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

By Tor Thorsen, GameSpotPosted Nov 9, 2009 11:42 am PT

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...

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Quick Links

Summary | Reviews | News | Previews & Features | Images | Videos | Answers | Hints & Cheats | Forum | Check Prices

Check Prices: $50 – 59.99

GameStop $59.99 SHOP ›
Dell Home & Home Office $59.99 SHOP ›
Amazon.com $50 SHOP ›
advertisement

Related Content

Matches based on text similarity.

Related Unions

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Boxshot Enlarge the boxshot
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

Game Stats

Full Game Details »Close
Also on

Games you may like…

Users who looked at content for this game also looked at these games.

See More Similar Games