Can a game also be released earlier than the release date? not really a Skyrim question but it would be awesome if Skyrim was released earlier.

Sometimes, but it's very rare.

Everyone is waiting for Skyrim in here, it's not just you. Everybody would love to play it RIGHT NOW but respect Bethesda's (Todd Howard's choice particularly) : 11-11-11.

Yes they can, But it barely ever happens, the only chance of a game being released earlier is if they finished it before the release date, which Skyrim will not.

would you want them to really? Give them all the time they need to polish this thing like an argnian maid would her master's spear.

It would be good if they did because it would mean they are confident with the state the game is in. I hope they don't rush now that its near release date, I hope it gets delayed if necessary.

alright calm down

Everything is possible when the Dragon God of Time is involved!

... well, not really. There is zero reason for an earlier release.

Most games are retail-ready up to a month before their release date. However, should a distributor receive the copies early (Almost all do, to a varying degree), any sales made before the official "Street Date" are not counted as actual sales.

As far as I know, it doesn't hurt the profits, but it does sometimes place them lower on lists complied by NPD and such, which is useful investor swagger.

Hey, we have waited this long...what's a few more weeks!? :laugh:

Hell on a plate timed to go down my throat by a timer.