'Modern Warfare 3' Release Date: Thousands of Copies Reportedly Stolen
A pair of related robberies took place in France and resulted in thousands of stolen copies of "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3."
The robberies took place outside of Paris and reportedly have a total value of more than 375,000 Euros.
The first robbery involved a delivery truck set to deliver several copies of "Modern Warfare 3." A pair of robbers, who were armed with knives and tear gas, used a car to block the road.
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The robbers then used their vehicle to crash the truck. When they exited their car, the robbers attacked the truck drivers with tear gas and took off with 6,000 copies of the game.
A gang of robbers also attacked a second truck, bound for a store in the Yvelines district. They threatened the drivers with weapons, and then made off with the vehicle and copies of the game.
The attacks have some similarities to last year's "Call of Duty" release, where two men stole over 100 copies of Black Ops from a GameStop in Maryland.
Facebook user James Graham offered his thoughts on the ordeal: "Either this is a really cool marketing scheme by Activision, or these people REALLY need to find something to occupy their time…that's slightly less pathetic."
The anticipation for Activision's next first person shooter has led others to procure the game in other ways. An eBay user purchased the game for $1,700 last week. Some gamers have also acquired the game early since select Kmart stores had it in stock.
Many other retailers are looking to give customers a good deal on Activision's upcoming title. Walmart is selling the game for $59.96.
Best Buy and Amazon are offering special deals to those looking to buy "Modern Warfare 3" tomorrow. Best Buy will give any buyer of the new video game a free HTC smartphone. Buyers will need to purchase a two-year contract plan with the smartphone, however.
The HTC smartphone models include the Evo 4G for Sprint Nextel, the Incredible 2 for Verizon Wireless, and the Inspire 4G for AT&T.
For those ordering the game online, free shipping will come with every purchase. The promotional deal also includes a free case and the Elite app, the game's application that offers more experience points and improved weaponry.
Online Retailer Amazon is also hosting a deal for those who wish to buy the video game digitally. The digital-release version of “Modern Warfare 3” will cost $3 less than the on-disc edition.
Buyers of the digital-release version will also receive an Amazon gift card worth $10. The company's website said the gift card will be put toward the purchase of a Turtle Beach gaming headset.
GameStop’s Impulse download service offers the game to PC owners. Valve Software's Steam download service is offering the digital-release of "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare."
