Well this is just plain silly...

[Blackdragon]

Well today my girl and I drove past Gamestop on the way to the store around 8, and outside the door is this huge line of people sitting outside. I'm sure it's for the release of MGS4, but still...

It reminded me of the insanity of the resent console releases when people spent days camping outside a game store to take home a console with about 1-2 decent games to even play on it, and it just cracks me up when I think about it.

So has anyone here ever done something like this, or have any stories from places they worked, or heard from other people? Stories about people taking extreme measures to get their gaming fix.

Only times I can recall doing something even remotely like this was when RE4 came out. I arrived at the store an hour before they opened, but they didn't have it there yet. So I waited around for about 4 hours with a bunch of other people, playing the demo they had setup to pass the time. The other time was when I treked through a snow storm to pick up a copy of SSX3, which I had been craving for since it was released the week before.

[Jarrid]

No. I have not had a reason to do it. Though, I know a few people that did it for the last Star Wars movie, Harry Potter book, and so forth. I think it is great to support what you like or love as a hobby or 'nerdom', but I often find it ridiculous that people will actually do such things as camp out before the release date of something.

[Powerslave]

Not for any games and such, but when Iron Maiden came to Costa Rica back in March there were dozens of people camping for a week before they came, and hundreds a couple of days before. It was seriously like a national event (even regional, there were tons of people from all over Central, even South, America). The major newspapers covered it for 3 days. It was crazy.




(And a little sad, I guess. Nation-wide nerdom? *points to av and sig*)

[Mary]

I went to 3 of the Harry Potter Release parties. That's similar I guess? Never needed to game so bad I ran out for a game or system though. I have friends who do that stuff instead then invite me over to play.

[Phakiel]

Other than being at midnight in line for all three star wars prequels, havent been in line for anything. No games.

[Inari]

I went to midnight release for the WoW expansion. o_o Line wasn't very long though.

[Matron]

I waited in line for the last three HP books, and I waited outside all night in the freezing cold (and almost wooped a woman's ass for trying to cut in line) to get my son a Wii, because it was all he wanted for Christmas that year.

[Jarrid]

Wow. That was really nice of you.

[Phakiel]

Thats what being a parent is all about. Sacrifice.


Thats why I am gettin a vasectomy.

[Mary]

Thats why I am gettin a vasectomy.

Marry me.

[Tenacious P]

I stood in line for the PS2 and Halo 2. If I had a PS3, I'd probably stand in line for MGS4.

lots of abbreviations there..

[Cyrus the virus]

I rarely have to wait in line, but I get new Suikoden games the minute the store opens.

[charolastra00]

I was at one of the biggest- if not THE biggest- release parties in the country for the final Harry Potter book at Harvard. It was intense.

First, you had to get in line to get a wrist band that would allow you to get in the *actual* line later that night. The first line opened at 5PM and I got there at 4:30 thinking I would be fine. There were probably a good 500 people in front of me with the line wrapping all the around the block. I finally got my wristband at about 7 and rushed across the street to the Harvard campus where there was a wizard rock festival where all the top wizard rock bands were playing. Harry and the Potters, Draco and the Malfoys (who are so superior to Harry and the Potters), Remus and the Lupins, the Whomping Willows, and the Hungarian Horntails were playing. Yeah, I know you're jealous.

The final line wasn't allowed to form officially until 10 so I hopped in the mass of people toward the front around 9:45 and cemented my place in the front of the line. They opened the doors and at least 1000 people were rushing the Harvard Coop. In the end, I got to wait inside in the air conditioning and walked out of the Coop at 12:04 with the book and a million reporters snapping pictures in my faces.

That's about as much as I geek out. I wouldn't have done it except I only lived about a 15 minute walk from Harvard Square so I didn't need to take a cab or anything to do it. But yeah, awesome experience.

[moogle]

I camped out for the Wii. I also went to a couple of midnight showings of movies before (one of the Harry Potters, one of the LotRs).