GameStop breaks Gears of War release date while insisting that street dates are vital to the industry

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GameStop UK shipped GoW 3 to some customers early with note asking them to not play it

Some GameStop customers in the UK who pre-ordered Gears of War 3 received their copies in the mail as early as last Saturday, September 17, days ahead of the title’s official release date. Copies of the game arrived with a note, informing customers that the “game should not be played until Midnight 19th, September.”

Speaking to MCV, a GameStop spokesperson explained that the Royal Mail service’s efficiency took the retailer by surprise, saying that Gears of War 3 copies “moved through the Royal Mail system quicker than anticipated and nobody should have got it until release.” According to the spokesperson, “The note was just a provision in case some people got it today instead of tomorrow.”

It’s not uncommon for games ship early to customers who pre-order, but GameStop insists that release dates are “vital to the industry” and that “breaking street dates” is not part of the company’s plan, suggesting that this past weekend’s early shipment of Gears of War 3 copies may be more of a rarity moving forward.

Still on the fence about Gears of War 3? Read our Gears of War 3 super review to find out what we loved and hated about the third chapter in the series.

Sep 19, 2011

Source: MCV, reddit