GTAIV release date broken
posted 24/04/08
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According to people contacting me on MSN, members posting on the XBW forums and other sources that confirm it, Grand Theft Auto IV has been shipped early to many gamers accross Australia.
I can see you playing it right now on my XBL friends list you bastards, I hope you have a nice Anzac long weekend tearing up the streets of Liberty City! :-)
We know for a fact that suppliers and retailers were 'warned' not to break the release date for the game so no doubt it's just a case of eager posties wanting to clear their postie bags in time to get home and watch the Anzac day footy match tomorrow perhaps. :-p maybe..
I contacted the Aussie Rockstar Games PR chap that I deal with, who, while a top bloke seemed to be in an initial state of denial and wants the retailer named, which I won't be doing...
The point of this isn't to get anyone in trouble, there's no bitterness about some people having it and others not, but damn it would be pretty nice if Rockstar gave the go ahead for EB to make it available today, which i've asked them about but as yet have had no reply.
I don't have much power in this industry, but i'll do my best to get this in our hands for the weekend!!!! LOL
More info as it becomes available. Shane...
**UPDATE** 11:00am
Just to prove that I'm not making this shit up, our own intrepid XBW reviewer Dominic Rozenberg has a legal copy of the game and has provided photo proof.. it's not rising swamp gas being reflected by the moon, it's not some lame leeched bittorrent pirated copy, it's a legit, retail copy of Grand Theft Auto IV that rocked up at his house via Australia Post this morning.
Come on Rockstar Australia, it's up to you now. Let EB Games know we can walk in and pick a copy up and we'll be happy little vegemites. :-)
**UPDATE** 12:45pm
I've been told there's no chance of any retailer being 'allowed' to break the release date.
I Guess we'll just have to find other ways to amuse ourselves over the weekend :-p Shane...
**UPDATE** 3:15pm
Apparantly this is a case of the retailers supplier sending out a 'select number of GTAIV copies' when they weren't meant to and not a case of the retailer deliberately breaking the street date.
Their name's been mentioned elsewhere, I don't particularly feel the need to mention it here as I've used them numerous times myself and they're easily one of the best online stores in Australia. It's a shame that a stuff up from someone else can possibly damage their reputation with the developer.
Let's hope the whole mess is sorted out with no lasting side effects. And here I was thinking that I was going to have a nice quiet day today.. :-p Shane...
Visit the Grand Theft Auto IV gamezone for more info on this title
