Shops opening early Thurs for Halo 2 ?

[Rushy]

It seems that both the Gamestation and Game are now both doing a Midnight opening in the Mancester Arnedale due to public demand.

[Mr Ono]

I'll likely pop into GS on my way to work then.

[superkully]

Ach... shag it - Marklar, I'll be there midnight probably spit-roasting a small geek err... wearing my home-made Halo armour and speaking Klingon...

[chopemon]

apparently my local game is opening at midnight

i'm heading down there for midnight and then off home for 2 days booked off work

i used to work at the derby game and on sunday the staff (and myself) are having one of our semi regular halo parties for 12 player goodness

[DjSatansfury]

My GAME store is opening, however i shall not be working this one, as i cannot get in Ah well

[Kotatsu Neko]

You could say the same thing about midnight film openings, or early album launches though, couldn't you?

If the content is worth it to some people, then they will be there.

Why not just wait until the next morning? Are people really THAT desperate to play a game that they can't wait 8 or 9 hours... I mean, come on, it's a game for christ's sake! And it will be the same game in the morning...

Star Wars geeks lining up for months isn't a good thing. Rather than say to the world 'hey we're normal guys who like movies!', most people just shake their heads in disbelief.

Obsessive fans will always do obsessive things I guess.

Me, I have Halo 2 LE on pre-order with Amazon UK. When it pops through the letterbox, then I will play.

[TommyG]

Because believe it or not my friend people get excited when a new game comes out, especially one such as Halo 2, which fans of the original have been waiting a long time for.

There's nothing wrong with wanting to play an anticipated game 9 hours earlier. You?re making out as if it's wrong to do so. Which in my eyes, shows you as being narrow minded and unable to see and understand why such people want to play this game as soon as possible. This is a games forum. We love games. It?s one of the xbox biggest games to come out, the sequel to it?s system seller. I?m 26 and I still get just as excited today as when I first got Street Fighter 2 Jap on the SNES. So as Donnie Brasco said: ****ing Forget about it.

[Soi]

Well said Tommy G. There is nothing strange about being excited about a new game. And there nothing to be ashamed about wanting to play a new game as early as possible. Going to a midnight opening is a bit indulgent, but **** it -if it makes people happy then let them do it.

I, for one, will be hoping to blag a copy from an indie well before midnight Wednesday. If I don't manage that I'll be in a local shop bright and early Thursday morning.

[Pikman]

I still haven't got around to pre-ordering this yet, will the PAL version run just as well as the NTSC version on a chipped NTSC Xbox?

If so I'll pick one up on Thursday.

[weightgain]

Because believe it or not my friend people get excited when a new game comes out, especially one such as Halo 2, which fans of the original have been waiting a long time for.

There's nothing wrong with wanting to play an anticipated game 9 hours earlier. You?re making out as if it's wrong to do so. Which in my eyes, shows you as being narrow minded and unable to see and understand why such people want to play this game as soon as possible. This is a games forum. We love games. It?s one of the xbox biggest games to come out, the sequel to it?s system seller. I?m 26 and I still get just as excited today as when I first got Street Fighter 2 Jap on the SNES. So as Donnie Brasco said: ****ing Forget about it.

Amen dude

[Lyris]

Who gives a crap if it's sad or not? I thought most gamers aren't exactly the prime example of the kind of people who bother about what other people think of them anyway.

[Concept]

Why not just wait until the next morning?

Again, you could apply that question to any entertainment midnight opening.

it's a game for christ's sake! And it will be the same game in the morning...

I think you're reading something which isn't there or you either may believe I have stated that I'm going to Halo 2's midnight opening. As I've already said, the GAME in my town opens at 8am, which I shall attend at that time. However, if it opened earlier than I'd go, just as I would for any other of this year's high profile releases that I'm in particular looking forward to.

I'm a gamer and I feel passionately about the medium. Just as a film buff may be excited about seeing the next Charlie Kaufman script in action as quickly as they could, or an epic such as Return of the King, if I have the chance to divulge myself in a slice of escapism that I'm anticipating at an early opportunity, then I will do.

Just a game.

Now what I'm about to say isn't aimed at you, but more the context with which I've often seen this type of phrase used.

It's a sentiment that bothers me somewhat if used to contrast what videogames have to offer against other entertainment forms. I don't understand why a particular growing number of gamers feel the need to constantly play safe all the time, and continually downplay what the medium has to offer - As if they're just throw away disposable items which are relatively worthless in relation to apparently 'worthy' cultural artifacts.

This is something I happen to disagree with.

I don't believe there's any need to enter into a pissing contest either, and in my opinion it seems somewhat contradictory that people who supposedly care about gaming feel the need to continually belittle it in contrast with other things. It's that form of inward dismissive negativity from those deeply involved with gaming, that made me quickly grow tired of the RedEye column in Edge.

Often it was less of a celebration and more of a play-it-cool critique.

[bignige]

If recent Asda form is anything to go by, they'll be selling Halo 2 Wednesday on the stroke of midnight. (They did it with GTA & it only cost ?29.99)

[EvilBoris]

my local chips store is opening at 10, deathmatching til 12 then selling them

[Chadruharazzeb]

From a personal POV, I'm bemused as to why someone would need a game a few hours before most other folk. And I'm not talking "I import so I get the game months before", this is camping outside a shop so you can get it hours before. I've been gaming for over 20 years, I've got games I'm gagging for like everyone else, but I can't say I'd ever feel the need to crash in a sleeping bag outside a shop just so I can beat the postman by five hours (which is all you'd be doing if you'd ordered online). It's just fanatical. And people moan about fanboy-ism; there's no better example of it than this.