14 DAY TRIAL // There was a serious breach in confidence regarding the launch date of 2K's Bioshock. The game has created such a hype throughout the gaming community that a store that has already received the game in advance (Toys"R"Us) has decided to make some people happier than others by selling a bunch of copies ahead of schedule. 2K has issued a statement in that effect, apologizing for the unprofessional behavior of their partner.
Ryan Jones, Senior Account Executive at Access Communications (responsible for 2K's PR) had this to say about the incident: "It recently came to 2K Games' attention that one of our retail partners prematurely sold some copies of BioShock prior to the game's official launch date. Retailers are typically shipped product in advance to ensure they can meet launch day demand on street-dated product. As a result, a few people were able to purchase the game early. Additionally, a TV advertisement for BioShock prematurely ran that incorrectly indicated that the game was available for purchase. 2K Games has reached out to our retail partners and is maintaining the street date of August 21st in North America and August 24th in Europe, when BioShock will be available at retailers. 2K Games is appreciative of the gamer excitement and critical acclaim leading up to the title's launch."
On another note, a second statement was released clearing a bit the confusion. Elizabeth Tobey, Community Manager at 2K Games also commented: "The pre-release was a mistake on a retailer's part. i promise you with all my heart 2K did not do anything on purpose to mess with PC gamers or give the 360 a leg up or anything. It was a sad, sad mistake. PC will activate for the US on august 21st. and you'll want to wait till then anyway because new drivers will come out."
If you've bothered to read this far you might think just like me: a lot of text expressing just one idea, best said by the great Lewis Black himself: "We've f**ked up". If Bioshock is as good as I think I am willing to let more mistakes slide. Power to the people!