GameStop pulls Deus Ex PC from shelves, Square Enix apologizes
GameStop is now pulling PC copies of Deus Ex: Human Revolution to return them to Square Enix. Meanwhile, Square itself has issued a public statement on the issue.
Following yesterday's events, GameStop is now reportedly pulling PC copies of Deus Ex: Human Revolution from shelves entirely, though the retail giant is still honoring pre-orders and selling digital copies through its Web site. This comes just as Square Enix offers a public mea culpa for failing to let GameStop know that free OnLive codes were included.
Joystiq reports that an internal memo tells stores to pull all regular PC copies for recall to the vendor. The memo also notes that unfulfilled reserves should be taken care of from the back room inventory, and that returns will be given with a receipt. The memo actually directly mentions GameStop's development of a competing streaming service with Spawn Labs as the reason for the decision. Shacknews has contacted GameStop to confirm the memo's veracity.
Meanwhile, Square Enix has offered a press release, taking responsibility for failing to let GameStop know about the OnLive coupon offer included in new copies:
As part of Deus Ex: Human Revolution's boxed offering on PC, Square Enix included a third party coupon. GameStop was not made aware of this inclusion and Square Enix respects the right of GameStop to have final say over the contents of products it sells and to adjust them where they see fit in accordance with their policies.Square Enix invites gamers who want to purchase the PC version of Deus Ex: Human Revolution without additional coupons to buy the game at any one of over 4000 GameStop stores in North America or purchase a digital download copy online from www.gamestop.com.
An industry analyst says the GameStop's actions so far are "probably legal," and Square Enix's public apology reaffirms that. However, their aggressive tactics are certainly not doing the company any PR favors.
-
Shacknews
replySteve Watts posted a new article, GameStop pulls Deus Ex PC from shelves, Square Enix apologizes.
GameStop is now pulling PC copies of Deus Ex: Human Revolution to return them to Square Enix. Meanwhile, Square itself has issued a public statement on the issue.-
-
This offer only applied in the US. OnLive is not officially available in Canada.
-
-
Stupid Gamestop.
-
-
That's the Gamestop way though. I remember I once bought a PC game from Gamestop and opened it only to find it had no game in it. When I brought it back to them I said, "Hey, there is no game in this box" and the guy who sold it to me said, "Yeah I know" and proceeded to look back at a pile of empty boxes of the same game.
I don't buy from Gamestop anymore. -
True to a point, it's not like they have a streaming service yet so I can see how Square wouldn't have though anything of it.
-
-
-
[deleted]
-
-
[deleted]
-
-
[deleted]
-
If you're selling a product you should have the right to know what that product is. It look would bad on anyone if they sold games with bees or anthrax in them.
-
[deleted]
-
-
No, it's really not like that at all.
-
lol, WHAT?
-
-
By design. He's using an extreme to bring his point into sharp relief. Something like "I'm not walking a million miles to the store." It's understood that the store's not really a miles away.
-
-
-
-
-
It's like this.
Square-Enix made a deal with OnLive. Gamestop didn't like that deal cause they want to compete in that digital market space, so they went ahead and made a BETTER deal with Square-Enix BEHIND ONLive's back.
How much you wanna bet ONLive sues over this?
Now they issuing apologies?
Smells like shit to me.
They took a jab at the smallest competitor, in this case ONLIve.
HEY, FUCK YOU GAMESTOP! -
Square Enix Apologises?!?!?! Such bullshit. Points to them for being classy, but Gamestop is clearly the one at fault.
-
Agreed. There is nothing wrong with a packaged game including ad's and promotions from various partners of the developer/publisher. GameStop is incredibly anti-competitive, and needs to use this kind of scumball tactics to try and succeed. The sooner that company dies, the better. Scum.
-
GS should start removing the serial numbers in all of their new Nintendo titles so that people cant redeem them and get free stuff from Nintendo that they could otherwise buy similar versions of at GS because god damnit they need those sales that theyre losing from those free fancy DS Styli!
-
Totally agreed with that. Why not let the customer decide instead of forcing their own service. If Onlive is shit then people will not purchase from them.
-
-
-
Wonder what OnLive is going to do?
-
[deleted]
-
GS bought Spawn Labs, that's their solution.
-
-
If they want to capitalize on this, they'll offer the free version of DX:HR to anyone who can produce their GameStop receipt. It simultaneously makes them look like white knights gives the finger to GameStop.
-
-
-
I thought Gamestop had a no-return policy on opened PC games?
-
[deleted]
-
-
so the chances of anyone buying a PC game at Gamestop were already very low... and they want it to be lower? k.
-
This is why I could never be the CEO of a company. Because if I was Square next big release I have FF15 or whatever I would ship Gamestop a lower quantity than they ordered. Then partner with Best Buy and put out a commercial.
-
[deleted]
-
-
-
Did EA and Valve let GS know ahead of time about the Steam code in the PS3 version of Portal 2?
-
Pulling the coupon code out was bullshit, opening up the package selling it as new is slimey, but them not selling it completely is not only up to them I think Gamestop as much as it pains me to say it is in the right. You can't just sneak stuff into a product and expect the retailer to sell it. Although I find it weird for companies to apologize, Square Enix is definitely the one of the two that should.
-
[deleted]
-
They only sell new games to get you to set foot in the store and see their high-margin used games.
-
-
[deleted]
-
Should nvidia do that? no. Do they have the right to? Yes. They don't because its not in their best interest to divide the pc community anymore than it is.
-
-
What does "sneak stuff into a product" mean? Since when do publishers have to clear it with retailers when they offer coupons and tie-ins?
-
Why don't they have a right to know whats in their product and refuse it if they don't like whats in the product they are selling?
Maybe sneak it in wasn't the best phrase but it generally seems like something you'd tell your largest retailer.-
They have the right to know, but that doesn't mean the publisher has to explicitly permission from each of their retailers before coming to promotion agreements. That's completely absurd.
-
*explicitly get permission
-
-
-
-
-
This is exactly how I feel so I don't know what you are "'no'ing"
-
-
Thats really what I meant by this "Although I find it weird for companies to apologize, Square Enix is definitely the one of the two that should."
Not that either of them should at all.-
Here, you are claiming that your sentence means the opposite of what it actually says.
-
-
-
-
-
[deleted]
-
You think a company should be forced to sell a product they don't want to sell?
-
[deleted]
-
Then I think we agree, as opening the product as I said is bad.
-
-
-
-
-
question, does the pc version forsale at target come with an onlive code? i heard that copies sent to gamestop were the only ones to get the code. I might try it out if I can snag a free code.
-
[deleted]
-
-
-
Didn't see this post before I posted, well said
-
-
What's even worse is that they aren't letting the consumers decide.
-
-
-
This is completely idiotic, so Wal-Mart would have the legal right to open up every box of cereal that included a toy and remove them because they were not informed prior that the toy would be included with the cereal? Now will any bonus material that is included in any product is subject to removal by retailers? DLC codes: Removed. Console Bundles with Games: Games Removed. Cracker Jack Box: Prizes Removed.
Retailers have no right to alter product contents at their whim. Taking it off the shelf is what they should have done if they had a problem with the product not screw with the product. They sure have messed up what little reputation they still had among PC gamers.-
[deleted]
-
Yet enother theoatmeal comic to get a chuckle from me this week.
-
-
-
ban gaystop.. as a consumer if you buy something NEW and spend new retail prices it better damn well be factory sealed.. NO ONE should let businesses like this fuck you over, i dont even care if they took nothing out of the box, they shouldn't be opening new products and selling them as new..
-
-
That one they fixed too. Mine came without the pre-order code, but after I sent in a complaint I got a call from the District Manager, personally, and was able to get the code from the local store.
This whole OnLive business is crap though. Since I'm posting from a pseudo-netbook right now I can say an OnLive copy of DX:HR would DEFINITELY be something I'm interested in.
I really hope Square provides some kind of way to get an OnLive coupon for those of us who were janked in the wing-wong by GameStop.
-
-
Hahaha, pathetic whiny babies. Shows the measure of the men/women running that company that, when it comes down to it, they didn't grow up past their childhood stage.
-
This is so insanely fucking retarded. Fuck you, GameStop. Way to bully publishers over something so trivial. Customers understandably get upset when they are sold open product as new. Regardless of the reason why.
I can't wait for the day when all you can sell is fuckin' used games because digital distribution makes you totally irrelevant.
And for the record, I bought my copy of Deus Ex: Augmented Edition from GameStop. If I had've known they'd be such faggots, I likely would've gone elsewhere. -
Gamestop continues to come across completely sleazy. They're quite welcome to choose what they will and will not sell, but opening a fucking packaged product and screwing with the contents before selling it as NEW is scum.
Nevermind that they already open so much software and sell it as new, but this is going a step beyond. -
I stopped giving my money to GameStop a long time ago. Every time something like this comes up, it further justifies my decision.
If I were Square Enix, I would have told GameStop, "Blow us! You don't have to carry our game. There are plenty of other convenient outlets for customers to acquire the game." -
If there was a sales agreement that said "We don't stuff our boxes with stuff that competes with your sales model", then Square is right to apologize.
Perhaps during the next negotiation, Square could request that Gamestop not sell the same disk 5x in their lucrative flea market operation as a quid pro quo.
Gamestop's model is a dying business approach anyway. I can understand why they would lash out at a promotion that directly attacks not just their franchise but their entire way of doing business. When the next game consoles come out, and they're 100% digital download, well, it's gonna be the death knell for Gamestop stores.
-
