EA and street dates

[zztrainv2]

It really is funny how EA pretends to care about street dates. Each year we go through the same thing of searching out small stores, dealing with people are won't risk breaking street date, etc.

But the thing is, does EA really care about their street dates? I believe that they do not. Sure they have to have them to give their vendors the appearance of a level playing field, but beyond that?

Case and point. Last year Madden 2010 was released on a Friday but the shipments went out as if the game was being released on the Tuesday before. This led to me and many others getting the game 8-9 days (Wed-Thurs)in advance of the Friday release. Anyway, I sign online and what do you think that I saw

1) The EA servers are down, please try back on the official release date
2) You have been banned from online play due to breaking EA's street date
3) An EA representative will be contacting you to determine how you acquired this game
4) No message at all
5) Congratulations on scoring an early copy of Madden 2010


If you guessed 1-4, you would be wrong.


What does that tell you?

[PhantomLord]

Quote: Originally Posted by zztrainv2

If you guessed 1-4, you would be wrong. What does that tell you?

It tells me that you are exactly right. I've never understood why companies are so damn stringent on release dates – it's a goddamn video game. If the store gets it in, they should be able to sell it, not let it waste space in their warehouse (or wherever they store stuff).

Especially when a company so clearly doesn't care, and instead salutes people who get the game early. Why are you shipping the game out weeks in advance, anyway, if you don't want it sold until a specific date later?

[TracerBullet]

I know they actually wanted you online early on Madden last year so they didn't care. They had publicly stated they wanted to test their servers before they got hammered on the actual release date. When it comes to their other games I wouldn't know.

[RamblinWreck21]

Quote: Originally Posted by PhantomLord

It tells me that you are exactly right. I've never understood why companies are so damn stringent on release dates – it's a goddamn video game. If the store gets it in, they should be able to sell it, not let it waste space in their warehouse (or wherever they store stuff). Especially when a company so clearly doesn't care, and instead salutes people who get the game early. Why are you shipping the game out weeks in advance, anyway, if you don't want it sold until a specific date later?

Well one reason they ship it so early is just in case there is a problem,they have plenty of time to re-ship and arrive on the right date.

[PhantomLord]

Quote: Originally Posted by RamblinWreck21

Well one reason they ship it so early is just in case there is a problem,they have plenty of time to re-ship and arrive on the right date.

Yeah, that completely doesn't apply here. At all.

Shipping early in case their is a problem usually involves winter weather – you need to ship a few days earlier to give the carrier extra time to get the game there.

There's no possible reason they would need to ship one or two weeks early in the middle of summer. None that I can think of, at least. Didn't Haumiller state that this game went Gold on June 1? If that's the case, why is it 6 weeks before it comes out? What possible use is there in holding it? I understand the 4 weeks before going gold and shipping –*you have to actually produce the copies and get them boxed and sent out –*but the extra 2 weeks is stupid.

I get why their are street dates. I really do. I just don't understand why some company doesn't buck the trend and hopefully change it. Sure, it builds hype. But it's also stupid.

[Solidice]

Quote: Originally Posted by PhantomLord

Yeah, that completely doesn't apply here. At all. Shipping early in case their is a problem usually involves winter weather – you need to ship a few days earlier to give the carrier extra time to get the game there. There's no possible reason they would need to ship one or two weeks early in the middle of summer. None that I can think of, at least. Didn't Haumiller state that this game went Gold on June 1? If that's the case, why is it 6 weeks before it comes out? What possible use is there in holding it? I understand the 4 weeks before going gold and shipping –*you have to actually produce the copies and get them boxed and sent out –*but the extra 2 weeks is stupid. I get why their are street dates. I really do. I just don't understand why some company doesn't buck the trend and hopefully change it. Sure, it builds hype. But it's also stupid.

the game was completed June 1st, but it wasn't ready to be release then. it still had to be sent to MS/Sony to pass certification(which can take 1-3 weeks depending on how backed up they are) before being pressed on disc and sent out.

this is common with most video games.

[nuckles2k2]

As far as I know, major chains are the only ones who can be penalized for breaking a street date (probably through litigation since it's a contract) but there's no way for EA to sign a contract with each individual independently owned store out there, so as far as I know they're not held to the street date.

Back in the day I was thinking maybe distributors have that same contract with EA and they hold their clients to the same rules, but I've spoken to a video game distributor here in NYC and I have the application to open an account with them and everything and there's nothing anywhere about street dates.

[dreezymac]

Technically stores dont get the titles "early". They cant possibly wait til the release date to receive the game or there's always a chance they might not have it in time.

There are street dates with games for the same reason anything else has street dates basically so they can keep tabs on sales numbers and consumer interest.