Best Buy YMMV Thread

mikeshinobi

mikeshinobi

CAGiversary!
Can we have a thread where we share deals we find at our local Best Buys? Of course they're always YMMV but it would give us ideas of what to look out for.

I have two local best buys and each of them had different deals:

Best Buy #1:

  • Dragon Quest Builders 2 (NSW): $15.99
Best Buy #2:

  • Disgaea 4 (NSW): $15.99
  • Dead Cells (NSW): $10.99
  • Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology (3DS): $12.99 (didn't get this, very sad)
  • Some other 3DS title I was extremely sad I missed out on (3DS): $10.99
There were some others but these were the ones that stood out the most that I can remember.

Also for anyone who doesn't know, if your Best Buy has a price placard out for a game but they're sold out, you can ask an employee to order it for you from their website and they will match their in-store price! Of course they have to have stock on the website though.

 
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TheKbob said:
I believe that deal has ended?
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Yeah and now it makes even more sense. They are really going to limit physical stuff. I personally think video games will be next on their chopping block.
Devil’s advocate here, but maybe that B2G1 thing with Switch games was to help offload stuff they had in stores so they can exit the market easier.

 
So when do we think the big liquidation/ fire sale of all their 4K Blu-rays will be? Will it start with Black Friday and then just continue until stock is gone?
 
Freeze Time said:
So when do we think the big liquidation/ fire sale of all their 4K Blu-rays will be? Will it start with Black Friday and then just continue until stock is gone?
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I wouldn’t get my hopes up, I’m sure they’ll slowly whittle down and probably throw a few titles into daily deals to get rid of the real excessively stocked titles.
 
Seems Best Buy has now confirmed the news about exiting physical media. I’m sure it’s not long before physical video games follows for them.

I’m just, I dunno, I’m baffled at the direction, I’m sad at the loss, I’m questioning how they think this is the right direction… like, how does this not signal a major problem within Best Buy. I get that media margins aren’t great, I do but isn’t online supposed to mitigate that? They bought out Musicland/Sam Goody at one point! I get the physical store stocking, I really do, but the online as well?!? The whole point of online is you don’t have as much precious floor space tied up.

There was a day where you could spend the whole day browsing Media Play, Sam Goody, FYE, Best Buy, Suncoast Motion Pictures… and with this step we’re basically at the point where scrolling or filtering through online stores is the only way to browse/buy physical media anymore.

This is all probably just whistful reminiscing from an old Millennial but I’m just disappointed to see such a whimper of an ending for physical media.
 
Shad0WeN said:
Hardly. Your attempt to create some sort of false equivalency or narrative is misguided. I could riposte by asking whether hubris is required to be retarded or whether that's just a bonus? The point I was making was that if people are going to criticize or throw shade at someone like her it should be because of the terrible job she is doing or the poor and/or scummy decisions she is making on behalf of the company, and not just simply because she's a woman. That's all.
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If that was the point you were trying to make, why didn't you say that? You followed disdain for general bias against a group of people with general bias against a group of people. You just assumed because your target wasn't a competitor in the oppression Olympics that you wouldn't get called on it.
 
RedvsBlue said:
I’m just, I dunno, I’m baffled at the direction, I’m sad at the loss, I’m questioning how they think this is the right direction… like, how does this not signal a major problem within Best Buy. I get that media margins aren’t great, I do but isn’t online supposed to mitigate that? They bought out Musicland/Sam Goody at one point! I get the physical store stocking, I really do, but the online as well?!? The whole point of online is you don’t have as much precious floor space tied up.
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Best Buy has started considering stores mini warehouses a la GameStop.

I had a few orders for the Switch B2G1 for already released games and they all came from stores, not a warehouse. Some electronics/small appliances have been delivered from the local store by Geeksquad.

 
Best Buy stopping the movies/shows on disc business makes sense.  Yes the days of old style shopping are winding down.  Much like hitting all the rental stores to grab a new release or see what they were selling off.   Thankfully games aren't going away from BB... and I wouldn't care if they just went to online order only (since the closest store is an hour away and that store and the ones near it don't have a lot of videogames to look at anyway).   As long as there are still online retailers stocking physical videogames, I can live with that.  It makes more sense to me to distribute games from a warehouse anyway.

 
Daytonabot said:
If that was the point you were trying to make, why didn't you say that? You followed disdain for general bias against a group of people with general bias against a group of people. You just assumed because your target wasn't a competitor in the oppression Olympics that you wouldn't get called on it.
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I did say just that. The problem is when people like you misinterpret and twist things around and try to act as if you can read every facet of people's minds. And yes, I've made it no secret that I have disdain for the corporate establishment. The executives behind these companies have shown and proven to us time and time again that they will do whatever unethical or immoral things they think they can get away with to take advantage of, strong-arm, and exploit folks. And when I say that it stems from a place of an established track history and empirical observations. If it looks like a duck and it quacks like a duck and shows me that it is a duck, then it must be a duck. It does not just come from bias for bias' sake. Judging something based on the kind of criteria that I just alluded to vs doing so solely based on frivolous prejudice (or bigotry) are two very different things. That's inherently where your assumption and assertions take a wrong turn.

So now is every high-ranking corporate executive a bad apple? No, but there's absolutely a ton of them. And why anyone would waste any time whatsoever defending in the slightest a bunch of hollow suits that couldn't give 2 shits about anything other than figuring out whatever way they can make 20 million dollars this year instead of 19, let alone care about you, is beyond me.

 
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TheKbob said:
I believe that deal has ended?
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It may have, not sure. But I do know that they are still stocking some Limited Run games aside from the clearance titles previously reported here. Shopping around a bit at a few different locations: as a Switch owner I observed that Contra Anniversary Collection, Celeste, Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon 2, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, TMNT: Shredder's Revenge, and Zombies Ate My Neighbors/Ghoul Patrol as some examples were all still at full price. I price checked them on the off chance that they might be marked down but they weren't. Anyway, with the recent news I just think it's interesting the picture that it paints of them seemingly massively pivoting from one end of the spectrum to the other.

Freeze Time said:
So when do we think the big liquidation/ fire sale of all their 4K Blu-rays will be? Will it start with Black Friday and then just continue until stock is gone?
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I had a thought here. I can't read the tea leaves but I think it's entirely plausible that they could end up just pulling such products from sale at some point and sending them back to the vendor or manufacturer for some kind of credit/reimbursement for unsold product. Some retailers probably have some kinds of agreements like this in place with their suppliers.

 
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Freeze Time said:
So when do we think the big liquidation/ fire sale of all their 4K Blu-rays will be? Will it start with Black Friday and then just continue until stock is gone?
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Best Buy doesn't own their stock of movies, the movie studios do. The studios will want it back so it can be sold elsewhere, such as gruv.com.

 
Freeze Time said:
So when do we think the big liquidation/ fire sale of all their 4K Blu-rays will be? Will it start with Black Friday and then just continue until stock is gone?
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Not going to happen. Most of these distribution contracts now (esp. for movies) allow BB to send unsold inventory back to the publishers. Alternatively, good chance Best Buy was selling many of its catalog titles through third party distribution warehouses so it wasn't "on" their books to begin with.

This is btw why studios have been more and more gunshy about printing discs. It's not like it was before with demand so studios have practically zero leverage. Retailers call the shot but it's small margin for everyone.

Good news though is that there are boutique shops that will pick up licenses and sell - at least for more movies. Games presents more of a problem because what happens when the platform holder starts making consoles that don't play discs? How do you sell them then?
 
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Mattiful-Joe said:
Alternatively, good chance Best Buy was selling many of its catalog titles through third party distribution warehouses so it wasn't "on" their books to begin with.
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Virtually all their home media is fulfilled by Alliance Entertainment: new, catalog, basically all of it. I’ve had a handful of titles ship from stores (like when they had Marvel UHD steelbooks on closeout), but it’s very rare.
 
Miketheking said:
Wal-Mart is now following best buy with the ending of media well for Xbox only that is
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Walmart has not made an announcement. Josh Fairhurst tweeted something about ‘rumblings’ but dude does not work for Walmart, does not sell games to Walmart, so i’d wait for an actual announcement from Walmart.

 
Miketheking said:
Wal-Mart is now following best buy with the ending of media well for Xbox only that is
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I noticed this being done at a local target store recently. Completely decimated the xbox game wall to about 20 spaces for physical copies.

 
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Romeo said:
I noticed this being done at a local target store recently. Completely decimated the xbox game wall to about 20 spaces for physical copies.
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Let's be real, the Xbox section in most stores is always the smallest. The only places I've seen them big are GameStops and local game stores because Xbox games are slow sellers unless they go on mega sale.

Once GamePass started, physical Xbox games no longer hold much value even past AAA titles. I know my local game stores no longer take Xbox games or offer little to nothing for them because of how dead stock they are to them. It was only a matter of time really.
 
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GeeWiz said:
Let's be real, the Xbox section in most stores is always the smallest. The only places I've seen them big are GameStops and local game stores because Xbox games are slow sellers unless they go on mega sale.

Once GamePass started, physical Xbox games no longer hold much value even past AAA titles. I know my local game stores no longer take Xbox games or offer little to nothing for them because of how dead stock they are to them. It was only a matter of time really.
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Guess they really are killing off physical. I hope PS and Nintendo don't follow I doubt they will. I feel like MS is ruining gaming TBH with the these recent events.
 
GeeWiz said:
Let's be real, the Xbox section in most stores is always the smallest. The only places I've seen them big are GameStops and local game stores because Xbox games are slow sellers unless they go on mega sale.

Once GamePass started, physical Xbox games no longer hold much value even past AAA titles. I know my local game stores no longer take Xbox games or offer little to nothing for them because of how dead stock they are to them. It was only a matter of time really.
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True, and as someone that prefers physically and uses an Xbox as my main console, I'm glad for it. Just not the slow march to all digital.

That said, local stores near me have good selections of Xbox games, and they sell them too. At certain stores, like Disc Traders, people that come in looking for games are more casual gamers; they're looking to just pick something off the shelf, and they have no problem selling back a bunch for a lower price. That really benefits gamers like me. I've picked up many a nice Xbox (and PlayStation) steelbook edition of games this way.

 
Twilightsparkle said:
Walmart has not made an announcement. Josh Fairhurst tweeted something about ‘rumblings’ but dude does not work for Walmart, does not sell games to Walmart, so i’d wait for an actual announcement from Walmart.
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But... wasn't LRG the publisher for TMNT Shredders Revenge and the anniversary version? I'm fairly positive they handled the distribution of that game including copies to Walmart, GS, and others. Not that I would trust Josh's word for it, but it makes a lot of sense to me that the tiny Xbox game section could get nuked at Walmart.

My stores mainly just have a glass case of xbox hardware... and have recently taken out the endcap with clearance games. Seems like they are dialing back some already. It wouldn't be at all shocking if Walmart dropped xbox games and only carried Xbox hardware.

 
The effect of Gamepass on physical Xbox games shouldn't surprise anyone. Of all the platforms, it's obvious MS' would be the most digital or less inclined to buy discs. It's not like the company's strategy is a secret. Phil seems to bring it up ad nauseam about what the goal is.

Accordingly, retail disc sales on Xbox are probably the worst so it makes sense that retailers are going to (if not already) stop ordering them or significantly reduce floorspace for them.

Microsoft is cloud gaming, and that's what it's setting out to be. If MS could move the train faster, they'd prefer to nix the console hardware altogether. Once it's entirely discless, what distinguishes it from a PC/Roku?

I would have preferred Xbox be more committed to non-cloud games, but it's the course the industry is on. Sony appears more committed to offering discs to consumers (no doubt in part because they have skin in maintaining the bluray/4k format). The pricing strategy for the refresh clearly favors the disc system.

Nintendo (hopefully) will stick with carts for at least one more generation. As typically the last one to go along and the systen that caters to a younger crowd, there is some comfort knowing that the Big N is unlikely to abandon physical media any time soon.
 
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Romeo said:
Here’s a fun one to add to the conversation. And I do regret not taking a picture yesterday while in store.

I visited a BB store yesterday to buy a PS5 game. The website said I can order for in store pick up so I know there’s at least one copy in stock. I go to the media department and out of 100 slots for PS5 games, only about 20 had games in the racks. Perplexed, I went to find an employee and no one was on shift in computers, media, or TVs at 6pm on a Tuesday. Ended up finding a mobile rep who paged someone. They go check warehouse and sure enough the game is ‘in the back’ and STILL in a plastic coffin.

I asked what gives and they said they don’t really stock the shelves for games anymore! They keep them in the back room and you just have to order online to get them or check ahead for stock. They’re intentionally driving away walk in/ window shopping traffic.
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More reason as to why they want to kill off physical and just stock digital as less hassle to go and stock
 
I'd expect BB to finish up the PS5/XSX/Switch lifecycle before exiting the video game market. Maybe yank Xbox titles first like WM seems to be trending.

 
n64ra said:
I'd expect BB to finish up the PS5/XSX/Switch lifecycle before exiting the video game market. Maybe yank Xbox titles first like WM seems to be trending.
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I would fully expect Switch 2 to be the last console released to even have physical games.

 
Mattiful-Joe said:
The effect of Gamepass on physical Xbox games shouldn't surprise anyone. Of all the platforms, it's obvious MS' would be the most digital or less inclined to buy discs. It's not like the company's strategy is a secret. Phil seems to bring it up ad nauseam about what the goal is.

Accordingly, retail disc sales on Xbox are probably the worst so it makes sense that retailers are going to (if not already) stop ordering them or significantly reduce floorspace for them.

Microsoft is cloud gaming, and that's what it's setting out to be. If MS could move the train faster, they'd prefer to nix the console hardware altogether. Once it's entirely discless, what distinguishes it from a PC/Roku?

I would have preferred Xbox be more committed to non-cloud games, but it's the course the industry is on. Sony appears more committed to offering discs to consumers (no doubt in part because they have skin in maintaining the bluray/4k format). The pricing strategy for the refresh clearly favors the disc system.

Nintendo (hopefully) will stick with carts for at least one more generation. As typically the last one to go along and the systen that caters to a younger crowd, there is some comfort knowing that the Big N is unlikely to abandon physical media any time soon.
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For what it's worth, if Xbox physical games are a dying breed I think the distinct lack of 'must-have' exclusive titles for years (often just a drip feed) may have played a significant role in their decline/demise as well, as it forced Microsoft to adjust their strategy and go harder on pushing or promoting Game Pass (because what else has there been for much of the time in recent years?) and you can make the case that it accelerated things.

Oh and when we are talking about Game Pass as it pertains to the vast majority of people we are not talking about cloud gaming. Cloud gaming is streaming. While both are digital there is a big difference between downloading and running a game on local hardware vs streaming it over the internet. So far cloud gaming hasn't gained a whole lot of traction (we saw what happened to Google Stadia), though perhaps one day it could become the norm (I hope not!).

Tyrok said:
I would fully expect Switch 2 to be the last console released to even have physical games.
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While I definitely agree that if anyone will be the last holdout it will be Nintendo, I am not ready to make the leap that the Switch successor (most likely coming next year) will the last console from the big 3 to support physical media. Reportedly, there is still more of a strong preference for physical games in Japan, and while the United States and Europe are bigger markets it's Nintendo's base of operations and home market and their overall decision-making seems to cater more to the trends there more so than their competitors.

 
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xUcCzGG.jpg


This is what the Xbox section at my local Best Buy looks like. Only 1 segment of an aisle partially devoted to physical games with a grand total of 24 slots. Granted some of slots are subdivided into 2 or 3 different games, but still. This is vs about 60 slots on the shelves for the PlayStation and 88 for the Nintendo Switch. I calculated them out of curiosity.

 
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Shad0WeN said:
This is what the Xbox section at my local Best Buy looks like. Only 1 segment of an aisle partially devoted to physical games with a grand total of 24 slots. Granted some of slots are subdivided into 2 or 3 different games, but still. This is vs about 60 slots on the shelves for the PlayStation and 88 for the Nintendo Switch. I calculated them out of curiosity.
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My nearest Best Buy used to keep all the games in the back corner in cabinets and there were never any customers or employees in the section. Who wants to go looking for an employee to flag down who has to go find another employee with the key? They've gotten rid of the cabinets and put the games individually in security cases, but there are significantly less games now.

 
Best Buy has gotten so bad lately, particularly in customer support.  I had Lords of the Fallen pre-ordered for two months and they didn't even ship it until last Friday night.  Then they used Fedex which has bounced it around multiple states not remotely near mine including losing it for two days.  Still not here yet.

The first chat rep I spoke to said it was lost and they would refund me within 24-48 hours, which never came.  Second chat rep tonight basically just said "the tracking is updated with a new date" and that's all he would do, no credit for this being completely screwed up or even reference to the previous promise.  Their answer seems to be "not our problem your order from us takes over a week to arrive".

Earlier this summer I had a monitor shipped to me that arrived (late again) and looked like they dropped it in the bathtub (it was wet and the cardboard was tearing apart) and their chat just told me to call the shipper or take it to the store and would do nothing else.  So I had to drive to the store to get it fixed and a new one shipped (standard shipping, they wouldn't even do overnight after that messup).

Also had to go buy Tears of the Kingdom local from Gamestop because the game took like 5 days to arrive and wasn't shipped until the day it came out.  I returned the Best Buy one when it finally got here.

 
They haven't promised release day delivery for quite some time, they just promise that it ships by release day. Unfortunately if you want something day 1, gotta do in store pickup
 
TheLegendofTyler said:
They haven't promised release day delivery for quite some time, they just promise that it ships by release day. Unfortunately if you want something day 1, gotta do in store pickup
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Yeah, I knew about that. The issue is when they ship (usually via Fedex) and it takes like 4-6 days to arrive instead of the 2 you should be getting with Plus (it's one of the perks). Then they say "shipper problem" and do nothing to make up for it.

It's also particularly crappy when they charge you payment and say "packaging your item" then sit on it for two days and ship it at like 8pm on release day so it technically meets the terms.

 
defpally said:
Best Buy has gotten so bad lately, particularly in customer support. I had Lords of the Fallen pre-ordered for two months and they didn't even ship it until last Friday night. Then they used Fedex which has bounced it around multiple states not remotely near mine including losing it for two days. Still not here yet.

The first chat rep I spoke to said it was lost and they would refund me within 24-48 hours, which never came. Second chat rep tonight basically just said "the tracking is updated with a new date" and that's all he would do, no credit for this being completely screwed up or even reference to the previous promise. Their answer seems to be "not our problem your order from us takes over a week to arrive".
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I’m going to say wait a bit longer. When it shows up as delivered now they will have a product recovery agent come after you for the item or the ‘refund’ they gave you and things will end up more fucked up.

I had an issue with a B2G1 order where one item had no tracking for a week. Finally asked for a replacement, was told they can’t do that but I’d get a refund. I used rewards certs and GCs to pay so I guess they refunded to the GC. The amount was wonky. When the item finally showed up within a day I got an email from product recovery that I had to return or repay for the item. Said fine just undo what the refund was, I guess to my GC. Still not sure if everything is fine since I have to wait for the final item from that b2g1 to ship.

 
That’s interesting to hear about a ‘product recovery agent’. I have a similar story, perhaps others can relate.

Last year I ordered an external hard drive by mail since it wasn’t sold in best buy stores. It came in a white plastic bag and was crushed. Contacted support and they sent a replacement after I returned the damaged drive. This new one was lost in transit. Called back to support and was told they only replace an item once, I have to place a new order to get it again. I chose just to get a refund and buy the hard drive elsewhere.

Fast forward a week or two, I get a new hard drive in the mail. I know some people at my local store and told one of their management team the story. They said to just keep it and use it. A month goes by, I get an email from best buy corporate saying I need to return or pay for the hard drive that randomly got delivered to me. I had no issues returning it, though it was past return policy and the store could not return an item out of return period. Plus the order on my account was closed, and their PoS system in store wouldn’t accept the return. I wrote back to this email about my attempts to return and never heard back from them.
 
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Twilightsparkle said:
I’m going to say wait a bit longer. When it shows up as delivered now they will have a product recovery agent come after you for the item or the ‘refund’ they gave you and things will end up more fucked up.

I had an issue with a B2G1 order where one item had no tracking for a week. Finally asked for a replacement, was told they can’t do that but I’d get a refund. I used rewards certs and GCs to pay so I guess they refunded to the GC. The amount was wonky. When the item finally showed up within a day I got an email from product recovery that I had to return or repay for the item. Said fine just undo what the refund was, I guess to my GC. Still not sure if everything is fine since I have to wait for the final item from that b2g1 to ship.
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Well that would be interesting, as they haven't given me any refund despite the first rep saying they would. If it is delivered and they come after me for a refund they never gave me it will be some phone rep's worst day ever. Because I'm not the one to just sit back and take it.

But that just gets down to the main point that they have really fallen in recent years. They have massively cut back on benefits, and made their reward program cost money for what used to be free. Their fulfillment for shipping has gotten very bad. Their customer service won't help you and makes empty promises. And add what you say apparently their left hand doesn't know what the right is doing.

 
An alternate story... when Tears of the Kingdom came out, I had mine the day after release from BB.  I'm not a paid member.  I think the shipping thing is a big YMMV.  Like they usually are pretty good.  I've even had a couple preorders show up a day or two before release date and I'm an hour from the nearest store.

Just for my own comfort level of where to shop for games... BB is pretty much top of the list along with Gamefly (who also sell new games).  Heck I'd buy GameFly used before even considering GameStop.com new.

 
nightc1 said:
An alternate story... when Tears of the Kingdom came out, I had mine the day after release from BB. I'm not a paid member. I think the shipping thing is a big YMMV. Like they usually are pretty good. I've even had a couple preorders show up a day or two before release date and I'm an hour from the nearest store.

Just for my own comfort level of where to shop for games... BB is pretty much top of the list along with Gamefly (who also sell new games). Heck I'd buy GameFly used before even considering GameStop.com new.
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That's why it seems so ... stark. They used to be really solid, and I missed Gamer's Club but they were still the most reliable and consistent place to order. But these days. Yeah, sometimes they get it here exactly on release, but when they miss - they miss big time. And won't do anything at all to make it right.

 
According to my orders on the Best Buy site, I'll have the art print for Super Mario Bros. Wonder tomorrow, and the game is shipping tomorrow.  We'll see if it shows up on Friday.  

 
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