This is happening with deliveries too, soon everything will be delivered by Robots. We humans are sociable creatures, without friendships and relationships and general social interaction what happens? We become depressed. Our mental health takes a downturn.
I went to GameStop a few weeks ago to get lords of the fallen for PS5. They only had one copy and it was the deluxe edition for $80. I still bought it, but it was so sad they only had one copy in the whole store. Physical is just not gonna be around anymore.
Don't worry! You know what happens with technology? It eventually craps out, and at the rate they go... They'll run out of resources. "Robo extinction!" Fuck the A.I., and fuck the ones pushing this bullshit!
I've done midnight releases for games, but my most memorable were for systems. I waited in line for just over 40hrs for the PS3, 25hrs for the 360, and overnight for the Wii. It was so much fun! I was military and took leave for each one, most of the other people at the front of the lines were military too. It was great!
Last midnight release I did was for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. But as for physical games bringing back memories I will always remember original Xbox Halo LAN parties. 4 systems, copies of the game, and 4 TVs in the same house with lots of cat 5 cable connecting them and everyone brings a controller. Great way to get everyone together.
I’m a huge Final Fantasy fan! I remember having my dad take me to EB games at the Rhode Island mall to get Final Fantasy 8 and being so hyped! my dad was never a big gamer but he could tell I was pumped and I just had enough to buy the game. I wanted the strategy guide so bad and couldn’t put it down. He bought me the guide the next dad on his way home from work and surprised me with it and I had a smile from ear to ear!!!!!!! I still have that guide too this day such and awesome memory and game!!!!
I will never forget hooking 4 TVs together and playing 16 player Halo for the first time with a large group of friends. The excitement, people yelling, so much fun as opposed to just playing online. We had a core group that played all the time via LAN and even challenged people from other nearby towns. Some of my best memories, we still talk about it to this day; recalling details from matches and how fun it was.
I remember when I made a line to get my PS2 back in 2000. I was 18 years old. It was great! I met so many people during the line. There were hundreds of people. Best Buy was putting a stamp on people making the line and I was number 8 haha. There were only 100 systems available. I got my system on that day with 2 games. One of them was TimeSplitters 😊 I had great conversations with people on that day. Nowadays it feels like society is becoming anti-social. Most just stay at home hell even work from home. With less and less human interaction and meaningful memories 😔
I'll never forget the midnight launch of Halo 2. That was an experience its safe to say will never be replicated. It really made gaming a lot more exciting back then.
I agree waiting in line with like minded nerds is always fun. I loved the midnight releases. There are some things I got delivered I'll remember that exciting feeling but it is different
It's way different when it just gets delivered. Still can get really cool things, but it doesn't have the human element! Makes it a lot easier to forget.
I've never gone to a midnight release in my life, so I doubt very much I'm going to miss it. But I will miss the physical media, as I am a game and movie collector
Great talk right here. I was literally just discussing this with my old GameStop peeps, reminiscing on the best old launches we had. Black Ops 2, Skyrim, GTA V, etc. And we all definitely miss it. It was a great come-together between the employees and all our loyal regulars and the community. Man, the stories and the memories!! Thumbs up dudes.
Even more important is local coop games. We hardly have any local coop games come out anymore, and it's loss can't be understated... So many good memories in the past with couch coop gaming, we are missing out on so much now that they are hardly being made anymore
Midnight releases are something I truly miss as a gamer. I remember my going to the Halo 2 release with my sister and nephew or the countless Call Of Duty releases. It was pretty awesome that a couple weeks ago my Gamestop called me and said they were doing a midnight release for Spider-Man 2 and Mario Wonder. Now I had no business going out at midnight on a THUR knowing I had to work the next morning but I went just because I thought it was so cool. The feeling I had when I left with my games in hand definitely felt nostalgic and left a smile on my face.
I just watched “Insert Coin,” and it occurred to me that there is a parallel in the modern era of games to what the guys making arcade games for Midway/Bally/Williams went through. When it became apparent that coin-op gaming was dying, it was a sad moment. Console gaming was taking over at the dawn of the PlayStation/N64/Saturn era. Games were forced to evolve. We are faced with the same kind of thing, today. Digital gaming is rising and physical is dying. Will it die out completely? Who knows? Arcade games are still made, but it isn’t the same. Perhaps we are looking at the same sad moment here. *Side Note* Kansas City represent! As someone who lives in Kansas City, my ears perked up when you mentioned it. Thanks for the love!
I thank you again for hearting my comment about wanting to work with you once I get my new house in Norwalk, and give you a tour of my (eventual) game rooms. I took that as a "Yes", and I will reach out to you professionally sometime next year. You hit every nail on the head with this video. I love and miss Midnight releases so much (Dreamcast, PS2, Madden, Resident Evil, etc). In fact my last Midnight launch I was at was when the Orbis launced on November 15, 2013. Fuck I feel old, as 2013 was one of the best years of my life, and it was 10 years ago (I am 37). My life hasn't been very exciting since 2017 (personal matters), so when someone brings up something that happend in say, 2015, I say "Oh yeah, that was just a couple years ago", and then they remind me how long ago it was, I just get kind of sad. But hopefully that all changes in 2024 when I start living life again
Real dudes talking real shit. Waiting in lines and sore asses. Y'all are my people. Midwesterners unite (Chicago here). The memories. Can't tell you the last time I had a legitimate impactful game release memory with real people. Hit up Galloping Ghost a lot with my wife and friends. Really thankful it's so close to force everyone into collective in person gaming for multiple hours. If we didn't have that.......Who knows what state of mind Id be in from lack of in person human interaction related to gaming. Bring back boots on the ground! 🤘🤘🤘 Rock on brothers.
Hell ya! Dude Galloping Ghost is off the chain. We went there a couple years back. Was just in Chicago over the summer to see the Pixies and Modest Mouse one night and Beck and Phoenix the other. It was a blast. Cheers!
I definitely remember standing in line at Best Buy for a SNES mini more than my Genesis mini showing up in the mail. But honestly an even stronger memory is sitting on the couch while my wife plays Yoshi’s Island on the SNES mini and my 4 year old daughter holds the second controller trying to do what her mommy is doing. The world is definitely changing but strong social memories are still there to be had.
Hell yeah, iam the first I don't know if I ever told you? My memory sucks, but I remember I did the Halo 2 midnight back home in Brownland and it was awesome. Cheers brothas
Went to the AM release of the snes classic as well. Met up with a buddy of mine, got to talk to a guy around our age who was also finishing up school and was recounting stories of when he managed a game store in the area. You can't recreate those cool memories chatting with people who share the same passions you do without these special releases in person.
I only did 2 midnight release’s during my lifetime. StarCraft 2, and StarCraft 2: expansion pack, and remembering having great time. Moreover, the manager only gave me the promotional poster.
It's awesome you brought up golden eye. I met my wife for the first time in November of 2000. We were at a party where golden eye was the game, and our first interaction was going to get the pizza for the party, rocking to limp bizkit. Cheers boys, keep rocking. 🍻🤘
I have to say I found this channel on a recommendation. People are going to love and hate the content you both put out. Any UA-cam channel is going to get hate if someone doesn’t like the genre/or input from the channel. You both show no glitz, no glamour, and not trying to influence on which way to go about things. Nostalgia, beer, and bring up topics in current events within the gaming hobby. Bias is there because we all have a bias on a topic, one way or another. But you both speak your view on the topic mapping out the why behind your reasoning, and giving other something to think about, that they may not have already. I appreciate the buyer guides, the unpodcasts you do about specific years (2001 and 2002) hit home for me. Keep the good content coming and I look forward to the next beer you show on camera.
The atmosphere of midnight release cannot be beat, its a shame most will never experience such an event. I remeber my first being Black Ops, and only 12 at the time, I was proper stoked! I cannot thank my mum enough for taking me to these midnight launches. The anticipation building up as you're getting closer to the till and everyone hyping each other up, the social element... it didnt matter how old you were, just that we all had the same passion and intrest. Damn gaming took a turn in the wrong direction...
I’m 42 years old I remember when the OG Modern Warfare 2 came out it was insane how fun it was to wait at GameStop after work with all the homies talking about the game and just enjoying the experience good times!!!!!
My last all nighter was release day for the Wii. I was 12th in line outside Circuit City in 28 degree weather all night. Store manager came in early with doughnuts for everyone in line. Lucked out since that store only had 15 units!
Wes and Rob are such great people to listen to. They remind me of when I used to grow up watching Machinima, Red vs. Blue, classic IGN, and many more. It sucks that I can't list much of my nostalgia because as you get old you tend to forget, but these guys are here to save the day.
The victory feeling walking out with the snes mini and nes mini was an amazing feeling. I’ll never forget that feeling like yes! I got it baby! Even got my lil bro a snes mini console later on at a different all nighter. It was special feeling getting him one too
You guys really hit the nail on the head with the Human connection aspect. I'm always thinking about this and y'all are the only ones I've seen mention it. It seems like were headed towards a reality where we just click a button and everything comes to us. Conveniance is nice but losing the choice is a bummer. I love going to pick out my own clothes, going to Best Buy and picking out some blu-rays myself and interacting with people. Some of my fondest memories are living through the era when Street Fighter 2 and Mortal Kombat II hit the arcades. The aracdes were insane! Anyways, I'm a little all over the place here, but thanks for the great commentary on this subject.
Had some good memories of going to a Halo 2 Midnight release, either a Rockband or Guitar Hero release, but the best was Wow Burning Crusade and Wow Lich King midnight releases... talking with everyone, getting the physical discs, running home, logging on, and seeing which friends were in game and ready to start questing.
I miss these. I can remember going to a midnight release to get ncaa 06 fb. It was like a party at the GameStop with pizza. I meet so many people that night. I can remember people cheering the cashier on as he bought the games out. Good times.
Midnight releases are one of my favorite parts of gaming. I remember going to the Halo 3 midnight release back in college and getting to play a bit of the game while I waited. Luckily, my local GameStop still does some midnight releases. The recent midnight releases for Tears of the Kingdom and Super Mario Bros. Wonder/Spider-Man 2 were great times.
Best memory for me is picking up Final Fantasy 7 pre-orders in '97 with my best friend. Next, would be taking my nephew to the midnight release of the original Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3. I wasn't much of a Call of Duty fan, but my nephew was back then, and I loved playing it with him. The human connection will 100 percent be missed. Closest I've come to the good old days in recent memory was lining up outside Target at 7:45 a.m. to grab a special edition copy of Tears of the Kingdom for my wife's birthday. There were about 30 people lined up, and it was a speed walk race to the electronics desk.
The year before opening our first game store with some friends, I worked at Walmart and ran the midnight sale of the PS2, then after opening up our first game store and up to over a dozen, over the years, I helped oversee midnight sales that had lines of 100 to 200 people! It would be massive events! We had cookouts, game tournaments and more for people in line. Now the first store is a former shell of itself and every other location is shut down but one other. There's a reason, I sold off my part of it in January 2023. It's just not the same anymore. So much that made the job fun is gone because no one really comes in looking for physical media.
God that Halo 3 launch footage takes me back. I did the Halo 2 one at gamestation (rip) in Birmingham UK and got the metal version with the sleeve but I only remember the Halo 3 one for some reason. Was with my mate Rob and he bought the super duper shiny helmet version. Was a great experience chatting to everyone else while waiting. 360 was also the last console I remember getting at launch too. Great video guys and thanks for the nostalgia overload.
One of the midnight releases that sticks out in my head is Halo 2. I was in college and standing in line at the GameStop in the mall with other people also excited for the release is something I will never forget. All the worlds problems seem to disappear in that moment. I’m really going to miss that aspect of gaming! Keep up the content gents! Always enjoy your videos!
One of the best memories I had when me and my wife went to a Nintendo event at Best Buy and we were playing a new 3DS game that looked like fun playing with others. We had a blast, but of course there's not much talk about The Legend of Zelda: Triforce Heroes these days which is a shame that it couldn't replicate the magic of The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures on the GameCube.
What's up guys? I was just talking about this on my last podcast episode. I went to Super Mario Bros Wonder release and it was cool to see people come out for the release as well as spiderman 2. Prior to that, the most memorable midninght release was for Nintendo Switch. I waited over 8 hours in line and it was just teenagers in line with me. Super memorable, hella cold! They made us wait outside although the store was open. But I remember this kid that was in front of me had his parents on shifts! lol! I met his mom, dad, and grandmother. I pulled my truck in front of the store and allowed the teenage kids to sit inside and get warm. Took turns holding places in line for each other. It was cool that we were able to bond and get that joy of going in and purchasing the switch. Awesome time! Great video as always guys! Would definitely love to have you guys on the pod for a great discussion. 🍻
Wes, as 6 years olds, my best friend at the time had DKC OG, and I had DKC 2 DKC. I remember I was obsessed with progressing and had no real scope at the time for the difficulty. I remember my friend always exclaiming that he really didn't like DKC and I think it was cause its so stinking hard!!!! I'm at a save point at 28 minutes in and just cannot beat tree top town!!!! What a challenge. The point I'm making is that the human interaction is key. What is anything if you can't share it with someone in the flesh!? God bless guys, never stop.
My most memorable midnight releases were GTA 4&5, Call of Duty MW2, SNES Classic, Resident Evil 4, Mortal Kombat 9, Marvel vs Capcom 3, Street Fighter 4, etc. Those were the good old days of my midnight releases interactions.
not just going to midnight releases but i worked the Gears Judgement, Call of Duty Black Ops 2, a few Maddens and other games midnight releases at best buy and those memories were just so much fun.
I totally agree with you guys. Midnight launches were a special event that I miss. I remember when street fighter 4 had a Midnight launch and everyone was there and we had a blast just talking about how much we love street fighter since 2 and the memories we had it was awesome connecting with people who had the same passion as I did. I'll never forget that They even had tournaments that day. And fun fact when resident evil 5 came out on the 360 I picked up my daughter from the babysitter and gamestop had an early launch so I had her with me on that day. It was rainy a bit but I had her covered while I held her but she was happy with me getting the game. Damn I miss that. Cheers bros 🍻🍻
It's a good topic. I have so many vivid memories of trips to the arcade and what I was playing there 30 years ago, but can't remember what game I downloaded last week. Something very crucial gets lost when you experience something completely by yourself.
Midnight releases, man takes me back. Once again a spot analysis by the GotG crew! Notable ones for me....I remember standing in line with my cousin for hours to get Majora's Mask on N64. Waited with a crisp Benjamin for Smash Bros. Melee and a used silver GC controller, and me and my college roommate waited forever at Target for COD Black Ops. He got the mega collectors bundle for 360 and I just got the game for PS3. Several others as well. Cheers
My local new/used gamestore still does them. They have a sit down gaming room for card games etc. and invite people to come hang out bring their switch or their cards and play/mingle while they wait. having one tonight for Super Mario RPG for the switch. Two Dudes Gaming in Elizabethton TN.
Oh, hell yeah! My buddy and I did the SNES classic release at Walmart. We had been friends for years, but didn't plan on meeting there and really didn't know we both had a passion for collecting video games. Our friendship got better and we are now hunting for games together. We are in Kansas City. Our city is awesome and so are our record stores. Hope to see you at KC Retro Gaming Swap on Dec 2-3.
I vividly remember standing in line for the midnight release of the PlayStation 2. It was raining and had to wait in the rain 🌧️ for my system. I thankfully got one. I didn't have time to grab any games that night though. They were pushing people in and out of the store to keep the line moving. But happy memories 😊😊
Keep up these topics. It’s a constant conversation between my old gaming buddies and I shout up to the clouds myself with my kids about this. Thank you guys for the great content.
A lot of great points as always. I've never gone to a midnight release, but I wait in line with a lot of people at my thrift store every Tuesday. I've actually made some great friends and memories that way. And I love just looking through my collection and remembering the day I got things and conversations I had that day. Sure I can buy something on eBay and share a picture of it on Facebook, but it's just not as memorable as it would be if I found something cool while out with friends. Awesome video as always guys!
Midnight releases are a blast. The last one we did was for Zelda TotK; our GameStop had raffles and gave out promo pieces for the game. There were cosplayers on hand. It's just great being with your peeps vibing about what you all love together. Absolutely agree that it's all about the human element. It's like with conventions; that's what we love so much about them, the chance to hang out with people...when they're not too busy trying to make money and head back home. 😉🤭😆
Events are exactly the trigger. I can remember the arcades I played in. I remember the people I met. I can even tell you the years (if not the months) that games were released because I lived it. All of this is huge. With the modern/digital world, all this is sanitized. When every release and experience is the same, people have less to bond over. That's why you gotta host your own LAN parties if not retro parties. Get people together. This is what will build memories that last.
I was born in 2000, I remember I had some friends go to the midnight release for Modern Warfare 3 and Halo 4, and I thought that was so cool. My first midnight release was Pokémon X and Y at GameStop, and there was easily 150+ people waiting outside, and the line went around the building. After that I didn’t go to another midnight release until Super Mario Odyssey in 2017, and after that I went to Pokémon Let’s Go in 2018, and then Pokémon Sword in Shield in 2019. It was easier then because I was in college but still a blast. The last midnight release I went to was for the Animal Crossing New Horizons special edition switch at Walmart in March of 2020. It was me and my partner, and then 3 other people behind me in line. I still remember standing in line and then getting the notification that Michigan schools were closing because of covid, and everything changed after that… crazy times
Rdr2 was the last I went to. Brought my 4 year old to game stop after school to pick up super Mario wonder to give her a memory even though it wasn't at midnight.
I still go to midnight releases if my local GameStop offers them for certain games.Tears of the kingdom was a fun one a HUGE showing. But all the other recent releases not too many people were in line.
one other thing about a bad thing about physical media going away which people dont really talk about is dvd menus man they could be awesome i remember ones like finding nemo the toy story series snow white over the hedge Pinocchio i will never forget about those even the Disney sneak peeks menu was awesome i know it was not the thing you guys were talking about but i feel like thats something people should talk about more
First off, I love the show. We are seeing a generation shift. I am 40. I recall standing in line at E.B. Games or popping into Toys’R’Us the next day to get my power scope (which sucked lol) or standing in line waiting to get my Xbox 360. We are getting old and time is going by. Enjoy the ride and share them with your family. They will remember them, just like we are doing now. Cheers and tight controllers.
spot on. i have tons of memories tied to a trip to the game store with friends to browse and buy ps1+2 games, going to the music shop buying new cd's. have no memories at all tied to buying a digital game.
Great vlog guys. I think the pandemic has also changed the way in how we interact in more recent times. You mentioned going to the theatre/cinema to catch a movie, the experience now is much different than say 5 years ago. I find cinemas are no longer full to capacity on new releases. Going to the cinema in the 80s/90s was v exciting, maybe because i was much younger, but i don't think kids today talk about going to watch a new film release like we did. Back then, you had to wait months before that film at the cinema was rentable on VHS, and then maybe a year or two before it was aired on terrestrial TV. Paying for the convenience and for instant gratification is deemed preferable than the anticipation of waiting in line with friends...while being whacked by a food bag :)
I wanted to say that I hope before the game companies and movie companies get everyone conditioned and trained to not own anything and have just long term rental movies and games that we consumers wake up and realize that these companies are expecting people to be blinded by the supposed ease and convenience that digital media brings to be able to tell us consumers what movies and TV shows to watch and what games to play and how long you will be able to watch the video or play the game. I really hope people realize cause once it is totally implemented it will be very hard to go back if at all. I really do think that if it does happen that within 5 years I think people will realize what they gave up for the sake of convenience and try to get things back but by then it will be to late.
Making it an event makes something stand out from the ordinary. When you have a shared experience with other people and there are multiple triggers to help bring back that memory. I went to the midnight release at a local store for twilight princess. I didn't pick up the game but I knew there wasn't going to be a lot of releases like this so I wanted to support it and have some fun.
I love midnight released due to the conversations and funny moments that always happens. Also there tends to be a wholesome event moments like we all sharing food and drinks talking about stuff and waiting for the fun. I remember many midnight events like the PlayStation4, Nintendo Switch, Super Nintendo Mini I missed out on the PlayStation 3 one but was surprised when my brother came home after with a PlayStation 3. Also from my experience me and the other gamers always protected each others stuff and we were there to call out any issues for the safety of each other and call out scammers or people there to do some weird stuff. Even though many times we meet each other the first time right then and there we all had fun and connected and those mid night events are some I hope many gamers new and old continue to have going forward. Cool video. ^_^
I was there for the midnight release of the PS2 at Software Etc.. I had mine fully pre-paid off from my first part time job in high school, so I was guaranteed a console, but I still had to wait in line to get it and to buy accessories and games. The guy in front of me had a Matrix-style trench coat on and was there with his mom. He took so long to check out (two lines there) that I ended up getting the very last memory card along with my PS2 and Smuggler's Run. I had to go to class the next day, so I just played for an hour or so when I got home that night.
I remember in 2011, in fact 11/11/11 when Skyrim was released at Gamestop at midnight me and my buddy Freddy lived about a mile and a half from the local Gamestop(which was so nice by the way) and it was a nice cold November night, and we walked to Gamestop to get our copy and it was an extremely memorable moment, it was like we were going on this grand adventure to pick up this relic that would bring grand adventure, and the excitement was through the roof!!! Once we got to Gamestop there were hundreds of people inside the store in about 50 to 100 waiting in line outside to get in the store and so we had to wait for about 30 to 45 minutes just to make it into the store to wait another 15 to 30… but it was so cool, people were talking about what they were going to do first and who is going to be highest level, etc. and I’ll never forget it. I remember this guy picking up his copy and as he was walking out the door he said “you’ll be doing what? Oh that’s right I’ll already be way higher level by the time you get home-“ and he said that to one of his friends that he knew that was in the back of the line, and he had just got his copy and raised it in the air, as if he had just won some grand victory, and then made his statement and everybody laughed! Part of the reason, I think that the future sucks so bad, and is going to suck, even worse, is due to the fact of who is in charge of making important decisions, and who is running things … This is what happens when evil and immoral people get into places of power and influence, everything sucks as a result-
Never forget a midnight release of GTAIV. It was a party, everyone talking about the games. Some partied at the bar across the street, waiting for the line go down. Good times!!!
I do miss the atmosphere of those gaming stores in the 90s and early 2000s. Last game I went to the midnight release for was Madden 08. My friends and I all met at Walmart. Which was 2007. Just 2 years out of High school.
I miss midnight releases. A few of them were with friends that are no longer here, so I definitely hold them in a special place. GTA V was the last one we went too before my friend passed
I use to work at a Walmart electronics department. I usually worked until 11, so I would prep everything for midnight releases, go to my girlfriends house (now my wife), then we'd come back and get in line. I remember the Guitar Hero 3 release. I probably played until 3 am.
New 3ds xl release was the last big physical release for me. My buddies and I all all took off a Friday and had beers and played majoras mask and monster hunter 4. I miss the days of physical releases being events worth gathering for.
I never did a midnight release, when I was in my 20s (mid-1990s to mid-2000s), I lived in a small town outside Montreal that didn't really have the sorts of stores that would be open at midnight to sell games. I probably would have to have driven all of the way to Pointe-Claire (the closest Montreal suburb that had those sort of stores like Best Buy and Future Shop) to have experienced a midnight release but I didn't have a car. Ironically, I did walk to the local Blockbuster quite often just before they closed at midnight to rent games and movies..
I remember when I was growing up I was at my friends house and me him and another friend were playing Super Mario bros on the NES. That was a long time ago. After that my mom got us a NES and the family would come together and play different games on it. You are right we are losing the connection with people we care about and that's sad. I miss hanging out with my friends playing video games. Those were good times.
Went to a midnight release for Spider man 2. It was nostalgic going to something like that...havent done that for a good while...like maybe since the PS3 era. Y'all are absolutely right...having conversations with other gamers there and just to chop it up was cool.
I can only remember going to one midnight release as a consumer: Halo 2. Still got my copy to this day actually. It was at a Software Etc. in my local mall, the line was crazy. When it was my turn, the employee asked "regular or collector edition?" and I told him regular, since that's what I paid for, but he gave me the steelbook collector edition. I was just like "alright, cool" and went home after to play for a few hours into the night. The next morning I just skipped class and played the campaign all day. The day after I did some local LAN stuff in my buddy's dorm. Fun times. Later on, I had to work a few releases at Best Buy in the early 2010s. Thankfully those weren't anything too crazy, usually only taking like half an hour or so till everyone got their games and we could close up. There was never anywhere close to the volume of the og midnight releases like that Halo 2 one, I'd say at most 20ish people, but then again people didn't really associate BBY with this stuff since it was relatively new for the company at that point. And we still had a Gamestop in the mall at the time (my Best Buy was an anchor at that mall) so they generally had more of the reservations. These days, all of those stores are gone from the mall.
Dude I love these stories. This exactly what we're talking about. You have very specific memories tied to that release. I bet had you just downloaded the game you wouldn't have this level of recollection.
@@GamingOffTheGrid Well I can tell ya that I can only remember little things about the midnight releases as an employee... I wanted to be clocked out so I could go to the bar or smoke with coworkers, but the extra money helped. I remember things like the ridiculous CoD remote controlled car and night vision, or the Fallout PipBoy, but that's about it. But that's a good point about life experiences. I'll never forget the week I spent in Vegas for the SEMA trade show. Particularly the first night Monday was Halloween... that was wild. And a stupid fancy dinner later in the week on the night the Cubs broke their curse and won the World Series.
I was old enough to remember midnight console launches and I always wanted to go, but never purchased on day one. I did want to go to the midnight launch of Halo 2 and play all night, but just had it delivered on day 1, which I regret not just going out the night before. Good memories of that time.
I use to do them when I was younger and they were so much fun. The last one I did was the original psvr at a wal mart and there was 3 other guys there. Not the same
I remember going to a midnight release for the Wii. I lucked out and got the last one just ahead of a young kid and his dad a week before Christmas. I almost gave in and let him have it but im an asshole so....😂
GREAT VIDEO!!!! As an old school gamer (since the 1970's), corporate is trying to turn humans into robots!! All digital is like dipping an onion in carmel, selling it as a candy apple!!
I remember rushing to the mall during my lunch break. Waiting on line to get the snes classic at GameStop when they opened at 10 am. Literally made it to work with a minute to spare. But I got the console. My boss was stoked for me. It was my only purchase b4 Black Friday that year.
Speaking of KC, I'm a chiefs fan, and drove to KC from Charlotte for the parade. Plenty of stops along the way, but my favorite was a game store called Rock 'n Sports Entertainment that is about 30-40 minutes out of the way. Curious if either of you stopped there during your trip.
I did a few midnight releases. I waited for Gran Turismo 4 and Mass Effect 2 at a local gamestop. I recall I was the ONLY one picking up the PC version. Future generations simply wont know better because they never experienced human interaction via video games like us in the 30s to early 50s. So far, the only company that is trying to keep the human interaction is Nintendo.
@@GamingOffTheGridNintendo Switch 2 should make 8 player local gaming standard. Would be cool if they said FU to this always online, internet gaming age.
I went to the midnight release for the switch at gamestop. My grandma was still alive, I was still in high school. Waited in the cold for like 6 hours & I got away with playing with it in class until the teachers realized the switch existed. I would have the screen hiding behind my chrome book screen & had the joycons in my hands at my sides. Good times. It was my senior year of high school. Now I'm almost 25
This is happening with deliveries too, soon everything will be delivered by Robots. We humans are sociable creatures, without friendships and relationships and general social interaction what happens? We become depressed. Our mental health takes a downturn.
I went to GameStop a few weeks ago to get lords of the fallen for PS5. They only had one copy and it was the deluxe edition for $80. I still bought it, but it was so sad they only had one copy in the whole store. Physical is just not gonna be around anymore.
This is the beginning of the end. The Inevitable. A book that foresaw all this by a futuristic author.
Great point 👍
Don't worry! You know what happens with technology? It eventually craps out, and at the rate they go... They'll run out of resources. "Robo extinction!" Fuck the A.I., and fuck the ones pushing this bullshit!
Maybe it's just Time to Build a Relationship with Yourself... (& Your God, If that's Your Get Down...
I've done midnight releases for games, but my most memorable were for systems. I waited in line for just over 40hrs for the PS3, 25hrs for the 360, and overnight for the Wii. It was so much fun! I was military and took leave for each one, most of the other people at the front of the lines were military too. It was great!
TY for your service to Our Great Nation.
Last midnight release I did was for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. But as for physical games bringing back memories I will always remember original Xbox Halo LAN parties. 4 systems, copies of the game, and 4 TVs in the same house with lots of cat 5 cable connecting them and everyone brings a controller. Great way to get everyone together.
Hell ya! We still hold LAN parties from time to time. Great times indeed. Cheers!
I’m a huge Final Fantasy fan! I remember having my dad take me to EB games at the Rhode Island mall to get Final Fantasy 8 and being so hyped! my dad was never a big gamer but he could tell I was pumped and I just had enough to buy the game. I wanted the strategy guide so bad and couldn’t put it down. He bought me the guide the next dad on his way home from work and surprised me with it and I had a smile from ear to ear!!!!!!! I still have that guide too this day such and awesome memory and game!!!!
I will never forget hooking 4 TVs together and playing 16 player Halo for the first time with a large group of friends. The excitement, people yelling, so much fun as opposed to just playing online. We had a core group that played all the time via LAN and even challenged people from other nearby towns. Some of my best memories, we still talk about it to this day; recalling details from matches and how fun it was.
Hell ya! We still liking having LAN parties. Nothing like it. Cheers!
I remember when I made a line to get my PS2 back in 2000. I was 18 years old. It was great! I met so many people during the line. There were hundreds of people. Best Buy was putting a stamp on people making the line and I was number 8 haha. There were only 100 systems available. I got my system on that day with 2 games. One of them was TimeSplitters 😊 I had great conversations with people on that day. Nowadays it feels like society is becoming anti-social. Most just stay at home hell even work from home. With less and less human interaction and meaningful memories 😔
The internet generation is the worst
I'll never forget the midnight launch of Halo 2. That was an experience its safe to say will never be replicated. It really made gaming a lot more exciting back then.
I agree waiting in line with like minded nerds is always fun. I loved the midnight releases. There are some things I got delivered I'll remember that exciting feeling but it is different
It's way different when it just gets delivered. Still can get really cool things, but it doesn't have the human element! Makes it a lot easier to forget.
I've never gone to a midnight release in my life, so I doubt very much I'm going to miss it.
But I will miss the physical media, as I am a game and movie collector
I worked the Midnight release for Halo 2. It was genuinely one of the most fun times I've ever had, at work or otherwise.
I went to the Tears of the Kingdom midnight launch. I spoke to a few people about games we grew up playing and it was awesome.
Great talk right here. I was literally just discussing this with my old GameStop peeps, reminiscing on the best old launches we had. Black Ops 2, Skyrim, GTA V, etc. And we all definitely miss it. It was a great come-together between the employees and all our loyal regulars and the community. Man, the stories and the memories!! Thumbs up dudes.
Thanks brotha! Hope all is well man!
Even more important is local coop games. We hardly have any local coop games come out anymore, and it's loss can't be understated... So many good memories in the past with couch coop gaming, we are missing out on so much now that they are hardly being made anymore
I remember walking in 12 ft of snow up hill both ways to get to my GameStop for the 360 launch.
Midnight releases are something I truly miss as a gamer. I remember my going to the Halo 2 release with my sister and nephew or the countless Call Of Duty releases. It was pretty awesome that a couple weeks ago my Gamestop called me and said they were doing a midnight release for Spider-Man 2 and Mario Wonder. Now I had no business going out at midnight on a THUR knowing I had to work the next morning but I went just because I thought it was so cool. The feeling I had when I left with my games in hand definitely felt nostalgic and left a smile on my face.
Yes. Halo 2 midnight was awesome. COD releases.were.amazing as well.
I just watched “Insert Coin,” and it occurred to me that there is a parallel in the modern era of games to what the guys making arcade games for Midway/Bally/Williams went through.
When it became apparent that coin-op gaming was dying, it was a sad moment. Console gaming was taking over at the dawn of the PlayStation/N64/Saturn era. Games were forced to evolve.
We are faced with the same kind of thing, today. Digital gaming is rising and physical is dying. Will it die out completely? Who knows? Arcade games are still made, but it isn’t the same. Perhaps we are looking at the same sad moment here.
*Side Note* Kansas City represent! As someone who lives in Kansas City, my ears perked up when you mentioned it. Thanks for the love!
Great city! I'm there quite a bit. Just went to some shows at Knuckleheads a month or so ago. Stayed at the Loew's. It was a great time. Cheers!
I thank you again for hearting my comment about wanting to work with you once I get my new house in Norwalk, and give you a tour of my (eventual) game rooms. I took that as a "Yes", and I will reach out to you professionally sometime next year.
You hit every nail on the head with this video.
I love and miss Midnight releases so much (Dreamcast, PS2, Madden, Resident Evil, etc).
In fact my last Midnight launch I was at was when the Orbis launced on November 15, 2013.
Fuck I feel old, as 2013 was one of the best years of my life, and it was 10 years ago (I am 37).
My life hasn't been very exciting since 2017 (personal matters), so when someone brings up something that happend in say, 2015, I say "Oh yeah, that was just a couple years ago", and then they remind me how long ago it was, I just get kind of sad.
But hopefully that all changes in 2024 when I start living life again
Norwalk Hype!
Real dudes talking real shit. Waiting in lines and sore asses. Y'all are my people. Midwesterners unite (Chicago here). The memories. Can't tell you the last time I had a legitimate impactful game release memory with real people. Hit up Galloping Ghost a lot with my wife and friends. Really thankful it's so close to force everyone into collective in person gaming for multiple hours. If we didn't have that.......Who knows what state of mind Id be in from lack of in person human interaction related to gaming. Bring back boots on the ground! 🤘🤘🤘 Rock on brothers.
Hell ya! Dude Galloping Ghost is off the chain. We went there a couple years back. Was just in Chicago over the summer to see the Pixies and Modest Mouse one night and Beck and Phoenix the other. It was a blast. Cheers!
I definitely remember standing in line at Best Buy for a SNES mini more than my Genesis mini showing up in the mail. But honestly an even stronger memory is sitting on the couch while my wife plays Yoshi’s Island on the SNES mini and my 4 year old daughter holds the second controller trying to do what her mommy is doing. The world is definitely changing but strong social memories are still there to be had.
Hell yeah, iam the first
I don't know if I ever told you? My memory sucks, but I remember I did the Halo 2 midnight back home in Brownland and it was awesome.
Cheers brothas
LOL!!! In "Brownland!"
Great conversation, I never did a midnight release, but definitely bought some games & consoles day one. Appreciate you guys.
Went to the AM release of the snes classic as well. Met up with a buddy of mine, got to talk to a guy around our age who was also finishing up school and was recounting stories of when he managed a game store in the area. You can't recreate those cool memories chatting with people who share the same passions you do without these special releases in person.
I only did 2 midnight release’s during my lifetime. StarCraft 2, and StarCraft 2: expansion pack, and remembering having great time. Moreover, the manager only gave me the promotional poster.
It's awesome you brought up golden eye. I met my wife for the first time in November of 2000. We were at a party where golden eye was the game, and our first interaction was going to get the pizza for the party, rocking to limp bizkit. Cheers boys, keep rocking. 🍻🤘
I have to say I found this channel on a recommendation. People are going to love and hate the content you both put out. Any UA-cam channel is going to get hate if someone doesn’t like the genre/or input from the channel. You both show no glitz, no glamour, and not trying to influence on which way to go about things. Nostalgia, beer, and bring up topics in current events within the gaming hobby. Bias is there because we all have a bias on a topic, one way or another. But you both speak your view on the topic mapping out the why behind your reasoning, and giving other something to think about, that they may not have already. I appreciate the buyer guides, the unpodcasts you do about specific years (2001 and 2002) hit home for me. Keep the good content coming and I look forward to the next beer you show on camera.
The atmosphere of midnight release cannot be beat, its a shame most will never experience such an event.
I remeber my first being Black Ops, and only 12 at the time, I was proper stoked! I cannot thank my mum enough for taking me to these midnight launches. The anticipation building up as you're getting closer to the till and everyone hyping each other up, the social element... it didnt matter how old you were, just that we all had the same passion and intrest.
Damn gaming took a turn in the wrong direction...
HALO 2 midnight release was golden.
I’m 42 years old I remember when the OG Modern Warfare 2 came out it was insane how fun it was to wait at GameStop after work with all the homies talking about the game and just enjoying the experience good times!!!!!
My last all nighter was release day for the Wii. I was 12th in line outside Circuit City in 28 degree weather all night. Store manager came in early with doughnuts for everyone in line. Lucked out since that store only had 15 units!
Wes and Rob are such great people to listen to. They remind me of when I used to grow up watching Machinima, Red vs. Blue, classic IGN, and many more. It sucks that I can't list much of my nostalgia because as you get old you tend to forget, but these guys are here to save the day.
The victory feeling walking out with the snes mini and nes mini was an amazing feeling. I’ll never forget that feeling like yes! I got it baby! Even got my lil bro a snes mini console later on at a different all nighter. It was special feeling getting him one too
You guys really hit the nail on the head with the Human connection aspect. I'm always thinking about this and y'all are the only ones I've seen mention it. It seems like were headed towards a reality where we just click a button and everything comes to us. Conveniance is nice but losing the choice is a bummer. I love going to pick out my own clothes, going to Best Buy and picking out some blu-rays myself and interacting with people. Some of my fondest memories are living through the era when Street Fighter 2 and Mortal Kombat II hit the arcades. The aracdes were insane! Anyways, I'm a little all over the place here, but thanks for the great commentary on this subject.
Had some good memories of going to a Halo 2 Midnight release, either a Rockband or Guitar Hero release, but the best was Wow Burning Crusade and Wow Lich King midnight releases... talking with everyone, getting the physical discs, running home, logging on, and seeing which friends were in game and ready to start questing.
I miss these. I can remember going to a midnight release to get ncaa 06 fb. It was like a party at the GameStop with pizza. I meet so many people that night. I can remember people cheering the cashier on as he bought the games out. Good times.
I remember going to GameStop at 10:30 to stand in line to get a Wii with my friend Plex. We both got one, and I got Zelda!
Hell ya!
Midnight releases are one of my favorite parts of gaming. I remember going to the Halo 3 midnight release back in college and getting to play a bit of the game while I waited. Luckily, my local GameStop still does some midnight releases. The recent midnight releases for Tears of the Kingdom and Super Mario Bros. Wonder/Spider-Man 2 were great times.
Best memory for me is picking up Final Fantasy 7 pre-orders in '97 with my best friend. Next, would be taking my nephew to the midnight release of the original Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3. I wasn't much of a Call of Duty fan, but my nephew was back then, and I loved playing it with him.
The human connection will 100 percent be missed. Closest I've come to the good old days in recent memory was lining up outside Target at 7:45 a.m. to grab a special edition copy of Tears of the Kingdom for my wife's birthday. There were about 30 people lined up, and it was a speed walk race to the electronics desk.
The year before opening our first game store with some friends, I worked at Walmart and ran the midnight sale of the PS2, then after opening up our first game store and up to over a dozen, over the years, I helped oversee midnight sales that had lines of 100 to 200 people! It would be massive events! We had cookouts, game tournaments and more for people in line. Now the first store is a former shell of itself and every other location is shut down but one other. There's a reason, I sold off my part of it in January 2023. It's just not the same anymore. So much that made the job fun is gone because no one really comes in looking for physical media.
God that Halo 3 launch footage takes me back. I did the Halo 2 one at gamestation (rip) in Birmingham UK and got the metal version with the sleeve but I only remember the Halo 3 one for some reason. Was with my mate Rob and he bought the super duper shiny helmet version. Was a great experience chatting to everyone else while waiting. 360 was also the last console I remember getting at launch too. Great video guys and thanks for the nostalgia overload.
What a great video and a great point, something I hadn't considered.
Nothing is better than standing in line waiting for a midnight release of a game.
One of the midnight releases that sticks out in my head is Halo 2. I was in college and standing in line at the GameStop in the mall with other people also excited for the release is something I will never forget. All the worlds problems seem to disappear in that moment. I’m really going to miss that aspect of gaming! Keep up the content gents! Always enjoy your videos!
I remember standing in line, with my brother and many other people, for the release of the original Xbox.
Hell ya! That was an awesome console generation. Gen 6 HYPE!
One of the best memories I had when me and my wife went to a Nintendo event at Best Buy and we were playing a new 3DS game that looked like fun playing with others. We had a blast, but of course there's not much talk about The Legend of Zelda: Triforce Heroes these days which is a shame that it couldn't replicate the magic of The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures on the GameCube.
What's up guys? I was just talking about this on my last podcast episode. I went to Super Mario Bros Wonder release and it was cool to see people come out for the release as well as spiderman 2. Prior to that, the most memorable midninght release was for Nintendo Switch. I waited over 8 hours in line and it was just teenagers in line with me. Super memorable, hella cold! They made us wait outside although the store was open. But I remember this kid that was in front of me had his parents on shifts! lol! I met his mom, dad, and grandmother. I pulled my truck in front of the store and allowed the teenage kids to sit inside and get warm. Took turns holding places in line for each other. It was cool that we were able to bond and get that joy of going in and purchasing the switch. Awesome time! Great video as always guys! Would definitely love to have you guys on the pod for a great discussion. 🍻
My cousin got to go for the COD midnight launch parties for MW2, BO1, MW3, BO2, and Ghosts all steel books. Kid me was so jealous. 😂
Wes, as 6 years olds, my best friend at the time had DKC OG, and I had DKC 2 DKC.
I remember I was obsessed with progressing and had no real scope at the time for the difficulty. I remember my friend always exclaiming that he really didn't like DKC and I think it was cause its so stinking hard!!!! I'm at a save point at 28 minutes in and just cannot beat tree top town!!!!
What a challenge. The point I'm making is that the human interaction is key. What is anything if you can't share it with someone in the flesh!?
God bless guys, never stop.
Great framing of the topic. Emotional imprints make life memorable. That subway bag incident sounds hilarious lol
My most memorable midnight releases were GTA 4&5, Call of Duty MW2, SNES Classic, Resident Evil 4, Mortal Kombat 9, Marvel vs Capcom 3, Street Fighter 4, etc. Those were the good old days of my midnight releases interactions.
not just going to midnight releases but i worked the Gears Judgement, Call of Duty Black Ops 2, a few Maddens and other games midnight releases at best buy and those memories were just so much fun.
I totally agree with you guys.
Midnight launches were a special event that I miss. I remember when street fighter 4 had a Midnight launch and everyone was there and we had a blast just talking about how much we love street fighter since 2 and the memories we had it was awesome connecting with people who had the same passion as I did. I'll never forget that They even had tournaments that day. And fun fact when resident evil 5 came out on the 360 I picked up my daughter from the babysitter and gamestop had an early launch so I had her with me on that day. It was rainy a bit but I had her covered while I held her but she was happy with me getting the game. Damn I miss that. Cheers bros 🍻🍻
It's a good topic. I have so many vivid memories of trips to the arcade and what I was playing there 30 years ago, but can't remember what game I downloaded last week. Something very crucial gets lost when you experience something completely by yourself.
Midnight releases, man takes me back. Once again a spot analysis by the GotG crew! Notable ones for me....I remember standing in line with my cousin for hours to get Majora's Mask on N64. Waited with a crisp Benjamin for Smash Bros. Melee and a used silver GC controller, and me and my college roommate waited forever at Target for COD Black Ops. He got the mega collectors bundle for 360 and I just got the game for PS3. Several others as well. Cheers
You guys really know how to hit me in the old nostalgia nuggets, boys. I love these videos in which you guys wax nostalgic. Cheers
Went to a midnight launch for Mario Wonder and Spider-Man 2. It was dope🔥
My local new/used gamestore still does them. They have a sit down gaming room for card games etc. and invite people to come hang out bring their switch or their cards and play/mingle while they wait. having one tonight for Super Mario RPG for the switch. Two Dudes Gaming in Elizabethton TN.
Oh, hell yeah! My buddy and I did the SNES classic release at Walmart. We had been friends for years, but didn't plan on meeting there and really didn't know we both had a passion for collecting video games. Our friendship got better and we are now hunting for games together. We are in Kansas City. Our city is awesome and so are our record stores. Hope to see you at KC Retro Gaming Swap on Dec 2-3.
I vividly remember standing in line for the midnight release of the PlayStation 2. It was raining and had to wait in the rain 🌧️ for my system. I thankfully got one. I didn't have time to grab any games that night though. They were pushing people in and out of the store to keep the line moving. But happy memories 😊😊
😂😂 Bro, I've been part of a drive-by sub attack, didn't think anyone else was subject to that lmao
Awesome vid, as usual
LOL!!!!! Every time that story comes up I lose it :)
If you guys come back up to Seattle I want to buy you some beers! Cheers!
Keep up these topics. It’s a constant conversation between my old gaming buddies and I shout up to the clouds myself with my kids about this. Thank you guys for the great content.
A lot of great points as always.
I've never gone to a midnight release, but I wait in line with a lot of people at my thrift store every Tuesday. I've actually made some great friends and memories that way. And I love just looking through my collection and remembering the day I got things and conversations I had that day.
Sure I can buy something on eBay and share a picture of it on Facebook, but it's just not as memorable as it would be if I found something cool while out with friends.
Awesome video as always guys!
Loved that you said Madden. For me though it was always NCAA Football on the PS2. Those were the days!
I'm glad you guys put up Silk Worm. It's one of those hard NES games. No one seem to mention it.
It's definitely a hidden gem on the console. So fun co-op. But the back end of that game ain't playin bro. It will rip your ass apart lol. Cheers!
LFFFFG. Like the focus on some meta stuff/industry talk as well as the retro content
Midnight releases are a blast. The last one we did was for Zelda TotK; our GameStop had raffles and gave out promo pieces for the game. There were cosplayers on hand. It's just great being with your peeps vibing about what you all love together.
Absolutely agree that it's all about the human element. It's like with conventions; that's what we love so much about them, the chance to hang out with people...when they're not too busy trying to make money and head back home. 😉🤭😆
Events are exactly the trigger. I can remember the arcades I played in. I remember the people I met. I can even tell you the years (if not the months) that games were released because I lived it. All of this is huge.
With the modern/digital world, all this is sanitized. When every release and experience is the same, people have less to bond over. That's why you gotta host your own LAN parties if not retro parties. Get people together. This is what will build memories that last.
I was born in 2000, I remember I had some friends go to the midnight release for Modern Warfare 3 and Halo 4, and I thought that was so cool. My first midnight release was Pokémon X and Y at GameStop, and there was easily 150+ people waiting outside, and the line went around the building. After that I didn’t go to another midnight release until Super Mario Odyssey in 2017, and after that I went to Pokémon Let’s Go in 2018, and then Pokémon Sword in Shield in 2019. It was easier then because I was in college but still a blast. The last midnight release I went to was for the Animal Crossing New Horizons special edition switch at Walmart in March of 2020. It was me and my partner, and then 3 other people behind me in line. I still remember standing in line and then getting the notification that Michigan schools were closing because of covid, and everything changed after that… crazy times
drive by subing 🤣🤣 the randomness is awesome, I'd have fallen on the ground from laughter!
Bro it was so random and hilarious! Robert's calm, confused reaction was the best part LOL!
Rdr2 was the last I went to. Brought my 4 year old to game stop after school to pick up super Mario wonder to give her a memory even though it wasn't at midnight.
I still go to midnight releases if my local GameStop offers them for certain games.Tears of the kingdom was a fun one a HUGE showing. But all the other recent releases not too many people were in line.
one other thing about a bad thing about physical media going away which people dont really talk about is dvd menus man they could be awesome i remember ones like finding nemo the toy story series snow white over the hedge Pinocchio i will never forget about those even the Disney sneak peeks menu was awesome i know it was not the thing you guys were talking about but i feel like thats something people should talk about more
First off, I love the show. We are seeing a generation shift. I am 40. I recall standing in line at E.B. Games or popping into Toys’R’Us the next day to get my power scope (which sucked lol) or standing in line waiting to get my Xbox 360. We are getting old and time is going by. Enjoy the ride and share them with your family. They will remember them, just like we are doing now. Cheers and tight controllers.
spot on. i have tons of memories tied to a trip to the game store with friends to browse and buy ps1+2 games, going to the music shop buying new cd's. have no memories at all tied to buying a digital game.
Great vlog guys. I think the pandemic has also changed the way in how we interact in more recent times. You mentioned going to the theatre/cinema to catch a movie, the experience now is much different than say 5 years ago. I find cinemas are no longer full to capacity on new releases. Going to the cinema in the 80s/90s was v exciting, maybe because i was much younger, but i don't think kids today talk about going to watch a new film release like we did. Back then, you had to wait months before that film at the cinema was rentable on VHS, and then maybe a year or two before it was aired on terrestrial TV. Paying for the convenience and for instant gratification is deemed preferable than the anticipation of waiting in line with friends...while being whacked by a food bag :)
I wanted to say that I hope before the game companies and movie companies get everyone conditioned and trained to not own anything and have just long term rental movies and games that we consumers wake up and realize that these companies are expecting people to be blinded by the supposed ease and convenience that digital media brings to be able to tell us consumers what movies and TV shows to watch and what games to play and how long you will be able to watch the video or play the game. I really hope people realize cause once it is totally implemented it will be very hard to go back if at all. I really do think that if it does happen that within 5 years I think people will realize what they gave up for the sake of convenience and try to get things back but by then it will be to late.
Making it an event makes something stand out from the ordinary.
When you have a shared experience with other people and there are multiple triggers to help bring back that memory.
I went to the midnight release at a local store for twilight princess. I didn't pick up the game but I knew there wasn't going to be a lot of releases like this so I wanted to support it and have some fun.
I love midnight released due to the conversations and funny moments that always happens. Also there tends to be a wholesome event moments like we all sharing food and drinks talking about stuff and waiting for the fun. I remember many midnight events like the PlayStation4, Nintendo Switch, Super Nintendo Mini I missed out on the PlayStation 3 one but was surprised when my brother came home after with a PlayStation 3. Also from my experience me and the other gamers always protected each others stuff and we were there to call out any issues for the safety of each other and call out scammers or people there to do some weird stuff. Even though many times we meet each other the first time right then and there we all had fun and connected and those mid night events are some I hope many gamers new and old continue to have going forward. Cool video. ^_^
Love it! Love the channel. Thanks guys
I was there for the midnight release of the PS2 at Software Etc.. I had mine fully pre-paid off from my first part time job in high school, so I was guaranteed a console, but I still had to wait in line to get it and to buy accessories and games. The guy in front of me had a Matrix-style trench coat on and was there with his mom. He took so long to check out (two lines there) that I ended up getting the very last memory card along with my PS2 and Smuggler's Run. I had to go to class the next day, so I just played for an hour or so when I got home that night.
I remember in 2011, in fact 11/11/11 when Skyrim was released at Gamestop at midnight me and my buddy Freddy lived about a mile and a half from the local Gamestop(which was so nice by the way) and it was a nice cold November night, and we walked to Gamestop to get our copy and it was an extremely memorable moment, it was like we were going on this grand adventure to pick up this relic that would bring grand adventure, and the excitement was through the roof!!! Once we got to Gamestop there were hundreds of people inside the store in about 50 to 100 waiting in line outside to get in the store and so we had to wait for about 30 to 45 minutes just to make it into the store to wait another 15 to 30… but it was so cool, people were talking about what they were going to do first and who is going to be highest level, etc. and I’ll never forget it. I remember this guy picking up his copy and as he was walking out the door he said “you’ll be doing what? Oh that’s right I’ll already be way higher level by the time you get home-“ and he said that to one of his friends that he knew that was in the back of the line, and he had just got his copy and raised it in the air, as if he had just won some grand victory, and then made his statement and everybody laughed!
Part of the reason, I think that the future sucks so bad, and is going to suck, even worse, is due to the fact of who is in charge of making important decisions, and who is running things …
This is what happens when evil and immoral people get into places of power and influence, everything sucks as a result-
Never forget a midnight release of GTAIV. It was a party, everyone talking about the games. Some partied at the bar across the street, waiting for the line go down. Good times!!!
I do miss the atmosphere of those gaming stores in the 90s and early 2000s. Last game I went to the midnight release for was Madden 08. My friends and I all met at Walmart. Which was 2007. Just 2 years out of High school.
You guys hit the nail on the head with this video.
I miss midnight releases. A few of them were with friends that are no longer here, so I definitely hold them in a special place. GTA V was the last one we went too before my friend passed
I use to work at a Walmart electronics department. I usually worked until 11, so I would prep everything for midnight releases, go to my girlfriends house (now my wife), then we'd come back and get in line. I remember the Guitar Hero 3 release. I probably played until 3 am.
New 3ds xl release was the last big physical release for me. My buddies and I all all took off a Friday and had beers and played majoras mask and monster hunter 4. I miss the days of physical releases being events worth gathering for.
I never did a midnight release, when I was in my 20s (mid-1990s to mid-2000s), I lived in a small town outside Montreal that didn't really have the sorts of stores that would be open at midnight to sell games. I probably would have to have driven all of the way to Pointe-Claire (the closest Montreal suburb that had those sort of stores like Best Buy and Future Shop) to have experienced a midnight release but I didn't have a car.
Ironically, I did walk to the local Blockbuster quite often just before they closed at midnight to rent games and movies..
I remember when I was growing up I was at my friends house and me him and another friend were playing Super Mario bros on the NES. That was a long time ago. After that my mom got us a NES and the family would come together and play different games on it. You are right we are losing the connection with people we care about and that's sad. I miss hanging out with my friends playing video games. Those were good times.
Went to a midnight release for Spider man 2. It was nostalgic going to something like that...havent done that for a good while...like maybe since the PS3 era. Y'all are absolutely right...having conversations with other gamers there and just to chop it up was cool.
I can only remember going to one midnight release as a consumer: Halo 2. Still got my copy to this day actually. It was at a Software Etc. in my local mall, the line was crazy. When it was my turn, the employee asked "regular or collector edition?" and I told him regular, since that's what I paid for, but he gave me the steelbook collector edition. I was just like "alright, cool" and went home after to play for a few hours into the night. The next morning I just skipped class and played the campaign all day. The day after I did some local LAN stuff in my buddy's dorm. Fun times.
Later on, I had to work a few releases at Best Buy in the early 2010s. Thankfully those weren't anything too crazy, usually only taking like half an hour or so till everyone got their games and we could close up. There was never anywhere close to the volume of the og midnight releases like that Halo 2 one, I'd say at most 20ish people, but then again people didn't really associate BBY with this stuff since it was relatively new for the company at that point. And we still had a Gamestop in the mall at the time (my Best Buy was an anchor at that mall) so they generally had more of the reservations.
These days, all of those stores are gone from the mall.
Dude I love these stories. This exactly what we're talking about. You have very specific memories tied to that release. I bet had you just downloaded the game you wouldn't have this level of recollection.
@@GamingOffTheGrid Well I can tell ya that I can only remember little things about the midnight releases as an employee... I wanted to be clocked out so I could go to the bar or smoke with coworkers, but the extra money helped. I remember things like the ridiculous CoD remote controlled car and night vision, or the Fallout PipBoy, but that's about it.
But that's a good point about life experiences. I'll never forget the week I spent in Vegas for the SEMA trade show. Particularly the first night Monday was Halloween... that was wild. And a stupid fancy dinner later in the week on the night the Cubs broke their curse and won the World Series.
You guys always have topics for the gamers not some fake switch 2 news or the like. Keep it up 👍🏻
Midnight releases with the Bois were awesome. I miss those days.
I was old enough to remember midnight console launches and I always wanted to go, but never purchased on day one. I did want to go to the midnight launch of Halo 2 and play all night, but just had it delivered on day 1, which I regret not just going out the night before. Good memories of that time.
I use to do them when I was younger and they were so much fun. The last one I did was the original psvr at a wal mart and there was 3 other guys there. Not the same
I remember going to a midnight release for the Wii. I lucked out and got the last one just ahead of a young kid and his dad a week before Christmas. I almost gave in and let him have it but im an asshole so....😂
😂!!!!! Love this story!
GREAT VIDEO!!!! As an old school gamer (since the 1970's), corporate is trying to turn humans into robots!! All digital is like dipping an onion in carmel, selling it as a candy apple!!
I remember rushing to the mall during my lunch break. Waiting on line to get the snes classic at GameStop when they opened at 10 am. Literally made it to work with a minute to spare. But I got the console. My boss was stoked for me. It was my only purchase b4 Black Friday that year.
Speaking of KC, I'm a chiefs fan, and drove to KC from Charlotte for the parade. Plenty of stops along the way, but my favorite was a game store called Rock 'n Sports Entertainment that is about 30-40 minutes out of the way. Curious if either of you stopped there during your trip.
I did a few midnight releases. I waited for Gran Turismo 4 and Mass Effect 2 at a local gamestop. I recall I was the ONLY one picking up the PC version.
Future generations simply wont know better because they never experienced human interaction via video games like us in the 30s to early 50s. So far, the only company that is trying to keep the human interaction is Nintendo.
I'm glad Nintendo is somewhat keeping it alive! Still releasing games that support local co-op. Hopefully they don't loose that with the next console
@@GamingOffTheGridNintendo Switch 2 should make 8 player local gaming standard. Would be cool if they said FU to this always online, internet gaming age.
I went to the midnight release for the switch at gamestop. My grandma was still alive, I was still in high school. Waited in the cold for like 6 hours & I got away with playing with it in class until the teachers realized the switch existed. I would have the screen hiding behind my chrome book screen & had the joycons in my hands at my sides. Good times. It was my senior year of high school. Now I'm almost 25
What an awesome story! That is a memory you will never forget. Those types of things are slowly disappearing
@@GamingOffTheGrid sadly yeah. I hope they do a midnight release for the switch successor