Clarification STILL needed for August 4th release date (Read before locking, please)

[PreciousTritium]

Before the last thread was locked, I was directed to an announcement by Susanna (quoted below) that was supposed to clear up confusion. After reading it, I'm even more confused.

Moving forward, in an attempt to avoid the regular confusion around release dates and to ensure most retail and digital channels want to carry our games, we will communicate the "In stores" date only. (previously the US has had an earlier "Shipping to stores" date)

That implies that the ship date is still the 4th, a Tuesday, which makes sense since 99.9 per cent of video game releases are shipped to stores on Tuesday for a release on Wednesday. Yet the game is still not scheduled for release until the 7th. Does that mean that the game is going to sit in the back of the stores until Friday? Are stores allowed to put the game on shelves when they receive it on Wednesday?

The "In stores" date will reflect when most of you will be able to get a hold of the game across all channels (retail in US/Europe and digitally). Pls keep in mind that local differences can occur, we do not have our own army of staff placing products on shelf.

The "In stores" date for Hearts of Iron 3 is August 7 (US/Digital Download), August 14 (Scand/UK) and August 28 for FR/GE. The "In stores" date for Majesty 2 is September 11.

What does "most of you" mean? Does that mean that we'll be able to get the game "by" the seventh, as in some will be able to get it before that date? Or does that mean that the 7th will be the FIRST day that we'll be able to get our hands on it? Or maybe both? Am I missing something here? I feel like I'm going in circles.

Hook a brotha' up with some phat info, Paradox.

 

[unmerged(64527)]

Not an official statement, but I'm 99% sure the 7th is the first possible day to get the game in either a store or DD. Not one minute before.

EDIT: They say "most of you" because many areas have a delayed release, and also, many stores don't actually sell a game until a day or two after it's "release" date because of shipping times, in-store policies, and other criteria.

 

[unmerged(71436)]

I'm caught up wondering about the logistics and supply chain management behind it all. Since release happens in an entire country at the same time, a sizeable amount of copies have to be produced first, then distributed rapidly, then put into shelves, and all the time you need some security so the title doesn't get ripped by pirates and put online before the actual release... must take some managing!

 

[PreciousTritium]

But the game is shipping to stores on the 4th. Is HoI3 going to be one of the only games ever that makes it to stores three days after its shipped, instead of one?

 

[unmerged(64527)]

But the game is shipping to stores on the 4th. Is HoI3 going to be one of the only games ever that makes it to stores three days after its shipped, instead of one?

It ships from Sweden to around the world. That takes time. And it takes time to process the shipments and put them up on the store shelves.

No, many games are released even a week after the game has been shipped to stores. They do this for many reasons. I'm not going to list all the reasons because they vary from game to game and store to store and country to country and publisher to publisher.

EDIT: Besides...just download the game like most people are doing. You are guaranteed to get it on the 7th.

 

[PreciousTritium]

It ships from Sweden to around the world. That takes time. And it takes time to process the shipments and put them up on the store shelves.

No, many games are released even a week after the game has been shipped to stores. They do this for many reasons. I'm not going to list all the reasons because they vary from game to game and store to store and country to country and publisher to publisher.

EDIT: Besides...just download the game like most people are doing. You are guaranteed to get it on the 7th.

Are we sure that it's being shipped from Sweden? I thought that Paradox had publishing partners in all the different regions.

Does anyone remember a similar three day ship time for their previous releases? Or just how the release process went in general for EU3 or Rome? I'm sure this one will be comparable, I just can't remember how those particular ones went.

 

[brisduv]

But the game is shipping to stores on the 4th. Is HoI3 going to be one of the only games ever that makes it to stores three days after its shipped, instead of one?

Amazon US says shipping TOMORROW, I'll let you know if it does.

 

[unmerged(64527)]

Are we sure that it's being shipped from Sweden? I thought that Paradox had publishing partners in all the different regions.

Does anyone remember a similar three day ship time for their previous releases? Or just how the release process went in general for EU3 or Rome? I'm sure this one will be comparable, I just can't remember how those particular ones went.

Well I just used Gamersgate, so no, I'm not sure.

But as I said before, a three day wait between shipping and actual release is quite common and is definitely not on the high end. And Paradox actually has very little control over this because the distributors and individual stores deal with the game after it's shipped. Paradox can simply just ask them that they don't release the game until a certain date, but other than that it is up the store/publisher/distributor.

 

[PreciousTritium]

EDIT: Besides...just download the game like most people are doing. You are guaranteed to get it on the 7th.

If it's possible to get the game even a day earlier in stores, I'm much rather do that, especially since it comes with a paper manual.

 

[unmerged(64527)]

If it's possible to get the game even a day earlier in stores, I'm much rather do that, especially since it comes with a paper manual.

It's not possible. Paradox sets the date that stores are legally able to sell the game. And I'm pretty sure they've made it obvious that the 7th is the first date that stores are legally able to ship/sell the game to you. I could be wrong, however. But, since the 7th is the day the direct download starts, it would be counter-intuitive to think that people could get a physical copy before then.

 

[PreciousTritium]

It's not possible. Paradox sets the date that stores are legally able to sell the game. And I'm pretty sure they've made it obvious that the 7th is the first date that stores are legally able to ship/sell the game to you.

But the ship date is still listed by many online retailers as the 4th. If the games are getting shipping from Sweden and I order next day shipping from Amazon, it would still take at least three days to get here?

A paradox employee could clear this up pretty easily by answering these two questions:

1. Is HOI3 being shipped from Sweden to distributors on the 4th, and then shipped from there to stores on the 6th, or is it being shipped from said distributors on the 4th?

2. Is HOI3 "street dated" for the 7th, or can stores put it out as soon as they get them?

 

[Susana]

Wow! Interesting read! So to answer your questions:

1. Shipping date remains Aug 4 in the US, and someone somewhere might be able to get a hold of a copy of the game prior to 7th if a store clerk decides to put in extra time. However, we have done quite a few releases by now and know that it usually takes at least 2-3 days for games to start surfacing on actual shelf. Therefore the communication of "in stores date" only to avoid disappointment.

2. We have shipping points, warehouses and printers in both Europe and the US. Both operate separately from each other.

3. You are correct that "most of you" refers to us not being able to guarantee that every store of every chain in every city will receive, unpack and shelf the game at a certain date just because we would like them to. What we can control is the shipping date to ensure the product arrives on time.

Kind regards
Susana Meza

 

[unmerged(64527)]

Wow! Interesting read! So to answer your questions:

1. Shipping date remains Aug 4 in the US, and someone somewhere might be able to get a hold of a copy of the game prior to 7th if a store clerk decides to put in extra time. However, we have done quite a few releases by now and know that it usually takes at least 2-3 days for games to start surfacing on actual shelf. Therefore the communication of "in stores date" only to avoid disappointment.

2. We have shipping points, warehouses and printers in both Europe and the US. Both operate separately from each other.

3. You are correct that "most of you" refers to us not being able to guarantee that every store of every chain in every city will receive, unpack and shelf the game at a certain date just because we would like them to. What we can control is the shipping date to ensure the product arrives on time.

Kind regards
Susana Meza

Thanks for the answers!

 

[PreciousTritium]

This is why I love Paradox. Thanks very much for clearing that up, Susanna.

So it sounds like I'll be able to pre-order from an online retailer (Amazon, Gamestop), get next day shipping and have the game on the fifth.

Awesome!

 

[unmerged(12438)]

This is why I love Paradox. Thanks very much for clearing that up, Susanna.

So it sounds like I'll be able to pre-order from an online retailer (Amazon, Gamestop), get next day shipping and have the game on the fifth.

Awesome!

One day from Amazon is saying that the delivery estimate is the 6th. Gamestop also says that hoi3 ships on the 4th.

 

[La Fayette]

And in France, is it the same?
Will I be able to get the box version a bit before the 28th by luck?
What is the shipping date for France?

Thanks for your reply!

 

[PreciousTritium]

One day from Amazon is saying that the delivery estimate is the 6th. Gamestop also says that hoi3 ships on the 4th.

Amazon's delivery estimates are always way late for me. I've never gotten a shipment from amazon that arrived on or after its estimated date.

 

[vanillaicecubet]

dammit, if i knew that I could have got it off amazon faster (tomorrow w/ 1 day shipping so the 5th) then I wouldn't have pre ordered off of gamers gate.

edit: the one time I used amazon 1 day delivery for a game it was the very next day(as in, it was in my mailbox the day after release), but I guess that's probably not typical

 

[PreciousTritium]

quote removed ~F.

Leave the moderating to the moderators.

I called Gamestop and it looks like the game is in transit, so I can't pre-order it, but it's not in any of their shipments, so we'll see.

 

[Jazumir]

I'm caught up wondering about the logistics and supply chain management behind it all...

The stores will create their supply demand on the 4th. Supply lines, as we now can read in the manual, lag behind a couple of days and move on a 1-province per day speed. Just hope, that your supply lines wont get bombed...