The Truth about Release Dates vs Actual Available Dates

I really don't understand the point of this. Best Buy, Gamespot, Gamestop, EBGames, Target, and Walmart all post a release date for any given game.

Some games have a "Street Date" given. When that occurs, most companies receive copies of the game prior to the date posted for release so they can have them on shelf the day they are supposed to be available.

However, most games aren't like that. It is because of this that it takes 1 day longer before the games are actually on the shelves.

Why don't the websites and companies push the release date to the ACTUAL date they are going to be available?

I just drove around town expecting Silent Hill V to be on the shelves. Gamespot claims 9/30 is the release date. It may be released to the retailers, but if you can't buy it until tomorrow, then it's not really a release date.

I get tired of wasting gas and time making a special trip just to find out this particular game wasn't given a "street date".

I hear ya, but at this point, you just shouldn't expect a game to be there on day 1 unless it is a game that has been sitting in the back for a long time, and only huge games like Gears of War 2 ever get that treatment.

What gets me though is WHY are games like that? I've never walked into Blockbuster on Tuesday only to hear their movies aren't coming on until Wednesday. Why can't video games be shipped with the same effeciency as everything else? Then again, tons of people still get tricked into thinking they need to preorder their video games, so you get what you deserve, eh?

Exactly. I mean it really doesn't bother me I have to wait 1 day more. It's just too many companies post release dates when they are incorrect as if it's a difficult thing to get right.

And you are absolutely right about movies. When a DVD says,"Ironman coming to DVD September 30" IT'S THERE. It's ready.

Just ship the stupid games all prior to release, put them on the shelves when you say they will be, and stop jerking people around. I don't care when the release date is, just make it accurate. It's not that tough.