boinsie wrote:It's three weeks out from release, you've gotta expect that they've already been printed/packed/etc, right?
Not necessarily. Considering how much media Japan churns through (all media, not just CDs), I assume they've perfected the production process so that they can do a relatively small run like that in just a few days. That's also how they do additional printings to meet unexpected demand. And distribution shouldn't take long, either, since most of the population is concentrated in a coastal metroplex with plenty of train service. The whole thing, from golden master to on-the-shelf, should take only a few weeks. Sure, they're cutting it close, but… *shrug*