I Want it Now!

When did it become the norm that when a game releases, that doesn't mean that is the day you can drive to the store to pick it up?  This was the case when I searched all over town yesterday for Prototype for the XBOX 360.  I checked 3 Walmarts, 3 Gamestops, Toys R Us, Target, and Bestbuy.

-The guy at Best Buy was more than helpful, he checked the back for me, but then admitted that he hadn't heard of the game and would probably get a shipment in the next day for it.  No big deal, he was nice so everything was ok.

-I then went over to Gamestop, which resides in the same strip mall area.  I asked if they had it, and was told that it was delayed.  NOT that it wasn't shipped, but delayed until tomorrow.  I asked the guy behind the counter what he meant, and he elaborated that the entire game was delayed and that they would have it tomorrow, BUT I could pre-order it, then he went on with his sales pitch about getting a free something or another.  I told him I wasn't interested in the pre-order, he scoffed when he told me "Good luck getting it then".  Fuck you Gamestop guy, your store sucks.  Not Gamestop as a whole, just your store.  Always the same attitude, same asshole-ness.

-I went over to Toys R Us, where I was told they had a sale where if you bought Prototype, you got a $20 gift card.  Hell yeah I thought, what a deal!  I went to the counter and was greeted by a total cutie 20 something in her Toys R Us apron and glasses...hot...but anywho...she said that they were all sold out and that tons of people had came in to get the game.  I laughed inside...delayed my ass Gamestop. 

-Similar story with Walmart, they didn't get a shipment of the game in yet.  They were nice enough to give me the number to two other Walmarts in the area.  The first one didn't even know how to spell Prototype, I literally had to spell it out letter by letter for her.  I knew I was screwed.  The second Walmart was a little bit more of a success.  I told the lady what I wanted over the phone, she put me on hold, came back about two minutes later and asked if I had said "Prototype".  I confirmed it, and she said she would go check the back, that it may take a while, and she would call me back if I didn't want to stay on hold for that long.  I told her I would wait, and sat on the phone for 10 minutes while she checked.  She wasn't able to find it, I doubt they had it in the first place, but kudos to her for actually checking, very thouroughly...

-I checked two other Gamestops in the area, neither had the game, but they also didn't have Mr. "Good Luck Getting It, I am an Asshole" guy there either, which balanced everything out.

So where am I going with this?  Well, for starters, Gamestop sucks donkey balls.  Second, if a game is released on a certain date, why isn't it in stores on that day?