VG247

It looks as though Gears of War 3 was sent out to customers a few days early in Norway.

According to a report from Norwegian site PressFire, customers who purchased the game online through store Elkjop.no have reported, and sent in pictures as proof, that they received the game before its street date of September 20.

Microsoft issued a statement on the matter saying the broken street date was something it would “immediately” follow-up on.

“Gears of War 3 shall not, under any circumstances be sold before the launch date on September 20 and violations of this is something we look very seriously,” said Microsoft Norway.

The online store said it was “keen to keep these deadlines,” and was unsure how it happened.

“We informed Microsoft yesterday,” read a statement. “Now we [are] examining what has happened, so it does not happen again.”

You can read more on this via the PressFire link, which sent us the tip.

Meanwhile, we’ll send Epic a mail.

http://www.vg247.com/2011/09/10/report-online-norwegian-store-breaks-gears-of-war-3-street-date/#more-201749

What can you say,it happens sometimes.

How serious do they take it? I've had places around me selling some of the big games in the past early, not this early but early none the less.

9 days is overkill.

Honestly, this barely even qualifies as news. This happens all the time. IIRC last year retailers were breaking the European street date for the slim 360 by over a week. And I think GT5 got leaked in France by a week as well.

10 days is a little excessive.