I havent had a chance to pick up FSX yet since I don't have a Best Buy nearby. However, I was wondering how some stores are able to sell it ahead of others? I thought Microsoft was very strick about this in the past. Also, knowing that some stores like Best Buy are already selling it, Why are some other stores, still waiting for the offical date? It would seem to me they are losing sales for those who want it right away. If I were a EB world I say screw the offical date. If Microsoft is not going to inforce there own rules, I am going to sell mine inventory early too! Am I missing something here?Rob

>I havent had a chance to pick up FSX yet since I don't have a>Best Buy nearby. However, I was wondering how some stores are>able to sell it ahead of others? I thought Microsoft was very>strick about this in the past. I don't blame the retailers... I blame MS for:1) making the release date SOOOO long after the RTM date. Most games have a 10-14 day gap between RTM and Release day.2) MS shipping product TO the Retailers 3 weeks before the release day. This is just asking for trouble. The typical retail worker gets paid minimum wage and doesn't really care or take a lot of care in their job. 3) Because of #1 and #2, a lot of places "accidentally" are putting the game on the shelves because the workers don't know any better or didn't see the "hold until 10/17/06" notifications, etc.If MS had either a closer release date, or hadn't shipped to the retailers until the friday before the 17th, there would be much less instances of stores "jumping the gun" accidentally.>Also, knowing that some stores like Best Buy are already>selling it, Why are some other stores, still waiting for the>offical date? It would seem to me they are losing sales for>those who want it right away. Because they're worried they'll get dinged by MS. Remember, companies get product to sell based on a contract. Part of the contract says they won't sell the product before "release day">If I were a EB world I say screw the offical date. If>Microsoft is not going to inforce there own rules, I am going>to sell mine inventory early too! Am I missing something>here?While you might get away with it, you might not. And while you might get some sales early because "you have it and other's don't", you risk getting fined by MS, or worse yet, not being allowed to get product the next time MS releases the "hot new title" at all to sell...--2002cbr600f4i

For what it's worth, many retailers hold new product in their distribution centers until just before release day, therefore avoiding putting product out accidentally.I don't see how MS can be blamed. If I make a deal with a company, I would expect them to honor the agreement. How they did that is up to them. If they have minimum wage people that don't care, as you put it, I would expect the company to have procedures in place that take that in account.Having a release date blown is not exactly new either. It happens from time to time, in everything from games to music to movies. It's just some are more anticipated than others, and flight simmers are apparently a pretty demanding and impatient group. :)Tony

Richard over at Aerosoft Canada was a bit upset to say the least. His supplier (Ingram Micro) has still yet to ship his order to him, meanwhile they shipped to many of the large retailers who had it on the shelves on the weekend.I think it depends who you are.

I went down to my local wal-mart, they had to pull it from the shelves on Friday. I missed it by one bloody day. Seems the word is getting out to pull it in some places.Ian.