Could everyone please give a round of applause to CNA for breaking a street date on an important title yet again.
News came in yesterday via the Prophecy forums when forum member “Thrawn” posted that while out having dinner with his fiancee at Centurion Mall, they wondered into the local CNA only to find Gears of War 2 sitting on the shelves.
Is it really that difficult to keep a couple of games in a storeroom until the release date. I can understand that mistakes happen but why does it always turn out to be CNA? Are they doing it on purpose or are the staff really just incapable of understanding how street dates work.
All I know is that Microsoft should lay down a hefty fine on them to teach them a lesson. For all of you that are already halfway out the door, the forum member reckons that the game will probably be off the shelves by 10:00 – 10:30AM so don’t get your hopes up.
Source: Prophecy Forums
[Thanks Poddle for the tip] [Ed: For all those who say we shouldn’t complain just keep in mind that this sort of thing just makes the international developers skip us on launch day as they don’t want the launch ruined]Last Updated: November 5, 2008
ewie
November 5, 2008 at 13:03
they not the only ones –
Oversees 7-11 as well –
http://www.gamegirl.com/article/104811/7-11s-break-the-gears-of-war-2-street-date/
Kale
November 5, 2008 at 13:08
Seems like a money making scheme to me. If CNA is the only store selling the title people who can’t wait for the title will clammer to but it.
Just another case of one ruining it for the rest…
Stavey
November 5, 2008 at 13:12
The offending CNA has halted it sales of Gears of War 2. The lady at the Interactive section was quite adament that she would only sell it to me on Friday. So the Distributors probably brought down the ban hammer.
Thrawn
November 5, 2008 at 13:13
Well, neither I nor my friend will be playing it until Friday (or, if I must give in to the tempation, Thursday evening.)
Still, it does provide proof that CNA are massively incompetent. By just playing it smooth and feigning ignorance, you can walk out with a copy of GoW2 since someone forgot to read the instructions that (I assume) came with the box the damn things were packed in.
No CE’s were on display, though.
StNick
November 5, 2008 at 13:13
Wait a second… Remind me why breaking the street dates is a BAD thing for us consumers?
Fudzy
November 5, 2008 at 13:14
Seriously, why is this such an issue?
Vaughn
November 5, 2008 at 13:18
International developers notice us? I had a pirate copy of Far Cry 2 four days before my legal copy was available from BTGames.
It doesn’t make them skip us, it makes them skip CNA.
Chunkyfeather
November 5, 2008 at 13:19
I dont see what the issue is either. Once it goes to logistics, the game is ready for sale, so seel it already. Yeeehaaa!
ewie
November 5, 2008 at 13:24
Release dates in future might be moved back a few days for south Africa, E.g America and Europe get it day 1 we get it day 7.
ewie
November 5, 2008 at 13:25
this might be true at the moment – but if it happen more and more, it might just mean later release dates for us. ^^^
LazySAGamer
November 5, 2008 at 13:28
as mentioned, it means that we could well have future releases delayed.
Vaughn
November 5, 2008 at 13:56
We already have late release dates. The market here is too small for them to care.
Jonni
November 5, 2008 at 14:00
What a load! More people will now go and buy this game at CNA just because they were made aware by this article. Well done lazygamer.co.za!
The only issue here is other retailers having their preorders cancelled because of CNA, but once again, if no one rants that someone else got it early from a certain store, then it won’t be an issue. The reason it becomes an issue is because people think they are helping by posting the culprit on the internet, meanwhile they are actually causing the problem. personally I think the problem is pretty small and not worth getting worked up about and as for us getting games later because of this: Bollocks! We wish we where that big that we even made a blip on the worldwide sales radar, but in reality its not even worth anyones time except MIDigital to follow this up as CNA are playing unfair and messing with their other honest customers.
kabraal
November 5, 2008 at 14:21
So far as we know, it’s one CNA that packed out the game to early. Knowing CNA, it probably only had 3 copies. Look I get the principle, but it’s not like CNA had their own massive simultaneous GoW2 release fest yesterday. So I don’t really see what all the crying is about developers boycotting launch events here.
Besides, we get most games/technology late anyway. If they are bad ass enough move our launch days seven days later because one CNA mistakenly packed out 3 copies of a game here and there (which I highly doubt), so be it. Hardly something to run for the hills and jump off a cliff.
koldFU5iON
November 5, 2008 at 14:23
wow you guys can change a tune quickly, in anycase Lazy’s team did no injustice by revealing CNA as a culprit and I can assure you every measure is taken to get the stock removed once they’ve been revealed, and besides as lazy suggested this has already been on the forums (prophecy and xbox-360) for the entire morning.
So yes, well done LazyGamer.co.za on reporting on the happenings around SA.
@vaughn, you seem to be proud of having pirated copies I’d watch what you say cause there are people with plenty of influence browsing the forums, thanks for the link to your blog I’m sure we’ll be in contact.
also for those of you who think that international publishers don’t watch our local community you’d be sorely mistaken to believe so, while our numbers are small all distributors had over many links to websites such as these so that they can review the site themselves to decide on what the market is like here, you need to remember that each publisher has an Emerging Markets division which looks closely out our territories and not the major ones.
Syph1n
November 5, 2008 at 14:38
@Vaughn- Pwned!!!
At koldfusion – couldnt have said it better myself..
Paradox
November 5, 2008 at 14:53
@ Vaughn you n00b!
ewie
November 5, 2008 at 14:53
No so we get it the same time as europe.
Jonni
November 5, 2008 at 15:14
Acually I was just at CNA and the copies are still available, so there goes your theory out the window! How many people have bought since lazy put the article up?
Milesh Bhana ZA
November 5, 2008 at 15:27
“while our numbers are small all distributors had over many links to websites such as these so that they can review the site themselves to decide on what the market is like here, you need to remember that each publisher has an Emerging Markets division which looks closely out our territories and not the major ones.”
yeah, they’re watching soooo much that they keep forgetting to support out freakin’ locale on XBL. I mean seriously, the 360 is 3 years old, and they still haven’t made a plan to help us pay in our own currency.
If anything we deserve to have our games earlier than everyone else as SA is probably the most enthusiatic Emerging Market 🙂
…or not. I didn’t cancel my pre-order. CNA r expensive.
Dev
November 5, 2008 at 15:34
The article states that the game will be taken off the shelves by 10:30 and the article itself was posted at 12:46 so how is lazygamer adding to the problem.
Jonni
November 5, 2008 at 15:58
Also if what Kold says is true then WTF did lazygamer publish the article? So now all the distributors are gonna look at lazygamer site and see how kak our market is? But anyway I seriously don’t think thats the case as overseas is much worse than here at breaking release dates and no huge hullabaloo is made there on how some distributor will not support them now. We definitely overinflate the issue here in SA.
Wesley
November 5, 2008 at 15:59
no offence but they allready delayed Guitar Hero World Tour and before that Rockband i had myne on pre-order back in April and im still waiting 😐
Heck makes the antisipation more exciting. And plus they are probably making a world wide release to keep up with figures to compete with Resistance 2
Wesley
November 5, 2008 at 16:01
must be a b#tch buying it and going on Xbox live later just to get banned hahahaha
Wesley
November 5, 2008 at 16:02
Vaughn quickly say you made a copy of your original then its not illigal lol
Vaughn
November 5, 2008 at 16:07
Did you miss the part where I said I preordered the game? If they can’t get my legal copy to me on time then I’ll use a pirate copy while I wait.
Worrying about publishers punishing us for broken street dates when we get releases a week late is pointless.
Jonni
November 5, 2008 at 16:12
I was at CNA after the article was published and there were copies still available. That was at about 3. I bet they are still available.
DarkOcean
November 5, 2008 at 16:20
Um the last I checked Far Cry 2 was launched at the same time as the european release which was the 24th of Oct.
Vaughn
November 5, 2008 at 16:27
Really? I was looking at the US 21st release then. Well, guess they screwed Europe and SA.
gazza
November 5, 2008 at 16:28
Also South Africa has one of the biggest emerging gaming markets in the world
Stavey
November 5, 2008 at 16:34
@Vaughn you noob
gazza
November 5, 2008 at 16:34
Lazygamer is a news site, this story is gaming news hence it’s reported on the site. Rather simple really.
ArchieTheBastard
November 5, 2008 at 16:35
@Vaughn you noob
Jonni
November 5, 2008 at 16:39
The point is if it stuffs up our gaming community then rather don’t publish something like this – even more simple
The story is not really news, its just burning CNA, there is a big difference. if you want to be called a news site then you have to be professional in the way you report it.
DarkOcean
November 5, 2008 at 16:43
yep Vaughn you n00b LOL
koldFU5iON
November 5, 2008 at 16:44
Sorry Vaughn the community has spoken… n00b 😆
Nick
November 5, 2008 at 16:48
Yes but they should be burned for failing to stick to the rules. Don’t you think that other smaller retailers are upset by the fact that places like CNA are getting boosted sales? Its not fair on those who play nice.
Krypty
November 5, 2008 at 16:57
@ Vaughn you nooblet*
*nooblet:
1. A young noob
2. People that are more immature than the average noobs.
3. An extreme noob
Vaughn
November 5, 2008 at 16:58
The data I’ve seen say India and China are the biggest emerging markets. Where did you see SA?
bokka1
November 5, 2008 at 17:33
noob
Bm
November 5, 2008 at 17:42
+1 for starting a “pulling a Vaughn” meme
ewie
November 5, 2008 at 19:01
Vaughn nooblet.
ewie
November 5, 2008 at 19:02
I also had someone on my friends lst playing gears last week-
easiest delete friend i had to do.
Fudzy
November 5, 2008 at 22:25
Well aren’t you fickle.
Wayne
November 6, 2008 at 06:47
I work at a gaming retail store, and if i notice other stores breaking street dates i REPORT them. I could not care what others say it is illegal to break street date and making things harder for us here to get games released on time. To all those that have had illegal copies of geras before release i hope ya console dies a million times over, cause i can assure you the true gamers who collect there copy on release will enjoy it far better than the winging piraters.
kabraal
November 6, 2008 at 06:50
Where’s your evidence they got boosted sales from this? For all we know, they sold 3 copies. God…
Gamers Hub
November 6, 2008 at 07:06
Maybe at the grand old age of 28, I’m getting a little old (and ‘out the loop’) but I have to admit that its a little disappointing that consumers have such a careless attituted toward intellectual property and simple things like release dates.
Yeah of course a consumer wants to see the games early and get their hands on them as soon as possible but if you were on the other side of the coin as the developer – you want some hype around your game and that whole sense of expectation…
It IS a big deal when somebody breaks an embargo, leaks something to the media or simply breaks your release date.
Hopefully South African retailers are made aware of it and they get hauled over the coals. They must toe the line
LazySAGamer
November 6, 2008 at 08:10
Absolutely….. except leaking to the media is obviously exempt from this. We like leaks 😉
Wesley
November 6, 2008 at 08:13
okaya okay enough of the noobs lol lets get back to discussing games lol and it be obvious that the US version will be first seeing it beeing a ntsc format and not the european Pal version one would thought thats obvious
Wesley
November 6, 2008 at 08:14
seeing you having Xbox live how does one go applying for it using an overseas server im curious?
Wesley
November 6, 2008 at 08:20
Wel we have to keep into consideration we might not be the only country breaking street dates. Like for example…I saw James Bond Qantum Of Solance on shelfs and isnt that to be released after the movie or at the same time… Im sure i read that some where…
Wesley
November 6, 2008 at 08:22
Delayed or not we will get it eventaully.
LazySAGamer
November 6, 2008 at 09:49
but not entirely true.
Alone in the Dark was released in PAL regions first…
ewie
November 6, 2008 at 10:11
http://www.xbox-360.co.za/forum/xbox-live-specific-topics/638-connecting-xbox-live-sa-faq.html
have a look, you just register as a us or uk account, buy your points oversees from ebay or microsoftpoints and live you are.
Wesley
November 6, 2008 at 11:12
not to mention released with all the bugs aswel. hopefully the new limited edition sorted that out
Shaun
November 27, 2008 at 09:06
Hi guys I really love the site, It’s my first time I am visiting but definitely not my last keep up the good work. Just a quick comment on the CNA story, there are guys in Edenvale called Planet Gaming and they have new games to but they don’t charge the prices other people do? They are a lot cheaper than most other shops.