GAME selling PC Portal 2 right now

By Wesley Yin-Poole Published 20 April, 2011

"Market reaction" to Valve's Steam release.

Pop down to your local GAME or gamestation and you'll be able to buy the PC version of Portal 2, Eurogamer can reveal.

The UK's largest specialist video game retailer confirmed to Eurogamer this morning that it decided to sell the game a day early - with publisher EA's agreement - as a "market reaction" to Valve's decision to sell the game digitally through Steam on Monday morning.

The worldwide launch of the game on Steam meant UK PC and Mac owners could play the superb first-person puzzler four days before its planned 21st April launch.

Console gamers are out of luck, however. GAME confirmed that the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions will not be sold until tomorrow.

It remains to be seen whether other shops will follow GAME's lead. Gargantuan supermarket Tesco told Eurogamer it will not sell Portal 2 until tomorrow.

Picture of Wesley.

About Wesley Yin-Poole

Wesley is Eurogamer's news editor. He likes news, interviews, and more news. He also likes Street Fighter more than anyone can get him to shut up about it.

Read more articles from Wesley by visiting the Wesley Yin-Poole archive page.

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Comments (30) Latest comment 10 months ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • gjgjg #1 10 months ago

    Not really to blame I guess, esp since they don't do second hand PC games so they probably don't have a direct gripe...

  • KyleGaywood #2 10 months ago

    It's only fair. Steam can't expect other places to sit back while steam rakes it in can then?

  • Optimaximal #3 10 months ago

    Does this really matter? The majority have probably either already pre-ordered it on Steam or have got it cheaper through an online store.

  • Grump #4 10 months ago

    Does it matter? The PC section in GAME is so tiny anyway. It's not like they've ever taken PC gaming seriously.

  • abigsmurf #5 10 months ago

    Good on Game (don't say that often).

    Valve shouldn't expect retailers to honour street dates if they can't, especially when it causes huge amounts of harm to do so.

    How many people were planning to buy it at a store but didn't because it was released early through Steam? Even worse, how many people paid more buying it through Steam than they would've done at retail or online?

  • jablonski #6 10 months ago

    WYP - red or blue wire, quick

  • ianegg #7 10 months ago

    shopto posted my PS3 copy yesterday... still not here though :(

    edit: woo just arrived :D
    Edited by 1 at 20/04/11 @ 12:08

  • LFace #8 10 months ago

    Hope HMV does as well. Ive got a gift card for there and was planning on using that to get Portal 2 rather than buy through steam like I normally would. Been checking every day this week on lunch to see if they have it, even though the PC game section is literally about 8 inches wide (no joke!) and contains about 4 inches of WoW Cataclysm and the rest random games.

  • Mister-Wario #9 10 months ago

    The PC games section in my GAME is pretty big. I mean, it's to one side but it is there and they have a lot of games in it.

  • DreadedWalrus #10 10 months ago

    For all the people saying that Valve shouldn't be surprised/shouldn't expect other places to hold back, they aren't/didn't. This was posted on the Steam news page when Portal 2 was unlocked. I've bolded the relevant bit:

    Portal 2 is now available worldwide via Steam. The game will be available at retailers beginning today as well, check your local retailer for availability. For more information, please visit http://www.thinkwith portals.com

  • Eraysor #11 10 months ago

    More than anything this just demonstrates that the delay between US and UK release dates is pointless nowadays. I mean, Portal 2 is out for consoles and on PC at retail in the USA right now.

    If GAME actually cared about this so-called "market reaction", why don't they release their games over here on the US retail date? Tuesday in the US normally results in a Friday release here.

  • Snufkin #12 10 months ago

    All well and good, but don't those same market forces dictate that the console versions should be sold early too - in that those people who might have bought it on PS3 or 360 will go and buy it off Steam instead? This compartmentalising of gamers is nonsensical when most people who are likley to buy a game on launch day (and could therefore be considered 'core' gamers) are also likely to own two or more formats, one of which could well be a gaming PC.

    Not that I care cos I won a PS3 copy off Eurogamer!! \o/

    EDIT: @DreadedWalrus - they were presumably talking about US retailers, who started selling it yesterday. Us lucky Brits get to wait an extra 2 days.
    Edited by 2 at 20/04/11 @ 10:39

  • Anciegher #13 10 months ago

    Bought it in Mediamarkt yesterday here in Sweden, so I guess it's not only GAME who is selling it early. They were also selling 360/PS3 version though.

  • PlugMonkey #14 10 months ago

    Valve shouldn't expect retailers to honour street dates if they can't,

    It's not Valve's fault. GLaDOS made them do it.

  • DozyKipper #15 10 months ago

    Someone can't count. Since when does 48 hours translate to 4 days? It was only released at 6AM on Tuesday morning. Today is 24 hours later. Tomorrow will be another 24 hours.

  • TheApologist #16 10 months ago

    Er two days surely?

    And, yes, I am calling you Shirley.
    Edited by 1 at 20/04/11 @ 10:16

  • DreadedWalrus #17 10 months ago

    Snufkin: Aye, true, but it's still not like Valve did some sneaky tactic of releasing it early without wanting the retailers to release it at the same time, even if the same-day thing was only in the US.

  • HiredMan #18 10 months ago

    Can confirm that retailers in Australia have been selling all formats since Tuesday morning also

  • bad09 #19 10 months ago

    What self respecting PC gamer scrounges around in GAME with their pathetic selection of titles? They could have started selling 2 months ago and nobody would notice :)
    Edited by 1 at 20/04/11 @ 11:24

  • KevvyMetal79 #20 10 months ago

    Why doesn't the UK shift to releasing games on the same day as the US? The shops get the shipment in early anyway.
    Games come out on a Tuesday in the US, but pointlessly three days later over here. Just change it.

  • footle #21 10 months ago

    Why does anyone think Valve care when the title is released at retail, once they've launched it on Steam - it's in their interests to have copies for sale wherever once they've kicked their marketing campaign off.

  • Fallen_Angel #22 10 months ago

    The reason the UK has to wait till Friday will most likely due to sales figures I'd imagine being calculated every Thursday, so releasing them on a Friday gives them a full week to benefit. GAME and retailers don't really have much say in the matter, publishers set the release date, and I know from experience that stores don't receive deliveries weeks in advance. We used to get new (even massive titles like GTAs and CoDs) on a Wednesday.

  • callum9999 #23 10 months ago

    @Eraysor "If GAME actually cared about this so-called "market reaction", why don't they release their games over here on the US retail date? Tuesday in the US normally results in a Friday release here."

    Maybe because they aren't allowed... What makes you think they deliberately keep games piled in the store room until release date when if they were put out, they'd fly off the shelf.

  • Snaggletooth #24 10 months ago

    Game sells PC games....???

  • President_Weasel #25 10 months ago

    the UK's largest second-hand shop and flea market, more like.
    They're actually selling a PC title? How are they going to sell pre-orders of pre-owned copies?

  • Munkeh111 #26 10 months ago

    Well.. GAME posted my copy of Portal 2 PS3 on Monday and it came today, 2 days ahead of UK launch, with FF IV, also 2 days ahead of launch

    Normally I get games 1 day early, but 2 days early is new for me, hopefully they can keep it up!

  • deano2099 #27 10 months ago

    @Fallen_Angel

    I'm fairly sure GAME and all the retailers have *a lot* of control when it comes to the calculation of sales figures, given that they, y'know, are the ones who provide them to the likes of Chart Track. If they said "we want to have them calculated on a different day or we'll stop sending you figures" it'd be changed.

  • optimusprym8 #28 10 months ago

    I tried convincing GAME in Brighton to let me have the PS3 version today as I wanted to link it up to the PC Steamplay edition. No dice

  • LFace #29 10 months ago

    Further from my post earlier about HMV, I went in at lunch today (Barnsley) and asked if they had it in, whilst holding an HMV gift card, and the guy (who acted like he had never heard of portal) tapped in the computer and said they dont have it and wont be getting it and said they dont even have a PC section anymore. I pointed out the small section filled with Warcraft Cataclysm and he said they occasionally send some games for PC but not many.

    I asked if I could order it in and he said he could but he wouldnt know when it would come - helpful! Referring back to me holding the HMV voucher, he then said "Have you tried next door?" and heres where I point out the funny... next door is a GAME store.. Cant use my voucher there!

    Numpties.

  • HoriZon #30 10 months ago

    My order from GAME for the X360 one came today, shall give it a whirl later.

    /but its nice and sunny outside!