Shipping Date vs. Shelf Date

[Mathiyus]

Here is the problem:
Does socom 3 SHIP or HIT THE SHELVES FOR COSTUMERS on oct. 11th.

Shipping date sources:
http://www.ebgames.com/ebx/product/256353.asp

http://www.gamestop.com/product.asp?product%5Fid=281239

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...uct_id=3942975

http://www.target.com/gp/search.html...index%3Dtarget

Shelf date sources for Oct. 13th:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage....=1113534515962 http://www.gamestop.com/product.asp?product%5Fid=281239


Guys, I think it is on the shelf for you on Oct. 12... But what i don't get , is if you reserve it, do you get it the day it gets there before anyone else?

[RadioactiveMan]

Target seems to be the only one who claims that it comes out on the twelfth instead of the eleventh.
I might just get mine on the fifteenth. I'm not sure yet.

[Mathiyus]

Shipping date is either one or two days ahead of the shelf date.

[WARLOCK]

it ships the day before the posted release date. most stores recieve shpments anywhere between mid-day and closing but for some games that require a larger shipment to fill larger preorder or reserved demand they ship a particular game seperately with special pickup methods. for nfsu2 and san andreas both, the manager of the gamestop by my house had to go pick the shipment up himself around 7:30 the night before the release and a few people like myself called every 30 minutes until closing until we were told that it was in fact in the store and if we could make it to the store by 10:30pm that night we could get our copy.

basically it boils down to this, regardless of company policy some managers are just cooler than others depending on the store so you may or may not be able to get it the night before release, you'll have to discuss it with the guys at your local store to see what they're willing to do for you. i'm pretty sure the guys at my local store will be willing stay a little late the night before just to avoid the screaming mob the next day for a game as big as socom3.

[Zero9167]

Stores can release it on the 11th, but thats if they get it by then. So different stores will get it earlier than others.

[Ctu-Nelson]

I just dont see why, though? On the blog they said production has already started. That gives them about a week and a half, to make and package the game, and then ship them out. I think game stores are going to get them before the 11th, it's just that they cant sell them.

Also if you look at the Eb games link, it says:
Pre-order: ships out 10/11.
Meaning if you pre-order it online, they're going to ship it out to you on the 11th.

But if I wake up on the 11th and it's not there, , thats going to be a long day.

[diaz9220]

I called Gamecrazy which is where i reserved my copy and they put it on the shelf on the 12th and recieve it on the 11th.

[Incision]

ETA = Estimated Time of Arival
Gamestop says the 11th so I think it will be out at gamestop at the 11th, but it may not be there till late in the day like when Sony released the hard drive, I had to wait an hour in the store for them to arrive..

[<ZION>Spades]

At my Gamestop in Elizabethtown KY told me that i wont be able to get it until the 12th. They did the same thing with socom 2 i shoul have reserved at Gamcrazy across theroad i got San andreas the day before it came out....Would it be possible to move my reserve to gamecrazy?

[tifer2156]

All media formats for personal usage are released on Tuesdays (don't ask me why), it is always possible that they are late shipping to some locations with the release of a hot game. I see what you are saying with calling ahead to avoid a useless trip, but most stores should have it on the 11th. It should be released to everyone on the 11th, hence the release date of 10/11/05. I know when I got S2 I had to go back at like 9pm because their shipment was delayed, but it was released on the date they said it would. The larger stores like walmart or target (those whosse primary merchandise is not video games) might get lazy and announce a 10/12 release date so they don't have to stock the shelves right away, or they all want to give those who reserved it a day to get before everyone else rushes in to get it; but I doubt a store will delay income for a day.