If you plan on buying Deus Ex: Human Revolution your going to want to skip Gamestop.  The game is supposed to come with a code that allows you to download the game from OnLive.   A memo sent to all Gamestop employees shows that corporate has ordered all the retail boxes to be opened and the OnLive coupon to be removed.  Now why would they do this?

The official reason from Gamestop is that Square Enix didn’t get their permission to add a coupon code to the copies sent to them.  The unofficial reason from speculators is that Gamestop is trying to ruin a rival company.  Gamestop recently acquired Spawnlabs which is a game streaming service just like OnLive.

As for any legal remedies, Wired talked to a lawyer (Mark Methenitis) who claims there may not be much a customer can do about this as the coupon is not an “essential function” of the new game.  You may be able to get a class action for deceptive practices.  The best legal remedy, the lawyer claims, may have to come from Square and Onlive.  Onlive can claim Tortious interference, which means that Gamestops actions are for the sole purpose of intentionally damaging their business contracts or relationship with another company (i.e. Square Enix).

I can understand Gamestop not wanting to give out competitors coupons, but the proper thing for Gamestop to do would have been to refuse the shipment of games, not to remove content from the package and then not tell the customer that their purchase is incomplete.

After hearing about this Square has recalled all the copies from Gamestop.  If you purchased from there I would contact your local store for a refund.

Will this action make you shop elsewhere for your game purchases?

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