Germany has reportedly banned online retailers from offering preorders of video games with unspecified release dates.
As reported by Eurogamer (via the German site Heise), online retailers can no longer offer preorders for games without being able to ensure an approximate delivery date, meaning games that are simply “coming soon” can’t be preordered.
A consumer protection group brought the issue to the Higher Regional Court of Munich, which determined that customers have a right to know when a game is coming before putting money down on it.
Source: IGN.com Germany Reportedly Banning Online Preorders for Games With Vague Release Dates