GameStop Midnight Release: My Experience

For a gamer, the anticipation of a new game release - beats out even good old Santa Claus for excitement, unless of course he has a new game tucked in his bag. I have to admit to having felt this anticipation before, after months and months of build up to the release of the recent World of Warcraft expansion. Yes, I will tell the truth - I am one of the over 11 million avid W.O.W. players. There is a huge misconception on what "type" of people play video games. It is impossible to wrap the people who play into a neat little box with a common label. Because W.O.W. is played online, I have met and played with people of all ages and from every walk of life, Doctors, Lawyers, school kids, retired Military personal, active Military personal, famous musicians, mom's, dad's, grandpa's - and even entire families. Contrary to popular belief fueled by a cartoon, these people do have lives, jobs, other interests (amazing is it not that "normal" people will let a cartoon guide their perceptions!).

Nothing emphasizes this lack of ability to label video game players more than a Midnight Release at GameStop. The release of Guitar Hero World Tour was my first experience with GameStop's Midnight Releases. Our local GameStop in Glenwood Springs, CO is one of the store locations that do participate in the Midnight Releases. When I say local, I mean within 50 miles of where I live. Personally, as it was snowing, I would have waited until the store opened the next day, but my son was adamant on attending this midnight rendezvous. He was also determined to be one of the first people there so of course, we were very early. Two hours early. We were actually the only people there except for three store employees.

After about an hour I said "Are you sure people actually do this??" I got the typical "MOM! Trust me!" I sighed and glared up the street at the darkened interior of Starbucks, dreaming of a triple shot latte, muttering something about how the *@#*#@* coffee shop could have stayed open. I read our excuse for a local newspaper for the second time, actually opened junk mail normally destined for the trash can unopened, took my shoes off, polished the stereo and dash, and imagined once more I could smell fresh coffee. And then it happened. A group of teenagers came sauntering down the street (one had a cup of coffee in hand and I thought briefly about mugging him for it), a car pulled in next to me, then another and another, until all the parking spaces on the block were filled.

By the time we got out of our vehicle and back into the store, we found ourselves at the end of a rather long line. I had only played Guitar Hero a couple times and gave up after being jeered at by the games pre-made "audience". Obviously I do not have the makings of a Rock star! I was a bit surprised at the wide variety of people waiting to pick up this new release, and that our small GameStop could hold so many humans stuffed in amongst the racks of game boxes and accessories. The mood was festive. People chatted like old friends, some were old friends, but many were meeting for the first time. The employee's handed out free t-shirts and snacks. My children happily loaded their pockets down with free gum. The only thing missing...was a coffee machine. By the time midnight came and everyone cheered, I realized I had actually enjoyed the night.

I was ready for the next midnight release. This time it was one I had been waiting for. Blizzard's Wrath of the Lich King, the long awaited expansion to World of Warcraft. I knew my son would hurry me out the door hours early so I was prepared with reading material and a big cup of coffee. My anti-video game daughter even tagged along, after all, boys play video games and some of them might be cute, even if they are "geeks and nerds". When I drove down the street I realized for this midnight release...we would already be in the back of the line. I snagged the last parking space and as I parked listened to my daughter exclaiming "OMG! There's so and so and so and so....they play this stupid game???"

OMG! How horrible to not be able to label everyone! The world just might end! Send out the text messages! Seriously though, within the hour, the store was overflowing with the widest assortment of customers one could imagine. There were people in pajamas, people still in work uniforms, moms and dads, construction workers, and at the risk of "labeling" - Goths, bikers, cowboys, teachers, and every age from babies in strollers to people close to sixty years old. The atmosphere was one of high excitement, festive, not unlike the mood I have seen at festivals and fairs.

I enjoyed listening to people compare stories about their characters (in W.O.W. you create a character within realms. The realms consist of two different factions, the Horde, and the Alliance. There is always a great debate on which faction is "good" and which is "bad".) My children and I entertained ourselves by trying to figure out who played what faction. Then we would eavesdrop (sorry!) on the conversations and whoever was right would grin with glee. My son truly should have been putting money on his guesses; he would have come out with enough to buy another game!

Finally, I sat on the floor to keep our place in line while my kids once again loaded their pockets with free gum and tested out a couple games. I ended up talking to some really nice people, exchanging ideas on the game, and exchanging game names with a few. I looked around and realized the mood was similar to what I remembered from camping in lines to go to concerts. I realized playing video games is no different than any other hobby or interest. While I would not sit in a line to go to a flower show, there are people who will. It may seem like madness to wait in a store for a midnight release of a game you could wait to play until the following business day, but for those who have been waiting, those few hours make a big difference, especially if you have to work or go to school the following day.

The midnight release also creates an air of something exciting and somewhat illicit by being allowed to "shop" at a time when most stores are closed. If you are a parent who does not play video games and spend your time worrying because your child does, it would be an eye-opening adventure to take your child to GameStop for a midnight release on a game. While there, you will discover that your son/daughter is NOT a "geek" or a "nerd" or any other label....they are simply a human who enjoys a hobby, similar yet dissimilar to all the other people who enjoy the same hobby.

According to Craig Blodgett, Store Manager of Glenwood Springs GameStop, there are two Midnight Releases coming up - one for Halo Wars, release date 3/3, and one for Resident Evil 5, appropriately on Friday, March 13^th. At exactly 12:00 A.M. (yep, Midnight is A.M.) GameStop is allowed to release the games. Warning! If you have friends on the East Coast, they do like to call and razz you about how they are already playing. Time zones can be so annoying sometimes!

I don't play either of these upcoming games, but my son does. So, I know I have a date with my kids, at midnight....hanging out at the local GameStop. This time, I may even be able to get that Midnight Latte - as Craig just informed me he has collaborated with Starbucks and they will be open!!! There is a coffee God after all!