Circuit City Final Fantasy XII $37.99 -- for real
by Alexander Sliwinski 
{ Oct 29th 2006 at 4:00PM }
Circuit City is selling Final Fantasy XII for $37.99 USD starting this Tuesday, a full $12 less than any of the major U.S. electronic retail stores. Yeah, we're surprised by it as well. Not only does today's Circuit City flyer in your local newspaper have the price listed at $37.99, but the online price is listed as $37.99. It's as real as it gets. Of course, this means nothing to those lucky people that caught CompUSA breaking street date.
We've even contacted a few Circuit City stores and, just like other retailers, they say their copies are currently sitting in the warehouse ready for distribution -- but they aren't breaking street date. So, Circuit City has the copies, they are $12 less than anybody else and are ready to pick up first thing when the store opens on Tuesday. Come on, not to be completely jaded, but what's the catch?
A call has been placed to Circuit City PR to find out if there is something we are missing and why they are selling the game for such an amazing price. The only thing that doesn't jive is that the flyer says Tuesday, but online says Thursday as release.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Will @ Oct 29th 2006 4:06PM
Yeah I was just looking through the flyer and noticed this as well, good deal, CC should start selling all Games cheaper the first week just like they do with DVD's, it will make me think twice before going to EBgames or Gamestop.
McWeen @ Oct 29th 2006 4:12PM
I've had the english FF12 for about 3 weeks now...I played it for a whopping hour. Besides the new pretty graphics it is the opposite of fun. If anyone played the demo that came with Dragon Quest you know the sh*t that it is. Worst battle system EVER.
Josh @ Oct 29th 2006 4:20PM
McWeen (#2), all I've heard from my friends is that it's much better, like FFXI's or something...
Anyway, Circuit City does this a lot. Most PC games are $12 off the first week they are released, and I remember Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Blue Rescue Team was discounted as well (though I can't remember by how much and if Red Rescue Team was discounted, too).
James @ Oct 29th 2006 4:24PM
"I've had the english FF12 for about 3 weeks now...I played it for a whopping hour. Besides the new pretty graphics it is the opposite of fun. If anyone played the demo that came with Dragon Quest you know the sh*t that it is. Worst battle system EVER."
And I have been playing it since October 1st, when it was first leaked, and have racked up 77 hours. I am enjoying this game, and especially the battle system with it's gambits. You are entitled to your opinion, but if you think this is the worst battle system ever, I truly feel sorry for you, since you are missing out. Best battle system in a long time.
Famitsu sez 'Platinum'.
sleepy gamer @ Oct 29th 2006 4:31PM
In Canada we're getting a similar deal.
Instead of paying the usually 59.99CAD for FF12, Futureshop (an electronics store very similar to and affiliated with bestbuy) is offering the game for 49.99CAD instead. I can't remember for how long the offer is (ends on thursday at midnight, i think) but it's available at that price both online (and there's free shipping) and instore.
Kanadwen @ Oct 29th 2006 4:33PM
My local Toys R Us is selling it for $40.
Matt @ Oct 29th 2006 4:40PM
It's nice to see a company give us a reason not to go to EB Games or Gamestop, but then you realize the Collector's Edition of FFXII is exclusive to EB/Gamestop, and they run midnight launches, and then you stop considering Circuit City. ;)
Unless you're not much of a Final Fantasy fan, in which case screw the CE!
Chris Pereira @ Oct 29th 2006 4:45PM
They sold Madden 07 (at least on Xbox 360) for cheaper from the get-go, too, remember.
moofree @ Oct 29th 2006 4:43PM
I was planning on being 1337 by beating FF12 before it came out, but, while it's not a bad game, it's not a good FF game.
That game plays best if you don't try and play it like all the other FF games, and that saddens me.
I've played about 6 hours, and don't plan on finishing it any time soon.
Xel @ Oct 29th 2006 4:51PM
To bad I don't have CC or Toys R Us near me, I only have Ebgames and they are opening up at Midnight so Il just spend the extra money on the collectors stuff il just have to work a day to pay that off.
mr8ucket @ Oct 29th 2006 5:03PM
Any FF game without that gay wad tidus is a good one. I heard the story is more mature and has less transfestites. I think this is the FF game for me. All the other ones dragged on like bad anime, voice acting and all. After FFX, I don't think any other game can top its crapness. No worries here.
the_godfather @ Oct 29th 2006 5:10PM
i can wait until next year when its only 20 bux, no rush for me.
Jason @ Oct 29th 2006 5:10PM
Whenever there's a lower price at CC, I always price check it at Best Buy. Awesome deal.
Ragnarokender @ Oct 30th 2006 3:19PM
First hour is boring obviously, nothing in new gets introduced and you just wait around while Vaan swings his sword. I think its unfair to judge a game before playing at the very least 10% of it (ideally at least 20%).
Cronotrigger913 @ Oct 29th 2006 5:21PM
I've seen this thing happen a few times in the past. Either Best Buy or Circuit City will reduce the price of a game or movie the first week it's out to spur larger demand at their stores. I even remember a Best Buy in Utica, NY selling GTA: Vice City for $40 the day it was released. Now that's surprising.
Chaos @ Oct 29th 2006 5:26PM
So what? Best Buy is offering a free mini-art book with purchase. For any true fan, thats worth an extra $12. Check the online sales ad for your area.
Target's only incentive is a $5 gift card, lame...guess we'll all be going to Best Buy.
Zweibel @ Oct 29th 2006 5:36PM
Last I checked, Best Buy will also match prices. Not sure if you can do that and get the art book though. Eh, I'll give it a shot anyway.
DG @ Oct 29th 2006 5:45PM
Is this the same one that's on Xbox 360? I'm not an FF fan, so apologies for being off. Anyway, if you live near a Tower Records, make sure to check out their video game section. The one near me has FF whatever for Xbox 360 for $39, but 25% off. Seems like a good deal.
Joe @ Oct 29th 2006 6:33PM
... I sent this in this morning, along with the (much more interesting): Target's selling Wii accessories now.
eBayers, here's a cheap way to add more value to your packages!
Moe @ Oct 29th 2006 7:49PM
"2. I've had the english FF12 for about 3 weeks now...I played it for a whopping hour."
"4. And I have been playing it since October 1st, when it was first leaked, and have racked up 77 hours."
"8. I was planning on being 1337 by beating FF12 before it came out, but, while it's not a bad game, it's not a good FF game."
It looks like there's no shame in stealing $50 worth of product from Square. I would love to see your reaction if someone "downloaded" $50 from your bank account. I bet then you wouldn't be making arguments like "information should be free" and "I do it because I can." Thanks for killing the industry one download at a time.
Dan @ Oct 29th 2006 8:03PM
#11, have you seen the main character of FFXII? If Tidus ruined 10 for you, I guarantee you'll hate 12.
thebigL @ Oct 29th 2006 8:26PM
My local gamestop has had it in their back room since last week. I've been within 2 feet of it. It was amazing.
melloncollie @ Oct 29th 2006 9:26PM
@ #19:
You've got to realize that currency is finite while data is infinite. It can be copied and distributed any number of times (of course, we're talking about online here; if we distribute using a medium then that will obviously cost some more). The point is, money = finite, data = infinite.
Le Guru @ Oct 29th 2006 9:35PM
22, want to lay some money on that? Currency is only as finite as we want it to be. The value is just cheapened the more of it there is to go around. Just like this damn game.
Stop trying to justify your decision. I don't plan to buy the game, but that doesn't mean I want to see more DRM in my other games, and that's the only real outcome of people like you trying to weasel your ways out of morality and convincingly argue that stealing is a good thing. Well, that and destroy small developers who can't afford it when people steal their stuff.
And then YOU will be the one who complains the most heavily when either of these two things happen, because now you won't be able to get your free games as easily anymore. How sad. I'm guessing you also think you're entitled to everyone's music, too.
Seriously. Stop encouraging idiocy.
James @ Oct 29th 2006 10:27PM
"It looks like there's no shame in stealing $50 worth of product from Square. I would love to see your reaction if someone "downloaded" $50 from your bank account. I bet then you wouldn't be making arguments like "information should be free" and "I do it because I can." Thanks for killing the industry one download at a time."
Say what you want, but hear this, pirates don't care about your moral and legal standing on piracy. You are preaching to deaf ears, and yet people like you still preach like it's going to make a difference.
What you don't understand about this "scene", is that we are encouraged and DO regularly support the causes and products that we wish to see thrive. All pirates don't steal steal steal. If we see something we like, we will definitely do our part by laying down money for it. Now I cannot speak for all pirates, but those that have been in the "scene" long enough know this rule. It's regularly stated in .nfo's. And yes, I will be laying down $60 for the CE edition.
Point 1: Anti-piracy preachers like yourself are more annoying than a gang of mosquitoes.
Point 2: Not all pirates steal and don't show support.
FYI.
DeezNuts420 @ Oct 29th 2006 10:39PM
This may be a little off topic, but I scored 15% off Gears of War PLUS a free face plate by Pre-Ordering at Circuit City. My point.....No need for Gamestop anymore!!
melloncollie @ Oct 29th 2006 11:10PM
@ #23
I'm no pirate, I just hate that whole "oh, but your stealing someones else's stuff" argument as though it's something physical. Then they give a physical analogy. Actually, the money is still finite no matter how much money we make, we can still run out of cotton and trees to produce however many amounts of dollars that we want, same goes for metal in coinage. Data, on the other hand, is limited by nothing really (except maybe space, but then put together all of the world's digital space and it amasses to near infinite and we keep churning out more space as we go along). So, it isn't very feasible to argue what #19 was arguing.
DG @ Oct 29th 2006 11:34PM
No matter how you parse the argument, you're still stealing something that you didn't pay for. I don't see how it being "just data" somehow makes that okay.
Moe @ Oct 30th 2006 1:06AM
"All pirates don't steal. If we see something we like, we will definitely do our part by laying down money for it."
You really made me chuckle. A pirate in the sense we're discussing is a thief, yet you're trying to tell me that some pirates steal products and then buy them. Tell me, what percentage of pirates realistically do this? Tell me about your downloads as a point of reference. How many games do you pirate? How much would those games amount to money wise in the context of the time you pirated them in? How many have you actually purchased once you've pirated them? It's likely that you bought only a small number of those games, if any. You steal hundreds of dollars in merchandise to put back a fraction of that into the system.
And don't give me any baloney about "trying the game first." You're playing something you don't own. Even if you only played it for a short time, you still didn't pay for it.
"Point 1: Anti-piracy preachers like yourself are more annoying than a gang of mosquitoes."
Of course I'm annoying as hell. But when I see people bragging about an instance of blatant theft, I have to say something. Anyone with any sense of decency should say something, not even out of a sense of morality, but because every instance of privacy kills the creation of the games we enjoy.
"The point is, money = finite, data = infinite."
I didn't even laugh about this argument by mellon collie, just because it's a completely immoral and stupid argument. You're implying that data can be infinitely replicated without consequence. The companies make money from the sales of these products and employ people with that money. PEOPLE rely on the money from these products to live and continue to work. The developers, designers, artists, marketers, etc. all depend on the money from these games. Livelihoods are DESTROYED by piracy. Just because it's data, doesn't mean that it's insignificant to steal it. PIRACY IS REAL IN ITS CONSEQUENCES!
Piracy is theft. Stop trying to make yourselves feel better about indirectly harming people by your greed. Le Guru put it best. "Seriously. Stop encouraging idiocy."
Moe @ Oct 30th 2006 1:09AM
"...but because every instance of privacy kills the creation of the games we enjoy."
Sorry, I meant piracy not privacy. I got too caught up in the argument.
MJ @ Oct 30th 2006 4:55AM
I have a penis, therefore I do not play the Final Fantasy.
And on the pirate argument. I downloaded a lot of movies, but if it was good I went to the cinema to watch it and I am one of those people that goes not only at prime time, but buys the largest drink and either a large bag of M&Ms or Skittles. And they make plenty of profit when I'm throwing down about 15 to 20 pounds for one viewing. Not to mention the people I convince into watching movies in cinema (some who pirate most who don't).
I don't pirate games because I wouldn't have enough time to play any of them anyway. I'm in the habit of renting something I want to buy beforehand, or if it has to be download it, but this is a one off thing. I always buy my games, I mean I was the only person to actually wake up early to buy the new Splinter Cell Double Agent.
Michael @ Oct 30th 2006 8:06AM
I don't understand the big deal behind this. Circuit City, Target, and Best Buy occasionally have big games discounted on launch. This isn't anything new. They're probably just hoping you'll buy other over-priced items while picking up FFXII. After all, half the battle of retail is getting people into your store.
robert smith @ Oct 30th 2006 8:30AM
Free software is good. Paying for software is bad. Enough said?
32_Footsteps @ Oct 30th 2006 9:53AM
Now all Circuit City needs to do is reliably get decent games on the launch week, and I'll consider using them as my primary games store. I live about three blocks from one, so it would be the most convenient for game purchases. But between mismarked games (I once saw them sell a copy of the first Sly Cooper for $50 right next to a copy marked for $20) and having sparse amounts of recent releases for consoles (their portable selection is surprisingly robust, though), I only get games at CC on the off chance I can find a major deal the day I walk into the store.
Turk 182 @ Oct 30th 2006 10:25AM
So many EB/GS haters out there, guess you didn't get hired slacker f*cktards...awwww
Feanor @ Oct 30th 2006 10:59AM
Another Joystiq comment thread, another blight on humanity. The guy who said only females play FF was paricularly embarrassing for the species.
Agent MOO @ Oct 30th 2006 2:00PM
Why don't you have your gambit system automatically buy it for you?
Jake C @ Oct 30th 2006 12:07PM
Feanor,
The use of the term "gay wad" by mr8ucket was also particularly embarrassing. :)
SuicideNinja @ Oct 30th 2006 1:00PM
I'll pay that much for it. From the demo, the game really seems to be another FF9-type disappointment. Viva la FFXIII
ach77 @ Oct 31st 2006 11:41AM
CONFIRMED: Best Buy will match Circuit City's price if you bring the CC flyer (or printout from their website, I imagine) into the store. However, you will NOT get the free "art book" if you do the price match. No big loss there.
I just bought my copy at the Soho Best Buy in NYC (which is actually north of Houston, but that's another story).
Scott @ Oct 31st 2006 6:20PM
Story's true. Just got back from Circuit City (after a huge Chemistry test!) and snagged a copy for 39$ after tax :D.
Hurry up and get your cheapy copy!
Pam Kalamaja @ Nov 6th 2006 8:47AM
Tidus a gay wad? Really guys this is a GAME. The characters are stylized. I rented FF12 and really didn't think I was going to like it at first, and after playing it for about and hour, got killed and stopped. Now I'm thinking about it a lot and when I can get it and the guide. Told myself I can play it if I get the spare bedroom and mud room remodeled by December. It really is a beautiful game. Awkward at first and I'm still not sure what determines when a blow is delivered, but I think it is going to be quite am adventure. Good for mature audiences: I'm 49 and have been into RPGs since I was 30. For the younger set, if you want a good shoot 'em up, try FF7 - I hated it!