Edit: Screw it, I will go anyways
I can just see the 6AM news broadcast the next morning.
"Hundreds of people rioted at a local Jacksonville store last night when they learned only 25 copies of a video game were available. Film at 11."
I am seriously thinking of bringing my Xbox to work and using the faster 'net here to get the download done. I may even go to my friend's house where he has VIOS if it downloads at a point convenient for me to do so. Even though it would take 90 minutes to get to his house, and 90 minutes back, the speed of VIOS would more than make up for how slow internet is at my house and may get me playing a little sooner.
I did the midnight release thing for Skyrim, which I had pre-ordered from Gamestop because I wanted the 'cloth-like map' (I like maps) which didn't turn out to be very cloth-like. This time I'll probably just pre-purchase it on Steam so that I can pre-load the game and start playing at midnight. The physical copy would just be clutter and the perk poster doesn't appeal.
Edit: Not even midnight, if the release info is to be believed. The game unlocks in North America at 12:01 Eastern, so it will be 11:00 p.m. on the 9th where I live. Yup, given the choice between standing in line to get the game at midnight, driving home and beginning the install around 12:45 only to finally get to play around 2:00 a.m. when I'm dog tired, or buying digital, pre-downloading and playing three hours earlier at eleven there is not a contest. Digital it is.
It saddens me that the midnight release will become a thing of the past as more and more people move to digital downloads. I think it's only a matter of time before gaming stores like GameStop cease to exist. I used to work there, back when it was called Babbage's and remember how much fun it was when games came out at midnight. Those were the days...
I ordered a physical copy from GS, and a digital from Xbox. I will always want a physical copy as I distrust gaming companies to not lose my account info, or not allow me to get it back because I forgot my 8 year old password.
Will the Pip-boy come in the mail? I doubt Gamestop will have them in physical stock.
I'm the same way, but eventually the gaming stores will be gone. If you want a physical copy you can either order it directly from Bethesda or go to Wal-Mart. The days will be no more where large groups of gaming nerds like us line up at 10:00, wait two hours in a line and have long, detailed discussions about how a plasma rifle works.
Nope. My local gamestop is small and is unlikely to make midnight release and even if they do it. For handful of local geeks and nerds. I can't take part of it because of my work.
I am not going to a midnight release. But I am actually going to buy the game at the store! Something that I haven't done in years. It's going to be glorious having the hard copy in my hand on the subway home!
this is a big reason I am doing it now. I did for skyrim as well.
Our game stop in Huntington Beach California is also small and only a "relatively" handful of people came to get the game at midnight for skyrim but the manager of the game stop is "dedicated".
If I had been able to get a Pip-Boy pre-order at my local store, and if they were having a midnight release, I definitely would have gone.
As others have already pointed out, when they have it organized with the pre-pay and then simply present receipt, it tends to go great as far as picking up the game. I wish they'd do cool stuff at midnight releases like have prizes and stuff though. Haven't seen a great event like that for a long time.
For GTA4 midnight launch, which I think was my first, Best Buy screwed up and didn't have any PS3 copies even for those of us who pre-ordered. If I remember correctly they gave us a $10 coupon towards a future purchase, it was pretty disappointing.
I believe they will. The game is supposed to release simultaneously at midnight UTC-5 (East Coast). Pacific Standard time is UTC-8, so they should be releasing at 9:00 on the West coast. You're lucky; I'm on Mountain Time, which is an hour ahead of PST, so we're not going to be able to buy the game until 10:00. The mall closes at 9:00, so I may end up having to get the game in the morning.
Im for sure going to the midnight release. Anybody elses Gamestop usually start giving them out at like 10:30? Mine does.