GameStop breaks Modern Warfare 2 street date in 'select markets,' Activision disapproves

Retailer says competition forced it to begin selling new Call of Duty; top third-party publisher retorts that it has "not given any retailer permission" to sell game early.

As is often the case, the street date of a major game was broken a few days before its official release. Over the weekend, game blog Kotaku received word that several retailers in the Northeast and Midwest United States had begun selling Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.

GameStop is jumping the gun on the Modern Warfare 2 street date in "select markets."

However, unlike most preemptive sales, which typically happen at non-specialty stores, apparently the game was being sold under a corporate directive by the country's top game-only retailer--GameStop. When contacted by GameSpot on Monday, GameStop's vice president of corporate communications Chris Olviera offered the following statement:

"This past weekend, GameStop made the decision to 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. Today we are focusing on the launch of the title in 4,200 of our US locations and the New York City launch celebration that we are cohosting with Activision [and] Microsoft."

There may be some behind-the-scenes awkwardness at Modern Warfare 2's New York City launch, since Activision apparently ended those conversations by voicing its disapproval. "Activision has not given any retailer permission to sell Modern Warfare 2 prior to the Nov. 10 street date," a spokesperson told GameSpot. "The company fully supports the November 10 street date."

Check back later in the week for GameSpot's full review of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. The M-for-Mature-rated game is being released for the PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360, with the latter version also coming bundled with a 250GB limited-edition console from Microsoft. GameSpot's Modern Warfare 2 launch center has more information on the military shooter.

303 Comments

  • ndewitt2003

    Posted Nov 11, 2009 1:53 pm PT

    I will say that I am a little angry that I could not get my copy until 12:01 on Tuesday when because some dumb retailer decided to get one up on GameStop by selling it early and they followed suit by selling it in that area some kid in bfe got to play it before me, but this goes to my point, GameStop could have broken street-date over the entire US if they wanted to mess over these other companies but they did not. They only broke street-date in the areas where other companies were already selling the game. And Activision could care less. They already got their money.

  • shawise

    Posted Nov 11, 2009 7:37 am PT

    Well someone should pay infact i'd make everyone who released it before the agreed street date pay, using the excuse of remaining competitive is no excuse. Activision should make and example out of this and fine them all. Get your MONEY MAN!

  • h4xx0rz

    Posted Nov 10, 2009 11:40 pm PT

    Gamestop did not break release date. Select, largely populated areas, like New York, had some Mom&Pop stores start selling the game as soon as they got it, and just to stay competitive, some of the neighboring Gamestops did start selling it so they wouldn't lose all their preorder sales, but all other stores maintained street date.

  • Master_Niko

    Posted Nov 10, 2009 9:38 pm PT

    Whats the deal with gamespot releasing a game guide for MW2 before they release their review ?? That doesnt make a whole lot of sense to me. Hey gamespot some gamers actually wanna hear what you have to say about a game before we buy it. Gamespot is always the last game site to release their reviews....every other site in interent land has already posted their reviews. So Gamespot can play the game and post a game guide...but cant post a review about what they think about the game. You got it backwards guys....review 1st....then a guide.

  • ksuttonjr76

    Posted Nov 10, 2009 9:18 pm PT

    @ shoelace

    True that. I guess Gamestop better pray that they don't get fined.

  • ndewitt2003

    Posted Nov 10, 2009 7:30 pm PT

    This is a known practice in both the movie and game industry. If a local retailer breaks street date then other retailers who are effected by the breaking of the street date can request to also break street or do it with out permission to stay competative. Gamestop really did the same thing a Blockbuster would do if a movie was released at Walmart before street date.

  • 1VBCasper

    Posted Nov 10, 2009 7:01 pm PT

    I was one of the ones that pre ordered it thru gamestop. After reading that they had sold copies before the release date, to put it mildly I was a tad upset. With the additional costs and fees they but on it, the costs get a bit crazy, but sometimes to get it hot off the press & before millions of copies are out there, its nice. But I have sent them an email and deleted my acct as I will never purchase anything from them again ever. The customer base they say they were protecting, was a slap to the rest of us that they already had money from.

  • allegra_geller

    Posted Nov 10, 2009 2:35 pm PT

    I cannot believe gamestop readily admitted they sold copies before street date which they make out to be a HUGE DEAL if you work there. It could get everyone that works at said store fired- because it is illegal and the company can and should be fined a huge amount. Just because they are Gamestop they think they are now immune to the rules we all have to abide by? What a bunch of conceded asswipes. they have signs up all over the store that have numbers to call to report street date abuse. all the employees should call before gamestop has a reason to fire them.

  • slqmaster

    Posted Nov 10, 2009 12:42 pm PT

    Its illegal by FCC to release a product before Federal selling date approval. Theres a Heavy fine if Bestbuy or Walmart had been caught. In fact, Walmart has recieved $10,000 fine before. If caught again, its more than $50,000 and loss of license. Also, Activation doesnt want mixed reviews by thefts that stole the game in early production or before the launch date. Stock Market/ Lack of sales to due people telling others its reviews ahead of the release date would be bad.

  • FallenOneX

    Posted Nov 10, 2009 12:40 pm PT

    They really don't have a choice if they want to keep customers. For example, when SFIV first had a ship date, i preordered from Blockbuster for the lithograph they offered. The ship date changed, but BB was still going to stick to their date. I wasn't waiting until Friday to play a game everyone else had on Tuesday. wouldn't have been so bad if an idiot behind the counter hadn't admitted that he sold a copy of the game already to some random guy, in front of the manager I preordered the game from no less. They quickly gave me my $10 and I bought the game from Gamestop. After that incident, I haven't spent $30 on a place that's a 5 minute walk from my house. I'd rather drive 15min to GS.

  • Laiska_pummi

    Posted Nov 10, 2009 12:20 pm PT

    @L30KinG
    Yeah. Activison gets the money, and players the games.

  • Laiska_pummi

    Posted Nov 10, 2009 12:19 pm PT

    I've heard about that. SOme of my live friends were playing it yesterday.

  • auron11022

    Posted Nov 10, 2009 12:17 pm PT

    If Activision truly doesn't like it they should stop letting Gamestop sell their games...
    Like that'll ever happen.

  • ShroudedEagle

    Posted Nov 10, 2009 12:14 pm PT

    Does it really matter? If a game is finished, it should be released anyway. Why the hold up, and why are Activision being so mardy about this?

  • L30KinG

    Posted Nov 10, 2009 12:11 pm PT

    as long as sales are for gaestop, it doe'nt really matter THAT much the releace date of a game, u make custumers happy and they still play the games

    nothing wrong with that

  • dzimm

    Posted Nov 10, 2009 11:44 am PT

    Wow, GameStop breaks a release date? That doesn't happen very often.

  • df-1

    Posted Nov 10, 2009 11:31 am PT

    If you got the game before the release date and tried to play it on PC steam would give you an error.

  • Cabal23

    Posted Nov 10, 2009 11:16 am PT

    @ Inconnux
    The most pre-orders in history says it is the biggest game releases of the year. Hype or not, more people will be playing this than pretty much any other game this year. Sorry we won't see you online so we can kill streak your ace.

  • Bluestorm-Kalas

    Posted Nov 10, 2009 11:08 am PT

    Business or not, don't they sign a contract or isn't there some kind of contract that says "Do not sell before x date?"

  • Inconnux posted Nov 10, 2009 10:33 am PT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    Inconnux

    Posted Nov 10, 2009 10:33 am PT (hide)

    @shoelaces-4-all Who says its the 'biggest game release of the year'? As many people have pointed out, it has been overhyped, regardless of the merits of the game. What I see is that companies advertise and then Gamespot writes a whole ton of 'stories' on this game. I bet you if Gamespot writes a crappy review of this game, you will see Activision dropping the amount they advertise...

  • sal_lam

    Posted Nov 10, 2009 10:32 am PT

    kinda expected! and most small "independant" game stores sells a couple of days before, to compete with co-orperate ones!

  • alkaline_DnB posted Nov 10, 2009 10:26 am PT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    alkaline_DnB

    Posted Nov 10, 2009 10:26 am PT (hide)

    gamestop is cool

  • untouchables111

    Posted Nov 10, 2009 10:08 am PT

    Well u have to understand that this is not the company persey. It really happens when a employee is not up to speed with the gaming world. I used to work at blockbuster and I worked with some girls that knew nothing about game dates and they would tell people that we had games that we wernt sposed to rent yet. And a few times they made ready the games and just put them out on the shelves. Walmart if famous for early release on movies.

  • Cabal23

    Posted Nov 10, 2009 9:45 am PT

    Oops Modern Warfare 3...

  • Cabal23

    Posted Nov 10, 2009 9:41 am PT

    Modern Warfare 4 video leaked....
    http://www.theonion.com/content/vide...modern_warfare

  • thekey

    Posted Nov 10, 2009 9:33 am PT

    Nothing is going to happen out of this. They(Activision did give some Gamestops permisions to start selling the games. And now they are denying it) Stupid, stupid, stupid.(this is just a publicity ploy) The only thing that might come out of this is some of those stores may get fined but thats about it.

  • PixelAddict

    Posted Nov 10, 2009 8:59 am PT

    D'oh!!!

  • woodyhou posted Nov 10, 2009 8:48 am PT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    woodyhou

    Posted Nov 10, 2009 8:48 am PT (hide)

    "Release dates" are stupid as hell. How about just when the game is done release it and have a tentative release date that you know it will be done by and then just release early if it's done. This is all bs hype by the game maker to drive up sales.

  • YoungDab posted Nov 10, 2009 8:36 am PT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    YoungDab

    Posted Nov 10, 2009 8:36 am PT (hide)

    This game deserves the hype,its pretty incredible.

  • CoreoVII

    Posted Nov 10, 2009 8:32 am PT

    One Gamestop breaks the street date. Everyone cancels their pre-orders and goes to that store. Other Gamestops follow......

    I would be pissed but it does happen. Roll with the punchs....

  • alexLmx6

    Posted Nov 10, 2009 7:43 am PT

    few people werent in class yesterday cuz they got it somewhere, not suprising really... i have no interest in it tho

  • Irve

    Posted Nov 10, 2009 7:16 am PT

    you know i'm not fussed about COD6 ... glad other people like it but doesn't do it for me really ... that's what you get for not being into multiplayer

  • Alucard80 posted Nov 10, 2009 7:08 am PT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    Alucard80

    Posted Nov 10, 2009 7:08 am PT (hide)

    I've been playing this game since friday, already finished it and it´s awesome!!!!!!!! Why are you on the internet??? go and play this game already!!!!!!!!

  • RobboElRobbo

    Posted Nov 10, 2009 6:58 am PT

    Why do people shop at Gamestop...?

  • rickster34

    Posted Nov 10, 2009 6:33 am PT

    EB games yeah!!!

  • drumbreak1

    Posted Nov 10, 2009 6:15 am PT

    this happend with 7/11 idk if it was nationwide but, the one around my corner started selling gow2 i think about a week before it was supposed to come out and even when he got it there was a huge sticker on the front of it saying do not sell before (can't remember the release date) which had obviously not come yet for another week lol

  • SirMordredX

    Posted Nov 10, 2009 6:14 am PT

    Gamestop's just too big and brings in too many sales for Activision to drop supplying them with their games, they had better be angry though...

  • COSMICX815 posted Nov 10, 2009 5:01 am PT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    COSMICX815

    Posted Nov 10, 2009 5:01 am PT (hide)

    I got mine on Saturday, November 7th, a whole weekend to try it out.

  • harrysboy

    Posted Nov 10, 2009 4:46 am PT

    I got mine today from the supermarket for £26

  • Bimdeman

    Posted Nov 10, 2009 4:27 am PT

    Ohhh..that's why some people already have over 2 days worth of playing time. They can't really have turned it off since they got it though. :/

  • Mister__Awesome

    Posted Nov 10, 2009 4:24 am PT

    Here in Miami, it was being sold on Monday, 11-9

  • TSOJaybird

    Posted Nov 10, 2009 4:17 am PT

    Next thing you know we will be looking at day one activation patches on these things.

  • method115

    Posted Nov 10, 2009 4:08 am PT

    @ Dante200X

    Yea I'm sure the coporate head quaters of gamestop got involved in this whole situation for no reason at all. Get serious, what obviously happened is people started canceling there pre ordered to get the game somewhere else it's obvious.

  • trw534

    Posted Nov 10, 2009 4:03 am PT

    i would be mad if i was Activision

  • trick_man01

    Posted Nov 10, 2009 2:54 am PT

    It would be funny if activison quit supplying games to GameStop after this. First rule of gaming retail never break a street date.

  • wexorian

    Posted Nov 10, 2009 2:45 am PT

    activision could not make problems because he got money from gamestop after all.

  • Dante200X posted Nov 10, 2009 2:34 am PT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    Dante200X

    Posted Nov 10, 2009 2:34 am PT (hide)

    Oh yeah, I'm sure whatever stores were selling it early were TOTALLY threatening gamestop's sales. Hahaha

  • Rikuide_Furame

    Posted Nov 10, 2009 2:15 am PT

    Nothing major really, this happens with a lot of titles. The fact that it's a leading retailer adds some punch to the story but really it's only in the headlines because of the game in question.

  • RonTorque

    Posted Nov 10, 2009 1:43 am PT

    People have been waiting all this so can't retailers wait for another 24 hours?

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