Some Toys 'R' Us stores selling BioShock early (and you could win one!)

by Christopher Grant on Aug 15th 2007 9:00AM

[Update 2: We managed to snag four copies, and we're giving them away and overnighting them so winners can play this weekend. Go here to enter!]

Normally, we wouldn't condone leaving work early to play video games, so hear us out. You see, word on the street is that the street date for BioShock (yeah, the one with the awesome demo) has been broken by some US retailers (mostly ones with backwards Rs).

If you look at the receipt above, this lucky shopper not only managed to find BioShock early, but he got it for a steal using the deals we posted yesterday. So, here's what to do. Call your local Toys 'R' Us and see if they've got 'em and if they're selling. If it's a go, let people know about it in the comments. And if you still haven't gotten your fill of interacting with BioShock-related posts, why not check out our rad faceplate giveaway?

[Update: In case you weren't sure if they were out there, check the sudden onslaught of BioShock discs clogging up eBay's tubes. Oh, and thanks to everyone that tipped us off!]

Read – The Big Early Release Mix-Up (2K Forums)
Read – Street date has been broken pic (seen above)
Read – BioShock Early Release "Confirmed" (quotes are ours)

Tags: 2K, 2KBoston, BioShock, BreakingNews, retail, Xbox-360

Reader Comments (193)

Yup, just got back from our local TRU. only 5 copies.. wth is up with that, only that few. but our work got 4 of the 5, some lucky punk arrived between our car convoy's.

We asked the guy behind the counter why he was selling so early, he held up the shipping container "I don't see anything on here indicating a street date, so I opened and shelved them (for about 10 minutes)"

So far I've called 3 toy r us in Marietta, Georgia area aka Metropolitan area.... no luck... and they all know about the circumstances I guess ;P

Just got off the phone with a woman in Aurora, CO.... apparently she has been inundated with calls about this. All the stores in CO do not have it and I guess they were going to put them out this morning but got a phone call first thing from corporate stating NOT to break the release date of 8/21. I guess none of the boxes had a release date on them. Thanks guys on the East Coast... damn this 2 hour difference!!! LOL.

The Albuquerque Indian School store is selling them.

East Coast Rules............

First Impressions post please Joystiq! I am not skipping work, but I want to know the reviews. Show me them!

Well they aren't all idiots. The clerk at my local TRU would only tell me that: "My computer shows the release date as the 21st sir".

I called all of the Richmond, VA stores and no one has it, or is willing to sell it.... BASTARDS!!!

nowhere in denver, CO has them, yet they all knew about it as soon as i asked for the games department

That would be my doing! ;)

anyone else in Richmond have any luck?

Anyone else love bugging the annoying liars of Gamestop/EB Games with questions about Bioshock? Cause I definitely do. Example of lie: Last week my friend went to buy a 360 Premium with HDMI, Gamestop's response: "Oh no those aren't even out yet, we have the regular ones. The HDMI's won't be out til mid-January and then Microsoft will be raising the 360 price back up to what it was a few weeks ago."

that it is indicative of all of us gamestop employees. alot of people that work there are just dumb for no reason.

Also, I've called Target, TRU, Best Buy, the UW Bookstore, and my local Fred Meyer's but yielded no rewards.

Got the last copy in the Los Angeles area. That was crazy! I was lucky enough to have the last Toys R Us in LA that got them to hold a copy for me. You should've seen the angry looks I got when everyone at the store realized a copy was being held. I barely escaped with my life.

Honestly, 2K would be smart to just let the release date slide, especially with all the hype given the current situation. Hype = $$$. But who knows, i"m just annoyed that people are able to get this game before I am for no other reason than Toys R Us employees are a bunch of monkeys.

Hattiesburg, MS - "That game doesn't come out until the 21st." Bastards.. taunting us.. holding it froms us..

TOYSRUS.COM + MADDEN = BIOSHOCK for $30, shipping the 21st

Can you use the 20% coupon as well though?

Nope, 20% off coupon is in-store only. But you still get Bioshock for half off, so I'm not complaining - especially since I was already going to buy Madden.

Damn people on Ebay selling them for $110+ Spoiling the fun for people who actually want to play the game. Guess the first person who finds them for sale should just buy the whole stock. Think how much profit you'd make.

in the previous post about this deal they said it was online-only, so i am thinking that may have been a one-time mistake that management will clear up where ever that happened.

But..just in case it is a more-than-one-time mistake, I'm calling Toys R Us.

By the way, the list of games that the deal works with is really long (ie, they arent just a bunch of crappy games that they have to get rid of) and you can use it for games that have not yet been released, the only stipulation being that you get billed now and it gets shipped on the release date. But, hell, I'll gladly buy Heavenly Sword now for 30$.

I picked up mine this morning at TRU in Burbank, CA.

No Bioshock at the Oxford Valley, PA Toys R Us, but then, they're also out of Madden...so, no deal any way you slice it.

Sorry, make that no Madden for the 360...apparently they had plenty for the other consoles, however.

i was just in the bellevue, WA store. they said corporate has been sending emails the last few hours to stop sales of it or it'd be a $5000 fine. Called the southcenter (tukwila) one and the guy immediately said "NOT UNTIL THE 21ST!" before I could get a word out.

fuckin east coast bastards with your 3 hour advantage. you ruined this for the west coast :(

...called one in Jacksonville, FL

Well, my buddy called first and the lady seemed very annoyed. Apparently about 50 people had called in a few hours asking for Bioshock. She told him "that game isn't coming out until the 15th!" He said "...it is the 15th."
and in the same catty, beeyotch voice she says "Well we don't have any!"

So, naturally, I called immediately after just to annoy her a little more. :)

I just called 2 stores in WA state and both stated that they will not have it even in the store until Tuesday. They do not even have the shipment in yet. They both said that it looks like Easy coast stores were selling early and will be fined by corporate (and the publisher I am sure) for selling it early.

they have it in stock, they just don't want you harassing them before tuesday.

btw, what's the point of a street date? why not sell the games today if they're already in stock? why bother waiting until tuesday? I don't get it

Paramus, NJ
I checked both the RT 17 and RT 4 Toys 'R Us stores and neither had it. The store on RT 4 said they had 6 copies that they sold out of earlier today. Blast.

After reading this post my buddy and I walked over to the toys R' us nearby. Turns out hey had them, and they were selling them.

I don't have any pictures to show, but there were quite a few people coming over to buy the game as well. It seems like word spread fast, because the game is already selling like hotcakes.

We talked to a EB games employee later in the day, and he offered to sell the collector's edition. He showed us the box and I have to say it's pretty sweet. It comes with a neat figure of a Big Daddy from the game. We ended up turning it down though.

This hype is good for the game... When I read this I was ready to buy it. And I would have, if I had the money. I've only played the demo once, and I thought it was pretty cool. But I didn't want to pay full price for it... Hype = $

One store always has to break the street date to give the game hype and give the store extra sales.

This is bullcrap at its finest. I mean, if TRU were such good samaritans why can't they or couldn't they extend the Madden 08 great offer until Bioshock came out? and just sit back and watch Madden 08 and Bioshock fly out their stores like it's a homerun derby. I'm no football fan specially of EA but if I could get Bioshock for $30 then I would gladly buy Madden for $60-20% anyday! while loving TRU.

And what's the excuse again for all these stooopid video games coming out at the insane 'next generation price' of Sixty, Effing, Dollars, plus Tax?..shipping and handling charges anyone?

What happened was that Take 2/2K Games "forgot" to put a street date sticker on it.

Hell if I would of opened yesterday and received it I would of sold it.

But today we had an email that said not to sell it.

I work at a Toys R Us in Massachusetts and we were told that we aren't selling it until the 21st. Hell, we haven't even gotten the shipment of Bioshock in yet.

Also, don't expect this mistake with any games in the future at TRU. The higher ups are not happy and have already taken steps to stop games from going out early.

This was GREAT! I read about this and went to a Toys R Us in Metro Detroit and picked up a copy of the game. When I got to the games counter, there were 2 Microsoft reps talking to the girl behind the counter. I for sure thought they were laying the law down but decided to still give it a shot. With the 2 Microsoft reps next to me, I asked to purchase 1 copy of Madden for 360 and 1 copy of Bioshock. The Microsoft employee looked at me and said "Buying Madden? Its a great game." I then told him that I had recently purchased an Elite and he gave me some Microsoft swag for my purchase (a Halo 3 bracelet and some laynards). I almost crapped myself as I walked out the door with my copy of Bioshock a week before everyone else. From what I have played, Bioshock is pretty amazing so far.

CHEERS!

yea definitely tried TRU first thing this morning and they had it on their back shelves but had e-mails all over the place highlighted saying not until the 21st. I could point at it, i tried to slip her a 20, but she was rude. grrr. i understand, but damn its like u got 1000 people playing this game already, why not me to, its crappy!

Don't blame the stores, street dates are set by the publisher (in this case, 2k) as so all stores have them at the same time.

It's no stores fault that they can't sell them, it's the publisher breathing down their neck with a hefty fine if they do :P

I went into a San Diego TRU after reading this board, and didn't see any on the shelf behind the counter, so my conversation went like this;

"Can I help you?"
"uhhh... yea, I called and someone said they'd hold a copy of BioShock for me.."
"oh! you must be Jim, ok.... here it is"

Sweet!! Got myself a copy.. and my name is Dan the man. ;)

Heartbreaking... I don't know how I missed this. Called my local Toys r us but it was already too late. I could hear an associate yelling in the background, "No! We don't have it!"

Man that's a great deal. If I had the money I would buy them. Even though I don't like sports games I can trade the Madden to EB, Gamestop, or Goozex.com.

Oh and is that a hologram Big Daddy on Bioshock game cover?

Recently i bought Beautiful Barbie doll from ToysRUs store at couponalbum.com..

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Some Toys 'R' Us stores selling BioShock early (and you could win one!)

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