Early Retail Release in Your Area?

Here's and idea for everyone - buy it @ eb or gamestop, but dont open it and save it as a back up just incase the servers cant handle everyone trying to buy it. I know A lot of eb and gamestop stores are selling it tomorrow. Least thats what im gonna do. If the servers hold up, then return your game to the store.

Thanks a lot for the answers, guys. Again, this thread is in no way intended to cause alarm, we're just curious about where the game is being sold. (We generally also put up a thread in which any unfortunate souls can report places where the game did not appear on shelves on the hoped-for date.)

Many stores will have the game in stock on the 29th, it appears. Marvelous! Remember, you can log into the join screen and download any additional content that you do not have, if you wish to do so. This tip is helpful for those on dial-up.

I got a note from Mike O'Brien tonight and the PlayNC team has been taking additional steps to assure a smooth launch, even while we're keenly aware that the store will be heavily visited in the hours around Midnight on Friday. I did post some potentially-helpful info about making purchases through PlayNC or the In-Game Store. Let me link that.

We'll see you at 12:01 AM Pacific time, or whenever it's convenient for you afterwards! /wave

I received a call earlier from Gamestop saying GW:EotN is expected to arrive on the 28th before noon.

I received a payment request for my pre/ordered GW:EN box last sunday evening. I made the bank transfer and I hope the game will ship to me this week.

<Dutch web shop>

Quite the opposite for me, my order has been delayed. Estimated dispatch date is now 31/8 to the 1/9. If I'm lucky it will turn up Saturday, if not then it will arrive Monday.


Amazon blamed Anet as well lol saying they moved back the release date.

Delivered this morning by post, with localized booklet and whatnot. Considering that i got preorder key without paying any money front up, high five to my chosen store.

That kind of customer service just beats any eshop.

Got a copy at 11am from my local store. Appears they had got the delivery two days ago on the 27th and have been selling them since. lol.

Bought it today (wednesday) from Free Record Shop (Netherlands).

I haven't visited the store yet, but last night I got an auto-call from the Gamestop I pre-ordered at saying that it would be in store by today (Wednesday) at noon. Whether that holds true, I don't know if I'll be able to find out, since I may not get up there tonight. If I do, I'll post back.

I looked for it today at three different stores with no luck. Oh well.....

Well that's Amazon for you. The good thing tho is that if you call and bitch (soon to be an outlawed word in NYC if the idiots have their way.), they usually do same day shipping or something to make up for it. Although, I'm not ordering from amazon anymore until they stop selling dog/chicken/name one, animal fighting magazines, books and what not.

I live in Malta (europe) and there's no chance on earth that I will have it early.

That's why i'm gonna get it from the online store

When 12:01 comes, and the servers crash at 12:02, prepare for the biggests flame spike, with all the RED ENGINE GORE pressure directed directly at A-net. I suspect that this will be a bigger flop than the Hall of Monuments.




Edit: Just thought of something, the preview event started 30 mins early, same as nightfall. Watch this happen again, and the online store not update to sell the full version. Another potiential problem that may have been overlooked. well everyone prepare your flame sticks.

Odd that, Amazon shipped my extra copy (second account) out this morning...will be here tomorrow.

One of the best places on Earth...just a little jealus here...

Got mine today from EB Games...to me, the clerk said not until tomorrow, so I sent in my pregnant wife....soooooo got the game.

Called my EBGames. They said they are expecting it on their shipment this afternoon.

Now I'm torn. Go buy the game and be guaranteed I can play it at when the servers go live on Friday, or risk buying it in the ingame store (praying to the Dwayna that the store servers dont crash) and getting the extra content in November.

I've gotten my copy from dynabyte (online dutch webshop) and it just came in today

Got the call today, went and picked up my pre-order at EBGames, added the key to my account and struggling to get this map folded back up.

Got it, entered the key, and I have to say I ran into the most unfriendly clerk I ever met at my local EB games. All the people I used to know are gone, and have been replaced with Gamestop employees. Anyways all I have to do now is wait till Friday and I am officially checked into EotN.

It’s odd that effigy Charr thing appeared again in the inside flap of the box.

I'm not trying to be delibrately obtuse, but has Anet actually been cracking down on retailers? What I mean is have they been telling them, "Do not sell this game until 12.01 PST"? 5pm on the east coast of Australia is hardly the best time to release/buy a game (shops being shut and all) but it IS a good time to be gaming. To be perfectly honest I don't care for the 1 hour drive the next morning either. Yes, silly me ordered from a store near work believing I'd be able to collect the game on Friday during business hours...

Now that I've had my whine, and I'm allowed one every now and then:

I understand the reasons why Anet wouldn't want the game on sale before the servers go live, but the fact of the matter is that it is common for retailers to try and get rid of their pre-orders as soon as possible. Take EB in Australia, pre-orders are only held for 12-48 hours (store dependent) after DELIVERY. In theory what this means is that if EB got them in yesterday, which I fairly sure they didn't - it's Australia afterall, then by Friday the store is legally free to sell them to any customer that walks in. They recognise that this is bad for business because if they get a glut of "public sales" those who come late to pick up their orders miss out, and if they don't sell the "preordered copies" when a customer walks in waving cash their way, they might miss out on a sale - since pre-orders are completely cancellable. They can't win either way. Unless there is a law suit being waved in their face they try to off-load the ordered copies before shelf date to avoid this. I remember when I got Nightfall they were explicitly telling everyone that the game would NOT be playable until the release date - and to check the website. They seem to believe that this is enough to protect them from the ACCC, and to be honest I've yet to hear a complaint made to them, which is where the complaint should be made initially if Australians have a problem with a product. In the case of a game being "released" early, it is not the problem of the publisher if it doesn't work as advertised, but of the RETAILER for selling a faulty product. Returns policies say that if the product is truly faulty it should be returned to the manufacturer and replaced, but the chain of supply and dealings is clearly customer -> retailer -> publisher/manufacterer.

So why not buy from the online store... Well if it wasn't the release of the game, and if the game wasn't live immediately I would. But players want to play IMMEDIATELY. Players also want that bonus pack. The store is going to be a mess for me. It's a reality of living so far away from the servers - 500 is a normal ping for me and I'm on a high speed connection. My client WILL crash, it WILL timeout. This is a certainty. I had my client up all day to download the preview material, it still took me 2 hours and 4 crashes to get to the Far Shiverpeaks. Is it Anet's problem? No, they are not directly causing it. The high speed infrastructure in Australia is... not too good, and it is owned by a company that couldn't care less about anyone who chooses to use an ISP that is cheaper and has better customer service than they do. The reality is that, for some of us, the online store is not an option during "peak times". Playing can be bad enough during "peak times". Being able to have the key on our account before hand eases concern about the system (client) crashing out WHILE we are entering the key and subsequently causing problems that take 3 days for support to solve. This isn't negativity, it isn't fear mongering, it's experience and the function of living where I do. People on good connections close to the servers problably won't have any of the same problems I do.

Gaile, what I'm trying to say is that for people like me there is next to no chance of us buying in the ingame store unless you offically set the release date in our area a week later to the rest of the world - and enforce it in the ingame store. By coming down hard on retailers not to release the game until the servers go live compounds the problems we already have living with problematic high speed infrastructure so very far away from the nearest server.

I play Guild Wars because after 2 and an half years I still enjoy it. Waiting is not going to change that, but the frustration and panic of experiencing a crash or a timeout during a credit card transaction and the subsequent difficulty of trying to play with friends and guildmates so far ahead of me adds to the negatives of online gaming. PuGs I hate to say it, is the largest

Is it Anet's fault? NO. But they are in a position to be able to ease the pain and panic slightly. What can only be described as a "witch hunt" no matter how well intentioned is only going to (maybe is already) make matters worse.

Got GWEN today at gamestop. Downloading all the files now.

Got the automated message from Gamestop last night and picked up my 2 copies today. I'm so ready to go.

GWEN has no official street date, so EBX or any other retailler can sell the hard copies at any time inventory comes in. However, content access is still restricted until 08/31/2007 12:00AM PDT.

EB in Western Australia lets me pick up my games before the official release date............with exception of GW.

Figured you'd like to know, Gaile, that when I picked up my copy of GW:EN the people at Gamestop conveniently reminded me that I can't play it until Friday when the servers go live. Should save you a few emails if everyone does this.

Yep same here, got the automated message yesterday from Gamestop, said i could pick it up today. Was to busy today so ill be grabbing it tomorrow.

is it just me or does it seem like more stores than normal are releasing the game early...week ago...2 days early? before these were exceptions...and at least one person claimed they bought it from a target and that it was being sold because they received it without a street date.

If that's the case I see no reason at all why Anet can't let it's ONLINE customers buy the game prior to release when you are controlling access through the servers. That's the way it should be...forget the legal crap...stores obviously don't give a crap or you've shipped them without street dates giving them clearance to put it out whenever.

I'm tired of this crap...you put up a promotion but you force us to wait till after just about everyone buying it in a retail store has it in their hands.

Thunder, I don't know how consumer laws work in the US or Canada, but as I said in my post earlier legal considerations start from consumer and then go to the retailer. The RETAILER is liable in Australia for replacing malfunctioning or misadvertised equipment. There was a case with the ACCC regarding Apple's iPods about 2 years back when a famous retail chain refused to replace or refund "lemons". By lemons I mean dead basically straight out of the box.

Now if the product was also misadvertised to the retailer or DOA then the retailer takes the product back to the manufacturer who is obliged to replace it or refund it. Anet are basically "selling off the shop floor". This places full legal responsibility on them. The biggest issue I see is whether or not refunds are even possible. Electronic transactions are easily reversible, but can Anet remove a key from an account?

i was at Target 1 hour ago , and They had the real copy of EOTN .... there was 4 boxes left

Gamestop in Bellevue, WA (Crossroads) sold me my three today. Yay!

I ordered from Gameplay in the UK and they sent it out yesterday, meaning I should receive it this morning. Not really being sold early though, just being sent out so that people recieve it on Friday (or Thursday which is usually the case).

EB games in QLD Australia has just confirmed there copies will be delayed atleast a day. They claim its ok though because servers don't go live until midway thru the night anyway...


I'm still trying to find out if its a Anet delivery side fault or a EB roll out delay... So far it appears to be EB side roll out delay!

My Western Australian Retailer just told me that Eotn will most likely not reach them for distribution on the day of release. Nomally I would be screaming like my 3yr son, but ive got a new edition to our family and will be spending most the day with her.




Would love to see a Aussie only minipet for this annoyance






jokes.

Wouldn't be the first time Oz got a chapter late. But this time it appears to be a EB side issue. Or atleast there claiming it to be.

Well when I do get a chance to play ill be hearing from my dutch friends on ts and in game about how good Eotn is.Funny thing is they are pro pvp and anti pve so ill have plenty of ammo.

The Local stores over here will be getting the game on Sunday and will be selling it starting from Monday

(Almost makes me want to buy online - but I want the lovely box along with the game )

Is it just me or does someone not understand how long things take to get to Australia and New Zealand? How long things take to TRUCK around it? No retailer pays for air freight unless their lives depend on it and Australia is a BIG country.



We went through this with Nightfall's release. We had a nice little thread trying to get Anet/NCSoft to see that shipping the games 3 days before release will not get it into Australian and New Zealand stores on time - it needs a minimum of a WEEK because I doubt they send it priority freight. It seemed to get results. Is really the only way we can get our games on time to whinge endlessly about it?

I just bought my copy @ Free Record Shop here in The Netherlands, the salesman did point out that i'd have to wait till tommorrow morning to play the game (Though of course i knew that )

id love to find where you got your information of australia having advanced copies? NOT ONE COPY will be available australia wide till monday due to shipping delays. thanks GW for caring about aussies.

and before you all go nuts and say buy online, last time i purchased extra accounts in the online shop, i lost 90% of my ingame items due to hackers, so, no thank you to having that happen a second time.

Release the game early on shelf, and have the staff in store do their job and advise customers that the game isnt accessbile till a certain time....it isnt hard....all stores here do that.

so, now something ive been looking forward too for a while, i cant access for 3 more days, if im lucky and they end up getting stuff shipped on time.

thanks anet.

just got gwen in the post this morning!

drive me to town, and buy me it from shop.... googoog