GAME cancels all MotorStorm pre-orders
HMV won't sell the game Friday either.
All online pre-orders of MotorStorm Apocalypse on GAME and Gamestation have been cancelled as the shop "rapidly" adjusts to Sony's last minute delay, Eurogamer can reveal.
HMV customers, Eurogamer has been told, retain their pre-orders but won't receive MotorStorm Apocalypse this Friday - they'll be informed of a new date when there is one.
Crucially, you will not be able to buy MotorStorm Apocalypse at either GAME, Gamestation or HMV on Friday.
A spokesperson for GAME explained to Eurogamer that a mass-cancel was the only way to halt the pre-order sales after Sony's last minute UK delay of MotorStorm Apocalypse this morning.
"For our customers who pre-ordered online, as normal we started to take card authorisations first thing this morning. We have interrupted this process and no money will be taken," the spokesperson promised.
"This automatically cancelled our online customers' pre-orders. We are asking customers who want this title to place another pre-order with us. We can only apologise for any inconvenience this will cause."
Emails will be sent to all GAME and Gamestation customers who pre-ordered MotorStorm Apocalypse. They'll contain a link to re-pre-order the PS3 racing game.
However, some shoppers at Gameplay may find a copy of MotorStorm Apocalypse in their post on Friday.
"A very small amount of Gameplay.co.uk customers had their pre-orders completed first thing this morning and it is possible that they will receive this on Friday," the GAME spokesperson revealed. "We are doing everything we can to retrieve these specific orders. As we said, this applies to a tiny number of orders and is an exception."
MotorStorm Apocalypse, a game hinged upon racing around natural disaster-ravaged levels, was tastefully withdrawn following the horrific earthquake and tsunami that have ravaged Japan.
For now, the game has no release date. Ignore the April date you see on GAME - the spokesperson explained this had not come from Sony and will shortly be removed.
"We will continue to work closely with Sony on any further developments with this title," the GAME spokesperson said. "Our thoughts are with the people of Japan at this difficult time."
HMV added to Eurogamer: "Under the circumstances, we entirely understand Sony's concerns and we applaud them for showing sensitivity towards the current plight of the Japanese people, who are responding to this disaster with heroic dignity."