Joystiq has a piece up today about retailer Gamestop's latest entry into their catalog: The Legend of Zelda for the Nintendo Revolution. The store will gladly take your $60 today to preorder the game so you'll be guaranteed a copy when it's released on March 1, 2006. The problem, of course, is that not only has a Legend of Zelda not been officially announced for the Revolution, but the Revolution itself won't even be released until sometime later next year. This is obviously a ploy by Gamestop to pick up $60 in exchange for a product they won't have to hand over to you for at least one year. While definitely slimy on Gamestop's part, should this behavior be illegal?
Joystiq proposes some kind of gamers' rights movement. There is a simpler way to handle this situation, however: don't give Gamestop your money. I feel silly even having to spell that out here, but my hope is to quash debate on this pitiful question before it starts. Nobody's forcing customers to take Gamestop up on this preorder opportunity. It's a nonissue. No matter how much you may want a game, if the terms for purchase spelled out by the publisher or the retailer are terms that you do not want to agree to, then put your money back in your pocket and walk away. Existing consumers' rights trump any need for a new gamers' rights movement.
