WTB GH2 PST

March 30, 2007 8:44 AM

What's the fastest way to get a copy of the upcoming Guitar Hero 2 for the 360?

I don't have a preorder, and the local EB says there's no hope of getting it from them for quite some time. I basically never buy games as soon as they come out, so I don't know what the best practices are for doing it. Do online vendors tend to have more stock? Should I be looking for obscure vendors that are less likely to have lots of people buying from them? Or should I just give up and assume I won't be able to rock out for another few weeks?

If there is location-specific advice, I'm in Cambridge, MA, but am also frequently in Providence, RI if there are better options there.

posted by heresiarch to shopping (15 comments total)

I pre-ordered one from my local GameStop last week - they said I would get it on April 4 or 5. Do you have one near you? Or order from them online. I know each store has a limited supply available, so get on it.
posted by iconomy at 8:58 AM on March 30, 2007 [1 favorite]

I could swear I saw EBGames online still selling preorders...
posted by NationalKato at 9:10 AM on March 30, 2007

Ordering online, though, comes with wicked expensive shipping costs due to the size of the item.

I'm also in the Cambridge area and will be hunting a GH2 or two. So I am understandably loathe to tell you my plan as we'll be competing for the same stock.

But the bonds of Mefihood are stronger than that!

My plan of attack is to try box stores, especially those like Circuit City and Target who offer "order online, pick up in store" service. That way, I can buy my toys before going to work and pick them up after.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 9:14 AM on March 30, 2007

Amazon is cheap and free ship as is Red Octane - I bet either of those will get it to you on launch day or within a day or two after. Neither should charge you shipping or tax.
posted by kcm at 9:20 AM on March 30, 2007

If it does start selling out in a big way and you don't mind a premium craigslist may be a way to go.
posted by frieze at 9:25 AM on March 30, 2007

target is always a great bet for hard to come by new releases. they always seem to get a ton of copies and lots of people never think to check there.
posted by teishu at 9:31 AM on March 30, 2007

I'm with teishu - for a fairly big-name new release like this one, I would go to places like Walmart, Target, Zellers, Superstore (I know those last are Canadian, but you get the picture.) Big, non-electronics department stores tend to get a lot of stock, but they don't sell out fast like the Best Buys and Circuit Cities do.

This strategy fails for smaller releases, because the big stores don't care enough to actually put them out on release day.
posted by pocams at 10:22 AM on March 30, 2007

heresiarch's roommate here. I talked to the EBGames people... they said they weren't going to be able to fill all the pre-orders and they weren't taking any more in-store. So they may be taking them online, too, but doesn't mean they'll actually mean anything...
posted by olinerd at 10:31 AM on March 30, 2007

Is this even going to be that hard to get? My understanding is that RedOctane only added about ten more songs to the ones already on the PS2 version, and failed to deliver the promised wireless controller that would have made a new version worthwhile. And a lot of people who have 360s also have PS2s--those multi-console owners who would be likely to buy a game on its release date most likely have already bought and beaten GH2. So you're probably only competing with super-hardcore completists, and people who didn't already buy it for the PS2 last year for whatever reason.

For this, I'd expect to walk into Best Buy on the morning of the release date and pick it right up off the shelf.
posted by Prospero at 10:57 AM on March 30, 2007

EB is terrible. If you preorder, you aren't guaranteed a game, but if you don't, they often won't sell you one, even if there are 30 copies behind the counter.

You should be able to get a copy at Best Buy, but the earlier you can get to the store, the better. Unfortunately, sometimes they stock the shelves on Tuesday, and sometimes not until Wednesday.

Target is usually good for hard-to-find games, but I've found that they're also inconsistent about when they stock the shelves.

I'm not quite sure what the demand will be, but I expect it to be high. But since it's more expensive than a normal game, it's not an impulse buy, which does help your chances.
posted by Sibrax at 11:13 AM on March 30, 2007

The absolute fastest way to get it probably involves robbing a warehouse or hijacking a truck or something.

But if I had to guess, I'd say that big-box stores will probably have copies on the shelf, for the reasons that Prospero mentions.
posted by box at 11:45 AM on March 30, 2007

Prospero - the 360 version has a lot of downloadable content set to be released for it on the Xbox Marketplace. It'll be much more expandable than the PS2 version. I can't wait, and I know a lot of others feel similarly.
posted by olinerd at 11:49 AM on March 30, 2007

Rumor has it that some Target and Circuit City stores have broken the street date on these and started selling them prematurely. You may want to check yours.
posted by MegoSteve at 4:55 PM on March 30, 2007

The Red Octane online store is already shipping out orders - people have been getting it today, even people who ordered it 2 days ago. That may be your best bet for getting it soon (although I don't know if the ship over the weekend or not)
posted by markblasco at 5:20 PM on March 30, 2007

Just to close this out, we ended up ordering from Red Octane. It's en route, and should get here by Friday. Maybe not optimal, but it was (as recommend) free shipping, and avoided galavanting around the Boston metro area and paying tax.

Thanks for your help!
posted by heresiarch at 12:23 PM on April 3, 2007