Reports in the US are telling us that Xbox 360 games are already shipped to stores, despite the fact that the console will not release until November 22nd. Both GameStop and EB Games are listing Kameo: Elements of Power as available to ship within 24 hours, and various gamers report receiving it. Meanwhile, Perfect Dark Zero and Project Gotham Racing 3 are expected to go on sale more than a week in advance of the console"s US launch.
So far there"s been no sign of the same happening on this side of the Atlantic, however, where Xbox 360 is set to launch on December 2nd, although most shops are full of placeholder boxes and other point-of-sale promotions. Retailers are expecting actual stock closer to release.
Games going on sale this far in advance of their home platforms is unusual, but it"s not the first time games have made it out before consoles - some PSP games, for example, were widely available in the few days prior to the console"s launch in the US and similarly in the UK.