(Update) Target sent this statement to Kotaku a few minutes ago regarding the recent debacle:
The release date for the video games “Watch Dogs,” “Drive Club,” “The Order: 1886,” and “inFamous: Second Son” has been delayed. As a result, Target cancelled pre-orders for Sony Playstation 4 consoles that were going to be bundled with these titles. We sincerely apologize to guests who were inconvenienced and are working directly with them to ensure they receive the console they selected by their original order date. There was no impact to Sony Playstation 4 pre-orders that were sold independently or bundled with other game titles.
In addition to assuring customers that they will receive their pre-ordered console, the company is also offering them a $100 eGiftCard for the misunderstanding based on an e-mail sent by a reader to Kotaku.
Thanks to our friends from Kotaku for breaking the update. Some of us can sleep easy tonight knowing our pre-orders are safe.
*End update*
A Reddit user posted a screenshot of an e-mail sent to him by Target's customer service explaining that the company is cancelling his pre-order of the PlayStation 4 and the items included in the bundle. The company attributed this to the unforseen cancellation of some launch titles included in the bundle.
In the e-mail, Target attempted to assuage its customer's frustrations by saying that there will be another chance to pre-order the next-gen console with a different bundle on October 25th.
Earlier this week, it was confirmed that Watch Dogs and PS4 exclusive DriveClub were both delayed until Spring 2014. The former was originally planned as a launch title for the PS4 and Xbox One console bundles. The latter was for the PS4 and it was also supposed to be a free digital download for PlayStation Plus members.
Retailers like Amazon, GameStop, and GAME were praised by consumers for properly handling the unexpected delay of two launch games.
"All orders for the Watch Dogs PlayStation 4 bundle will keep their place in line and we will fulfill the PlayStation 4 (without the Watch Dogs game) in accordance with your current delivery estimate. We are working on adjusting these orders and will update you as soon as we know more," was written on Amazon's page. Consoles will be shipped to customers without the game and the difference between the standard and the bundle edition will be refunded.
"Customers can elect to keep their current bundle orders and their consoles will ship as scheduled with the game shipping separately once it is available, or customers can choose another bundle to replace their current order," GameStop told Polygon regarding the problem.
GAME addressed the issue in a series of tweets, but the final tweet can aptly summarize their clear position on the matter.
(4/4) Watch_Dogs PS4 Console Bundle: Your PS4 remains secure for launch. We will be in touch with you all shortly to arrange an alternative
— GAME.co.uk (@GAMEdigital) October 16, 2013
It appears that consumers are upset with Target for failing to make the effort to adjust the orders and offering an alternative. The next-generation consoles sold out pretty quickly and are currently out of stock in almost every major retailer. People pre-ordered their consoles to guarantee that they will be able to play them at launch. However, there's a chance they might not be able to even if Target will accept pre-orders once more as other consumers compete for a slot.
The PlayStation 4 will be released on November 15th in North America and November 29th in Europe. It will be priced at $399/€399/£349. On the other hand, the Xbox One is scheduled for release on November 22nd in most countries and is currently priced at $499/€499/£429.
