Answer from Amazon UK!!!

Mookie · October 17, 2001, 10:19

"Thank you for contacting us at Amazon.co.uk with regards to "CIVILIZATION III". I have looked onto our website and the release date for this item, as you correctly stated, 28 December 2001. I have also looked onto "FIRAXIS" website and it states "Sid Meier's Civilization III has gone gold and will ship to retailers October 30th with games reaching store shelves soon after". Therefore, this means that stocks should arrive with the retailers but you will not be able to purchase this item until later. Please note that this date has not been provided."

What's your opinion about this? I don't know if this is god or bad news...

LaRusso · October 17, 2001, 10:21

Amazon UK is employing headless chickens.

kittenOFchaos · October 17, 2001, 10:26

Amazon Uk are a bunch of tossers...cya in court

MarkG · October 17, 2001, 10:30

Quote:

Originally posted by Mookie
Please note that this date has not been provided.

which date of all?

the only thing i know is what we have been told by Infogrames, that 17/11 is the pan-european release date

beyond that, i dont any retailers who have stock and dont sell it for 6 weeks.....

Mookie · October 17, 2001, 10:46

I'm still very confused about this release date thing

Deathwalker · October 17, 2001, 10:51

So after that, we still now nothing. Are we going to have to wait till it is released before we have a date form them?

Grumbold · October 17, 2001, 11:11

I know it is illegal for them to sell the game before the "official" release date, even if they have stock ready in advance. I once managed to persuade a retailer to sell me a copy thursday evening and only charge my credit card on the friday morning but normally they won't even do that.

Alternatively, since Infogrammes don't ship direct from their warehouses to the retail outlets, stores with bad distribution may get 1,000 units delivered to their warehouse on the day of release but take another two weeks to deliver them to their shops.

cyril25376 · October 17, 2001, 13:16

Somebody coming too late will be punished by a quicker one .."

Crouchback · October 17, 2001, 14:35

Quote:

Originally posted by Mookie
"Thank you for contacting us at Amazon.co.uk with regards to "CIVILIZATION III". I have looked onto our website and the release date for this item, as you correctly stated, 28 December 2001. I have also looked onto "FIRAXIS" website and it states "Sid Meier's Civilization III has gone gold and will ship to retailers October 30th with games reaching store shelves soon after". Therefore, this means that stocks should arrive with the retailers but you will not be able to purchase this item until later. Please note that this date has not been provided."

What's your opinion about this? I don't know if this is god or bad news...

So they're going to have thousands of copies sitting int their warehouse from 30th October, but unable to release them to consumers until Infogrames' tells them to? Man that sux and blows.

Guess it's time to go look for a more expensive copy that will actually be delivered.

David

Dauphin · October 17, 2001, 14:52

Quote:

Originally posted by Grumbold
I once managed to persuade a retailer to sell me a copy thursday evening and only charge my credit card on the friday morning but normally they won't even do that.

As an auditor, that makes my life difficult. I once went to a stocktake and something similar to that had happened. It was a car dealership, and they had been "fudging" the sales dates for various reasons (tax, sales bonuses, licence reg plates etc) - The point being that the cars were not there at stock-take but no sales processed in respect of them either.

"Oh dear. We seem to have misplaced £100,000 worth of cars."

Grumbold · October 17, 2001, 15:01

Overnight test drive?

Darkknight · October 17, 2001, 15:01

AArrgh! I thought that the UK release was the same as US for once!! Those Dumm MFer's!! Don't they think we like the game and will buy it. Maybe they just care about America!

Dauphin · October 17, 2001, 15:11

Quote:

Originally posted by Grumbold
Overnight test drive?

If it were claimed to be the case, I would request the details of all test drives around that time. I would then be required to phone the person in possession of the car at that time, and have them confirm that they were in fact in possession.

I'm just an investigator.

On the issue of universal release date, I think it is to do with Supplier/Distributor contracts, possibly equal opportunity law or something similar. i.e. All distributors are to have an equal opportunity at selling a new product.. Can't confirm that though.

Earthling7 · October 17, 2001, 15:13

If they want the game to be bought rather than downloaded and pirated, they have a funny way of showing it... if this all is as it seems.

Chowlett · October 17, 2001, 15:19

INfogrames states that the pan-European release date is 17th november, but does that include the UK? To many, the UK is not a part of Europe per se. Plus we have Firaxis's statement that the release will be simultaneous in US/UK. I know they aren't the final word on this, but might infogrames have implicitly excluded UK from Europe, so the 30th October is still a valid release date? I hope so, but who knows?

Provost Harrison · October 17, 2001, 16:15

Well let us keep our fingers crossed Chowlett, although one has to really figure out how much longer they can leave it. Everyone is already confused as to what is going on, and the only people who seem decisive about it are Firaxis, who say simultaneous, but no word from Infogrames, who are conspicuous by their absence...

MarkG · October 17, 2001, 17:33

Quote:

Originally posted by Chowlett
INfogrames states that the pan-European release date is 17th november, but does that include the UK?

yes, it does

our initial question was actually for the UK, only to be told that it's the same for the whole Europe. Even for Greece!

Provost Harrison · October 17, 2001, 18:50

Yeah, Markos, but you'll get it earlier as a 'perk of the job'. Hey, install me as Civ3 Mod quick and make sure I get this 'perk' as well

Chowlett · October 17, 2001, 19:08

Quote:

Originally posted by MarkG
yes, it does

our initial question was actually for the UK, only to be told that it's the same for the whole Europe. Even for Greece!

Damn - I was looking forward to having it in under a fortnight

. Oh well, 17/11 is my Birthday, so I'll look on it as a b'day present.

Faboba · October 17, 2001, 21:34

I.... was previously under the understanding that the amazon website said the 28th October............. this is dire news.

Why? Because I just ordered it earlier today.

In future chaps big bold letters for the idiot Scot who doesn't bother reading websites.

I can cancel it can't I?.................

Faboba · October 17, 2001, 21:37

It is most wonderfully cheaper........ unwilling to cancel just yet,

What the address you've been mailing? Can't find a 'contact us' biut of the site.......

Faboba · October 18, 2001, 00:11

*BUMP* Go on.... what address did you use to mail. I've already sent one to orders@amazon.co.uk but I'm not sure if thats the right place

Gramphos · October 18, 2001, 15:14

Quote:

Originally posted by Ed_UK at Infogames UK Forum
Anyway, re: the release dates on sites. Basically, the marketing manager for the product has the date as the 16th november and this will be the date going out to the buyers in companies like amazon. However, when these dates change, it can take a while for the buyers to update the dates in the database (trust me, I've worked in retail

) The date Amazon are giving to me sounds like they're assuming it'll be released before year end but don't know when. Gameplay still have it down as 30th October. UKgames.com have the correct date.

I wouldn't worry too much about the stores shipping on time, as the launch approaches they'll realise when the game's getting in and when it's being released and stuff. Some places are just quicker at updating their release schedules.

At Infogames they say that the date will be 16th november.

Rhysie · October 18, 2001, 17:38

Why the pointless delay? If the version being sold in the UK is _exactly_ the same as that sold in the US there is no reason for a delay - The only thing I can think of is shipping times, but if they started shipping stuff to their distribution centres in the UK shortly after the game went gold, then it would be in the UK in plenty of time to be fully distributed and on sale at the same time as the US.

Faboba · October 18, 2001, 18:42

I assume their just saying that to be safe.

But I want to make sure,

Someone tell me what the address I should be sending to is.

Provost Harrison · October 18, 2001, 18:46

I agree, they should be in both places on the same day. It is just a bit confusing because while Firaxis are saying they are simultaneous, Infogrames are running around like headless chickens. We all know who is daddy in that relationship

mtgillespie · October 19, 2001, 10:33

There's a short article at gamespot UK, which includes this :

"With a November 16th release date now set, there'll be more on Civ III at GameSpot over the coming weeks"

I'm becoming convinced that there's no chance of getting it in the UK before the middle of november except by ordering from an American site and paying for the extra postage

Deathwalker · October 19, 2001, 10:49

You now that if you look at Electronics boutique UK web site, they say the release date is the 16/11/2001

www.eb.uk.com/review.asp?tab=pc&rev_id=138063

So which is it for the UK

mtgillespie · October 19, 2001, 10:56

I haven't seen any website based in Britain that say's 30th October, so i think it must be 16th November

That date has just cropped up too many times to be a coincidence.

mtgillespie · October 19, 2001, 12:08

There's a new ask the Civ team on the official website, and on the subject of release dates, it say's :

"Unfortunately, we have no dates to report on release dates other than the North American / U.K. release date which is currently scheduled for 10/30. As soon as we get confirmed dates from Infogrames, we will post them here on Civ3.com. We know it's tough to wait, but we appreciate your patience."

Now i'm really confused