Red Dead Redemption 2 is one of the most anticipated titles of the year, we would say the most but there are reports that indicate another situation, and that is reflected in the market and the expectation there is for its launch on October 26th. However, unlike other times, the diversity in the distribution channels has responded to the new consumption patterns and it seems that the debut of the Rockstar title will negatively impact the independent video game stores.
According to a report by Kotaku, some local video game stores in the United States reported that they will not receive copies of Red Dead Redemption 2 in the days or hours prior to its official launch.
The information refers testimonies from independent businesses that are facing difficulties due to this situation, even an owner invested $3300 USD to decorate their business with material from the expected title and afterward they found out from their distributor that they will not receive copies to put on sale on October 26. At the same time, some owners indicated that they will not get copies of Red Dead Redemption 2 for PS4 on the day of its release and assured that they are trying to ensure the availability of some units of the Xbox One version.
In the middle of the problem, some owners fear for their business and investments because they are sure that players will not wait for 1 or 2 weeks to get Red Dead Redemption 2 and they will choose to acquire the title at retail stores with significant presence in the US, which would result in losses, in one of the cases, of up to $60,000 USD.
Also, the owners say they do not know what is happening and the only thing their distributors have said is that there are problems that are affecting the availability of the western title for small businesses and the units could reach them in the first days of November; However, there are those who think that this, rather than being a problem, is an action of Take-Two and Rockstar to prevent the breaking of the sales embargo, taking into account that some local stores have distributed the copy of the game in advance before its official launch, which gives rise to leaks that are not well seen by companies.
Finally, Kotaku reported that it has not received a response from Rockstar or Take-Two regarding the distribution problems faced by local video game businesses.