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UK video game retail chain refuses to sell Oblivion on PS3 ... what? [update]
11:27 AM on 04.27.2007, World Famous 49 comments

UK video game retail chain refuses to sell Oblivion on PS3 ... what? [update] photo
     United Kingdom

[UPDATE: According to CVG, it's just a distribution issue. Weird thing is, GamesIndustry has yet to update their original story. What's going on? Who's right? Here's what CVG says:

Staff at the Oxford Street branch of the chain told CVG this afternoon that it had no units in stock, adding that a number of its stores are in the same position. They said that they expect to have copies in next week, possibly Monday.

Someone make up their damn mind.]

Talk about the ultimate in bitch slap. It appears as though the video game retail chain GAME, over in the UK and Ireland, is refusing to stock and sell the highly-praised Oblivion on the PlayStation 3 -- you know, that game that racked up a ton of sales and critical acclaim last year. From GamesIndustry:

Leading High Street retailer GAME is refusing to stock copies of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion for the PlayStation 3. The title, developed by Bethesda and published on the Sony console by Ubisoft, is not available in any of the company's 400 UK and Ireland stores. 

Officials from GAME have not commented on the issue. Can anyone here imagine why they wouldn't want to stock this game? It makes no sense. 


Next page: More WHAAAAAAT? stories




Niero's Avatar
Niero at 04/27/2007 11:27
yeah, the nudity patch thing. I think the game got the equivalent of an M rating overseas too
Toneman's Avatar
Toneman at 04/27/2007 11:29
The way I see it, they're doing everyone a favor. It's waaaay better on PC anyway. Have you seen some of the mods out there? They actually make the game fun, and I didn't think that was possible.
World Famous's Avatar
World Famous at 04/27/2007 11:33
Oblivion, fun? I don't believe your lies.
Joe Burling's Avatar
Joe Burling at 04/27/2007 11:38
Maybe because they need the retail space for 360 and Wii games?
tazarthayoot's Avatar
tazarthayoot at 04/27/2007 11:38
This is madness!
Mabec's Avatar
Mabec at 04/27/2007 11:39
No idea, but it makes sense for Microsoft.
Toneman's Avatar
Toneman at 04/27/2007 11:39
Yeah, hard to believe isn't it?
BahamutZero's Avatar
BahamutZero at 04/27/2007 11:40
No tazar. This is Sparta. by which I mean the UK and Ireland.
MusashiX2's Avatar
MusashiX2 at 04/27/2007 11:42
does the game support the theory of Evolution or something?
Winston Churchill's Avatar
Winston Churchill at 04/27/2007 11:44
Hurrah! We finally fight back against being treated like third-rate customers.

Pity nobody sensible buys their games from actual shops these days. More pity that GAME always overcharge for their products anyway.
tazarthayoot's Avatar
tazarthayoot at 04/27/2007 11:44
Are people really even clamoring over this game anyway? Everyone I know keeps telling me how amazing it is, but these people also wear dragon tshirts, have tribal tattoos, and have bumper stickers on their cars saying "If guns are outlawed can we use swords?"

Obviously it isn't a biased opinion.
Adamska's Avatar
Adamska at 04/27/2007 11:45
Must be all the voice actors or something. They must find the accents in the game offensive and thus refuse to sell the game.
witthaus's Avatar
witthaus at 04/27/2007 11:47
they are still scared of dragons over there
mrdurden4's Avatar
mrdurden4 at 04/27/2007 11:47
lol @ this is madness!
LordRegulus's Avatar
LordRegulus at 04/27/2007 11:52
I'm out of theories.

Maybe someone took the PS3 version of F.E.A.R. personally?
Winston Churchill's Avatar
Winston Churchill at 04/27/2007 11:57
Apparently it's because Ubi are charging top dollar and Game refuse to pay top dollar. And you can bet your bottom dollar on that.

/gets coat
/leaves
Silverhertz's Avatar
Silverhertz at 04/27/2007 12:02
Dragons and the impending Irish invasion. GAME sucks my balls anywho, all about the Game Station. Trade-in for more than I paid for the game FTW!
Lodin's Avatar
Lodin at 04/27/2007 12:07
Wonder if it's the same thing for Game in France, Sweden or here in Norway? Pretty strange at any rate.
Tempus's Avatar
Tempus at 04/27/2007 12:09
The reason is thus;

Oblivion cannot be traded back in. Each disc has an account and is unique etc. There's less profit for them on this game. Bunch of n00bs.
macr's Avatar
macr at 04/27/2007 12:27
probably because when you walk into game on the highstreet and go to the 360 section all you can see is about 2 rows worth of sealed oblivions that have never been purchased.
Zanch's Avatar
Zanch at 04/27/2007 12:28
Well, sucks to be a GAME customer then. They're surely missing out.
John Martone's Avatar
John Martone at 04/27/2007 12:35
@ Bahamut_Zero
haha... delicious hot mead debacle.

@Tempus
How does that work per say? You don't take Oblivion online, and you don't write to the blu-ray itself. Doesn't seem to be a reason you can't resell it.
MusashiX2's Avatar
MusashiX2 at 04/27/2007 12:37
@Tempus

i have played my friend's rented copy of Oblivion on my ps3 after he played it on his. explain that...
Jamesways's Avatar
Jamesways at 04/27/2007 12:40
ObliviOWNED!

Sorry, so sorry, I just had to. You know, since no one has yet.
brad drac's Avatar
brad drac at 04/27/2007 12:41
Churchill probably has it right. Unfortunately, that's not very funny. Way to ruin our jokes, jackass!

This matters so very little to actual gaming human people. I don't know of a single game shop(in ireland) that isn't within a minute's walking distance of somewhere else you can buy games. Symth's ftw.
MusashiX2's Avatar
MusashiX2 at 04/27/2007 12:45
i just read this...

GAME says Oblivion PS3 on its way (c/o CVG)
http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=162989
Nick Chester's Avatar
Nick Chester at 04/27/2007 12:51
I love Oblivion and don't own one of those necklaces of a dragon's claw holding a crystal. Go figure.

Not everyone can play it on the PC (myself included) and besides the mods, the game holds up very well on the PS3 and 360.

Glad they're patching 360 Shivering Isles soon; I stopped playing it because it was the broke.
Justice's Avatar
Justice at 04/27/2007 13:02
I would never expect GAME to do this :S
Weird
ClarenceBoddicker's Avatar
ClarenceBoddicker at 04/27/2007 13:07
I love the game too and don't have pc capable of playing it so I'm glad for the console version even without all the mods,now if only my goddamned mage apprentice would quit summoning bound greaves and walking around shirtless cause hes too damn dumb to either use the rest of the bound armor spells


Nick how is shivering isles? can you buy houses there? cause I plan on bring like 5000lbs of shit on my char over lol
brainderailment's Avatar
brainderailment at 04/27/2007 13:14
No sense at all, Bullhockey! The last thing people need who just bought ps3s is someone holding back games from them. jesus
MusashiX2's Avatar
MusashiX2 at 04/27/2007 13:19
guys, that link i posted before? here is the quote if you were too lazy to click it, or just didn't notice it...

" Major UK retailer GAME has been hit by distribution problems with the PS3 version of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, which released on these shores today.

Staff at the Oxford Street branch of the chain told CVG this afternoon that it had no units in stock, adding that a number of its stores are in the same position. They said that they expect to have copies in next week, possibly Monday.

When contacted about the shortage, an Ubisoft spokesperson told us, "As demand for Oblivion has been so high there may be some supply problems with Game and Gameplay, which is why it's temporarily unavailable. However, it still is available elsewhere. Rest assured, Oblivion on PS3 is definitely out today in online and high street retailers." "

from CVG
amalgamut00's Avatar
amalgamut00 at 04/27/2007 13:21
I guess they don't want people to buy the game again, since it's been out for the Xbox360 and PC. Making money is over rated any way
Whiskey Jak's Avatar
Whiskey Jak at 04/27/2007 13:22
Oh Summa.... They never say "we won't sell" the game. It's funny how some facts change from one article to another. Not having something in stock doesn't mean "refusing" to sell it either. They only say they won't stock pile and there could be several reasons for that, some problem with the publisher over some cash issue or some temporary distribution issue being the most probables.

Tempus's Avatar
Tempus at 04/27/2007 13:47
For the flamers who ripped me about the rental thing - that was my understanding at the time and I stand corrected. Still, is it possible to trade in your 360 version after it's been linked to the xblive account?
MusashiX2's Avatar
MusashiX2 at 04/27/2007 13:53
@Tempus

i didn't mean to come across as flaming you, my bad. i am pretty sure there is no problem trading in the 360 version either, because it is on GameFly. so i figure if there was some problem, you wouldn't be able to rent it.
Whiskey Jak's Avatar
Whiskey Jak at 04/27/2007 13:55
Tempus, There is no "link", the disc is perfectly playable by anyone else. What isn't possible to trade are your saves because THEY are linked to your account stored on your 360, not your game. So any disc will be able to play my saved games, as long as I play on my 360 with my profile. The disc itself is the same thing as your good ol'xbox or PS2 discs.
fearian's Avatar
fearian at 04/27/2007 14:43
why the fuck?

but you shouldnt care people! real gamers buy from GAMESTATION!
Tempus's Avatar
Tempus at 04/27/2007 15:04
Ta for the info Whiskey Jak. Makes a bit more sense now. I must've read some scaremongering report from someone like Jack Thompson.

I remember when the local GAME was built. It was whilst the Snes was just dying off and the Playstation was being given life in the UK. It was good for what it was at the time, as you would only find small games shops prior to that. Or you got them mail order in my experience (or spoke to the dodgy amiga bloke i knew for a few white label disks...).

Since Gamestation have come along, they have shat all over GAME right royally to the point where GAME now ask for a testicle to be handed over when purchasing a game. As well as the price as pictured on the front in ugly purple lettering. Gamestation have a better product range, a better retro range and they actually have GOOD merchandise with prices far more reasonable than GAME, even on brand new titles.

I'd be interested to know the US equivalent of our two main retail "Gaming" shops :)
SubOrbital's Avatar
SubOrbital at 04/27/2007 15:30
Next it will be other PS3 games. They're plotting the downfall of Sony!
allisonaxe's Avatar
allisonaxe at 04/27/2007 15:48
@tazarthayoot:

Madness? THIS. IS. TAMRIEL!!!!! *kicks ps3 into a pit*
Lord Voli's Avatar
Lord Voli at 04/27/2007 15:58
I've probably played about 150 hours on Oblivion. It's more fun than many people realize. The shivering iles gives it a whole new sadistic gleam. If it's not your thing that's fine, but it's one hell of a game and has given me more playtime than any other 360 game I've played.
MusashiX2's Avatar
MusashiX2 at 04/27/2007 16:03
can somebody finally update this post? even Joystiq has gotten it right by now...

http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/27/uk-retailer-game-faces-delivery-issues-with-ps3-oblivion
World Famous's Avatar
World Famous at 04/27/2007 16:32
Updated.

What's weird is that GamesIndustry still has their story up. No update. Not sure who to believe.
MusashiX2's Avatar
MusashiX2 at 04/27/2007 17:24
nice work, Summa. of course you know, i'm just trying to help.

World Famous's Avatar
World Famous at 04/27/2007 17:29
I know. It's annoying. You got two sort-of reputable sources saying two different things. I really hate this industry sometimes.
MusashiX2's Avatar
MusashiX2 at 04/27/2007 17:52
lol, i here you bro. my brother works for STATS Inc., and he tells me about how sometimes things get misinterpreted and then stories go retardedly wrong. it just happens, i guess.
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