"GTA IV" field report: Long lines here, no lines there
Tue Apr 29, 2008 11:19AM EDT
See Comments (19)
Switch on the news and you'll see frenzied "Grand Theft Auto" fans snaking around the block, all clamoring to buy the latest GTA epic. But, as I'd suspected, I managed to walk into an empty store this morning and leave five minutes later, GTA IV in hand. So, what's the point of pre-orders again?
At about 10:30 a.m. this morning—which happens to be launch day for perhaps the biggest gaming title this year—I sauntered into my local GameStop here in downtown Brooklyn, where I found a line of about eight middle-aged, professional-looking gamers, all clearly making a pit stop on their way to work. From the looks of things, plenty of copies of GTA IV were on hand, and no one was going home unhappy.
But as quickly as the line was moving, I wasn't quite satisfied, so I went next door to Radio Shack—completely empty, and no shortage of Grand Theft Auto IV. In about five minutes, I was all rung up and out the door. And bear in mind, this is what some news outlets are calling the biggest gaming release ever.
Even better, I got an unexpected bonus: a $10 gift card for each GTA game I bought (I got both the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions). No, you can't apply the gift cards to the cost of the game—drats—but hey, I'll take it.
Anyway, my buying experience today just reinforced my belief that video game pre-orders are pointless—well, pointless for everyone except the retailers, who get to pocket a few of our dollars months in advance. The next time a clerk at GameStop tries to push a pre-order on me, I plan on unapologetically laughing in his or her face.
So, I'm curious—anyone here having trouble getting a copy of GTA IV? Who out there pre-ordered the game, and how long ago? Anyone else ready to join me in my pre-order boycott?
P.S. Stay tuned for my side-by-side comparisons of the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of the game.
Related:
GTA IV: The Lines, Rockstar's Joy [Kotaku]
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Comments on "GTA IV" field report: Long lines here, no lines there
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2 Posted by somebodys_here on Tue Apr 29, 2008 1:01PM EDT Report Abuse
Always knew pre-orders were utter crap. They said the same thing about the Halo 3 release, but I was able to walk into a GameStop the next day and pick up a clean copy with no problems. They asked me if I wanted to pre-order GTA4 last week, and I did just what you said you'd do if they asked you that question- laughed out load, and walked out the door. My copy is in queue, and I'll have it soon enough.
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3 Posted by mista_sal on Tue Apr 29, 2008 2:08PM EDT Report Abuse
I don't think pre-ordering a game is completely pointless. There are a few cases where I would see a pre-order being a waste though. I don't think you should bother pre-ordering games as big as the GTA, Final Fantasy or Halo series where they ship mass quantities of these games. I personally never pre-order these as they're usually always in stock when I walk in to a store a day after the launch. The only time I ever pre-order a game is if it's a game such as Disgaea, the Shin Megami Tensei series or any game where only a limited amount of copies are shipped on launch day. I'll be walking into Game Stop today after I get off work and i'm pretty sure I'll see all kinds of copies of GTA IV in stock. I'll be in and out with my PS3 copy in minutes.
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4 Posted by coolkyle4@snet.net on Tue Apr 29, 2008 3:06PM EDT Report Abuse
i pre-ordered reg edition in jan, went bak in march to swap for special edition, and im getting my copy in a lil over an hr so xcited
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5 Posted by ssjtdk on Tue Apr 29, 2008 3:28PM EDT Report Abuse
JUst because you can walk in and buy a big tilte like GTA 4 with out pre ordering, dose not mean pre ording is stupid. if you want a game now and especialy if it is not a big name title let say like umm.. Indigo Prophecies. when that game came out we had no pre orders on it. so geuss what we did not get any copies in. it was three weeks before we got our first copy, and it was used. now this did not mean that no one wanted the game. no i had at 4 or 5 people a day ask for it saying that they could not find it anywhere.
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1 Posted by matt_archbold2002 on Tue Apr 29, 2008 12:52PM EDT Report Abuse
I pre-ordered my copy about 2 weeks before launch. I didnt do it because i thought there wouldnt be any left come tuesday afternoon, i pre-ordered it because i wanted to be sure that if there was any shortage or problem i was covered. I dont think pre orders are pointless, i think they are there for people that want to give 5 dollars just in case a game they really want has problems at launch. Now, console pre-orders are a whole diffrent story, and a must to ensure you get your system.