I believe it's already released in Belgium and the Netherlands.
I still think it's unfair, even here in the U.S people are getting the game early (but only the lucky ones). But any earlier release date would be fine by me but i don't see a chance of it happening.

Sadly i'm going to have to sit here and wait for gamestop to open at 10AM on Friday.
FML

then why dont i have skyrim?
wait.. i need to visit the store..maybe northern europe dont have skyrim.

So not true!! In fact we really like to learn about other nations' history..it's just that if we don't like it, we reserve the right to take it away from you by force and give you one of our own choosing at a later date!

I agree.

If you didn't want spoilers, OP, you should've vamoosed out of here like...two weeks ago.

No, the Europeans have to wait for 11/11/11 just like us. The people that are playing are reviewers, people who've gotten the good fortune of having retailers who said "screw it" and released it earlier, and others.

It's only 3 days away. If we could wait MONTHS since the time of its announcement, we can wait 3 days.

EDIT: For the record: I love learning about other countries and their culture.

Reporting stores that want to sell you a product that you want to purchase? Oh please. Like you wouldn't play it right now if you had the chance.

I'm quite miffed about the whole Steamworks thing to be honest, I considered bringing my PC copy back and trading it for an Xbox copy or bringing it back altogether and procuring the game through some other means.

Sorry, but my loyalty goes out to whoever gets me what I want and gets it for me quickly. Bethesda should just give Steam the "go ahead" and let everyone start their downloads. None of this dangling carrot nonsense.

Because it's being released on Friday. The stores that are already selling are doing it illegaly.

As I said.. Its console versions and sadly that happens very often!
Nobody will be playing the PC version before 11/11/11 midnight! thats just a fact.

As I said, the best solution is to actually report these shops, they are breaking the law! I also think its odd how many people support this..... But again, I could care less about console versions, I only care about the PC version, also its pretty easy to avoid spoilers... yes it really is.
This is the only bad thing about consoles, its way to easy to break the street days. But it wont change anytime soon and surely it wont aslong as people support it..

So anyway, the only solution is - report the shops - make threads like this to show your feelings about this! I also doubt it a huge problem (I live in EU aswell) and I can tell you 100% that no where in my city nor the region can you buy the game now or before 11/11/11 for consoles either!

That would be great if it were true..

yes it's unfair, for people like me, who bought the game today.
we got cheated. I paid for a game that I can't play until friday, that's BS.
I have no trouble waiting until friday, I DO have trouble with a store that sells me something I cant play.
I did not know in advance I could get the game today but not play it until friday, the site of the store Game Mania stated until yesterday that copies of Skyrim would be avaible on thursday (cuz friday is holliday).
and thn this morning I got a text message saying I could pick up Skyrim.
something's fishy, this isn't right

Hm,weird,but if i see skyrim in the game store,well i am going to buy it.

Who cares? We get the game earlier? Hooray?

Well it more or less is...

I am British so therefore European *holds back laughter* so where is my copy? It is only a few select places in a couple countries from what I have read it is not everywhere. Yes it svcks but at least they have a copy. It is a shame some places could not stick to 11-11-11 release date however I prefer the 11-11-11 concept and worldwide release idea than having America somehow getting the game on tuesday rather than friday. I don't understand friday is before a weekend therefore a better time to buy a game not a workday.

Edit: @CurryBento Good for you that you have the game but unless Bethesda gave permission the retailers are liable to have a lawsuit on their hands. As far as I am aware breaking street date is breaking the law someone feel free to correct me on that but that is my understanding.

Steam is very very nice tbh... I used it since it came out! I was very skeptic before it came out but its really a good platform and I bought 90% of my games through it! it works like a charm (no it does not scan your pc, no it does not take up alot of mem!)
I would report the stores that would break the street date any day! even if I could get the game 1-2 days before, why ? well because they are [censored]ting on the devs and most other people! they are breaking the law!.. do you take money from a robber when he gets out of the bank ??? don't you want the money ?

It should stay 11/11/11 as its officialy stated! thats the release date, like it or not, there is no logical reason to release it before (since no pc versions are out yet)

There will always be people with games before the release!! most of them are reviewers "thats just fine" and in the console marked sure some shops are breaking the law! not much to do about it, but I think you make the problem worse than it is, as I said I know you can't buy the console game in any shop in this region! I guess its a few shops!

believe me, waiting for three days is nothing,
waiting for three days with the actual game in your hands, thats a whole other story

What are you talking about? My father and other folks I know wear wooden shoes, and they are no farmers either.
There are still folks out here in villages that do wear them... seriously, know your own country.

I don't understand the whole fuss about "Europe getting Skyrim earlier". It's not Europe. It's the Netherlands, if anything, and even with that we can't be sure if there aren't any other places where Skyrim is already out. For all we know, there could be a store in the US - or anywhere else - selling Skyrim right now.

Illegally? Like, a criminal offense? how do you figure?

Bethesda has stated the game is supposed to be released on 11/11/11, but i don't know of any legal statute that would bar a retail store from selling a product they have in the store. Maybe if the retailer and Bethesda have a contract they are breaking a contract. But that's an issue to be resolved between the retailer and Bethesda, to elude that its criminal is, well, a bit of a stretch.

Its funny though, the only reason we have release dates is because if stores were allowed to sell the game whenever they got it, one store would be all ticked if a competitor got the game before them and they lost sales as a result. But with so many places breaking street dates these days, its a wonder why any publishers bother with street dates to begin with. its not for bethesda's benefit, its for the physical stores.

It's also Belgium.

but it's only 1 chain of shops no ?
I got my copy from Game Mania, and the dutchies got theirs also from a Game Mania store.
So ehm, what gives ? why would that particular chain sell on tuesday ? I assume Bethesda knows this ?

They are legally bound to the street date and yes they can make a lawsuit if they break it. There is actually examples of this happening and shops getting huge penalties!!!
There is a reason why you can't just walk into the store and get the game before its released, most often they have the game in stock atleast a few days before the release date!! I remember when EU3 came out, they had the game in on monday but ofc could not get it hime before friday! (guess why!!! release date)

Its not beneficial for Bethesda or any other dev for that sake, to have shops breaking the street date! why ? well because.
A. its illegal
B. its bad for advertising!
C. it makes the majority of costumers pissed (just look at this thread)
D. it makes release dates useless!
E. it might spawn soiilers bad impressions etc!
F. ETC


As I said before, if you are supporting the shop who breask the law, you are supporting a criminal act and you could actually get penaltied aswell (yes thats a fact)

Tell me about it, I'm in the same boat as you. Got my copy lying right in front of me.


The bank robber anology is completely flawed. I haven't stolen anything. Nor have the game retailers. They're simply offering me a product. A product I purchased with money I worked for.
No logical reason to release it earlier? If they release earlier people are less inclined to pirate the game. If they release earlier it could have competed with MW3, which was being sold en masse when I picked up my copy of Skyrim today. I had to wait in a queue for half an hour and was the only person who didn't get MW3. If they release earlier they please their customers earlier. More importantly, if they release earlier it has no negative repercussions for the developers at all.
I however, can not think of a single logical reason to enforce some arbitrary date.

How's this for an anology: You go to town to buy a toaster. Store A says you have to wait a week before they can sell you the toaster. Store B will sell it to you immediately, but it won't work for a week. Store C will sell you a working toaster. Which store do you go to? Laws are not applicable to the situation.

Well I'm a dutchie and yes, I can probably get Skyrim from 3 different stores in 15 mins (xbox) but I won't. I got mine pre-ordered and won't be getting it till Friday. 11-11-11 was the date set and till 11-11-11 I'll wait, guess I just like to torture myself. (:

Yeah but how many people actually do? I'm a native Dutchman, been seeing Dutch people all my life and I rarely ever see people walking with clogs. Sometimes in some villages, but never ever in cities.

A. Who cares?
B. What?
C. I'm only pissed because I have a copy and it doesn't work.
D. So? 8/11/11 or 11/11/11, I just want to buy something that works.
E. Avoid them then.

The bank anology is just fine! why ? well you didnt steal anything but if you took the money he offered you are still supporting a crime! thats the point of the anology!

Most pirate don't pirate because of the release date! they pirate because they.
A. wanna try it before buying
B. don't wanna pay at all!

B being most common.

In the toaster anology, if the toaster is to release at 11/11/11 and its legally bound to that date, then the shops selling it earlier is breaking the law (sorry thats the issue here) its not logcial to give in to law breakers and just release it suddenly for all!! if they did that all would break the release dates even more!
The only solution is a law suit (and if I know bethesda right they will do that, if they got hard evidence on the case) as I said earlier, its happened many times before and there is examples of shops getting huge penalties!
Breaking the law is breaking the law! and if you support those who break it you are no better yourself! (again, personaly I would never break the law to get the game before release, let alone 2 days before)

But lucky enongh this is seldom a problem for games released on pc using steam (see steam is pretty good in that way) since no matter if you have the game you have to wait!

Umm.. That doesn't make sense. if it is your father's choice then okay. but Walking on ''houte klompen'' around this date is ridiculous except if it is for an event.etc