Phantasy Star Online, Episode III gets PAL Release Date and Exclusivefied in UK!

[Lee-yoshi]

From Frontpage - http://www.Ragol.co.uk

Phantasy Star Online, Episode III: C.A.R.D. Revolution has as it appears got a new, and this time official, PAL Release Date.

Information appeared short-time ago when Nintendo of Sweden added the date to their website (Spotted by Forum Member Balbarei), and it appears shopping websites have now also changed the date. That date being Friday 11th June 2004. However, you’ll apparently only be able to buy the game in one place in the U.K.…

If you go down to the shops on that day, you’ll be in for a big surprise, as they won’t have it… unless you’ve gone into a GAME retail store! GAME have an exclusive deal in which the video game, Phantasy Star Online, Episode III, will only be purchasable through them by consumers. The deal appeared not long ago on their website – http://www.game.uk.com - in which the words ‘Exclusive to GAME’ appeared. Since that time I have contacted them via. E-mail and they replied indeed confirming that Phantasy Star Online, Episode III: C.A.R.D. Revolution will be sold exclusively by GAME only!

No doubt people who have pre-ordered the game from other websites and stores are wondering…what does this mean for me?! Well I’m afraid I can’t help you, but most likely is you’ll lose your pre-order if this is indeed true, and have to pre-order through GAME, either by popping into your local GAME store, or by pre-ordering from the GAME Website using their ‘5 Star Pre-Order Service’.

You can Pre-order Phantasy Star Online, Episode III: C.A.R.D. Revolution, exclusively for the Nintendo Gamecube, set for release on Friday the 11th of June 2004, for £32.99 by visiting the GAME website by clicking this link, or by visiting their website directly at: http://www.game.uk.com. GAME Reward Card Holders will also get Double Reward points on this Pre-Order.

For more information on the GAME deal, why not visit GAME’s Customer Service webpages by Clicking Here, or by Phoning their dedicated customer service line: 0800 317778.

No Doubt a Blockbusting Announcement!

Lee-yoshi

All Images used belong to and are respectively used from the GAME UK Website. Images Rights propetry of their respective owner. And by the way, I made up the word exclusivefied!

[GOLDIE]

Wooo at last!! *checks pocket for cash* :'(.

[Faulkie]

Hmmm... I wonder if I'll get mine...
If I preorder from game, I might still get the one from the other place and I'll have wasted money, and if I don't, I might not get it at all... quite a predicament

[Lee-yoshi]

Hmmm... I wonder if I'll get mine...
If I preorder from game, I might still get the one from the other place and I'll have wasted money, and if I don't, I might not get it at all... quite a predicament

Well...not really. E-Mail the other company and ask them about this, or just cancel the pre-order, and make a new pre-order with GAME. Quite simple really!

[Junon]

Nah, i doubt the only place in the whole of the UK you could buy it is GAME.

Possibly the only high street shop, but im sure you could buy it through other Internet Sites. I wouldnt worry about it if you've pre-ordered it through another Site other than GAME's.

[Ivan]

I say we have a LAN party in celebration! Now my episode 3 game can stop collecting dust!

[Lee-yoshi]

lol, a LAN party? U fool, it's gotta come out first!

I'm in agreement with Junon, is does seem highly unlikely that such a thing could be possible, especially online, but if you think about it, it wouldn't be a hard thing for a company to do. SEGA Of Europe will simply only deliver the games to one place in the UK (I.e. the GAME Warehouse). Done, simple, they're saving money, GAME gains money, other companies are left wondering when they're deliveries coming...

[Ivan]

Well, now seeing that post, I doubt they would do that, but if the other sites haven't changed their release dates yet, they are probobly clueless as you said, Junon.

[Junon]

lol, a LAN party? U fool, it's gotta come out first!

I'm in agreement with Junon, is does seem highly unlikely that such a thing could be possible, especially online, but if you think about it, it wouldn't be a hard thing for a company to do. SEGA Of Europe will simply only deliver the games to one place in the UK (I.e. the GAME Warehouse). Done, simple, they're saving money, GAME gains money, other companies are left wondering when they're deliveries coming...

Nah, selling their game to only one company will mean they will have a much much smaller market audience to sell to, having the game in only one place will mean much less people will see it, and potentially buy it; Pretty much commercial suicide...

By the "GAME Exclusive" they just mean that its the only high street shop you can buy it from. Im sure you could buy it through loads of different websites though.

[Lee-yoshi]

Even though, i still can't see SEGA of Europe giving the game lots of commercial hype. There's just some games you can't see doing that, and PSO, Episode III is one of them i'm afraid. The game hasn't exactly sold blinding amounts where it's already been released. It's American release was somewhat of a surprise and secret to what i saw of it! And the choice of going to cards seems to have been a mistake that SEGA wish was never happened. Hence saving money in this way on releasing the game, while still releasing it as planned for the online aspects, makes everyone a winner.