This isn't anything new at all. Here's a little rant about the issue that I posted on Facebook:
Now that Nintendo's releasing a high profile game on a Monday (Fire Emblem Awakening), people are actually starting to take notice of the big problem with Monday video game releases—most retailers don't receive the game on release day (and sometimes even lie to you about the release date, like GameStop does). I don't know if the publisher or the retailers are to blame for this issue, but either way it's not fun when you go to the store expecting to get a game you've been waiting for on its release date and you find out the store doesn't even have it yet. I've dealt with this many, many times, but most of the time it's lower profile games that, sadly, not many people are rushing out to get on their release dates, like Kirby Mass Attack, Rhythm Heaven Fever, Pokémon Conquest, Art Academy: Lessons for Everyone!, and Crosswords Plus. I would go from retailer to retailer on those Mondays, finding the same situation everywhere, where either the retailers are honest and say that they haven't received it yet, or they give me some BS about the release date being Tuesday or Wednesday or later (that's GameStop every time, without fail). Tomorrow will be no different, from the looks of it, except in one way—this time many other people will be experiencing my disappointment too. But it's funny, because people will (and are already starting to) complain that this is an issue exclusive to Fire Emblem Awakening's release. No no no, this issue has been around for a long time with every other Monday release from Nintendo. I really hope that something changes regarding these releases, because I'm sick of being disappointed on these Mondays. It's to the point where, when Nintendo announces a Monday release date, I'm already disappointed long before the game comes out because I know I probably won't be able to find it that day. =/
