BB Fiasco: They've Wised Up

[ahuimanu 50]

Okay,I have systematically called all stores in a 100 mile radius of me (Richmond, Virginia), the story is consistent:Me: "A buddy in ____________ (I used the various towns which were mentioned in the other thread) purchased a copy of Flight Simulator X last night I wonder if you have a copy too?"BB Worker: "Is that the Microsoft flight simulator?"Me: "Yes, it is. It is a new version"BB Worker: "Oh yeah... I'm sorry sir, I got an email today and the street date is October 17th"Me: "Are you sure you don't have any on your sales floor, my friend just got it last night"BB Worker: "Yes, we are aware that some stores broke street date, we had to pull ours off the sales floor. The release date is not until the 17th"Me: "Oh well, ok. Thanks"I repeated the conversation, or variations on it, for the following stores:W Broad VA (Store 423) <- never left the back roomVirginia Ctr Comm VA (Store 1013) <- don't have it yetChesterfield VA (Store 422) <- wise to my call right awayColonial Heights VA (Store 788) <- hip to my game tooFredericksburg VA (Store 166) <- recited the "email" explaining the street dateCharlottesville VA (Store 860) <- oh I came CLOSE with this guy... I swear he had it on the floor. I waited about 10 minutes on hold and then a manager recited the email, blah, blah, blah. I ALMOST scored hereNewport News VA (Store 479) <- young girl on the phone knew the score - Oct 17th sir...Potomac Mills VA (Store 287) <-No dice, no wayLexington Park MD (Store 1003) <- sorry sir...Waldorf MD (Store 446) <- had it on the floor and took it off yesterdayManassas VA (Store 356) <- Clerk barely spoke english so I can't definitively say if they had it or not - "we only have version 3 and 4" - I wouldn't make the drive until I spoke to another clerk, but by this time I knew the game was upSpringfield Mall VA (Store 269) <- nobody in the software department would pick up, but I actually got the operator to put me in touch with the receiving department - they knew the score too... Oh well.I am so desperate with the smell of blood in the water that I'd probably pay double right now.#### IT!!!Curse you BB!!! Curse you early lucky dogs!

[Guest]

Yeah this whole release has been a debacle. I knew when it went gold last month that it wasnt going to take 5 weeks to make it from pressing to store shelves. I have no idea why they chose a date weeks into the future for release when it easily could have been released this week or next tuesday at the latest. Funny you should mention the manassas thing and not speaking english. I happen to live in manassas and nobody here speaks english anymore. If you dont speak spanish you cant even hardly order a hamburger...

[Moose4 0]

Dang. I live in Richmond and know where all those stores are. Nice try. :)Lewis "Moose" GregoryRichmond, Virginia

[ahuimanu 50]

>Yeah this whole release has been a debacle. I knew when it>went gold last month that it wasnt going to take 5 weeks to>make it from pressing to store shelves. I have no idea why>they chose a date weeks into the future for release when it>easily could have been released this week or next tuesday at>the latest. Funny you should mention the manassas thing and>not speaking english. I happen to live in manassas and nobody>here speaks english anymore. If you dont speak spanish you>cant even hardly order a hamburger...In Richmond, it's been a LOOOOONG time since I've seen an out-of-doors worker who wasn't speaking spanish - nearly all construction jobs are being manned by spanish-only speakers. Hmmmm.....

[n4gix 4,947]

>Yeah this whole release has been a debacle. I knew when it>went gold last month that it wasnt going to take 5 weeks to>make it from pressing to store shelves. I have no idea why>they chose a date weeks into the future for release when it>easily could have been released this week or next tuesday at>the latest.Do you have any idea just how long it takes to set up and coordinate a world-wide advertising campaign? There is far more 'bang for the buck' when the $millions being spent on advertising actually coincide with the physical appearance of the product on the shelves.

[jjeffreys 12]

I got mine at the greenbrier store in Chesapeake. You might give them a call. I got it Tuesday night.

[Guest archtx]

Well....there goes my idea of driving to San Antonio (60 miles) and visiting all of the Best Buys.What is everyone's best guess? Was Best Buy the first to receive them from Microsoft? Not a single EB or Walmart has slipped up?I don't need any stinking advertising campaign! I want my FSX now! I think you should be able to take your FS9 logbook into a store, and if you have over a thousand hours, they should sell it to us now! Our payoff for being loyal MSFS fans!

[jjeffreys 12]

A post on another board said that the Walmarts in Tennesee had them out so you might give them a look today.

[Mace 1,902]

Not here in MO, I bought it last evening.RhettAMD 3700+, eVGA 7800GT 256, ASUS A8N-E, PC Power 510 SLI, 2 GB Corsair XMS 3-3-3-8, etc. etc.

[Guest superman32870]

Got mine today at Walmart. Live in Tampa Fl.

[Guest archtx]

Thanks for the heads up, Jeremy, but no joy!

[Guest Charlie]

>Do you have any idea just how long it takes to set up>and coordinate a world-wide advertising campaign? There is>far more 'bang for the buck' when the $millions being spent on>advertising actually coincide with the physical appearance of>the product on the shelves.Now if there were ever a message posted for no other purpose than to be contrary and argumentative, this is it. You seem to be implying that early sales mean fewer overall sales over the launch period and that is utter nonsense.

[Guest Blueshockeynut]

Just got mine today, at least 10 copies of Standard and at least 8 Deluxe, also installing it Vista RC2.