Infinity Ward's Robert Bowling (aka FourZeroTwo) clarified the broken street date on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, saying via Twitter, "ANY store selling MW2 early is in violation of street date. There are no "special permissions." That said, we won't punish players for it."
We reported earlier that a select few stores had permission to sell the game. This is apparently not true. It's unclear whether Infinity Ward/Activision plans to take action against the stores that are violating the street date. As always, we'll keep you posted.
Update: GameStop made this announcement regarding the early sale of Modern Warfare 2:
This past weekend, GameStop made the decision to break street date and sell reserved copies of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 in select markets where other retailers had broken street date. Our decision followed many conversations with Activision and was an effort to protect our customer base.
[...] According to Infinity Ward, no stores have special permission. Read here. AKPC_IDS += [...]
Street dates are ridiculous. Once a retailer receives a game, then the game should be available for sale immediately rather than kept under lock and key just because the publisher wants to orchestrate a simultaneous launch.
If the publisher wants a simultaneous launch, work it out with shipping companies. That shouldn’t be the consumer’s problem, nor should it be the retailer’s problem. Ship it and be done with it.
I’ve been burned more than a few times by legitimately preordering a title (such as Borderlands last month) and having to wait until the “official” street date while other retailers seem to have no idea about or respect for street dates and start selling immediately.
Enough, already. If I have the money– or have already paid– for a game and you have it in stock, then sell it to me.
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Tyler Reply:
November 8th, 2009 at 4:46 PM
I agree wholeheartedly with you, Peter. The only way a publisher can avoid a street date from being broken is to simply not ship the game until it’s ready for release.
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Peter Skerritt Reply:
November 8th, 2009 at 4:49 PM
The problem is that the game is shipped and ready for release well in advance, but is withheld because the publisher wants to ensure that all retailers have it and are “ready” for the launch.
Again, that’s not the consumer’s problem. When you ship early, and when you expect retailers to basically sit on potential revenue because competitors may not have it yet is ludicrous.
Mason Reply:
November 9th, 2009 at 7:06 PM
You obviously dont know too much about logistics.
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Peter Skerritt Reply:
November 9th, 2009 at 7:15 PM
With all due respect, logistics aren’t my problem. Retailers receive and sell hundreds of new titles every year. For big launches, publishers need to formulate a different plan… ship titles either 2nd Day or Overnight to retailers, perhaps. As long as a retailer has a game sitting in stock and is unable to sell it, it’s a potential loss… and with multiple retailers and outlets breaking dates all the time, it sets an uneven– and unfair– playing field.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Brave New Gamer, Brave New Gamer. Brave New Gamer said: Retailers selling MW2 are in violation of street date. There are no "special permissions" according to @fourzerotwo – http://tiny.cc/Pem4e [...]
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At least they aren’t punishing players. Found that a bit surprising.
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Peter Skerritt Reply:
November 8th, 2009 at 7:18 PM
I am more surprised that IW didn’t decide on their to reset stats and leaderboards for midnight on the game’s release so that everyone would be on equal footing. Of course, I don’t expect them to do it now with negative sentiment growing on both sides of the fence… and IW and Activision really can’t win in this situation.
Granted, it’s not the player’s fault that they were able to buy the game early… so punishing them makes no sense.
Someone would probably sue, anyway. It’s the thing to do these days.
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[...] There are no "special permissions." That said, we won't punish players for it." IW Clarifies Broken Street Date on Modern Warfare 2 __________________ Proud PS3 Owner The Biggest Risk Is Not Taking [...]
There’s no way IW or Activision will take any action against one of the largest distribution outlets- Gamestop. That would be shooting yourself in the foot.
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Peter Skerritt Reply:
November 8th, 2009 at 9:16 PM
I understand the implication involved in fining or otherwise discipling GameStop, as I agree with you that their position within video game retail circles is huge.
That being said, if you can’t punish GameStop for breaking street dates– and therefore have no real way to enforce such a thing– why have them at all? Just sell the product as soon as it’s received, like you’re able to do for 90% of the other games received in a calendar year.
Cases like Modern Warfare 2 and Borderlands are higher profile cases, but draw attention to the lack of respect that retailers pay to publisher-set street dates.
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GameStop has made this statement:
“This past weekend, GameStop made the decision to break street date and sell reserved copies of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 in select markets where other retailers had broken street date. Our decision followed many conversations with Activision and was an effort to protect our customer base.”
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Peter Skerritt Reply:
November 8th, 2009 at 9:57 PM
Lots of “He said, he said” in this instance.
Nobody wins in this scenario.
The publisher and developer look bad because some got the game early and there’s not been a move to dismiss the street date. The retailers look bad because not only did a few break the firm date, but also those who are still sticking to the date because they are losing potential revenue and good faith among consumers who (rightfully) want their product now since it’s in stock now. The consumer loses because those who legitmately preordered the game through GameStop or another retailer that is honoring the street date must be inconvenienced by either having to wait to buy the game or buy demanding refunds to try and find other retailers who are not honoring the street date.
It’s another in a comedy of errors for Infinity Ward and Activision in terms of MW2. Between the terrorism scenario (voluntary or not), the F.A.G.S. viral video (which was in poor taste, joke or not), and now refusing to back down from a street date which has been broken at a growing number of retailers… it looks bad.
People are angry, and rightfully so.
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sigh.
why am i always the one to miss out?
i mean almost every single big name exclusive gets released early but my local stores always no matter what stick to the street date.
examples.
R2, little big planet, metal gear solid 4, ninja gaiden 2, killzone 2, infamous, uncharted 2, batman AA, the ps3 slim, ratchet and clank a crack in time, borderlands, modern warfare 2.
every single one of those has been reported to be released early, especially the ps3 slim and killzone 2.
but me, well i nagged and nagged like 20 stores around me and not 1 bugged.
rightfully so obviously, i would do the same thing, its just annoying always being the one left out :(
4 days ago there was 3 people on my friends list playing modern warfare 2, one of them said he got his copy early from EB merrylands so i went down and they would not sell me a copy till the 10th.
but with that said, gamestop better watch out you know what activision are like.
its not a matter of IF they take you to court its a matter of when.
those greedy money grubbing selfish bastards!
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Peter Skerritt Reply:
November 9th, 2009 at 1:37 AM
I feel your pain on retailers sticking to street dates, as I encounter the same thing here. I had to wait on Borderlands and Tekken 6 while other people got to play before me– despite my having totally paid off both games at least a week before release.
It’s frustrating. No two ways about it.
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name Reply:
November 9th, 2009 at 7:30 AM
really?
i was told tekken 6 was not street dated.
i went in on november 2nd and asked for R&C but could not buy it due to a 5th street date, and was offered tekken 6 or dragon age origins instead.
If the release date isn’t until 11/10 then people shouldn’t be able to get up their rank on the leaderboards until 11/10 even if they purchased it legally they can play single player and on-line but the leaderboards shouldn’t go active until the release date when everyone has the chance to buy the game.
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Peter Skerritt Reply:
November 9th, 2009 at 1:41 AM
I agree with you.
At the very least, Infinity Ward should have done a complete wipe of all ranks, stats, and perks prior to the game’s launch date. You could go a step further and suggest that IW should have also disabled all multiplayer servers for 5 days prior to the game’s release, too; that way, there isn’t much of an unfair advantage, aside from gameplay experience.
Unfortunately, I don’t see Infinity Ward taking any action… meaning that those who have been playing the game early will have better stats and perks than the rest of us just getting started. That’s just the way it is.
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