equally valid) counter-argument is that all you have to do is pre-order it. If you don't want to float them a loan for three months, float them a $5 loan for 2 days instead. (Or two hours.. whatever..)

Yep. Quite right. But there is a potential problem with that strategy as well: if you wait to preorder, there may still not be enough copies in the initial shipment to cover your order. You may still have to wait. A game preorder, as I understand it, is not a guarantee that you'll receive the game on the initial ship date. It simply puts you in a queue to receive it when a) the store has it, and b) your turn arrives.

[Jason McMaster]

My response wasn't aimed at Keil. that is all.

[mouselock]

The (equally valid) counter-argument is that all you have to do is pre-order it. If you don't want to float them a loan for three months, float them a $5 loan for 2 days instead. (Or two hours.. whatever..)

Yep. Quite right. But there is a potential problem with that strategy as well: if you wait to preorder, there may still not be enough copies in the initial shipment to cover your order. You may still have to wait. A game preorder, as I understand it, is not a guarantee that you'll receive the game on the initial ship date. It simply puts you in a queue to receive it when a) the store has it, and b) your turn arrives.

Very true. So it's all about convenience and willingness to commit. If you want the convenience of knowing you'll get a copy, order suitably early. If you want to know if it's worth it before committing (and frankly, $5 isn't much of a commitment in my world, especially when it's refundable or transferrable), then you wait and take your chances. If you have a 100% reliable source that requires neither, that's obviously the way to go. I just think those sources are pretty rare outside of large metropolitan areas. I sure as hell wouldn't want to have to depend on my local Wal-Mart and Best Buy for all my gaming needs. And I don't see much difference in ordering online vs. pre-ordering at the local store, except for the fact that if I pre-order and learn something bad in the meantime, I can at least do something about it. Depending on where I order from online, I'm screwed (and have to pay shipping too)!

[mutt]

mouselock, why do you say you're screwed if you preorder online? You can still cancel. Your card isn't charged until the transaction takes place, which means it's not charged until the online store receives and is ready to ship its product. Up until that time, all the major online stores allow you to cancel (as far as I know). I just canceled Seal of Evil, which I had preordered from Gameplay in the UK twice (ordered, canceled, reordered, canceled) :)

[mouselock]

mouselock, why do you say you're screwed if you preorder online? You can still cancel. Your card isn't charged until the transaction takes place, which means it's not charged until the online store receives and is ready to ship its product. Up until that time, all the major online stores allow you to cancel (as far as I know). I just canceled Seal of Evil, which I had preordered from Gameplay in the UK twice (ordered, canceled, reordered, canceled) :)

Ah, I meant more of a "last minute buzz" type thing, like walking into the store 5 hours after it's come out and people are already complaining about really poor design decisions/gamebreaking bugs. In that case your pre-order is already charged and shipped. If you order weeks early, no worries. (But then if you order weeks early, I doubt you're agonizing whether or not it's "reasonable" for EB to want you to preorder in store either. ;) )

[scharmers]

Then again, you can just chill and play the games you haven't finished for a couple of days and screw the release day frenzy. Come Thursday, you go into any retail store in the land and pick up a copy of said game. I mean, this isn't like X2: The Threat, which EB is selling used for the full price because of its rarity. It's Halo 2. It will be everywhere on Wednesday, and meantime you still haven't beat Up Your Arsenal, which you picked up on, like, what, two days ago?

--scharmers

[Jason McMaster]

Halo 2 is in Best Buy today. However, I hear that pre-ordering is the way to go.

[Supertanker]

Then again, you can just chill and play the games you haven't finished for a couple of days and screw the release day frenzy.

Exactly. I'm still quite busy with GTA:SA, and I shopped for Halo 2 based on price ($38 for the Collector's Edition) knowing I likely won't see it for a couple weeks.

I'm still mystified why EB doesn't get more copies for walk-in customers. I can understand them being caught off-guard by something odd like Katamari Damacy, but they can be pretty sure that major releases like Halo 2 and GTA:SA will sell quickly. They are throwing money away. I'm really starting to believe that they are losing allocations to the major retailers, since those major retailers never seem to have a shortage. This policy has certainly driven me and my $250 monthly game budget away.

[Derek Meister]

Either I'm blessed with a very understanding EB, or something weird is going on with some of yours!

Most likely the "preorder or die" thing many people are encountering isn't official policy from national headquaters, and merely something that tends to occurr on the district level.

What most likely happened is that national is putting the pressure on regions and district leaders to up preorders because of how much easier it is on costs involved with initial release day shipments.

Some regional and district managers go the sensible route and encourage stores to keep asking customers if they'd like to pre-order and explain the advantages of such. Other managers, mindful of how their performance ratings and bonus involve things like used game sales and pre-orders go all out pre-order nazi mode, outright telling local employees to be assholes about the thing.

I used to see this sort of thing happen all the time with movie preorders in some Blockbuster Video stores. More often than not, when it comes to video and game stores, most district managers suck. :?

[DaveC]

So, I waltz into Future Shop at 9:30 grabbed one of the 50 or so Special Editions off the shelf. Paid and got my free hat and Halo figure. Hey EB, you hear that?

[mutt]

I'm still mystified why EB doesn't get more copies for walk-in customers.

Which EB do you shop at, Supertanker, the one across from Wal-Mart or the one in the Mall? I walked in and bought GTA:SA on release day from the one by Wal-Mart. They had lots of copies on display.

[Jazar]

So, I waltz into Future Shop at 9:30 grabbed one of the 50 or so Special Editions off the shelf. Paid and got my free hat and Halo figure. Hey EB, you hear that?

Well they didn't hear it when people said this for Doom 3 (http://www.quartertothree.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=13716&highlight=), nor did they hear it when people said the same thing for GTA: San Andreas (http://www.quartertothree.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=14553&highlight=) so I'm going to take a wild guess and say they're not hearing this either.

[DaveC]

So, I waltz into Future Shop at 9:30 grabbed one of the 50 or so Special Editions off the shelf. Paid and got my free hat and Halo figure. Hey EB, you hear that?

Well they didn't hear it when people said this for Doom 3, nor did they hear it when people said the same thing for GTA: San Andreas so I'm going to take a wild guess and say they're not hearing this either.

No kidding, same story with D3. I showed up at FS early enough to get a free sound card and a copy of KotOR (ironic eh?). Sold the sound card and recovered most of the cost of D3. So, even though I may neve finish the game it only cost me about $15. Or I could have pre-ordered at EB and got a t-shirt or something.

[mouselock]

So, um, why don't you just shop at Future Shop all the time and be done with it?

(Am I missing the longstanding EB abuse catharsis all this bitching is supposed to provide or something? Don't like a business, shop somewhere else. Seems a simple enough equation.)

[DaveC]

So, um, why don't you just shop at Future Shop all the time and be done with it?

(Am I missing the longstanding EB abuse catharsis all this bitching is supposed to provide or something? Don't like a business, shop somewhere else. Seems a simple enough equation.)

Because they sometimes have good deals and I often trade in games. Not to mention that outside of the lame pre-order policy the guys at my local EB are pretty good. The manager is a huge gamer and that always helps. Future Shop is a love/hate thing for me. Their customer service is pretty poor and I've had some run ins when trying to return defective merchandise. So, for me it's a lesser of the evils situation.

[mouselock]

So, um, why don't you just shop at Future Shop all the time and be done with it?

(Am I missing the longstanding EB abuse catharsis all this bitching is supposed to provide or something? Don't like a business, shop somewhere else. Seems a simple enough equation.)

Because they sometimes have good deals and I often trade in games. Not to mention that outside of the lame pre-order policy the guys at my local EB are pretty good. The manager is a huge gamer and that always helps. Future Shop is a love/hate thing for me. Their customer service is pretty poor and I've had some run ins when trying to return defective merchandise. So, for me it's a lesser of the evils situation.

Well, I can understand all that. I guess the pre-order evil is just far lesser than the EB good for me. Then again, I'm very rarely compelled to get games before they've been marked down anyway, which may also be related.

[Shadarr]

So, I waltz into Future Shop at 9:30 grabbed one of the 50 or so Special Editions off the shelf. Paid and got my free hat and Halo figure. Hey EB, you hear that?

You realize that you sound like a jilted ex-girlfriend, right?

[greywind]

My point is that they seem to have enough copies at the shipping plant, they just don't send out the full shipment on release day. Every time I go in on release day and haven't pre-ordered they say they have 100 or so more copies coming in two days from now. They only send enough to cover the pre-order sales.

I understand that by this they are trying to "train" their customers to pre-order. But I find the whole idea of being trained as a consumer repugnant. I'm an impulse buyer and window shopper. I don't plan my purchases in advance. I like to pop over to the mall, and if a new release is available I'll buy it. Just like I do for CDs, clothes, and any other consumer goods I buy.

They completely missed the point that they lose me as a customer by only selling pre-orders on release day. But that's ok. I don't hate them, I just think their senior management is showing poor leadership.

ian

[Lum]

Just to add to preorder madness.

I wanted a copy of Halo 2. I was NOT going to go through the lollapalooza that is apparently surrounding Halo 2. So I was thinking I'd just wait until later.

However the game I was playing (LOTR Third Age) finished MUCH faster than I expected, and I found myself in Best Buy today. There was a huge display up front with Halo 2 paraphanalia - XBox Live kits, hintbooks, etc. But no actual game.

So I go up to the guy manning the display. "Do you have any copies of the game for sale?"

"Uh, yeah. Regular or collector?" "Regular's fine." "OK, here." And he hands me a RAFFLE TICKET. I look down at it, sort of stunned. "I'm only going to be here for a couple minutes...", I start to say. "Oh no, just give this to the register clerk and they'll give you your game."

"I can't just pick up the game?", I ask, kind of confused, to which he looks at me like I'm a barely functional retard.

I wait in line, and when I get to the register I, completely embarassed, hand the clerk the raffle ticket without a word. He looks at it and without even asking me anything, just yells "Regular!" to some guy behind him, who brings out a copy.

I guess I know how Best Buy is going to sell marijuana, when it's legalized!

[mouselock]

I understand that by this they are trying to "train" their customers to pre-order. But I find the whole idea of being trained as a consumer repugnant. I'm an impulse buyer and window shopper. I don't plan my purchases in advance. I like to pop over to the mall, and if a new release is available I'll buy it. Just like I do for CDs, clothes, and any other consumer goods I buy.

I don't think they're trying to "train" customers in the way you mean. I think customers in general just underestimate what it costs to warehouse and ship product, and don't realize that there's a huge difference between places like Best Buy and EB, despite the fact that they're both big companies. (For one, EB neither owns nor hires national trucking fleet to deliver product to their stores. They use UPS/Fed-Ex.)

[Ephraim]

I wait in line, and when I get to the register I, completely embarassed, hand the clerk the raffle ticket without a word. He looks at it and without even asking me anything, just yells "Regular!" to some guy behind him, who brings out a copy.

I guess I know how Best Buy is going to sell marijuana, when it's legalized!

Well, this IS pretty much how it's done in some of the coffee shops in Amsterdam.

Tell me, though, would you be ordering the "regular" cannabis, or would you want the "collector's edition"?

/Eph

[RickH]

This has to be the third thread on this topic in the last month, and I always have the same question: why are you guys so hell-bent on having the game on release day ? There are so few games out there worth full price, and it seems that everyone on this board buys every AAA title ASAFP. Fifty bucks plus tax adds up, gents.

[DaveC]

This has to be the third thread on this topic in the last month, and I always have the same question: why are you guys so hell-bent on having the game on release day ? There are so few games out there worth full price, and it seems that everyone on this board buys every AAA title ASAFP. Fifty bucks plus tax adds up, gents.

I have a budget and I have a list of games that fit that budget. Any other games I buy are on sale or best seller editions usually. I don't buy every AAA title on release, just the ones I want.

[Shadarr]

My point is that they seem to have enough copies at the shipping plant, they just don't send out the full shipment on release day. Every time I go in on release day and haven't pre-ordered they say they have 100 or so more copies coming in two days from now. They only send enough to cover the pre-order sales.

Wrong. Those games that are arriving in two days were already shipped, they just weren't shipped express because it costs more.

[MattKeil]

Tried an experiment today after several emails passed around the company talking about how difficult it was to get a Halo 2 Collector's Edition without a preorder. I called up EB and Gamespot. EB had gotten 50 copies, all preordered. Gamespot had gotten 70 copies, all preordered.

I trotted over to the Best Buy on Pico, where a stack of the CEs about half as tall as me sat waiting for purchase. At the counter I asked the guy how many copies of the CE the store had gotten in. "Um...about two thousand. Maybe more."

Once again, no preorder needed, thanks. The day will come when EB and Gamestop just don't sell new games anymore unless they're preorders, IMO. There's just no reason to deal with it when real stores actually have product to sell with no hassle.

[flyinj]

I absolutely despise preordering.

Why, might you ask?

Well, I work about an hour from where I live. I take the train to and from work. There are no game shops within walking distance of where I work, and about 5 in the city I live in.

So, it boils down to me having no idea which store I'll be able to get to on the day a game comes out. Will I get off work early, and make it to the store that's closest to my house, but closes at 6? Will I make it back in time to get to the moderate-distanced store that closes at 8? Or will I have to travel clear across town to the store that closes at 9?

I just can't lock down my money on a place and have it turn out I can't make it there on time... nor do I want to have to travel across town because I'd obligated my money there, even though it's early enough for me to get to a store that's 5 blocks from my house.

I HATE this trend of forced pre-orders.

[Shadarr]

The day will come when EB and Gamestop just don't sell new games anymore unless they're preorders, IMO.

If you'll add "on release day" onto that, I'd agree. Believe it or not, a lot of people don't care about getting a game first. Some may not even know what the release day was. And still others intentionally wait a couple weeks to let other people fall on the grenades like Driv3r and THUG2.

EB will have new copies for these people. They just won't have any for the subset of the hardcore (who seem to dominate qt3) who know that they want the game at release but are unwilling to preorder. Because they don't have room for that much inventory.

[MattKeil]

The day will come when EB and Gamestop just don't sell new games anymore unless they're preorders, IMO.

If you'll add "on release day" onto that, I'd agree. Believe it or not, a lot of people don't care about getting a game first. Some may not even know what the release day was. And still others intentionally wait a couple weeks to let other people fall on the grenades like Driv3r and THUG2.

EB will have new copies for these people. They just won't have any for the subset of the hardcore (who seem to dominate qt3) who know that they want the game at release but are unwilling to preorder. Because they don't have room for that much inventory.

See, I didn't add "on release day" to that because I don't think it applies. The profit margin on the new titles is so slim compared to the used games that I can fully believe that EB and Gamestop would eventually become the gaming equivalent of pawn shops, foregoing new titles altogether unless a customer preorders or special orders it.

[DaveC]

More for the dogpile - http://www.pokemonvillage.com/shownews.asp?id_=9240

[Shadarr]

I don't think there's any reason for them to stop selling new games. People want them, ergo it brings customers into the store. Some people would rather buy new. Some may look at the new section first and end up buying a used copy.

I don't know what the percentage is for first-week sales vs total sales on a AAA title, but I doubt it's high enough that they'd decide not to bring in copies for the second week onward.

[mouselock]

More for the dogpile - http://www.pokemonvillage.com/shownews.asp?id_=9240

That's people being morons about buying online. Multiple companies these days offer you "gift certificates" if, after you've made a purchase, you sign up for a free* program. They sign up, never bother to read the fine print, and then complain because the online stores signed them up against their will. Bullshit.

*That's free if you cancel in the first X days, of course, like all the other "free" sites out there on the web.

[GregB]

I walked in to my local EB and asked if they had any copies of Halo 2.

"Did you pre-order?"
"No."
"Well, we won't have any copies available to general purchase for a while. The next three shipments all go to pre-order customer. You should have pre-ordered."

He said this all rather smugly. Like I'm some kind of idiot for going to a game store to look for a new game. So I walk 30 yards over to Best Buy and grab one of the dozens they've got on the shelf. Sorry EB, I won't be playing your little game.

But this made me think. There was a time when I'd pre-order a game because the big stores didn't carry new releases regularly and I knew supplies would be limited at stores like EB. But that's so clearly not the case now. With games so readily available in so many location, who are all these people who still pre-order?

[mouselock]

With games so readily available in so many location, who are all these people who still pre-order?

People who prefer to give their money to EB, or like the pre-order bonuses they have, or just have a convenient local store. It's not like you're saving money by going across the street to Best Buy, and it's not like you weren't sure that you wanted the game since you fully intended to go pick it up wherever it was in stock the day it was out.

FWIW my local EB had copies for non-preorder people, as I saw one get sold while I was waiting in line to pick up the copy of Dragon Warrior VII I'd had transferred over to the store I frequent. And they had a steady line going on both registers all the time I was there, so I'm guessing they're not hurting for customers who don't mind preordering.

Some folks just like the absolute certainty of having a copy that's got their name on it sitting behind the register, I guess.

[mutt]

How does that work, anyway? Does the store call you when your copy is in? If so, it may just be that people don't want to have to keep checking back all the time to see if their game is ready. They just sit and wait for the call.

[Shadarr]

I don't get what all the hate is about. If you know ahead of time that you want something, and you know that there's going to be a lot of demand, reserve a copy. You don't show up at a concert or sporting event and complain that they didn't have any tickets left.

Personally, I never preorder because I never buy a game until people I trust have verified that it doesn't suck. But something like the Return of the King EE DVD, I'll probably reserve. Why wouldn't you?

[scharmers]

I preordered my previously-mentioned X2: The Threat from EB simply because I could not get it otherwise. Pretty much the only time I've preordered.

--scharmers

[Gav]

Personally, I never preorder because I never buy a game until people I trust have verified that it doesn't suck. But something like the Return of the King EE DVD, I'll probably reserve. Why wouldn't you?

Because you don't know if someone will have it on sale cheaper elsewhere. There's no incentive to reserve.

It's not like at my local DVD store, where you could get the Star Wars trilogy for $45 if you ordered early--there's a big incentive to pre-order in that case. If you pre-order from EB, you're essentially doing them a favor (by helping them with their inventory management) and getting nothing back for it.

(Incidentally, I'm not pissed at EB about it, since I almost never buy a game the first day it comes out; I'm just mystified by their pre-order policy)

Gav

[mouselock]

Personally, I never preorder because I never buy a game until people I trust have verified that it doesn't suck. But something like the Return of the King EE DVD, I'll probably reserve. Why wouldn't you?

Because you don't know if someone will have it on sale cheaper elsewhere. There's no incentive to reserve.

If you need it in the time frame being mentioned and it's not a PC game yeah, you do know that it's not going to be on sale cheaper elsewhere. The only place I've seen things cheaper is Outpost, which is a pre-order online retailer. Did anyone run by Best Buy and find Halo for $39.99? Does anyone expect to find Halo for $39.99 next week?

Now, some of the lesser known titles, and some PC titles (EQ II comes to mind) go on sale immediately. But then, in general, these aren't the games where you're going to walk into EB and they're going to tell you that all their copies have already been pre-ordered and it'll be a few days before they have general release copies in, which is what all the consternation is about every time this thread pops up.

[Jazar]

Besides if you find it cheaper elsewhere you could always get your money back from the preorder.

[Supertanker]

So, my Collector's Edition came from MTV.com today after all. They probably shipped it yesterday to get here today by UPS Ground. I preordered it in August with no money down, free shipping, and a discount coupon. EB can really bite me now.

[GregB]

It's not like you're saving money by going across the street to Best Buy, and it's not like you weren't sure that you wanted the game since you fully intended to go pick it up wherever it was in stock the day it was out.


This is true. I am saving a lot of hassle by going over to Best Buy though. My point was, what's with the smug attitude at EB, Gamestop, et al? You go in there and they make it sound like it's going to be sold out everywhere in the country and the ONLY way you're going to get the game is to pre-order. I know it's a sales tactic, but at one time it was probably true. That's just not the case anymore.

[Mike Hussey]

I mean, this isn't like X2: The Threat, which EB is selling used for the full price because of its rarity.

Really? I picked it up here in the UK last week for around 33% of the initial retail price. Was the distribution in the US particularly bad?

[mouselock]

My point was, what's with the smug attitude at EB, Gamestop, et al? You go in there and they make it sound like it's going to be sold out everywhere in the country and the ONLY way you're going to get the game is to pre-order. I know it's a sales tactic, but at one time it was probably true. That's just not the case anymore.

Well, my point is the smug attitude is people-centric, not store-centric. It's like me claiming that all the people who work at Best Buy are slack-jawed, gum-chomping morons because the people who work at mine are. FWIW, the folks at my local EB aren't smug. At worst, they tell you the truth "We have tons of preorders on this, if you don't pre-order you probably won't get it for a while."

Now, whether they mean "If you don't pre-order from us, then you'll never see it, because everyone else in town will be sold out of it." or "If you don't pre-order, you won't be able to come in here and get it, because all of our stock will be tied up." is up to interpretation I guess. It'd be pretty poor business sense for them to say "Hey, if you don't pre-order from us, you won't be able to get it here from us in the first week, but that's okay because I'm sure Best Buy will have stacks and stacks."

They want you to pre-order. It makes their life easier. It makes your life easier. It guarantees that if you want the game they'll have a copy for you. Maybe the folks in your local EB are just inherently jerks, but I'm willing to bet that some of the people who come here and complain somehow think that the above exchange implies condescension, when all it implies is an opportunity to complete a business transaction.

[Rob_Merritt]

The funny thing about this thread, we have a bunch of people saying basically "screw EB and Gamestop. Just go to best buy".
Yet in another thread, on this same board, with many of the same users we have this thread:
http://www.quartertothree.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=14900

[Jason McMaster]

Well, I'm one of the customers they like at BB.

[Jeremy Johnsen]

So, my Collector's Edition came from MTV.com today after all. They probably shipped it yesterday to get here today by UPS Ground. I preordered it in August with no money down, free shipping, and a discount coupon. EB can really bite me now.

MTV sells games? What even made you think of going there to get Halo? That would have been the last place I would have thought to look for a good deal on Halo.

[Supertanker]

I never would have thought to go to MTV.com either, but I'm pleasantly surprised. It was a deal posted on one of the game deal sites, I think it was www.vgtalk.com or www.cheapassgamer.com

[mutt]

Well, I'm one of the customers they like at BB.

Me, too. I don't get the controversy. All they're doing is trying to weed out the "game players" (not as in us, but as in those who play games with the system for profit).

[Shadarr]

Incidentally, I'm not pissed at EB about it, since I almost never buy a game the first day it comes out; I'm just mystified by their pre-order policy

What's to be mystified about? They have limited space for inventory, and the people who reserved get first crack. Seriously, how many copies could a typical EB physically fit at one time? Halo 2 had 1.5 million preorders ferchrissake.

Also, I don't think you can call it a policy. Unless someone who works at EB can tell us that they intentionally only bring in enough copies to satisfy preorders, it isn't a policy. They can only have so many copies at a time, and for popular games those will all be reserved. For something like Donkey Konga, you probably could walk up on release day and get a copy.

[DaveC]

I never would have thought to go to MTV.com either, but I'm pleasantly surprised. It was a deal posted on one of the game deal sites, I think it was www.vgtalk.com or www.cheapassgamer.com

Someone needs to start a mail order game company like this in Canada.

[mutt]

With regard to Halo2, in case people here aren't aware of the numbers involved:

"In addition to around 1.5 million pre-sold units, Microsoft's Moore said one retailer sold 8,500 units in the first 11 minutes of sales, while another sold 200,000 units by daybreak Tuesday."

http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,65656,00.html?tw=wn_tophead_10