Rockstar investigating early sales of GTA V

As I wrote about yesterday that various release dates has questioned whether they even mean anything, Rockstar now has confirmed that they are looking into the early GTA V sales.

[gaelic_laoch]

More self_made publicity for Rockstar by trolling retailers! Classic!!!

[biRdy]

If retailers can't follow the rules they shouldn't be allowed to sell.

[gaelic_laoch]

I am not defending retailers but also Rockstar are NOT going to bite the hands that feed them. It is all just hot air and publicity for the punters to lap up!

Sure we will be all listening to the same crap when the XboNe and PS4 are due for release!

[3-4-5]

If people keep doing this eventually games like this won't ship until release date, which would mean release dates would be pushed back.

[iamnsuperman]

Exactly. I hope the retailers in question do get punished for this. I get the day before (if you are posting it like Amazon) but we are talking 4 or more days before release. Just ridiculous and unfair on the retailers who do play by the rules

[extermin8or]

Amazon usually deliver stuff late! for starters... And it's because of the release date and the way postage is over here.You send something 1st class in the UK and you're lucky if it turns up 3 days later quite often. So they have a large order to post out, so they started on friday to ensure all are shipped intime for release, sometimes retailers ask royal mail to hold the items for a few days, but they often don't bother, or 'accidentally' deliver them anyway. If R* had released it later in the week it'd be less of an issue. Tuesday is a bad day because sunday has reduced staff etc, so monday has to deal with the backlogg. So to ensure delivery on or buy tuesday they've sent the items friday, sat sunday probably based off where the delivery address is in relation to warehouse from past experience that's what they do.

[ZBlacktt]

Yep, people don't realize how stupid it is to piss the developers off. It just ruins it going forward for everyone.

[guitarded77]

Or, they can do like Sony did when it happened to them (don't remember which game it was. I think LBP2, GT5, GoW3 or Uncharted 3... either way, it was a big exclusive), allow retailers to sell the game once they get it.

I had ordered the game from Amazon, and Sony saw that some were already selling the game, so they contacted retail and told them to go ahead and sell. I ended up waiting on UPS, but I knew some that went ahead and bought, and cancelled their Amazon order.

For the life of me, I can't remember which game it was though. I hate it when that happens.

[REDGUM]

@ 3-4-5.
If you think about it. Your comment makes no sence. Wether you release a game now or in 100 years time, there's still a release date and people will still be able to get it early from somewhere. Hence "breaking the release date" !!

[Blaze929]

I dont get what Amazon did wrong. My order shipped yesterday and wont get it till tuesday..the release date

EDIT:

lol its getting delivered today. SWEET!

[N4G85]

Punish Amazon Rockstar they suck anywayse,fools sending people copies early stuff the people

[ramza04]

I only shop amazon

[Fergusonxplainsall]

Expect all these affected areas will have delayed shipping for all future titles. Or they may be forced to go digital.

It could happen.

[0pie]

why they care so much about the street date?

[KonsoruMasuta]

Rockstar really hates when information is leaked before the release dates of their games.

When retailers give the games too early before the release date it increases the chances of people leaking info.

It also increases the chances of the game being pirated before release.

[N4G85]

I prefer unbroken street date then morons getting their copies early and ruining it for others the dates are there for purpose and reason if you can't figure that out you don't deserve to play GTA V. Period

[biRdy]

The street date is set to give all retailers a fair playing ground. If for example Wal-Mart where to receive their shipment first and sell on friday, everyone would buy from there instead of other stores.

[abbyrose]

I saw a whole bunch of them in the backroom at my work...they looked mighty tempting...

[DarkZane]

The industry need to go back to its old ways. In other words, they ship the game to retailers on release day and not earlier, so that stores like Gamestop and Amazon can only have it the next day. No leaks that way.

If people aren't happy and want to play it on release day, they should go digital. They will have to get use to it as the PS4/X1/WiiU Gen is very likely the last one with any physical media.

[KYU2130]

we are a long way from complete digital content for consoles. I actually don't believe that we will ever really go totally digital for the simple fact that bandwidth costs would kill customers. It would essentially create a new bandwidth plan from internet providers. This plan would be more costly because providers would say that as gamers require we higher download cap.

keep in mind that both consoles now utilize BD for this coming generation, and while they may not use the entire disc yet. It is feasible that within this coming generation that they could use upwards of 75% of the disk space. Thats alot to download. unless they strip it down to just the game and then the publishers would sell the single player content and multiplayer content separately. Which would not fly for gamers(as it would not reduce the cost of the game by much).

[Crazay]

You must be in Canada making a comment about the over priced data caps we're saddled with here. It's total BS.

[KYU2130]

Actually no i live in the US. From a networking standpoint we are not ready to embrace a full on digital only gaming lifestyle. The average american has a 250 gb bandwidth cap.

[Urzusix]

so face a backlash from Rockstar for releasing the game slightly early or from consumers for getting their game late Saying "they should go digital" is redundant as currently some people have very poor internet through no fault of their own currently the world isn't ready for just Digital

[buynit]

Just cause some ppl have poor internet doesnt mean the world isnt ready, it just mean you are not... I know im ready...

[Snookies12]

*facepalm* Please tell me you're joking...

[buynit]

Joking about what snooky? Incase you didnt know quite a few million ppl actualy do have great internet, if you are taking the "world" in a litteral sense then yea jokes on you..

[killswitchmad]

Totally agree that street dates shouldn't be broken, the publisher has release dates there for a reason and some retailers just flaunt the fact the R* have to ship copies early enough to guarantee stock.

Personally with games like this I much prefer to head out to a midnight release, grab the game and a few free goodies while chatting to others about said game....

[Crazay]

I think that release dates should go the way of the Do-Do bird. It's too difficult to enforce it in this day and age. I know I got my copy from a small Mom and Pop shop. I haven't played it online because I don't want M$ to ask me for a copy of my receipt to prevent myself from receiving any bans. I like shopping there because they always let the game out a few days early.

Perhaps, if the publishers have a huge issue with release dates being broken, they would have vocally spoken up in favor of what MS was attempting to do with the original vision of Xbox One. That's a pretty clear solution to the issue if you ask me.

[PunisherRevenge]

As they should. It's written in R* policies that they don't like having their games and content leak early. If retailers cant follow the rules and respect R* policies then something should be done.

[jmc8888]

Isn't it a bit ironic that the company that makes a game which is all about breaking laws is fighting against retailers that ship the copy a few days early?

[qzp]

If you send thousands and thousands of copies out into the wild of a highly anticipated game, its bound to happen.

With the bare minimum of coverage, releasing a screenshot here or there and some footage that is leaning more towards the side an ad than trailers of course people are going to be chomping at the bits to get the game. Rockstar knows this they asked for it.

They put this moratorium on "spoilers" (few minutes of random gameplay) and banning xbox players IDs along with things like being unclear about PC or next-gen versions of the game, now this. I'm not saying it's ok for retailers to sell the game early but a game of this magnitude only a few days before release... Rockstar seriously just chill the fuck out.

[KingKevo]

I got it today from Amazon Germany and imho that is ok, simply because they have to ensure the day-one delivery and sometimes it may take 2 days if they ship it the day before the release.