Why is it that Americans get an unfair advantage with earlier game release dates?

Discus and support Why is it that Americans get an unfair advantage with earlier game release dates? in XBoX Games and Apps to solve the problem; Is it just me, or does anyone else feel that Americans get given an unfair advantage in a lot of multi-player games, due to the fact that they nearly... Discussion in 'XBoX Games and Apps' started by Citizen Smiffy, Jun 8, 2017.

  1. Why is it that Americans get an unfair advantage with earlier game release dates?


    Is it just me, or does anyone else feel that Americans get given an
    unfair advantage in a lot of multi-player games, due to the fact that they nearly always have games released to them a few days (sometimes as much as a week) earlier than the rest of the world?

    Now, I can understand how this problem can arise when dealing with the logistics of shipping
    physical game products around the world and when the developer of said game is based in America. But I cannot understand or get my head around the problem of different release dates for games, when the are bought and downloaded as digital copies from
    the Online Xbox Marketplace, especially when a game is available for Pre-order there.

    Why is it that Americans get an unfair advantage with earlier game release dates? [​IMG]

    To help you better grasp why this upsets me so much, let me give you an example of what has been occurring lately because of this situation...

    Last week I pre-ordered Dirt 4, a game I have been eagerly awaiting the release of for ages. I purchased it from the UK version of the Xbox Marketplace, because my console directs me there by default, as the UK is where I live and the release
    date for the game there is tomorrow, Friday 9th June, 2017. So you can imagine my surprise, when I started to see
    Dirt 4 game clips and screenshots showing up on my Xbox News Feed on
    Monday 5th June, 2017.

    "OMG!!! Could I have been mistaken about the release date of this game" I thought to myself quizzingly.

    "Could CodeMasters, the developers of the Dirt game franchise have decided to release this game to the world earlier then planned?" Vague memories of this happening with 1 or 2 other games in the distant past tried forming
    in my head, but I couldn't remember their names.

    My excitement was building fast and my fingers and thumbs were working at a quicker pace to navigate me to my console's 'My Games' section, which is where my
    pre-ordered copy of Dirt 4 was downloaded and saved. Once there, I spotted the Dirt 4 game icon and clicked on it and my excitement quickly turned to despair as a message appeared across my screen that told me my game was still awaiting the
    release date and that I had to wait until then.

    Bugger!!!

    Why is it that Americans get an unfair advantage with earlier game release dates? [​IMG]

    I was gutted and confused, so I backtracked to my News Feed to see if I had missed something, only to see a disturbing pattern emerge in front of my eyes. All of the
    Dirt 4 gameclips and screenshots there, had been posted
    ONLY
    by my American friends and a few other people and clubs I follow that are based in America also.

    After a few messages back and forth it was confirmed to me, that the Dirt 4 game had indeed been released in America on Monday and I've now got to wait until Friday until I can participate.
    Now that SUCKS!!!

    The Americans have been given a head-start yet again, another unfair advantage over the rest of us. Tomorrow when us lot finally get into a
    Dirt 4 multi-player lobby, all of the Americans there will claim to be better racers than the rest of us, but just remember this... They would have had 4 more days than us to practice on all of the race tracks, they would have been able to
    unlock better cars than we'll have and also earned loads of race credits/money to fit their cars with more powerful engines, better brakes, suspension, tyres and body kits. Their early victories will be short lived, once we catch up and they'll then have to
    eat their words.

    It's the same story with games of the Shooter genre, which I also like and play... The Americans get a week head-start on the rest of us and by the time we get to enter the battlefield, they are level 30, have unlocked more
    and better weapons than anyone else, like Sniper Rifles, LMGs, SMGs, Grenades, etc., pimped out their soldiers with many upgrades, perks and skills and when we turn up just
    Level 1, with nothing more than a Pistol and a knife, they say we can't fight.

    So, speaking on behalf of everyone in the world who doesn't live in America... I call on
    Microsoft and all of the game developers to
    do the right thing
    and to level the playing field for all and stop these absurd and outdated
    Tiered Game Release Dates which always favour our friends in the USA.

    Why is it that Americans get an unfair advantage with earlier game release dates? [​IMG]

    Thanks for letting me get this of of my chest, but it needed to be said...

    :)
     
    Citizen Smiffy, Jun 8, 2017
    #1
  2. game release dates

    im not exactly sure how to put this so ill just say it as best i can

    why is it when games are released (not all games but most of them) that americans seem to get them one week or even two weeks before the rest of the planet?? now before anyone says it works just on the same principal as film releases or something similar
    to that ill just stop you by pointing out that you cant play films as online multiplayers and build up characters etc... and before someone says just because its available doesnt mean everyone buys the game, i will say what is the point in different release
    dates if everyones just going to buy a game whenever they can anyways.

    i find this to be very unfair and it is deliberately giving a specific group of people an unfair advantage over players of any other region, good examples would be just about any call of duty or forza game (cant believe i used COD as an example considering
    its away down the toilet anyways)

    are players of that region considered soo bad that its deemed they need a "head start" or something??

    just as a precaution before anyone points out the obvious.... YES it does annoy me, im sick of buying certain games on release and going to play them online only to be kicked up and down a map by some american dude that was able to buy it 2 weeks before
    me and have all sorts of advantages in game like perks, weapons, knowledge of maps etc.

    what im looking to find out is why they even bother with different release dates and also peoples personal opinions on the subject.
     
    D filthy sloth, Jun 8, 2017
    #2
  3. Azrael008uk
    Azrael008uk Guest
    Anyone manage to Get Watch Dogs Yet

    The trouble with International Releases is that the US releases it's games on a Tuesday. The UK release their games on a Friday.

    I once saw an absolutely brilliant article on how and why that happens but I have no way of linking you to that unless someone else remembers where it is.

    So normally the US get their games 3 days before the Brits.

    However when you get a big "International Release" most Publishers tend to have that international release coincide with the American Release date.

    This causes a problem for Online Retailers in the UK who have to get the game to people on a Tuesday in a country where mail is not generally delivered on a Sunday.

    So to honour their promise of "you get it on release date" they send them off Friday or sometimes earlier.

    It's not such a big deal though. It will be Tuesday for you soon enough.
     
    Azrael008uk, Jun 8, 2017
    #3
  4. Why is it that Americans get an unfair advantage with earlier game release dates?

    Usually the reason behind this is the "bigger" market share of US. I do live in the UK too, and nowdays I'm not even suprised by stuff like that.

    The bigger problem is the conversion rates though.
     
    spinefarm2001, Jun 11, 2017
    #4
  5. spinefarm2001 Win User

    Why is it that Americans get an unfair advantage with earlier game release dates?

    Usually the reason behind this is the "bigger" market share of US. I do live in the UK too, and nowdays I'm not even suprised by stuff like that.

    The bigger problem is the conversion rates though.
  6. Azrael008uk Win User

    Anyone manage to Get Watch Dogs Yet

    The trouble with International Releases is that the US releases it's games on a Tuesday. The UK release their games on a Friday.

    I once saw an absolutely brilliant article on how and why that happens but I have no way of linking you to that unless someone else remembers where it is.

    So normally the US get their games 3 days before the Brits.

    However when you get a big "International Release" most Publishers tend to have that international release coincide with the American Release date.

    This causes a problem for Online Retailers in the UK who have to get the game to people on a Tuesday in a country where mail is not generally delivered on a Sunday.

    So to honour their promise of "you get it on release date" they send them off Friday or sometimes earlier.

    It's not such a big deal though. It will be Tuesday for you soon enough.
  7. Legionaire161 Win User

    Already playing it?

    Or, their local game store is selling the game early. Thats what 1 dude told me. Correct me if i'm wrong, but isn't it a violation of the xbox live TOS to play games ahead of the release date? Gaining an unfair advantage sort of thing?
  8. Azrael008uk Win User

    "Far Cry 4" First Impressions

    When a global release date is put on a Tuesday to fit in with when Americans get there games it forces UK online retailers to have to post out their games earlier to ensure that the game arrives for the release date because there is no mail on Sunday.

    Now a little further in this game does have the same skeletal structure as "Farcry 3" so you will be climbing towers and liberating outposts but it's still all very top drawer stuff so far.
  9. hobblejp Win User

    xbox live only for yanks??

    heres the reason:

    Because otherwise MS has to put up with the Americans moaning, seriously you only have to look at any game that gets released in Eurpopse before the US and suddenly all the Americans fly off the handle claiming its unfair to them.
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Why is it that Americans get an unfair advantage with earlier game release dates?

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