The Line As We Approach Launch |
I pulled up to
Gamestop last night just after 10:15 PM to see about fifteen people milling around outside the store. After fumbling with my bikelock in the 46 degree weather for a few minutes, I finally joined the crowd and jumped in on my first discussion, QQing about Retribution Paladins and how badly they need to be nerfed. Not that anyone would care two hours from now, when they are home and installing Wrath of the Lich King.
The kind employees at Gamestop invited all the fans in while they began processing last minute transactions. Thankfully, the Philadelphia midnight launch did not have any
credit card problems. After the first batch of purchasers completed their transactions and the murmurs grew louder, I loudly introduced myself to grab their attention for a highly unscientific poll. “Who thinks the servers will be playable in the next 24 hours?!” I asked.
A few hands went up, but the general consensus was that lag, stability and over population (queues) would cause issues for many players. A few players told me that this thinking was exactly the reason they decided to attend the midnight release. They figured they would have the servers to themselves for a handful of uninterrupted, non-laggy hours to get ahead of the curve. As of press, my server (an original server) is still fine, although there are reports of trouble out there.
After we had warmed up and purchased our copies, the kindly employees threw us out into the cold again (“Line up outside if you want to get Wrath”). As the line grew, passersby asked us what the hell we were in line for. Being the angst-filled, impatient, basement-dwelling gamers that we are, we made stuff up. Halo 4, Gears of War 3, Grand Theft Auto 5, free STD tests, and a few others that I can't print. I also heard a few other items of pure gold while in the chilly air:
- Question: “What do you call a gnome escaping from Alcatraz? A small medium at large.” (Player)
- “Aren't you too old to be waiting in line for a video game?” (An old lady after I told her what we were in line for while taking the picture).
- “All right you little warlords, up against the wall if you want the game.” (The cop helping out with crowd control).
These fellows demanded that they be put on the interwebs since they were in the front. Thanks to Patrick Mulhern for the pics! |
The line ended up extended well around the corner by 11:30 PM, with every copy the store received reserved and paid in full. By 12:30 the line had been cut in half, with the second purchaser sprinting out of the store, game in hand, as he shouted something like 'I'll be the first to 80, bitches!' He was running so fast that I couldn't hear him clearly. Needless to say, he was excited. By 1:00 AM the line was gone, but the employees were still cleaning up in the store. Sorry guys.
How did your midnight releases go? We didn't have a single cosplayer!
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