Short info to add here. While I'd be happy to be able to play on 31st and content with playing on 3rd, on Steam the Community Update #20 has the updated release date of 3rd of August and additionally still the 72 hours early play for PC mentioned.
So at this point this might as well be a very legal thing. I'm not too sure as I'm not a lawyer and even if I was, I surely wouldn't sue, but it's worth noticing I think.
There is still talk about 72 hour early play for PC users.
Die Collector’s Edition sollte es bis zum 31. August, also dem ursprünglichen Veröffentlichungsdatum, zu euch schaffen. Wenn ihr euch das Spiel für den PC geholt habt, erhaltet ihr euren Steam-Code vorab per E-Mail, sodass ihr früher mit dem Spielen beginnen könnt. (Kurzer Hinweis: Early-Access-Spielstände werden ab dem Zeitpunkt der Veröffentlichung nicht mehr übertragen, dafür aber Spielstände innerhalb des 72-Stunden-Zeitraums vor der Veröffentlichung.)
Deepl Translation:
The Collector's Edition should make it to you by August 31, which is the original release date. If you've purchased the game for PC, you'll receive your Steam code in advance via email so you can start playing sooner. (Quick note: Early Access saves will not be transferred from the time of release, but saves within the 72-hour pre-release period will).
" I'm not too sure as I'm not a lawyer " I am or at least I was before I retired from that game.
Contract law is one of the most unusual forms of law in that while there are specific jurisdictional differences, the core elements are the same throughout nations that relay on international trade (ie most of them)
When you sign a written contract both parties are bound by those terms. This happens when you click ok on the EA Licence. I haven't bothered reading the actual license but as it's an EA it certainly won't mention a completion day
Anything that is said after is irrelevant, sorry.
There are some cases where a representation was made prior which caused the buyer to enter into a contract, but they have to be a)before signing b)egregious to almost downright lies c) caused the buyer to enter (ie evidence that this was THE contributing factor to signing). These rarely happen as salesmen bullshit all the time and all over the world courts have always generally rejected anything that wasn't extraordinary and rule that salesmen bullshit is part of the process and to be expected. It is a general worldwide rule that if you signed (electronically or not) a written contract, you read and agreed to its terms
As has been stated multiple times Swen went out of his way to express the Aug 3 date as replacing the 3 days. It was a careful way of expressing it to cover this very issue
It's ok to be disappointed but drop it with the legal stuff, it's just silly