Dubious GameStop Practices Or Monster Hunter Mix-up?

Is the gaming retail chain providing customers a free demo disc of Monster Hunter Tri without any strings attached or are they trying to use them to bait $5 out of your pocket?

Today I went on a few errands which brought me to GameStop.  I figured while I was in there that I’d check to see if they had any more of the Monster Hunter Tri Wii demo discs still available.  When I arrived and asked the employee about the disc, I was told that they were only being given those who pre-order the game.  I tried to argue that Capcom had said the discs were free and not supposed to be a “pre-order bonus” and of course got no where.  I went to another GameStop location only to be given the exact same story.

Red = denied | Blue = potential

This got me thinking about my local area and wondering if it was just my neck of the woods that was snubbing me simply because I chose not to pre-order.  I called around and found no pattern to how the stores were functioning when it came to distribution of the demos.  One employee I spoke to said candidly that they were attempting to use the discs to bait people into paying $5 (pre-order), supposedly to try and make their pre-order totals higher one would assume.  Another said that there was a huge mix up about how the demos were to be distributed and that if I had problems with the other stores that I should let them know.

This small bit of information is from Washington State and is a small sampling, therefore I have created a Google Map that I will plot information submitted to me from anyone who’d like to contribute.  The goal is to provide those a visual local guide to finding a disc and obtaining one without giving into GameStop’s questionable sales tactics to sample the game as Capcom intended.  Please help others out and contribute if you’ve been able to or not able to get your hands on a disc and submit that information in the comment section, thanks!

View Monster Hunter Tri Demo Disc Availability in a larger map

I know I am not the only one who has been met with this resistance from GameStop employees as well.  Over at the Capcom Unity forums under the Ask Capcom section, there is a six page thread that has people speaking up about the same issue I experienced.

The original post where JGONZO clarified about the demo disc also has comments about not being able to receive the game for free.

As of this post I have e-mailed Capcom about not being able to procure a disc at my local GameStop and have not received an answer.   I have also sent off an e-mail to GameStop to see if they’d like to comment on the situation.