EB Games pre-order version?

I just got off the phone with my local EB Games. Here is the conversation that took place. Does this EB Games person know what she's talking about or is she clueless?

[EB Games] Hello, EB Games, where we now have Guild Wars available for PC.
[Me] Oh, good, that is just what I was calling about. I have some questions about Guild Wars. Do you have the retail or pre-order version?
[EB Games] I'm not sure, what's the difference?
[Me] Well, the pre-order version comes with a key so I could start playing today. The retail version does not allow you to play until tommorrow, the 28th.
[EB Games] Oh, we have the pre-order version then.
[Me] So I could pick up the game today and be playing it once I get home.
[EB Games] Absolutely.
[End of Conversation]

My guess is she's totally clueless, it's a little too late for pre-orders i think.

Sounds clueless. If she was told to say that Guild Wars is now available then that must mean the retail version. I don't know of any stores still willing to sell the preorders a day before the official release.

Clueless - Maybe. however she's not entirely wrong. If you bought the preorder today - ran home - and installed it you really could play to day and tomorrow. After that you will need the full retail package(key).

Doesn't the retail key come with the pre-order version? So I could play today and I would just have to enter a new key tommorrow?

Also why is it that retailers are not being informed that people who buy the game today will not be able to play until tommorrow if that is the case? That's like selling a product that doesn't work.

"Here's the keys to your new car you now OWN.. unfortunately the engine has been disabled until tommorrow so you won't be able to drive it."

Nope. The pre-order is a seperate boxed object with a startup disk, a poster, and a special code for beta (which includes a special pre-order item). The retail box has a manual, disks, a keyboard chart, and a code for just the retail version. My local EB probably will either throw away the leftovers after today or give them away if you pick up a copy of the game throught the weekend. That is what they normally do.

WooT! Just ran out to EB, and sure enough, they had a few pre-order packages left. I'll see you all in the game after work

not at all...a target in the same plaza as the ebgames that i picked up my pre-order today had a whole stack of $0.99 pre-order boxes.

as for the original post:

you didn't give us enough information to determine whether she's completely clueless or not.

If you weren't completely clueless, you'd have known that the preorder was a completely seperate box, and would have asked her to find those boxes that said PREORDER across the front, but since i'm sure you included the entire conversation here verbatum, you didn't ask her that so you have only given us enough information to determine that you are completely cluesless.

0,99 $ for pre-order?? ARGH, why does no shop in this friggin' place they call europe have that??

You know I almost put that in my original thread - is she clueless, am I clueless, or are we both clueless. I guess now we have the answer
.. and actually that conversation is pretty much word for word, so you can see how clueless we both really were