Have you ever attended a midnight launch and what was it for?

Nope. Closest was me getting up super early (for me anywhoo) at around 5am to pick up a copy of GTAIV from ASDA. There was still a whole queue of us lining up for the game, and it quickly got to the point where the clerk would simply ask ''Which platform?'' per customer :P

I have been a Midnight Launcher duder for halo2 halo3 halo 4 gears 3 , still seeing if I'll go to midnight for gta5. But I hate the people there and myself for being there so....

I've been to a few for games. I got GTA IV, one of the Call of Duty games, a Halo game (Reach, maybe?), and LA Noire all at midnight of their respective launch days. I think my days of midnight launches are over, though, now that I work full time. Unless things start coming out on weekends, I am quite satisfied to come home on Tuesday (or Friday in the case of the new consoles) and have my new release waiting for me at the mail box.

What was wrong with the people? Was it all dude-bro central or something else?

I went to a midnight launch for StarCraft II Wings of Liberty at a local malls' EBgamestop. Had to circle around the mall to find an open entrance (the mall was normally closed before midnight,) and I waited in line for half an hour, received my game as well as a SC2 poster courtesy of EBgamestop, and left. No mingling with the others in line, just waiting for my preorder. You do see some interesting folk, definite fans of whatever game they're in line for.

What I learned was: never go to a midnight launch alone - it's boring. Every sane person brings someone they know, preferably another person that has preordered the game.

I did not enjoy the experience, and I doubt I'll ever go to a midnight launch ever again, especially since there has been a massive increase in digital distribution availability and support.

Years ago when the original black ops was getting hyped. My friend wanted to get the game at midnight launch, and he asked me to join him. So I did and we caught two buses to get to the mall. We got there went to gamestop and the dude told else to wait outside of the mall until it opens. My friend got upset it was late at night, cold, and we had to wait outside of a parking lot behind dumpsters.

Then we had some suspicious people that kept driving around the parking lot looking at us. Other people started showing up to attend the midnight launch, but these guys in the car kept looking at us and was driving around the parking lot fast. So my friend called his mom and after we got our games we was out. Ever since I never attended a midnight launch again. I already knew those dudes in the car was goons.

Call me crazy, but my only midnight launch I attend was for the Wii U.

Go ahead, call me crazy.

I've been to a lot and love going to them. Love talking to people and meeting developers when they show up. Going again for GTA V

I went to two midnight launches: WoW: Burning Crusade and Wrath of the Lich King. Some people dressed up, but since both launches were on cold days, it was mostly guys trying to keep warm. I'm not one for waiting in lines, especially late at night in the cold, but I wanted to have the game installed before going to work.

Now that most games I want are released same-day digitally, or Amazon provides release-day delivery, I don't see a need to attend midnight launches anymore.

I've been to midnight movie premieres but never game launches.

Uh, I took my little brother to the Guitar Hero III launch, that kid was a prodigy at those games. Uh, and uh, a friend and I went to the Modern Warfare 2 launch.

These days, I'm not up past midnight playing games that often. I'll pick it up on launch day.

The only midnight releases I've been to were for Rockstar releases (I just realized this now actually). The past 3, GTA IV, L.A. Noire, and Max Payne 3, all had really short lines inside the store. Nothing crazy. Homemade cookies and pizza and one time beer soda pong outside in the mall. I just wanted them early and I'm definitely going to grab GTA V at a midnight launch.

I ended up at a Walmart in the middle of the night because a friend got a tip that they had copies of WoW stocked early. Oh 2004, such a wacky year.

Friend pre-ordered Modern Warfare 3 and asked me to go with him so I did.

NEVER

AGAIN

Oh yeah. I went to see Transformers: Dark Side of the Moon and The Hunger Games at midnight the day they released. Also, GTA V is available to download on PSN at 12:01 a.m. next week. So does me sitting in front of my t.v. waiting for the PS Store to update count as a midnight launch?

No.

Burning Crusade.

I've been to a midnight launch for the NBA 2K series for four years running. It's always a lot of fun getting together with total strangers and spending the next two hours bullshitting about annoying bugs and cheeses online, who the obscure stars of the year were, real basketball, other video games. My Gamestop is right near the city college so it's always young people, generally athletes from the school, and it's just a great time.

I also get some enjoyment out of whatever crowd shows up for the inevitable release of another, "core" game that night. Last year it was Resident Evil 6 and it was a really funny contrast between a bunch of people who were obviously deep in the heavy metal 'n' scary movies lifestyle vs. hip-hop 'n' ESPN.

I also didn't just go to a midnight launch for Rock Band, I actually drove 60 miles back from college to my hometown to get it and pick up a friend, THEN drive all the way back to my dorm con amigo and ATTEMPT to play loud ass Rock Band in a dormitory at 5 in the morning. Went swimmingly, lol.

Just Halo 3, and only because my roommate dragged me to it. So, so pointless, and so, so not fun.

I went to the Wii midnight launch at the local Walmart because my friends were all getting one. It was weird and kind of creepy hanging out front of a Walmart at like 5am. When the store opened the lady came around and handed out ticket stubs to everyone who wanted a Wii. I didn't take one. Still think that was the right decision.

I went to every midnight launch in 07-08, mostly because I worked at a Gamestop so I HAD to be there for my job. These days, I only go if the game is interesting enough. I went to the Saints Row 4 launch with my friend. My friend and I were the only people there over the age of 18, and it showed. We were also the only ones there getting the PC version of SR4, the only ones getting XCOM along with SR4, and the only ones that have even heard of XCOM. We just got our games and got the fuck out of there.

I've been for a few games.

Fable 2, Modern Warfare 2 (that game sure didn't live up to the hype), Mass Effect 3, and Skyrim.

GTA IV. I didn't have a PC that could play any modern games at the time so I ended up getting it on 360. If memory servers I got the collectors edition. Did the same for Halo 3 legendary edition. Regretted both as by the time I got home I was too tired to play them and just went to bed. Never did it again since I got a PC shortly after and never looked back. Plus they don't do midnight launches for PC games.

The last midnight release I went to was way back in 2008. Coincidentally it was for GTAIV...just beforehand had some beers with Ryan, Jeff, Dave, and Alex at the Outback.

I had ridden my motorcycle across the bridge over to Marin City. When we were in line inside the Best Buy, they had a bunch of Wii's set up for sale on a table right where the line was snaking through to the checkout area. Jeff and I grabbed a Wii system each...at that time, Wii's were quite scarce so we both jumped at the chance. I had to stuff the Wii down the front of my jacket and ride back across the Bay Bridge into San Francisco at like 1am...awkward, but good times.

I once walked in to a 24 hour walmart (are they all 24 hours now?) around midnight and bought a videogame. Does that count?

i did a midnight launch for Skyrim. Mainly bc i got off work at 11pm and had the next couple days off. The energy was fun, the smells were interesting, the posturing was lame.

There used to be a Blockbuster about 30 seconds away from my house that occasionally did midnight releases and it was one of those "Well I'm awake anyway, might as well go" type deals. Now it's gone and I haven't been to one since but GTA V has me tempted since the store that's running it is just a small mom n' pop shop.

Likewise.

It was the height of WoW power, me and my roommate were playing all the time and being one of the first through the dark portal was an irresistible lure.

I've never been to midnight game release. I went to go see the dark knight rises at midnight and that was well... an adventure to say the least.

I kinda want to go get GTA 5 at midnight release, but I don't really know what to expect. Are there any things that I should know before going? I haven't pre ordered it either, will that be a factor in getting it at midnight?

The last game I pre ordered was probably Halo 3 and they had a ton of copies at Target in the morning, so I always figured it was kind of useless to do unless I wanted bonuses.

Burning Crusade here as wel. Funny thing was I was rolling in high level raid gear when I went in so I blitzed through to 70 in about 2 weeks, didn't even equip any of the OP greens. Then I stopped playing since I didn't want to go through another full end game raid grind :P

GTA:IV even though I had the game before release I still went midnight and picked up a copy. Took the next few days off of school for that. Now I am not going to take any time off of work, but I am going to bring my xbox to work and play when I am not busy.

Modern Warfare 2. I think I heard some of the dumbest conversations about games that I'm ever likely to hear waiting in that line.

Been to a Midnight launch for a decent amount of games and the Wii.

No. I don't think I ever will either. I don't need to have something as soon as it is released and then play it right away (or, even weirder, just know I have it and not play it while I'm at work or something). I'd rather just have it mailed to me while I'm at work and then play it once I get home or on the weekends. As for other things, like movies or devices or whatever else might have a midnight launch the same concept applies. I just don't feel like I have to have it all right away.

I was disgusted and ashamed to play video games

There's two gamestops within a mile of my house. Whenever they have midnight launches for games I want I usually wait about 30 minutes and pick up a copy after everyone's pretty much cleared out. I waited in line for GTA 4 and it was...not good.

I went to a midnight launch for Black Ops 1 and Modern Warfare 3. They were fun to go to actually since it's fans standing in line talking about what they like about the series and just shooting the shit. However, I don't really like midnight launches for movies anymore...and i've noticed that a lot of theaters now start their "midnight" screenings at like 10PM or even earlier. It's a lot easier that way so you don't end up home at like 4AM.

I've been to a few of these. GTA IV, Red Dead, and Diablo 3 were my latest ones I think. With amazon delivery I don't really bother with it any more but I can see the appeal. Phoenix GameStops are OK. I met herds of nerds at any store we went to.

I also remember the Burning Crusade midnight launch, it was hilarious watching how fast people were getting the hell out of there to get home and play. At the store I was at in Phoenix, some people in line were even applauding the first people coming out of the store like a god damn iphone launch.

Actually, this thread reminded me that I went to one for GTAIV. That was pretty cool, looking back.

Also being a youth that grew up in 2000's England, I of course bought a Harry Potter book or two at Midnight.

Black Ops 1 and Halo 4.

Not worth it, sure you get the game right at midnight but then there's the hour long trip back home, then you are to tired to play it and then end up playing it the next day at like 6pm. Could have saved me some sleep just going 9am that morning and playing all through the rest of the day.

The midnight launches that I remember going to were for Halo 2, Xbox 360, Halo 3 and GTA IV. On top of that I've been to a few midnight movie premieres and bought my last phone (Lumia 920) at midnight. I just mainly enjoy the atmosphere and talking to all the fans in line. Actually I'm kind of sad that I'm getting my next console from Amazon so I won't be able to attend the midnight launch.

Midnight launch for portal 2/mortal kombat. Actually didnt pick up mortal kombat until the daytime though.

The only midnight launch I've gone to was Madden 11 because I was already in the area and wanted to see what kind of people were there.

I've gone to a midnight launch a couple of times with a friend for the launch of Halo, I think one of those times I was buying myself a copy (ODST, I think) the other time I had a special edition being delivered and was just going because my friend was and it was a thing to do.

I was super tempted to cancel my online order of GTA V and go to a midnight store opening, mostly because I wasn't sure my copy would turn up on launch and that seemed like a good excuse, but it looks like all orders have been upgraded to express post, so assuming they're sent off on Monday I'm in the clear.

I have been to a couple.

Launch for GTA IV. I was so hyped for that game. I was in college in Massachusetts and didn't have class until later on Wed so I was up for going. I rented a zipcar to go, it was cold as hell that night.

Second went to midnight launch of Skyrim. It was such a diverse crowd. It was cool to see how different people were hyped up for what I thought was such a nerdy game.

Both were at best buy. The first seemed smooth. I didn't preorder. The second for Skyrim took forever for check out because of how they do preorders.

Nope. GTA V will be my first.

I went to a midnight launch in another country to buy a PS2 and I was at the midnight launches for Halo: Reach and Halo 4.

Yes. For Final Fantasy 13.

It was alright, Nothing really eventful.

@leebmx I'm actually going down to BOXPARK on Monday night also. I've been to quite a few game and console launches, and for the most part they're fucking awesome.

I must say though, from what I can tell, Rockstar aren't supporting these launches in any sort of official capacity. Because of this, the launch might be no more than queuing up, getting the game and going home on the bus.

No problem with that as I suppose that's what you're there for, but I do love the odd giveaway and the spectacle of a launch event when publishers and stores team up and do crazy shit between waiting in line and the game going on sale.

Attended:

World of Warcraft

World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade

World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King

I've worked multiple events when I was an SGA at Gamestop. My favorites were Call of Duty: MW3, Gears of War 3, Skyrim, and ME 3 but I've worked well over 30 of them.

Edit: At the events for MW3 and Gears 3 I ran tournaments for the games. Winners got Season Passes paid for by the employees as well as other goodies.