Curious about why Gamestop has the game but just can't sell it yet...

[TJdaSportsGuy]

Quote: Originally Posted by Husker_OS

Guys EA ships these things out early for a reason. They want the store to be able to unpack them and log them into their system to be ready for sale PRIOR to the release date. If the stores got these in the day before release, it'd be a cluster at the stores.

Not buying that answer. The GameStops and EB Games of the world used to sell these games as soon as they came in. I remember. I was there quite a few times when the UPS man brought the games in in the morning.

I'm telling you...EA has changed the video game industry in so many more ways than people realize. This "street date" business is just one of the ways.

[ODogg]

Quote: Originally Posted by Rainey

Shareholders do not go by just quarters. That is what he is saying. You understand the stock market correct? Any small bit of information can change a perception of a stock and then it can snowball into losses.

Yes true, but if anyone thinks stockholders are going to "panic" or sell stock because they see that some NCAA games sold earlier than the "official" release date of July 17th is simply grasping at straws. And this idea doesn't wash well either considering, as TJdaSportsGuy said, EBgames/Gamestop did sell it a few days earlier than other big chains for years and EA's stock was never trampled by this occurring.

The whole release date set in stone is not because of stock, it's to generate hype and ensure the consumer is aware of that one, specific day, ie like someone said, the movie event of the summer-except it's the game event of the summer. That sort of thing.

[countryboy]

I would love to give the reasons behind street dates but this thread is just too much fun to read.

and for the record... EB/Gamestop nor any other retailer selling the game have anything to do with street dates. Developers of the games, in this case EA, determine whether or not a game is street dated.

And one more thing, street dates are not ever going to put EB/Gamestop out of business. I understand that CC and BB may offer incentives for buying the game at their store on release day, but EB/Gamestop do a whole lot more for the consumer then any of those stores ever could.

[bkfount]

Quote: Originally Posted by countryboy

I understand that CC and BB may offer incentives for buying the game at their store on release day, but EB/Gamestop do a whole lot more for the consumer then any of those stores ever could.

$40 used games FTW!!

[Battle4MY]

Im a manager at Gamestop and I hate Street dates as much as you guys. If I break any street date I could lose my job. Also the constant battle between myself and irate customers that demand their game early gets really old and stressful. I want the game just as bad as you guys. lol

Hell I got yelled at by my District Manager today because I had the ps2 version on the big screen with the cpu playing. We're not even allowed to display game in any form except authorized promotional items.

Long story short.....street dates suck for EVERYONE.

[GatorBait]

Those who are saying projected sales is the reason are 100% correct. I'm a financial analyst and this stuff is pretty textbook, but you don't have to believe me if you don't want to.

[kodiak]

Quote: Originally Posted by GatorBait

Those who are saying projected sales is the reason are 100% correct. I'm a financial analyst and this stuff is pretty textbook, but you don't have to believe me if you don't want to.

Not 100% accurate. They already know the initial sales based on what each retailer ordered for the street date. So it does not matter if the game sells on Friday before street or the day of. The replenishment orders are not going to be done until after the street date. Granted some retailers can have it written into the purchase agreement that if x number of copies are still in inventory, then those retailers can return an agreed amount for credit on future orders. I said this two years ago when EA first used a hard street date and I will say it again. Wal-Mart, Best Buy, and the like threatened to not carry their product if a street date was not implemented. Those are two big giants that are often not ignored. I agree that they could have used the same measures that GS/EB did, but especially with Wal-Mart, they want all their products going to the different distro centers before making their way to individual stores. Whereas GS/EB would often have DM's/SM's drive to Louisville to pick it up on Monday and return ,so the game could be sold that evening.