We’ve just gotten word that JB Hi-fi is now selling Batman: Arkham City ahead of its release date this Wednesday. We’re not sure exactly who was first to break street date at this moment, but we’ve had confirmation from JB Hi-fi in Pitt Street Mall that they are now selling the game. We expect all other specialist retailers to follow.
We also spoke to EB, who at this point are not selling the game early, but it’s possible that they haven’t heard about the break yet.
We’ll update this story with more news as we get it.
Thanks for the tip Batguy!
UPDATE: EB has updated via its Facebook page. It’s now selling the game. GAME has followed suit, updating via its twitter account.
Linksterman
Monday, October 17, 2011 at 3:01 PMThis seems to be happening a lot lately.
Shane
Monday, October 17, 2011 at 3:42 PMJust so folks see it:
http://www.kotaku.com.au/2011/06/the-retail-cold-war-an-investigation-into-the-strangest-street-break-in-australian-history/
Previous article exploring street date breaks.
Sorry Linksterman! :)
brent3000
Monday, October 17, 2011 at 3:02 PMI love how enforced embargos are there days :/
Choc
Monday, October 17, 2011 at 4:53 PMthey are enforced. It just never reaches the public what happens to the stores that sell early. But believe me, they are enforced.
Dean
Monday, October 17, 2011 at 3:02 PMThat will teach me for pre-ordering 35 minutes ago from the online GAME shop.
Jake
Monday, October 17, 2011 at 3:11 PMi feel your pain i preordered it this morning….sucks
Bot
Monday, October 17, 2011 at 3:11 PMCancel it then.
Splicer
Monday, October 17, 2011 at 3:15 PMHe’d lose his $10 then :(
A Guy
Monday, October 17, 2011 at 7:13 PMIf you preordered from EB Games, you wouldn’t loose your deposit… just saying…
Edward
Monday, October 17, 2011 at 9:07 PMyou’d also pay full rip-off price.
Steven Bogos
Monday, October 17, 2011 at 11:37 PMNice try EB games staff…
Fenixius
Monday, October 17, 2011 at 3:02 PMWho says everyone else will sell the game? Forza 4 was broken, but MS only allowed localised breaks in the embargo.
Dr What?
Monday, October 17, 2011 at 3:03 PMCollector’s Edition as well? DOES ANYONE KNOW!?
Daniel
Monday, October 17, 2011 at 3:32 PMI think only the standard edition. I got a sms from my local JB saying that my Collectors edition has been “delayed”. Delayed til when… probably the official release date.
MattM
Monday, October 17, 2011 at 4:44 PMI have the CE in my hands. EB at Hyperdome, Loganholme QLD.
Benjamin Sutton
Monday, October 17, 2011 at 9:25 PMThe delay is from stores not receiving stock yet, not a street date enforcement. I know some stores won’t receive their PS3 collector’s editions until the end of the week.
Aidan
Monday, October 17, 2011 at 3:05 PMThis is becoming remarkably commonplace for big releases.
Any chance publishers would react negatively?
DAN!
Monday, October 17, 2011 at 3:06 PMGODDAMMIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
MY CE ISN’T GOING TO BE IN UNTIL FRIDAY!
AGHHHHHHHH!!!!!
RahRahReiby
Monday, October 17, 2011 at 3:06 PMOh, god. Oh, god. Oh, god. Oh, god. *runs in circles* I need to get out of this library STAT!
Di11enger
Monday, October 17, 2011 at 3:06 PMwooo!
The Cracks
Monday, October 17, 2011 at 3:06 PMGOGO EB GIVE ME MY COLLECTOR’S EDITION! PLEASE?!
thabananaman
Monday, October 17, 2011 at 3:49 PMI WOULD ALSO LIKE MY COLLECTOR’S EDITION FROM EB. THANK YOU.
Ponton
Monday, October 17, 2011 at 4:03 PMI DON’T WANT THE COLLECTOR’S EDITION, BUT JUST WANTED TO JOIN IN THE CAPSLOCK FUN!
Hugo Strange the Hungarian Barbarian
Monday, October 17, 2011 at 4:09 PMAHHH TALKING VERY LOUDLY!
The Cracks
Monday, October 17, 2011 at 4:14 PMI PHONED UP MY EB AND THEY HAVE MY COPY! SUCCESS!
CAPS LOCK IS CRUISE CONTROL FOR AWESOME!
thabananaman
Monday, October 17, 2011 at 6:19 PMMINE WON’T BE IN TILL THURSDAY! AAAHHH!
Ad
Monday, October 17, 2011 at 3:06 PMJB in Burke St, Melbourne are apparently selling it now (or will be by about 3.30)
Trjn
Monday, October 17, 2011 at 3:06 PMJust called my local JB to confirm.
They “haven’t broken street date” but they’re selling them.
$79 for the game, $89 if you want a copy with the pre-order DLC (Batman TAS and Earth Zero costumes, Robin Challenge maps and Red Robins costume).
I don’t know if that’s worth $10, but I was going to pay that price anyhow…
Cannon
Monday, October 17, 2011 at 3:09 PMThe same here in Melbourne, just asked, they arnt ‘offically’ selling it to Wednesday but told me i can go in and ask for it and they will let me buy one.
Trjn
Monday, October 17, 2011 at 3:10 PMCalling the MacArthur Central store as well right now. They got their shipment in ten minutes ago and it’s the same, $79 for standard $89 for preorder DLC content.
Should be standard across Brisbane stores.
oggob
Monday, October 17, 2011 at 3:30 PMWTF? I hate that, using pre-order DLC as a means to not price match seeing as the DLC potentially makes the “SKU” unique.
We talk about legitimate consumers being screwed by store specific DLC, but now they are punishing people that pre-order.
The whole idea of pre-order DLC was to give a bonus for intent to buy on Day 1 and locally at a store, now it’s something we have to pay for.
Trjn
Monday, October 17, 2011 at 3:40 PMYou’re 100% right but at least in JB’s case, the preorder DLC does actually offer additional value outside of the horse armour. The Robin challenge maps don’t appear to be available from any other retailer in Australia, so this is the only way we can get them.
To be honest, if it wasn’t offered as a preorder bonus for free beforehand, I would not have minded the idea of a retailer exclusive DLC.
Adam Grabda
Monday, October 17, 2011 at 3:09 PMEpic! Was hoping it would, I’ve just started a week of annual leave today!
Just gonna call my local EB then jump in the car! :D
Ynefel
Monday, October 17, 2011 at 3:09 PMI still don’t understand the point of the modern ‘street date’. I mean if one major retailer sells it, most other major retailers will too. So why do we even pretend it’s release is important? Are there consequences for the retailers? I don’t get it.
This isn’t a complaint btw, just an honest question.
Shane m
Monday, October 17, 2011 at 3:13 PMThe other big retailers are aloud to sell it, because it’s an advantage to the company that broke the street date whilst the other companys may lose a sale if they dont break it too.
Zimmy
Monday, October 17, 2011 at 3:28 PMThe larger a publisher the more they can potentially punish a retailer. Though punishment is usually tied to future dealings.
Generally it can be something as simple as not shipping games until post release date or other publisher ill will but rarely in a direct way.
If a competitor broke a street date when I worked at a JB we’d escalate the issue via our corporate to the publisher who would then allow us to sell early so we didn’t lose sales and they could then deal directly with the spice of the leak.
But truth is when I worked there, the majority of street dates ended up being broken, which was over a year ago. It’s not a new phenomenon.
Jason Imms
Monday, October 17, 2011 at 3:10 PMConfirmed at my local JB (Hobart)!
James Mac
Monday, October 17, 2011 at 3:10 PMNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
God damn overseas ordering, God damn it to hell!
drew
Monday, October 17, 2011 at 3:13 PMEven with the street date broken I’m waiting till wednesday to pick it up. I need some time to finish a few assignments free from distractions.
Neo-Kaiser
Monday, October 17, 2011 at 3:14 PMThe lame thing about a broken street date is that it usually only breaks for the city it happens in.
BDKIAF
Monday, October 17, 2011 at 3:16 PMJudging by the comments it seems to be whoever has stock in.
Neo-Kaiser
Monday, October 17, 2011 at 3:43 PMWell I called up and they said until they get an e-mail stating that the street date has broken they won’t be selling it until Wednesday.
James Mac
Monday, October 17, 2011 at 4:13 PMSend them an email telling them the street date has broken.
Neo-Kaiser
Monday, October 17, 2011 at 4:14 PMYeah, that’s how I picked up Battlefield 3 last week.
James Mac
Monday, October 17, 2011 at 4:24 PMHow is it?
Neo-Kaiser
Monday, October 17, 2011 at 8:34 PMServers are crap! Can’t connect to a single game!
BDKIAF
Monday, October 17, 2011 at 3:15 PMBelconnen and Fyshwick JB are selling now too.
Andy
Monday, October 17, 2011 at 3:16 PM* Huddles in corner crying while waiting impatiently for the PC release *
lambomann007
Monday, October 17, 2011 at 4:00 PM*Huddles in close to Andy and starts crying too*
Dean
Monday, October 17, 2011 at 3:17 PMWe can’t be far from consoles needing an unlock key like steam to be downloaded.
Lewis
Monday, October 17, 2011 at 3:18 PMAny word on Collectors editions being in for those that pre-ordered.
Jason Imms
Monday, October 17, 2011 at 3:40 PMIt was available at my local JB.
PsyKoMunKy
Monday, October 17, 2011 at 3:19 PMMark – You should do a story around street dates in general.
There is a lot of guessing from gamers in forums and the like as to the reasons why they are enforced, the penalties in place, what constitutes a break, why publishers feel the need to use them, how the major retailers feel about them (must use up a lot of staff time) and whether the fervor they generate is an Australian only thing… (looking at Forza and NBA 2K forums days before official release, Australia was the only country mentioned in specific threads dealing with early release…)
Mark Serrels
Monday, October 17, 2011 at 3:40 PMHard to get retailers and publishers to talk about this kind of thing.
I did that feature about the Ocarina of Time street date break if you’re interested. That was similar to what you’re describing.
http://www.kotaku.com.au/2011/06/the-retail-cold-war-an-investigation-into-the-strangest-street-break-in-australian-history/
PsyKoMunKy
Monday, October 17, 2011 at 3:49 PMThanks Mark – Yeah I had read that one prior.
It’s amazing though the amount of effort from the gaming community that goes into breaking street dates – the big question is why they continue to be enforced?
Without knowing precisely why, who knows if the reasoning is valid?
As you’ve stated previously it is rare that the breach fines are enforced so why do the retailers play the game? (One look at the EBgames facebook page shows a glimpse of the effort they have to exert to maintain street date and customer satisfaction).
I would’ve thought in the interest of quelling the misnomers and making the gaming community more aware of the reasons behind street dates, that the retailers and/or publishers would be happy to share so that they could maybe minimise some of the issues currently generated…
James Mac
Monday, October 17, 2011 at 4:20 PMThere’s probably some money to be made in running a freight company that could gaurantee the goods wouldn’t arrive until the morning of the street date.
Trjn
Monday, October 17, 2011 at 4:46 PMThere’s a fair bit of money to be made in bribes from retailers who want it earlier in order to not have to worry about late shipments screwing up the release for them.
oggob
Monday, October 17, 2011 at 3:21 PMBoth GAME and EB Games websites have been updated to state, In Stock / Out Now on the product pages…
Not sure if this is filtering down to individual stores though, perhaps only the stores that have a JB nearby.
Shane
Monday, October 17, 2011 at 3:22 PMozgameshop, I hope you shipped the game two weeks ago and it’s waiting on my doorstep… or I will cry.
(Re: above statement, I would give someone my man card, but my wife looks after it for me)
NotoriousR
Monday, October 17, 2011 at 3:44 PMI feel the same way. Minus the man card bit. *forever alone*
James Mac
Monday, October 17, 2011 at 4:25 PM*also alone*
buckE182
Monday, October 17, 2011 at 8:25 PMI cancelled my ozgameshop order. I’m sick of waiting for games. I’m still waiting for my copy of Rage to arrive. And considering that BigW are selling it Thursday for $68, I can deal with paying $8 extra to get it 2 weeks earlier