Wal-Mart's GTA IV launch details
by Alexander Sliwinski 
{ Apr 22nd 2008 at 9:30AM }
The guide describes that two associates should be manning the register, with one to ring up customers and the other to pass along the requested game version. If the line is too long, an electronics associate should "take quantities of the game to the front register and assist the cashier by handing out the game at time of purchase." Considering Wal-Mart went through the effort of making such a comprehensive guide, corporate would probably love to hear from customers who don't have a pleasant and efficient shopping experience during the GTA IV launch.*
*Metagame: The "execution guide" has a major error on Pg. 2, can you spot it? Hint after the break.
[Thanks Anonymous]
Gallery: Wal-Mart GTA IV plans
Hint: Look at the time at the bottom of the page. Looks like non 24-hour stores are being punished. Yes, we're sure it's a typo.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
blahblahbloo @ Apr 22nd 2008 9:39AM
Page 2 says the game cannot be sold until 4/30 at non-24-hour locations.
PojoMofo @ Apr 22nd 2008 9:47AM
on page one it says that non-24hr stores begin to sell at normal opening time on the 29th?
copa @ Apr 22nd 2008 9:38AM
Do Wal-Mart's launch promotions include a discount on ammo with a full purchase of GTA4?
Zertoss @ Apr 22nd 2008 9:41AM
Yes, and the 3-day waiting period when purchasing firearms is waived.
John @ Apr 22nd 2008 11:02AM
where do you live that there's a 3 day waiting period to purchase firearms?
And of course everyone is running out to buy GTA then shoot up a school on the way home
BananaBoat @ Apr 22nd 2008 11:15AM
I feel really bad for anyone that has to sink so low as to buy their video games from...from...there. Although, I will admit, when I was but a young lad, I had to buy Vice City at K-Mart because all the other stores in town were sold out. K-Mart had like 40 copies left. I felt so bad for K-Mart, that I cried for an hour, before I finally played the game.
On another note, images of the PS3 launch where all sorts of violent crap happened to people brave enough to go, are dancing through my head. Even if BBuy has a midnight launch, do I really want to risk getting my banana ass whooped so that some douche can steal my GTAIV? I think not sirs. I can wait until normal business hours, thank you very much.
xFenixKnightx @ Apr 22nd 2008 9:45AM
That is AWESOME, thanks!
PojoMofo @ Apr 22nd 2008 9:48AM
Bang one whore, Bang the second for half price!!
PojoMofo @ Apr 22nd 2008 9:48AM
that was supposed to be a reply to copa
konajinx @ Apr 22nd 2008 9:54AM
Screw any of that. Thanks to e-rewards having GameSpot as a rewards sponsor, I was able to get two $25 GameSpot gift cards with my survey "cash" over the past few months, and my preorder of GTA IV with overnight delivery came to a whopping $24.18. Almost as good as free. Their handling fee is ten bucks...go figure, and the overnight is another ten, plus whatever tax. But still, so much nicer than $60, which I'm sure the game will be worth regardless. Thank baby Jesus I never used those cards for some lesser game.
Sir Fidlious Wong (Zeon Defense Force) @ Apr 22nd 2008 10:00AM
I just recently joined that program but I'm not getting the gamestop surveys...
The True Gamer @ Apr 22nd 2008 10:51AM
Gamestop is just a rewards sponsor, I have not received any specific gamer surveys from them on e rewards. Great program though.
konajinx @ Apr 22nd 2008 12:24PM
yeah there's so no specific GS surveys. But once you get to the 50 dollar level in survey cash, you can trade it in for a 25 dollar gift card. Only thing is, you can only get one card per four months. So again, I say, thank jebus I didn't cash the first one in a while back on some lame game.
I did get to do a couple video gamed-themed surveys on there, however. One was even worth 9 bucks in e-rewards cash, so that was pretty nice. Another one had to do with in-game car insurance advertising in Forza Motorsport 2.
Britton @ Apr 22nd 2008 9:54AM
"...And if any of the below requirements are not met to their fullest potential then failure is eminent.
-Love, Wal-Mart"
The Artist formally known as Jesus @ Apr 22nd 2008 10:09AM
In other words, deportation?
Britton @ Apr 22nd 2008 10:32AM
Bingo, Jesus. Bingo.
Lonecow @ Apr 22nd 2008 10:08AM
I love how they act all high and mighty when it comes to censoring their music, but when the chance to come to make billions of dollars all of a sudden their "morals" vanish.
baby sea tuna @ Apr 22nd 2008 10:16AM
That's exactly what I was thinking. Seems to be standard operating procedure for most conservative capitalists. If they do a cost-benefit analysis and it turns out that they stand to make loads of money by compromising their values, they go right out the window.
FOXHOUND @ Apr 22nd 2008 10:20AM
Money Talks, comrade.
As for Wal*Mart, eff them. Every time they claim they'll not only have a midnight release for a game or console, any or all of the following occur:
a) Flyers for the promotion of getting it at midnight are strewn about the electronics section, in sight of minors who probably shouldn't have anything to do with this
b) The day of the event, people ask constantly the same damn question(When/where can I get it?); even though all the details are posted... and eventually torn down by hording or jealous consumers.
c) The night of the event, there are no organized lines or true supervision by either employees, hired rent-a-cops, or local law. Thus, it's a 50/50 chance either the crowd will be civilized and wait accordingly by chronological order of arrival...
d) Or what usually happens is, despite any kind of organized line, ticketed listing, etc.; the moment that entry is given... it's a Black Friday-style bum rush to get the desired item.
Screw that noise. Buy it from Game$top, Blockbu$ter-GameRu$h, get it online, whatever... just don't vex your nerves by dealing with the public(let alone the Wal*Mart kind)directly with a high risked, bad chance that someone'll "act-a-fool".
Mromson @ Apr 22nd 2008 10:15AM
I'm ordering that game from the smallest retail store that accepts preorders.
baby sea tuna @ Apr 22nd 2008 10:26AM
I have to work on 4/29 anyway, so I'll just have to wait to pick my special edition up from Gamestop.
P.S. Fuck Wal-Mart, just 'cause.
MikeG @ Apr 22nd 2008 10:45AM
If I tried to go at midnight at my local Wal-Mart, they'd probably make us wait outside again like they did when the Wii was launched. WTF? A big Wal-Mart Supercenter and we're forced to wait outside (it was cold when the Wii was launched, too). Don't understand why they couldn't have let us line up just inside where the arcade games were or something. I haven't pre-ordered, but can wait a week or so if I don't get one on launch day.
Ninjakamster @ Apr 22nd 2008 10:51AM
Thanks for releasing this game when so many of us (me included) all have finals and whatnot. Won't be able to play this game till May 6th at the earliest.
I got to play all the previous GTA games the day or day after launch. : (
nmezib @ Apr 22nd 2008 11:12AM
Well, I sure am glad I took a day off work Tuesday! Not getting it at midnight from Wal*Money though. Gamestapo it is for me.
BrokenMonkey @ Apr 22nd 2008 11:19AM
I ordered mine through Amazon and got free 2-day shipping to my home, I didn't want to get it here (at college) and be distracted during finals so ideally it will be waiting for me the day I get home (the 1st).
DrXym @ Apr 22nd 2008 11:24AM
Alternatively wait a few days and obtain the same game without having to queue up a midnight and with actual foreknowledge of what the game is actually like from proper reviews instead of hype, more hype, bullshit and a side salad of hype that is preceding this launch.
deaftly @ Apr 22nd 2008 11:25AM
Walmart and its customers are just garbage.
LaughingTarget @ Apr 22nd 2008 12:15PM
Right, because low income families don't deserve affordable food and clothing.
Dick
Kodros @ Apr 22nd 2008 12:24PM
Probably low income because Wal-Mart shut down their business.
Dr. Stabbingworth @ Apr 22nd 2008 6:44PM
Please. Walmart is very helpful for people who have very limited budgets. Everyone who rips on Walmart is most likely either provided for by their parents or makes enough money that they can feel high and mighty about some of Walmart's practices.
I know it's easy to watch a 5 minute youtube video and get all up in arms about hating something, but when you've got $50 in your checking account and you need food for the next two weeks, good luck doing that at Target or Jewel.
Jedijoe9 @ Apr 22nd 2008 11:28AM
I live in a small town, so short of ordering it online, I pretty much have to buy it at the closest Wal-Mart.
Fortunately, if their handling of the Halo 3 release is any indication, this won't be bad. They had a whole tournament set up and an orderly, quick line at midnight to get the game.
joel @ Apr 22nd 2008 11:32AM
does anybody know if Best Buy is having a midnight release?
TX2Step @ Apr 22nd 2008 11:32AM
This post sounds like a nice Wal-Mart commercial.
Before this, I didn't even think twice about getting my GTA at Wally's.
Juice @ Apr 22nd 2008 11:46AM
I agree. IMHO in the U.S. they will have the most registers available during midnight which hopefully will cause it to go fast. I put down $5 at Gamestop but it's an itty bitty store w/2 registers... I'm going to drive by Walmart on my way to Gamestop and see what the deal is.
Juice @ Apr 22nd 2008 11:47AM
I better dress all thug and stuff so I blend in...
Lee @ Apr 22nd 2008 12:25PM
Most likely, my Wal-mart will only have two registers open anyway. Usually it's only one at midnight, but they've stretched the budget and opened an extra for a few game launches. The only exception to this "rule" is when they opened, like, 15 registers for the Harry Potter book last year.
I've got to get mine there, though, because the kids at the local GS irritate the shit out of me.
riggs @ Apr 22nd 2008 12:33PM
"drive by walmart"..."dress all thug"...
oh noes!
konajinx @ Apr 22nd 2008 12:27PM
Correction, make that NFS ProStreet. Terrible game.
konajinx @ Apr 22nd 2008 12:28PM
And of course, my reply didn't actually reply to my original post up there, even though I did click Reply under it. Yay.
Dr. Stabbingworth @ Apr 22nd 2008 6:46PM
no problems here...
make sure you see the "replying to (username)" box directly below the "email me when someone replies to this comment"
TX2Step @ Apr 22nd 2008 12:30PM
Yea... how do you dress up for this opening?
madphilb @ Apr 22nd 2008 1:13PM
Locally the Gamestop stores that do midnights ring the sale up before midnight and give out numbers so they only have to hand out the titles at midnight. Since all the "can I write a check" sillyness is done with ahead of time I can get through the line pretty quickly. From what I understand it's not just a local thing. Might want to check with your local stores and see if they're doing Midnight and if they ring up the sale before midnight. I've been to a couple of these and they seem to run pretty well (your mileage may vary).
T @ Apr 22nd 2008 1:34PM
That's the practice at my GameStop as well. The store closes as normal Saturday night, and then "reopens" at 11pm or so to start allowing customers to pay off the title.
You get your reciept with the clerks signature, and then hand that to them at midnight and VIOLA you've got your game.
It's about as speedy-riffic as you can get, as all of the trivial stuff (age verification, payment, etc) is handled ahead of time.
Seroth @ Apr 22nd 2008 1:28PM
Eh, I'll get GTA IV at Wal-Mart on the 29th, but it won't be on midnight.
The other game store I go to won't be getting it 'til like the 1st of next month, and I'm too lazy to go to Gamestop. Walmart is closer.
ck @ Apr 22nd 2008 1:32PM
"A strategic focus on winning in gaming, and GTA IV represents a strong opportunity for [it] to highlight [its] entry into the gaming industry."
I find this quote funny, because Blockbuster is doing the same thing. Making GTA IV their tentpole title to expand the game collection in all the stores and start to sell retail games along with systems, accessories, etc.
Everyone wants a piece of the gaming pie now and it's sad because GameStop has such a foothold on the market that Best Buy, Wal-Mart and Blockbuster, etc. all have an uphill battle to try and wrestle part of the pie away from them.
And yes, I work at Blockbuster and want them to succeed. I also am shamelessly letting you know that we pretty much have the best trade-in value (although we don't give cash back) for games - Assassin's Creed yesterday was $33 (for PS3). I don't know what it is at Gamestop, but it's more than likely less. This might be the only way Blockbuster can compete with Gamestop. I am surprised Best Buy hasn't yet entered the used game/movie business yet.
BigD145 @ Apr 22nd 2008 2:29PM
Boycott Wal-Mart!!
Seriously. Stop giving them money. It all gets funneled out of your community.
ColossalHat @ Apr 22nd 2008 4:08PM
And buying in places like K-mart, Target, Best Buy, etc. doesn't? Face it, unless it's a mom & pop store, your money's getting "funneled out of your community".
Prhime @ Apr 22nd 2008 2:36PM
after reading the 3rd bullet. i had a flashback to the episode of "Chuck" when they got ready for black friday.
xillentz @ Apr 22nd 2008 3:28PM
just to throw it out there ... best buy has already begun taking pre-orders for 360ver, and the dundas location in toronto will be open at midnight selling to those who have pre-orders and those who don't.
Trippy_Haps @ Apr 22nd 2008 6:27PM
Off Topic: I'm curious: For those of you who generally pre-order your games ((Online retailers, Gamestop, etc)), why exactly do you? Is it to secure a copy of something that may sell out because you're in high populated areas or something like that? Do your alternative stores ((i.e Wal-Marts, K-Marts, and other non-game specific retailers)) sell out of popular games fairly quickly, too?
I don't exactly live in a small town, but the gaming community here isn't all that large. And the typical flavor of taste in games here usually leans in a very depressing direction, so I've never had to pre-order a game. Ever. ((For example, if Madden '09 and MGS4 were to launch on the same day, despite both being 'popular' titles, Madden copies would be scarce and I could literally fill a pool with what'd be left of the MGS4 games)).
Anyway, just curious, so please shed some light.
On Topic: I was going to purchase my copy from Circuit City since I work there, but we're not doing a midnight launch, it would seem. So I have no problem whatsoever with rolling through Wally's at 11:59PM and getting my copy within two minutes of my arrival.