I just called my 6th Gamestop/EBGames in my area (Ottawa) and EVERY SINGLE ONE has told me that they sold out of Fable II on launch day.
Ok, this seems a little suspicious to me. I got the whole "you better pre-order whatever you want between now and Christmas because otherwise you aren't going to get it" line. I just don't believe this.
I think that these shops are intentionally only purchasing pre-orders to punish walk-ins for not giving them $5 up front.
Game discs aren't a limited resource. Companies can pump out as many as they want. It makes no sense that every EBGames manager in a 10 mile radius of me is so inept as to forecast game sales, and as such make a legitimate decision as to how many copies to order.
Anyone else agree that these specialty retailers are screwing people over?
WillieBeamish
No, we want you to preorder so you don't come in and complain after the game comes out. That's the only reason clerks give you a hard time.
I've talked to fellow employees and they tell me candidly that they enjoy telling people the day after the game comes out and they wander into the store looking for it that they should have preordered it.
It's called the school of hard knocks. You can either join in or listen to the clerk.
Fact of the matter is that manufacturers create their allocation to a retailer based on preorders. After a point, they meet their allocation and have to change that. Sure, discs are a renewable resource, but you have to wait for the next shipment. Christmas is a difficult time for retailers to stay stocked. During summer, we have boatloads of software.
But, yeah, we're given hours based on how many preorders we sell and my boss bothers my constantly about not harassing people enough. I try to hold back, I really do. I don't like bothering people about it. If you want it, cool. If you don't, cool. Don't you dare complain when you walk into the store after the day it releases.
If you really want a deal, try preordering via Steam. They let you load it onto your PC the day you purchase it and activate it once it releases, plus they actually have $5 off deals pretty frequently for pre-order customers. And you'll be able to purchase it at any time, not having to wait for a physical copy to arrive at your favorite retailer.
Fact is, manufacturers are fickle and stop making product they don't think people want any more. When's the last time you say a brand new copy of Fable 1 in a game store?
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