TSA Speaks To ASDA On Modern Warfare 2
Well, not the whole shop, but the main man.Published 09/11/2009 at 13:30 by nofi
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Apologies if you thought today would be about anything other than Activision’s latest entry into the now annual Call of Duty series. Because, for the most part, it’s not. However, today’s also about ASDA, Tesco, Sainsbury’s and everyone else selling Modern Warfare 2 at a decent price, and no, GAME, that doesn’t include you. Drop your prices and we’ll say Hi, though.
So, yeah, ASDA. I just spoke to Duncan Cross, Video Games Buying Manager at the supermarket, regarding the pricing for Modern Warfare 2. ASDA’s current price for the game is set at £32, a little above the likes of Sainsbury’s (at £26) but well below the RRP that Activision have set for the standard edition (that doesn’t come with Night Vision goggles or a real M4 Carbine).
He told us that ASDA are “very confident” about their levels of stock, telling us that “other retailers may well struggle to stay in stock given their pricing”. We get the impression that throwing around figures like £26 might get people in but the likes of Sainsbury’s may well sell out within hours, whereas ASDA will have stacks of copies to last them all week.
“The majority of ASDA stores are open from midnight today so I hope as many customers as possible get hold of this great game,” Duncan told us. Referring to comments regarding the store having 600,000 copies pre-ordered, he tells us that was a misquote. “That’s the market wide figure and not the ASDA figure,” he confirms. Wherever you get your copy, this is turning in to a real supermarket battle.
Comments
Please note that all comments are the opinion of the individual author and not TheSixthAxis.
Jamie Solo | 09/11/2009 13:35
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445 TSA Points | Member since: Jul 2009
Really wishing I didn’t order it online now…
MrBilly | 09/11/2009 13:38
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410 TSA Points | Member since: Jan 2009
im with you
gnipper | 09/11/2009 14:32
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709 TSA Points | Member since: May 2009
If you ordered with Amazon they will refund the overpayment – ive had that twice with them now…
Dunks | 09/11/2009 15:38
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257 TSA Points | Member since: Nov 2008
against the sainsburys price of £26?
djdustb | 09/11/2009 15:13
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1308 TSA Points | Member since: Nov 2008
Paid £44.99 with pre-order at play, only consolation was that uncharted turned up early so perhaps this will. Bah. May still end up going to Sinsbury’s in the morning and return my Play copy.
davidjmclare | 09/11/2009 17:54
always on easy
1094 TSA Points | Member since: May 2009
well you can get it at midnight, so wont be very early…
minerwilly | 09/11/2009 15:28
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755 TSA Points | Member since: Feb 2009
I have just ordered this minute from Amazon for £32 (they decided to price match ASDA) , this way I can avoid queueing and I am guaranteed a copy at a decent price . I may also go to Sainsburys tommorow and chance my arm for another copy to sell in a couple of weeks when there are none left (or its back to £44.99)
ManeoriX | 09/11/2009 20:16
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1561 TSA Points | Member since: Oct 2008
Thanks for the tip! Wouldn’t have got a copy otherwise
lukedotv | 12/11/2009 17:50
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36 TSA Points | Member since: Aug 2009
Timesh1993 | 09/11/2009 13:36
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1180 TSA Points | Member since: Apr 2009
i’m off to ASDA after work tomorrow
carlosfilippsen | 09/11/2009 13:38
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1316 TSA Points | Member since: Mar 2009
I just got back from my local sainsbury’s store. Reserved my copy for £26, picking it up at 7am tomorrow
cc_star | 09/11/2009 13:40
Team TSA: Writer
7878 TSA Points | Member since: Forever
You can reserve in Sainsbury’s?
carlosfilippsen | 09/11/2009 20:21
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1316 TSA Points | Member since: Mar 2009
yes, you can indeed.
w3r3w0lf | 09/11/2009 14:07
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489 TSA Points | Member since: Jan 2009
Looks like i’ll be swinging into Sainsbury’s on my home tonight
bajere | 09/11/2009 14:44
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1068 TSA Points | Member since: Aug 2008
ill pop in sainsburys on the way to the gym tomorrow night, might get lucky and pick it up for £26
cc_star | 09/11/2009 13:39
Team TSA: Writer
7878 TSA Points | Member since: Forever
Awesome,
I cba with the midnight crap, hopefully Sainsbury’s will have some left when I drag my ass out of bed, but I doubt it
GAME don’t need to compete with this, they’ll have a queue of parents and grannies buying it for their 13 year olds, because they don’t where else to get it from or don’t realise better pricing is available.
you know me, I’d normally say something to stick up for indies at this point, but as they won’t bend the release date rules for me – sod ‘em, buy it at the cheapest price you see
Bilbo_bobbins | 09/11/2009 15:23
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1406 TSA Points | Member since: Jun 2009
here here well said lol
GreenyGreenwell | 09/11/2009 13:39
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164 TSA Points | Member since: Aug 2009
Excellent…had a preorder at asda for about 2 months…was just waiting for confirmation. £32 is good enough for me…roll on midnight.
nofi | 09/11/2009 13:40
Wants a custom tag.
4309 TSA Points | Member since: Forever
I think I’ll drive down at Midnight, too. Gulp.
Michael | 09/11/2009 13:49
Team TSA: Development
2217 TSA Points | Member since: Forever
Get us one too!
Kings | 09/11/2009 13:42
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848 TSA Points | Member since: May 2009
i’m very tempted to get this at midnight. £32 is more than good enough, and i don’t have a sainsburys near, whereas asda is a minutes drive away.
teflon | 09/11/2009 13:43
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1998 TSA Points | Member since: May 2009
I really hope that all the big supermarkets lose money on this, because this is starting to get seriously stupid.
They’re not just undercutting the RRP, but they’re clearly undercutting the wholesale price from Activision, even if they’re getting extra discounts from them by being able to bulk buy massive amounts of the game.
Using it as a loss leader is just so bleeding stupid that i the relevant industry authority needs to step in, because they’re using some very underhand tactics which is quite likely to help put other retailers in some fairly dire straights.
cc_star | 09/11/2009 13:50
Team TSA: Writer
7878 TSA Points | Member since: Forever
they will lose money, but that is expense they’re prepared to pay to get marketshare
Most people will ‘add to the basket’ when they’re in the supermarket, where they do make money, but overall the the supermarkets game division will need to turn profit for the group over the year, so even though they lose out on release day offers, their pricing on other games won’t do any damage to indies.
Don’t forget though just in front of you in the queue will be loads of family members of people who own indie shops, they’ll be treating the supermarkets like their wholesaler, in fact it will be very difficult to get copies, because all the indies will be in there so they can sell them in their own shops at vast profit, causing (most likely) latecomers like me to miss out on the deals
minerwilly | 09/11/2009 15:32
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755 TSA Points | Member since: Feb 2009
Excellent point CC about the familys and employees of Indies queueing up tonight and then going back to their car putting a baseball cap on and taking jacket off and all getting another copy . I dont blame them one bit and thats why i just ordered from Amazon whom are matching Asda at £32 . No panic or stress and I can be tucked up in bed while poor sods queue up from 1030pm onwards and possibly still not get one !
Raen | 09/11/2009 13:55
Team TSA: Writer
3721 TSA Points | Member since: Mar 2009
There’s not really anyone that can ’step in’ to stop competitive pricing. It’s not price fixing, something which supermarkets have been found guilty of in the past, so I’m not sure what they’re guilty of. If they want to vastly undercut everyone else that’s their decision. It’s how capitalism works.
Mike | 09/11/2009 14:53
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749 TSA Points | Member since: Oct 2008
There is a thing called ‘destroyer pricing’ which is illegal. This is when a shop prices stock at such a low level that it drives other competitors out of business. Whether or not there would be a case to accuse the supermarkets of doing this I’m not sure but there are measures in place from stopping supermarkets from charging completely rediculous prices.
jimmy-google | 09/11/2009 13:53
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1727 TSA Points | Member since: Feb 2009
Are Sainsbury’s 24-hour?
w3r3w0lf | 09/11/2009 14:08
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489 TSA Points | Member since: Jan 2009
Not sure, my nearest one (Kidlington-Oxford) is 7am-11pm
cc_star | 09/11/2009 14:14
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7878 TSA Points | Member since: Forever
Not generally, mine is 8am-9pm
benny boy | 09/11/2009 15:12
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816 TSA Points | Member since: Forever
The big ones are generally 7am-11pm.
Raen | 09/11/2009 15:20
Team TSA: Writer
3721 TSA Points | Member since: Mar 2009
I’ve found the smaller ones are 7-11 and the bigger ones (the ones that’ll carry this) are 8-10.
Tuffcub | 09/11/2009 17:55
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4070 TSA Points | Member since: Dec 2008
Most of the big ones in London are.
BlingOnMyWrist | 09/11/2009 14:19
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1488 TSA Points | Member since: Oct 2008
After hearing about how the game was going to be so damn expensive, £26 is a great deal!
I payed $63… near the equivalent of £40…
cc_star | 09/11/2009 14:22
Team TSA: Writer
7878 TSA Points | Member since: Forever
It /will/ be expensive, there is just some marketshare grabbing to get out of the way first, it won’t last more than a couple of days and then it will be up to £40+, with established gaming retailers probably going for £50
Mr-Flame-Head | 09/11/2009 14:21
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242 TSA Points | Member since: Mar 2009
i pre-purchased my copy from toy r us at 39.99 i wont be paying any more as a result but if it drops in price to compete with other retailers like they normally do then i get the difference refunded
shields_t | 09/11/2009 15:06
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1646 TSA Points | Member since: Oct 2008
Stupid question, but is it only due out at midnight tonight? I ask because I went to Sainsbury’s this afternoon only to not find a single copy, and these days my only barometer for release dates is online shops and they seem to have had it since Friday when games are usually released.
djdustb | 09/11/2009 15:12
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1308 TSA Points | Member since: Nov 2008
Most games are Friday releases but this was a Tuesday. Probably just to go with the 11.10.09 release date countdown but cynically thinking it is to get a good few sales in on week one and be a clear number 1.
GreenyGreenwell | 09/11/2009 15:30
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164 TSA Points | Member since: Aug 2009
i think the tuesday thing is to do with it being a worldwide release. So they can hit number one in as many territories as possible but still get it out everywhere on the same day.
captainhaz | 09/11/2009 16:09
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297 TSA Points | Member since: Jun 2009
I’m probably buying from amazon how soon will i get it?
Zephyre | 09/11/2009 18:47
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199 TSA Points | Member since: Aug 2009
Depends on how much you’re willing to pay
If you haven’t already, take them up on their Amazon Prime 1 month trial – you’ll get it next working day then FOC
iNsAnE_gAmInG | 09/11/2009 16:12
* Banned *
-1930 TSA Points | Member since: Jul 2009
I am planning on heading into Gamestation tonight to get my copy via their trade-in offer.
May well check Sainsbury’s first though. Are they open at midnight?
stingraz | 09/11/2009 16:20
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2241 TSA Points | Member since: Jul 2009
will the asda/ sainsbury’s offers be on in the morning? do they only do the ofer at midnight or can you go anytime now?
GreenyGreenwell | 09/11/2009 16:53
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164 TSA Points | Member since: Aug 2009
will probably be Fifa 10 esque and last for a day. Maybe for the first week. I just wouldnt bet on it being a low price by the weekend.
minerwilly | 09/11/2009 17:14
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755 TSA Points | Member since: Feb 2009
Sainsburys £26 offer is from opening time tommorow (usually 8am) and is on for a few days and Asda is doing it £32 from midnight tonight and its for about a week . Amazon are doing it for £32 and if you are a member of Makro you can get it for £20 inc vat.
llizard | 09/11/2009 22:24
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99 TSA Points | Member since: Oct 2009
Excuse my ignorance but what is Makro?
Wasn’t really that interested in this but i’m now thinking if I pick up a cheap copy and hold onto it for a week or 2 then I’ll be able to trade it in or sell it on eBay for more than I paid. Then I can get something i’m really interested in.