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Retail

Swedish Gamestop stores break Cataclysm embargo

Mon 06 Dec 2010 9:52am GMT / 4:52am EST / 1:52am PST
Retail Publishing

At least two shops in Malmo sell game on Saturday in response to rival chain going early

Activision Blizzard

Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision Blizzard, Inc. is a worldwide pure-play online...

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GameStop

gamestop.com

At least two Gamestop stores in Sweden sold copies of the latest World of Warcraft expansion over the weekend, breaking an international sales embargo.

GamesIndustry.biz received photographic and video evidence of the sales, which were confirmed when contacting the branches involved. According to Gamestop staff, sales were made after a rival chain, the Gothenberg branch of Rocks, sold copies of the game on Saturday morning.

The stores have since stopped selling the game again until midnight tonight, a decision made by management.

Digital downloads of the expansion have been available to pre-load from Blizzard's Battlenet site for some time, but cannot be activated until the official launch date of 00:01 on December 7.

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4 Comments

Thijs Kaagman Content Manager, Online PrePaid Services

1 0 0.0

Too bad the game will be completely useless untill the official release. But hey, they're probably still the first ones to play, while the rest of us are standing in line at midnight launch parties :)

Posted:5 years ago

James Enggren CIO, ICYou

1 0 0.0

Good for me that I don't work for Gamestop i Malmö anymore..:p

Posted:5 years ago

Eric Lacroix WW Publisher & Buyer Manager - Co-Founder, Connection Events

5 0 0.0

What a news! Distributors are not supposed to sell the game before midnight tonight, but many don't respect it. In France a lot of shops have put the game on sale since Saturday or Sunday.

But shouldn't the question be: "why Blizzard prevents shops from selling the game when they will open the servers at midnight? How do they want their gamers to be able to play at midnight if they can't get the game in advance as not a lot of shops will be open tonight?
Because Blizzard wants us to buy the game from them?
Fine! but the amazing thing is that the digital download of Cataclysm from Battle.net (so no box, no manufacturing costs --> all $$$ to Blizzard) is more expensive than what you can find in shops or on amazon.com???

Posted:5 years ago

Stefan Pettersson Specialist Consultant, Fat Tuna

77 19 0.2

This is a video from Gamestop Motala (Sweden) Saturday Dec 4th. Kinda funny how the Gamestop employee basically says "in your face Activision". I am not the photographer or uploader, just posting the link.

Download here:
<a href="http://db.tt/ykw0mwF
">http://db.tt/ykw0mwF
</a>

Translation of conversation in video:
* Gamestop employe: "You are not allowed to take pictures of me."
* Uwe Boll: "I'm filmning when you're selling World of Warcraft before street date."
* Gamestop employe: "If you're filming and putting it on the Internet you'll find both yourself and your company sued."
* Uwe Boll: "Nah, I'm posting this to Activision"
* Gamestop employe: "Halllloooo there Activision how are you?"

Edited 5 times. Last edit by Stefan Pettersson on 6th December 2010 9:40pm

Posted:5 years ago