Company reps are in a very influential possition regarding the success of their product. Working in retail, we have company reps come to our store, and show us video footage of games, and generally talk about what's going on. When the reps first start coming, they simply show you videos, and try to get you hyped about their stuff, but as you get to know them, and as they get to know your genuine interest for the industry, the conversations certainly get more interesting.

Take gears of war for example. In late June a Microsoft rep "guaranteed" me that Gears of War would launch on the same day as the PS3. Futhermore, he explained the reasons for this. P.O.S. That is to say "Point of Sale" and it's all the cardboard cut-outs, all the posters, and all the shelf-space in a given store. Ordinarily; it would all be given to the PS3... at £425 a pop, retailers would be stupid not to give it space right..? Well... wrong. You see, there's only going to be X amount of PS3s... and they'll sell no matter what, so there's no point in promoting them at all. However, when the average Joe comes into the store, with £450 burning a hole in his pocket for a PS3, only to find out he cant get one. Well, that cardboard cutout of Gears of War, and those bundles with a X360, HD-DVD player and Gears of War for £400 will look awfully tempting!

Then there's the other side of reps. Such as the Ubisoft rep, who the week after E3, was trying to convince me that Assasin's Creed was an EA title. With reps like this; it's easy to see where the crazy rumours come from.

Either way, it leaves me pondering. Should I bother posting this stuff? "Everyone" claims to know someone who knows someone who met a guy who told a guy who then told the other guy that J Allard was totally working on that X360 handheld, and I dunno... I think posting this stuff would just make me a part of the problem.

HD-DVD player...hmmm £100 methinks.