Why Do Gamers Insist On Getting Games On Midnight?

[Jodah]

If it fits with your sleep schedule it's not an issue, and if my Steam/Skype friends list is anything to go by a damn lot of gamers are nocturnal.

First response and we have a winner. For some people it fits their schedule. For others they will plan around it and take a nap during the day.

And then there's your classic Insomniac Gamer who can stay up as late as they want so long as they're playing a game they enjoy.

That too.

The only midnight launch I've been to is Skyrim and that was because some friends were going and the store I preordered at doesn't normally open til 9am.

 

[T_ConX]

I've never done a midnight launch. I assume it's my fellow college students who are willing to miss a day of classes just so they can spend the whole day playing a new video game.

That, and maybe some 'professionals' who plan on calling in sick the next morning.

Me? Maybe someday I'll be so inclined to use a few vacation days to give myself a 6 day weekend trip to NEW VIDEO GAME LAND!

 

[RaikuFA]

Cause I get it, wake up the next morn make breakfast eat then play uninnterupted.

Plus,midnight releases are faster than going in the day, least in my store.

 

[CrazyCapnMorgan]

Because that is my choice? Because life is short enough NOT to waste time? Because my sleep schedule and monetary means allow me to do so?

Pick any one of those, if you so choose, or make another reason on your own.

To address the OP's title: I'm not sure it's a matter of insistance, rather it is a matter of being yourself. Some people choose to do such things, others...might choose otherwise.

To quote Champion Alder from Pokemon White/Black: "You might have a different view than me, but so be it!"

 

[ResonanceSD]

Why do movie fans line up to see the midnight release? Because they want to!! =D

 

[Cain_Zeros]

With a highly anticipated release there's no guarantee there'll be any by the time you get around to getting it if you don't go at midnight. Especially in smaller towns where they don't get as many copies in the first place.

 

[Fijiman]

It's because some people want to be able to play the game before any/most of their friends do.

The only two reasons you would see me at a midnight release are either I work at the place doing the midnight release and am obliged to be at the store at that time or because I had a major part in making said game. Neither of these is very likely, therefor the chances of me being at a midnight release are pretty bad.

 

[Joccaren]

Because I am normally awake till 3am, and and my 'morning' wakeup is at 2pm. As such, why not get it at midnight and play it? Not doing me more harm than anything else at that time really would.

 

[Bravo 21]

The same reason that I was at the theater at 8pm for the screening of the final Harry Potter Movie, sometimes it's just part of the experience. (totally worth it imo)

 

[Rumpsteak]

Well for me it's a hold over from the times when not going at midnight meant you may not get a copy. I haven't done that in a number of years though, not since I moved mostly to digital copies.

 

[dystopiaINC]

for me, i stay up late any way usualy not sleeping until after 1am on a night before classes. but if i have no obligations the next day i can stay up till 3-5am and sleep till noon.

beside most game releases are on Tuesday. Tuesday is the day my car owning family members happen to work until late at night. so i have to wait until i get a car which can easily be after 8pm. not worth it if i have a care and the power to go to the midnight, pick it up go to bed and then play it when i'm free the next day... it's just more convenient.

besides the games stop i pre-order from does things pretty quick, i was near the end of the MW3 only took 11min to get the game... and that line had to be but 200 people long.

just went to the ME3 midnight was about half way in line. Got it in 3 min flat. 12:04 i was already in the car pulling out, by 12:10 i was home and unboxing my new collectors edition of ME3

 

[Soviet Steve]

No clue, seeing how games are released broken on launch in 7 out of 10 cases these days it makes the most sense to wait a few years after release with buying something, by then the price might've dropped 95% as well.

 

[ZeroMachine]

I do it because I love talking with people before hand and discussing our expectations and any experience with previous games in the series/demos.

And I want to play it now.

Excuse me while I go play Mass Effect 3.

 

[Launcelot111]

I went to get Skyrim at midnight on a whim, and I went with my old roommate after I persuaded him to go pick up his copy of Brawl at midnight. Both times it was kind of a mistake in terms of the crowds and atmosphere and general realization that I'm at a Gamestop in the middle of the night, but at the same time, that first round of playing something you were looking forward to late into the night is a rare and usually excellent experience for me

 

[El Dwarfio]

I mean, won't you be tired once you get home? Why don't you save your energy and get in the morning? The game will still be available most likely tommorow anyways. I mean, I've gotten Skyrim and Duke Nukem Forever at midnight, and the next day, I didn't have the energy to play it. Maybe it's just me. Also, it's not like you usually get something for going at midnight.

I didn't realise they did. I certainly don't. Does that mean I'm no longer a gamer anymore?

 

[HardRockSamurai]

I think it's simply because gamers are very passionate about their hobby, more so than most communities. We're extremely demanding, but also extremely loyal; and it's thanks to this eagerness that developers have pushed video games to as far as they are today, and in just a few short decades too.

So yeah, I'm not surprised that gamers would wait until midnight to pick up a new game; for the same reason that football fans tailgate the games of their favorite teams, and start riots if they lose.

 

[scar_47]

Because theres no reason to wait a few more hours, they usually work with my schedule since tuesdays my off day and I'm a night owl so I'm going to be up I might as well go pick up the game. I understand it doesn't really work for some people but neither do midnight movie showing it's all about catering to your customers, because lets face it people are incredibly impatient.

 

[Sandjube]

Why Do People Insist On Capitalising The First Letter Of Every Single Word?

Such a pet peeve =/

OT: I haven't. I literally don't use retailers ever anymore, and I never did that when I DID, so yeah. As for why other people do it, well, I guess everyone here has already said why.

 

[Lucane]

1.Usually up anyways
2.A lot less traffic late at night than middle of the day
3.Everyone knows what they want "BEFORE" they even walk in the door so no pesky walk-ins asking the cashier "what's this" and "how's that work?"
4.If it's for one to three games(best odds if you want over 50% of them) that night you can strike up a conversation with a random stranger and/or maybe find a fellow player to team up with online if your on the same system(s)

It has plenty of benefits if you can manage the part of going out at midnight same thing with Midnight movie times at theatres to see it with people who are not likely "just showing up" not that only true fans show up for 1st or never at all but you're highly unlikely to meet someone who's barely interested in it.
[sub]...Unless they're vampires. [/sub]

 

[JoesshittyOs]

It's 1 in the morning over here. I'm not falling asleep till 5 in the morning. And I have class a few hours after that.

It doesn't matter what my schedule is, even if I have to wake up at six in the morning. I don't sleep at night. I'm nocturnal. Even if I force my sleep schedule to change (I spent a whole month staying awake through days in order to try and get it back on track), it won't change.

If I didn't have this paper to do, I might have even gone to the midnight launch as well.