Mighty Ape takes swipe at local suppliers

Mighty Ape has just published a scathing blog that takes swipes at Sony Computer Entertainment New Zealand, Activision and Electronic Arts for reportedly signing exclusivity agreements with large retail chains to the online retailer's detriment.

According to the blog, Sony Computer Entertainment New Zealand provided Mighty Ape with "only a fraction" of the number of PlayStation Move pre-orders that the company took. "Meanwhile, our CEO Simon Barton is out shopping with his family in the weekend buying PlayStation Moves off the shelf from JB, EB etc at full retail price trying to fulfill our own pre-orders," reads the blog.

Adding insult to injury, Mighty Ape has now been informed that it will receive no copies of the Collector's Edition of Activision's Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II despite considerable pre-order interest. Again, it appears that the decision is the result of yet another exclusivity arrangement with a large retail chain. Mighty Ape claims that the customer will effectively suffer from such arrangements. "Make no mistake, consumers will be paying more for their Force Unleashed II Collector's Editions than if Mighty Ape were also in the market selling the game. And this is just one of a growing number of games..."

Mighty Ape adds that it has also learned of another (as yet unspecified) Electronic Arts title that the publisher has granted an exclusivity deal to a particular retail chain. "It's frustrating that some suppliers attempt to thwart our efforts in their attempt to shift the greatest number of units for the least amount of effort possible."

CORRECTION - 12.57pm: Game Console mistakenly associated Electronic Arts with the supply and distribution of Activision title Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II. This has now been amended. Our apologies for any inconvenience caused by this mistake.