# Queing at midnight to buy a game...



## Kanda (Nov 10, 2009)

Bonkers? 

...or is it only Apple stores that get slated?


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## UnderAnOpenSky (Nov 10, 2009)

I don't get it. Why not just pre order if your very keen to play it?


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## Santino (Nov 10, 2009)

It's about feeling a part of something.


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## kained&able (Nov 10, 2009)

its ridiculous. Queueing to buy a game is bad enough, but making it a special occasion is fucking stupid.


dave


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## fogbat (Nov 10, 2009)

Mental.


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## revol68 (Nov 10, 2009)

It is very very sad and I say that as someone who spent over 100 hours on Fallout 3 at Christmas.


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## editor (Nov 10, 2009)

It's weird, alright. But not as weird as those whooping Apple fanboys who camped out in Sydney for several days just to be the first in line for a high five and a, err, t-shirt.


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## Kid_Eternity (Nov 10, 2009)

Kanda said:


> Bonkers?
> 
> ...or is it only Apple stores that get slated?



I don't have a problem with it, each to their own...I mean people make a special effort to see a film on opening night, I've known people to que for hours for football tickets...


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## skyscraper101 (Nov 10, 2009)

There was a girl on BBC Breakfast this morning who said her 'boyfriend' had taken a week off work just to play the game.


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## DotCommunist (Nov 10, 2009)

Kanda said:


> Bonkers?
> 
> ...or is it only Apple stores that get slated?



Can't see the point myself. No game is THAT good that you can't wait for it. 


People with a problem delaying gratification...


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## tommers (Nov 10, 2009)

don't see a problem with it myself.  Not that I've ever done it.  You get the kudos of being one of the first, I suppose.


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## TitanSound (Nov 10, 2009)

I probably would not queue to get one of the first copies.

Although when Battlefield 2 came out I booked a week off work and became a stat whore for a week. I was playing for about 15 hours a day only stopping for food and occasional breaks


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## kabbes (Nov 10, 2009)

Santino said:


> It's about feeling a part of something.


People seem to be ignoring this.  Possibly because it is a sensible point that actually explains what is going on.  Who needs that?


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## editor (Nov 10, 2009)

Kid_Eternity said:


> I don't have a problem with it, each to their own...I mean people make a special effort to see a film on opening night, I've known people to que for hours for football tickets...


Err.. there's a slight difference there. The football game is a _one-off_. 

If you don't get a ticket, then you won't be there to see the event. You can usually pick up a game - or an iPhone - hours after the launch.





kabbes said:


> People seem to be ignoring this. Possibly because it is a sensible point that actually explains what is going on. Who needs that?


I can't imagine ever wanting to be part of a queue for anything, unless, perhaps, it was for limited tickets for a one-off event that I really, really wanted to see. But standing in line to buy a consumer product that will be freely available straight after? Nah. That's daft.


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## kabbes (Nov 10, 2009)

editor said:


> I can't imagine ever wanting to be part of a queue for anything, unless, perhaps, the tickets were in limited supply for a one-off event that I really, really wanted to see. But standing in line to buy a consumer product that will be freely available straight after? Nah. That's daft.


What part of that is the bit where you talk about wanting to feel part of something?


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## revol68 (Nov 10, 2009)

If you are so desperate to feel part of something that you will queue outside a shop at midnight for a computer game you would have no trouble picking up the next day you should probably join a church.


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## Boris Sprinkler (Nov 10, 2009)

Yeah, weirdly I went into a computer game shop here to get GTA4 when it came out and the shop assistant looked at me like I had bollocks on my forehead when I asked if they had a copy. 

I just went home and ordered a copy off amazon uk for about £20 cheaper. Still playing it too. BUt that may just be because I am shit at computer games.


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## kabbes (Nov 10, 2009)

revol68 said:


> If you are so desperate to feel part of something that you will queue outside a shop at midnight for a computer game you would have no trouble picking up the next day you should probably join a church.


Possibly, possibly.

It's why people do it though.


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## revol68 (Nov 10, 2009)

kabbes said:


> Possibly, possibly.
> 
> It's why people do it though.



I'd suggest it's more with wanting to have the game as soon as it comes out, though that's kind of made moot by the fact you could have pre ordered and most likely got the game a day or so before.


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## kabbes (Nov 10, 2009)

revol68 said:


> I'd suggest it's more with wanting to have the game as soon as it comes out, though that's kind of made moot by the fact you could have pre ordered and most likely got the game a day or so before.


I dunno -- I think most nerds are pretty up-to-date when it comes to knowing that they can pre-order stuff on the internet.  I think if they are queueing then they have other reasons.  

I think some people just like feeling part of some zeitgeisty happenstance, being caught up in the news story, so to speak.  They get a bit of attention for once and can chat with the other obsessives and persuade each other that they are actually normal after all and are doing the right thing.


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## TitanSound (Nov 10, 2009)

kabbes said:


> I dunno -- I think most nerds are pretty up-to-date when it comes to knowing that they can pre-order stuff on the internet.  I think if they are queueing then they have other reasons.
> 
> I think some people just like feeling part of some zeitgeisty happenstance, being caught up in the news story, so to speak.  They get a bit of attention for once and can chat with the other obsessives and persuade each other that they are actually normal after all and are doing the right thing.



Then go home to their fleshlights..


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## Santino (Nov 10, 2009)

When I saw Revenge of the Sith on the first day it was on, everyone in the queue was a bit shifty and didn't want to look anyone else in the eye.


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## editor (Nov 10, 2009)

kabbes said:


> What part of that is the bit where you talk about wanting to feel part of something?


I don't understand the need to be part of a queue for a soon-to-be-freely-available consumer product, but if you think it's a fulfilling experience, feel free to tell me what I'm missing out on.


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## kabbes (Nov 10, 2009)

editor said:


> I don't understand the need to be part of a queue for a soon-to-be-freely-available consumer product, but if you think it's a fulfilling experience, feel free to tell me what I'm missing out on.



You'll have to ask them, to be honest.  I'm not really into queueing.

Or you could just go on assuming that they're doing it for no reason at all, other than their own ignorance that you can now buy things on the internet.


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## skyscraper101 (Nov 10, 2009)

The funniest experience of this type of queue mania I ever saw was witnessing the entrepreneurial genius of people who had queued for days and were selling their queue places outside the Apple Store on launch day of the iphone for *$5,000*

(you even got a free chair)


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## bhamgeezer (Nov 10, 2009)

If you're a hardcore gamer midnight is like your 8pm, would it be strange for someone to queue up for a game release at 8pm?


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## Sunray (Nov 10, 2009)

Could have bought it on steam and been playing it at the stroke of midnight as it was available for pre-load.


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## bhamgeezer (Nov 10, 2009)

Sunray said:


> Could have bought it on steam and been playing it at the stroke of midnight as it was available for pre-load.



It says it won't unlock for 1 day and 10 hours of my client


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## stupid dogbot (Nov 10, 2009)

editor said:


> I don't understand the need to be part of a queue for a soon-to-be-freely-available consumer product, but if you think it's a fulfilling experience, feel free to tell me what I'm missing out on.



I'm guessing the people who did choose part of it probably don't require your understanding (or your approval for that matter) as a component part of the event, to be honest...


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## editor (Nov 10, 2009)

stupid dogbot said:


> I'm guessing the people who were part of it probably don't require your understanding (or your approval for that matter) as a component part of the event, though, to be honest...


I'm not asking for their understanding. Try reading my post properly.


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## stupid dogbot (Nov 10, 2009)

I understood it perfectly, thanks all the same. Try being less condescending.


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## strung out (Nov 10, 2009)

i went to buy the last expansion of world of warcraft at midnight in asda last year, but only because i forgot to pre-order and i was one of the sad fuckers racing to the level 80 cap. there were about 20 other equally sad people there.


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## kabbes (Nov 10, 2009)

editor said:


> I'm not asking for their understanding. Try reading my post properly.


Shouldn't that be the other way round?


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## ATOMIC SUPLEX (Nov 10, 2009)

Santino said:


> It's about feeling a part of something.



Feeling like a nerd standing out in the cold?


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## kabbes (Nov 10, 2009)

ATOMIC SUPLEX said:


> Feeling like a nerd standing out in the cold?



In some way, Mr. Suplex, we are ALL nerds out in the cold.  Not necessarily in a way that is actually true, but in a way nonetheless.


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## ATOMIC SUPLEX (Nov 10, 2009)

kabbes said:


> In some way, Mr. Suplex, we are ALL nerds out in the cold.  Not necessarily in a way that is actually true, but in a way nonetheless.



How very true. If only we could all come together over the purchase of a war game. 

I'm fucking freezing and I'm inside during the day.


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## fen_boy (Nov 10, 2009)

ATOMIC SUPLEX said:


> Feeling like a nerd standing out in the cold?



Have you decided on a phone yet?


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## King Biscuit Time (Nov 10, 2009)

I'm not sure I'd bother, but I'm sure some of those queuing up to buy MW2 at midnight would wonder why I bother having all my mates around to stay up all night on election night when you can find out who's going to be Prime Minster in the morning anyway.


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