release date vs ship date

[Dud]

Whenever a new game is about to come out there are always assheads saying that the release date is in fact this so-called "ship date" and that the game will come out the day after, but time after time that is never the case for me. I always stroll into whatever game store and pick up a copy on release day without even preordering.

NOW, I for one find it hard to believe that the manufacturer would be able to get the new game to every single store in the country in one day, nor would it be financially a good idea to pay for overnight delivery on such a large quantity of stock when they could just delay the release date a few days or ship the games early in time to meet the release deadline.

Here's how I always thought it worked, using next Tuesday as an example.

Monday June 13 - manufacturer ships games to major retailers

Thursday June 16 - most stores receive their shipments by this day

Tuesday June 21 - all stores put the game on the shelves simultaneously throughout the country

Can anyone who has worked retail before clarify this issue? My blood pressure goes up everytime I hear about this ridiculous "Ship-day" nonsense, and I want to know who is right.

 

[lordofduct]

Well, I am not positive about vid games, but if they work anything like movies (which I bet they do) it goes like this.

Product is shipped in advance.

Retailer gets said game prior to release date.

Retailer not allowed to place product on sale until release date!

I know that movies work this way because my roommate worked Blockbuster would bring home movies 2 days before release and we would watch them. Same thing is said by a few of my friends who worked at ToysRUs(where vid games work this way, but only case I know of so I cant verify all cases), Target and WalMart.

Also when I called EBX about my copy of Zelda, PDS, and Nintendo DS (most recent things I preordered). I would call day prior to release, and all threee times they said they were unboxing them at that time.

 

[Berserker]

From what I've gathered they have to get them in advance.

When I was out to get Metroid Fusion, I came a few days early and saw they were selling them before the release date. I asked why that was and the guy said "If another place starts selling them early, we're allowed to as well"

So be able to sell them early in the first place they have to get the product in advance. Simple.

 

[schi0249]

From experience (I managed a Game Stop and a Funcoland) this is how it goes. I will use your example.

Monday June 20 Manufacture ships game

Tuesday June 21 Store receives game, usually early in the morning

Yes, the games are Fed Ex overnight to the stores. This of course only applies to new, just released, merchandise. This is why many stores get the product at different times on the same day. When I managed, I would usually have Fed Ex at my door 30 minutes prior to open.

Now, when new systems or major games are released, they do usually arrive earlier but contain a street date. For example, we had PS2's a week before the release date; Dreamcast was something like 4 or 5 days. Overtime, I saw fewer games being shipped early; and it was usually Nintendo. For example, we got GT 3 and GTA 3 both arrived the night before release. However, Pokemon Gold and Silver arrived maybe 2 or 3 days early.

 

[Malakai]

I went to a local bestbuy store a few years back, and they had this shopping cart full of a bunch of copies of an XBOX game. I don't remember that title but knew it at the time, and it was there like three days before the release date of the game. I'm not sure if they would have sold them, but I'm guessing they would have, considering the games were right in front of the xbox games section.

So, I'm guessing they do ship early to some stores.

 

[Dud]

Originally posted by schi0249@Wed, 2005-06-15 @ 10:25 AM

From experience (I managed a Game Stop and a Funcoland) this is how it goes. I will use your example.

Monday June 20 Manufacture ships game

Tuesday June 21 Store receives game, usually early in the morning

Yes, the games are Fed Ex overnight to the stores. This of course only applies to new, just released, merchandise. This is why many stores get the product at different times on the same day. When I managed, I would usually have Fed Ex at my door 30 minutes prior to open.

Now, when new systems or major games are released, they do usually arrive earlier but contain a street date. For example, we had PS2's a week before the release date; Dreamcast was something like 4 or 5 days. Overtime, I saw fewer games being shipped early; and it was usually Nintendo. For example, we got GT 3 and GTA 3 both arrived the night before release. However, Pokemon Gold and Silver arrived maybe 2 or 3 days early.

[post=135320]Quoted post[/post]​

Ah, now that I think about it that overnight shipping does seem to make sense, since it would be the stores themselves that are paying for it. Thanks for the info.