Many gamers are now happily playing their new Spirit Tracks game, but not so for those who ordered from some major retailers such as Gamestop. Try taking your preordered game from there and you will encounter a problem, in the form of them not giving you the game.
Apparently, many stores are refusing to sell Spirit Tracks on its release date, with such reasoning as “because most games come out on Tuesdays”, even though they already have the game in stock.
Before you ask, the given release date of the 7th is perfectly correct. Even the official Spirit Tracks site claims the release date as the 7th, as do all of the promotional posters for the game that you will find at the shops themselves.
Unfortunately, some major chains are simply refusing to sell it, due to (what appears so far to be) some sort of twisted form of videogame bureaucracy, so if those stores are your only options, you may just have to wait another day.
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December 7th, 2009 at 6:48 pm
I am so angry right now! I've tried four stores and none of them will give it to me! Some say tomorrow, and others say the 9th. I have a day off from school today so I thought it was the perfect day to play it! I don't know if this is Nintendo's fought, or all of the stores. I am going to send Nintendo a complaint anyway.
December 7th, 2009 at 2:56 pm
Wow, what a joke, i mean id be mad even if they didnt get the games in on the release date if i went to pick it up on the day, but to have the stock there and refuse to hand it over, ESPECIALLY if id already paid for it in full pro-ordering it…. I would start tearing the shop up and making a real mess of the place…
December 7th, 2009 at 7:32 pm
well…. Thats not actually what happened to me. The guy went in the back and asked somebody else, and he confirmed that they really didn't physically have the game. in fact, the guy said that it's weird that it was coming out in a Tuesday, because most games come out on Mondays. WTF? maybe I misheard him.
but still, this is such a WONDERFUL country, isn't it?
December 7th, 2009 at 7:47 pm
yeah im super pissed. I went to 5 different stores all of them didn't have the game! Target, Walmart, gamestop, and two smaller local game retailers. I was also really annoyed cuz gamestop had the cases that you take up to the counter out but didnt actually have the game in the store…
December 7th, 2009 at 7:56 pm
This is the most stupidest thing I ever heard. Why won`t they sell it if they have it?
December 7th, 2009 at 8:24 pm
The only good thing I can say is that I'm glad this isn't only happening to me
December 7th, 2009 at 8:26 pm
Supply and demand. :/
Or maybe some meaningless corporate rule. One of the two.
December 7th, 2009 at 8:28 pm
My Gamestop never has anything I want on its release date, so I'm used to it by now. Another day doesn't hurt, but it IS kind of ridiculous.
For whatever game I bought there last, they told me I'd have to wait until after the UPS truck came on Tuesday (I got there in the morning), so I'm pretty sure they don't actually have the games until then. Could be different in other cities, but even if it is, Gamestop probably has a policy not to release things on different days in different locations.
December 7th, 2009 at 8:36 pm
I never get the game on the day its released. I always get the game like 2 months or some other months later. but there is one thing I have to say about this… wtf
December 7th, 2009 at 8:46 pm
Heck, I even checked Best Buy and they're not selling it until tomorrow. I really don't understand this. There have been other movie and game releases on a Sunday and they were in stock.
I guess I will just have to wait and get it tomorrow on my outing. Until then, I will poke around for spoilers.
December 7th, 2009 at 8:59 pm
1. I'm glad i decided not to buy the game today
2. Even if i bought it, i wouldn't be able to play until next week
December 7th, 2009 at 9:14 pm
I'm in Europe and getting my copy on the 8th (3 days before the official release date), so this sounds ridiculous.
December 7th, 2009 at 9:38 pm
Gamestop here had no problem selling New Super Mario Bros Wii the day it was supposed to come out: on a SUNDAY. I have no idea what's going on.
Might blame the fact that Nintendo Canada says its release will be December 9, and I live in Canada (but our Gamestop says December 7… and 'release dates may vary without notice' of course)…
But that other people are having the problem while some already have the game in their hands…
What
The
(This word was taken out in the name of our Hylian youth)
December 7th, 2009 at 9:40 pm
This is just a tad on the outrageous side. Gamestop will be getting a talking to when I pick up my game TOMORROW. THE DAY AFTER IT'S RELEASED. They should know better then to encourage the wrath of nerds like us.
December 7th, 2009 at 9:51 pm
My gamestop said that they didn't ship to the gamestops UNTIL monday, they're releasing the game on Tuesday. This is so stupid, I pre-ordered the game so I should have gotten it on the release date!
December 7th, 2009 at 9:57 pm
It's a f***ing game!!! You're making such a fuss over a videogame?! You people should be more worried about famine or AIDS over the world. Gosh, how I hate game geeks.
December 7th, 2009 at 10:05 pm
well then you hate yourself why else would you be here if you didnt like zelda?
December 7th, 2009 at 10:15 pm
They never said they were not worried about those things. This is a website about video games. If you want to talk about that go somewhere else. Not that im not worried about those things, its just that it has nothing to do with this post or whatever its called.
December 7th, 2009 at 10:17 pm
And how can you hate game geeks? They are cool
December 7th, 2009 at 10:23 pm
All I could find was a store with an empty "promotional" ST case on display with a sign saying I can pre-order it, ON THE RELEASE DAY! Well, maybe this is fate helping me get my truckload of reports done on time
December 7th, 2009 at 10:28 pm
A Zelda website getting upset over a Zelda game not getting released when it was supposed to? you right, that is IS complete and utter nonsense. Why the hell would a Zelda site talk about Zelda stuff? thats absolutely absurd!
go back to football practice you friggin meatheaded jock
December 7th, 2009 at 10:37 pm
Yep. I was SO EXCITED to get this game today. I just barely survived the school day, using the thought of getting thsi game as my sanity to cling to. Then: "Oh I'm sorry the shipment didn't come today." >=(
I am VERY angry now! Stupid. I wanted to play it all night tonight!
December 7th, 2009 at 10:39 pm
Ok, this is directly from a Gamestop Store Manager, ie. Me, and we don't have the game yet, my store is a rather larger store and we are receiving it tomorrow at 8:30 am… so unless you guys have seen a REAL GUTTED cartridge of the game and in fact know they really do have it, stop jumping to conclusions.. We'll have your game tomorrow, it was never street-dated, so in fact the 7th would be listed as the Ship just like every other non street-dated game… Calm yourselves down… its ok to wait another day..
December 7th, 2009 at 10:41 pm
Lol, nicely said!!!
Yeah, I am just as upset as you guys about how people judge the "nerds" here about talking and debating about Zelda stuff, it's like if you have a problem with Zelda, then leave the website, and go die in a hole, or like ChainofTermina said, go back to football practice (I'm a marching band member so I think it's fair…lol).
Anyway, I am also upset about the stores not keeping their word about the release of ST, but I guess all we can do is sit and wait until tomorrow, and make plenty of complaints to the people in charge (with a strongly worded letter with bold letters and underlining, lol). But hey, atleast we aren't having to wait as long as the others, I mean hey I would die having to wait even longer while others are happily enjoying it for almost a week!!!
Anyway, yeah me too….lol.
December 7th, 2009 at 10:56 pm
Man, release dates dont mean anything anymore. Because i pre-ordered at EBgames, i'm locked into waiting another day, when the walmart across the street is selling them already! Its times like these that deman me saying
"Zelda fans dislike bombs….er…..delays"
December 7th, 2009 at 10:57 pm
The Gamestop in Burlington, VT will not receive their shipment until tomorrow. They said the 7th was the ship date for the game, and apologized for the confusion.
December 7th, 2009 at 11:00 pm
This is the most ridiculous thing i've ever heard of. Retailers are refusing to sell the game on launch day because of what, tradition?
I tell you this much – they wouldn't dare pull this stunt with one of the bigger releases like Final Fantasy or God Of War.
December 7th, 2009 at 11:06 pm
Yeah, I was all ready to go in there and give GameStop a piece of my mind, but I found out that they legitimately don'g have the game. Neither do Best Buy or Target. So unless the evil corporate CEO's of all the retail stores are conspiring and having their employees lie to us so they can…I don't know, take over the world or something
, then we have to wait. Getting mad at the stores won't help, because there's nothing they can do about it. My issue is that I don't have a car, so I don't know how I'm going to get over there tomorrow…
December 7th, 2009 at 11:08 pm
Someone at ZU should definitely change this post to reflect that the game just physically isn't there.
December 7th, 2009 at 11:19 pm
My Ebgames store (Gamestop Canada) tells me that Nintendo sent the shipment late.
December 7th, 2009 at 11:19 pm
Gamestop called and said that my preorder came in this afternoon, but I wouldn't be able to pick it up until tomorrow afternoon. This has happened to me in the past before. This is the last time I preorder from them.
December 7th, 2009 at 11:37 pm
i had today off as well but when they told me it comes out tomorrow I got confused but I am getting out early tomorrow so I have somehing to look foward to.
December 8th, 2009 at 12:25 am
Yeah, well. Most stores are lying and making excuses to sell it on Tuesday. I wen't to a few stores near me. They all have it in the back, but just wouldn't sell it till tomorrow. Pretty lame.
December 8th, 2009 at 12:51 am
Damn, I just got back from GameStop empty handed and now I know why. Which is a load of Bull since the closest gamestop is an hour and half's drive from my hometown.
December 8th, 2009 at 1:01 am
"Gamestop in my area, in wisconsin, has had the game since saturday"
"New York, which is east coast
Had a MIDNIGHT RELEASE today"
Other Zelda fans testify different, so it's probably different in different locations
December 8th, 2009 at 1:03 am
More than likely today is the ship date, and the stores don't actually have the game yet. 99% of games don't arrive in store until the day after the ship date. The only games that are stocked prior to release are the blockbuster titles. Madden, Metal Gear, Grand Theft Auto, Halo. If it were a console Zelda title, it would probably fit the bill, but seeing as its on DS, I highly doubt that many stores have it yet, unless they are close to their distributor, in which case they might get it the same day.
December 8th, 2009 at 1:04 am
Games ship on the release date for the most part unless tjey are streetdated games. When you look at they reserve lists at gamestop the games with a SD to the side o the name will be there on release day. Those game are (SD) are usually there 3-5 days early. Zelda was not one of them they can't sell you what they don't have.
December 8th, 2009 at 1:14 am
done the game
bro works at walmart
got it for me
December 8th, 2009 at 1:37 am
That's ridiculous
December 8th, 2009 at 1:43 am
This is so incredibly frustraiting !I went to six different stores! I went to k-mart no, Game stop sorry, Best buy nadda, another game stop nope, and finally in one last desparate attemt at toys r us…still nothing…..this is so annoying
December 8th, 2009 at 2:09 am
I live in New England (Maine) so maybe because of the weather recently it was delayed? Possible.
December 8th, 2009 at 2:11 am
Makes sense. =)
December 8th, 2009 at 2:12 am
Sadness… went GameStop they didn't have it (they even had banners that said they had it TODAY) and Target… they both said that it was SHIPPING today… I'm still crying… and they do have them I tell you though
December 8th, 2009 at 2:23 am
GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!
I AM MAD!
The 7th was on an early dismissal day, but the 8th, when gamestop said they were getting it, is a normal day and i have after school club on tuesdays! (not detention, an after school club)
SO i wont e able to get the game til like 5 oclock pm!
December 8th, 2009 at 2:25 am
No. They don't have it in the back. It isn't street dated. You people have no idea what you're talking about. It's being shipped priority overnight to be in the store tomorrow morning.
December 8th, 2009 at 2:28 am
I bet people who reserved at Nintendo World got their game today.
December 8th, 2009 at 2:32 am
That might be the case where you are, but at numerous stores around the country, they're just not putting them out until tomorrow when they came in today. The Gamestop where I preordered mine got them in today and called, but said that I couldn't pick it up until tomorrow afternoon.
And please don't insult us while we're ranting.
December 8th, 2009 at 2:53 am
use the time you spend complaining to play a different game
December 8th, 2009 at 2:56 am
but that takes the fun out of complaining!
December 8th, 2009 at 3:01 am
I heard once that if its not a big game like the Wii Zelda game is going to be. Game Stop won't have till a day after.
December 8th, 2009 at 3:38 am
…you guys think you have it bad? NOT REALLY. when they said they get the game tomorrow i asked them "what? the poster outside your friggen window says TODAY!" and he says: "no, we get them tomorrow." i kinda regretted this after because i ripped the damn poster off the window and said "LAST TIME I CHECKED IT SAYS IN STORES DECEMBER 7TH. AM I RIGHT?" again, he just says "ya. in stores. but we dont sell it." and i told him to fuck off then left.
…i have what my doctor likes to call "minor anger problems".
also, im pretty damn sure the release date says the 7th on THIS NINTENDO SITE. (and the zelda site since yesterday… fucking Mexicans who work at gamestop and bestbuy. They should all burn in hell like the burnt toast they look like.
December 8th, 2009 at 3:45 am
oh! OH! I just saw, for the first time, the Spirit Tracks commercial on TV. That was the first time I ever saw it on TV, and when did it say the release date was? the fuckin 7th! Now Gamestop is counter acting the public announcement! WHAT IS GOING ON!?
December 8th, 2009 at 3:53 am
HaHa! so damn true (except the Mexican part) I almost punched the ass that told me that it comes out tomorrow, got a few guys with me and (must have been like 20 zelda freaks? lol) flamed the manger till he kicked us out and told us to came back tomorrow. lol
December 8th, 2009 at 4:02 am
it's not about the game. it's about the misinformation and possible deceit – the principle of the matter.
December 8th, 2009 at 4:02 am
yeah, I pre-ordered from GameStop. they said, since it *ships* today, they won't get it in until tomorrow "around 3PM" ~grumbles~
I shouldn't have pre-ordered at all. I did so cuz I wanted whatever pre-order bonus came out…turns out there IS NONE. they've really screwed the fanbase over on this one…
December 8th, 2009 at 4:06 am
Same here. Shouldn't have pre-ordered it. Theres even no freakin pre-order bonuses for the US!
December 8th, 2009 at 4:35 am
the girl at my gamestop said tomorrow the shipment comes in, i said when i pre-ordered the person said it was today, she said he's dumb and doesn't know what he's talking about, i told her, this is the last time i preorder here, you always get games 1 or 2 days late when other stores have them today. MORONS.
December 8th, 2009 at 5:05 am
The bottom line is that the retailers are dictating the marketplace and all the lame consumers put up with it and allow this to happen. Gamestop/EB is the same store that likes to dictate prices paid for used games (usually $5 for a $40 game), yet, sell used games at the full price minus $5. When EB guarantees that the game will be available on December 7th, and then provides lame excuses for not doing so, then they clearly demonstrate that they not only have no respect for its customers, but also, are willing to play games to manipulate demand. I recommend that anyone, AND I MEAN EVERYONE, refund their $5 installment and boycott EB. This would at least send a message for their nonsense marketing strategies.
December 8th, 2009 at 5:28 am
i called gamestop and toys r us and they both said they are getting it on the 8th then i called gamecrazy and they said they will have it today but they didn't
i have been waiting for it to come out since i heard of it but im not really mad at all since im getting it in the morning tomorrow hopefully
December 8th, 2009 at 7:05 am
Either way, it sucks!
December 8th, 2009 at 7:30 am
This isn't the first case where this has happened. Let me tell you the story of a pre-ordered copy of Metroid Prime Trilogy.
I pre-ordered it at EB Games (which is now owned by Gamestop, and is it's Canadian counter part). I had been in to pay off the rest of my pre-order as I like to pay in full for my games before the release date usually so I don't spend the money before then.
To pay in full though the guy pulled out a copy of the game since apparently their shipment of the game was in a two days early. So here I was… I had paid in full… I had seen my copy of the game… but obviously I wasn't allowed to have it since it technically wasn't the release date. So in such a case even as outrageous as it is to pay in full for something, be teased with it, only to be told to come back in two days to pick it up… it's still technically fair by bureaucratic standards.
It's funny though because now such retailers are withholding games from people even though the release date has come. That's ridiculous, and it only serves to further my angst with these companies. Sadly they are usually the company to get their shipments first here in Canada, before Wal-mart or anywhere else.
Either way I feel the pain of those screwed over by Gamestop… sadly I have to wait until Christmas to play my copy of the game.
December 8th, 2009 at 8:16 am
I really hope you're joking, and even then this would be in bad taste. Frankly, this comment is offensive.
December 8th, 2009 at 8:22 am
The latter half of your post describes how I feel perfectly, even though you left out that defining word. But it was the right thing to do.
December 8th, 2009 at 1:02 pm
I have been so anxious to get Spirit Tracks, and then when I go to GameStop, they say that the web is wrong with the release date, and come back and get it tomorrow. Idiots…
December 8th, 2009 at 1:37 pm
I KNOW!!!! grrrr, I'm gonna have to wait a few hours now
December 8th, 2009 at 2:23 pm
That happened to me; I went to Target because I reserved a copy a week in advance, but when I went to pick it up "I was told that the game will be sold the next day. I said "How come?" since the game was already officially released, The only explanation given to me was "That's what the poster says". What a load of crap in my opinion, but hey, now it's Tuesday and I can officially get my game without any bullshit nonsense to stop me.
December 8th, 2009 at 2:50 pm
I'm really mad, too. I very rarely bother to get things on the release date, but for Zelda, I'd wait in line as long as it took. My Walmart, the one that I work at, doesn't even have it–they have the guide, but no game. And this is Tuesday, the 8th. Total failure on the retailers part all around on this. If it were Wold of Warcraft, I bet it would have released on time!
December 8th, 2009 at 2:58 pm
O_o What are you even doing here if you hate game geeks? Srsly
December 8th, 2009 at 3:50 pm
That's the exact same thing my gamestop told me and I pre-ordered it also. I called nintendo and gamestop to complain. Now I'm getting 10 bucks off the game. I was pissed that I went up there for nothing.
December 8th, 2009 at 3:59 pm
When I called nintendo and gamestop they both blamed this fiasco on each other. I'm leaning towards it being nintendo because of how many comments I read saying that no one has it (even though a few do and are refusing to sell). I made a complaint to nintendo first then I called gamestop and told them they were false advertising (signs up all around the store saying available now) and the district manager called back within the hour and apologized and I'm suppose to get 10 bucks off the game today for my trouble AND the gas I wasted going up there on the release date to pick up my pre-ordered game that was not available. I'll let you guys know how it goes…….
December 8th, 2009 at 4:32 pm
we have to do marketing kits every other sunday and we change out the signage. thats why the banners would be up early.
December 8th, 2009 at 4:35 pm
SEND A MESSAGE – EVERYONE REFUND YOUR $5 fee.
The retailer benefits when it knows how much product to ship… if they have many games lying around the shelves that do not sell they are at a loss.
When they preorder games, it is only to their benefit because they can ship a near percise amount for expected sales. Totally for their benefit, NOT YOUR BENEFIT.
WAKE UP PEOPLE… BIG RETAILERS EXPLOIT YOU BY DOING STUFF LIKE THIS…. THEY DICTATE THE MARKET…
REFUND YOUR $5 and GO TO THE SMALL MAN
OTHERWISE, YOU LEAVE THE POWER IN THEIR HANDS….
YOU CHOOSE. AND IF YOU CHOSE THE FORMER… THEN YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO COMPLAINT.
December 8th, 2009 at 7:36 pm
OMG I was so pissed off. For this post, screw being polite and having etiquette. This totally upset me!! I waited for this day for MONTHS when the release date was first leaked. I waited with bated breath only to visit WalMart, Gamestop, FYE and my own local retailer to hear that they didn't have it. You should have seen my face. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR.
December 8th, 2009 at 7:38 pm
It seems that everyone to whom you talk will find someone on whom they can blame the problem. Someone just needs to confess, already!! It's total bullcrap, and it pissed a LOT of people off, as shown in this forum.
December 8th, 2009 at 7:46 pm
Come on guys! Don't you think its a little much getting SOO angry the fact that you have to wait another day to play the game. I'm excited about the game too, and I preordered the game at gamestop, so I know how you feel. But just imagine how much better the game is going to be when you're a little patient. I mean with so much is going on with our lives, one more day isn't REALLY going to make or break about how you feel about the game store distributors. Don't blame the stores like gamestop. If anything, blame the POST-OFFICES for not sending packages during the weekends. That's pretty lame, especially when I work with mail distributing, and I know how much it sucks. LOL
Take Care, be patient, and have fun playing another zelda. =)3
December 8th, 2009 at 3:53 pm
beat the game
WOOHOO
December 8th, 2009 at 8:08 pm
Considering the game is street dated for the 7th thats a crock of crap! If a game is street dated all of the stores you went to should have it. Street dated games usually arrive a week or so ahead of the actual release date. The game was their they were just lying to you!
December 8th, 2009 at 11:09 pm
we aren't mad because of the release date. We are mad because some people went to many different stores to buy the game but the game was never there. Waste of time and effort
December 9th, 2009 at 1:00 am
i was not mad before BUT NOW IM FUCKING PISSED OFF!!!!!!!! i have been waiting for fucking ever for this shit to fucking come out then yesterday toys r us and gamestop don't have it and fucking gamecrazy said the have it but they didn't and i was fine waiting until today BUT THEN WHEN I GET TO FUCKING TOYS R US THEY SAY THAT NOWHERE IS GONNA HAVE IT UNTIL FUCKING TOMORROW CAUSE THE MOTHER FUCKING PEOPLE CAN'T DELIVER IT YET CAUSE IT SNOWED SOMEWHERE OR SOMETHING
THEY SAY THEY WILL HAVE IT TOMORROW BUT IT WILL NEVER FUCKING BE THERE!!!!
i don't even want it anymore
December 9th, 2009 at 12:57 pm
The game isn't street-dated, you dolt.
December 9th, 2009 at 6:24 pm
This article is infact not true…
I work at GameStop myself, and it was because of Nintendo's delayed shipments to certain major retailers that we didn't receive the game on its release date.
Infact, on the 7th, I checked the new release list, and we were apparently only getting Spirit Tracks on the 9th. Most new releases are infact received early and kept in the back stores, but Nintendo is known to ship its games DIRECTLY to the retailer rather than to Warehouses or Head Offices.
If anything, I'd blame Nintendo, not GameStop
December 10th, 2009 at 5:12 pm
This isn't as bad as what I'm getting, I pre-ordered it about a month back from GAME so I would receive the collectors tin too, but when it was delivered today the tin didn't come at all, so I called them and they were completely useless, so I called once more and he said that they'll keep the tin aside to collect the next day, but I have to keep the game sealed :'(
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