Alright I went to the Halo 4 midnight launch, and I was incredibly excited to get the game. I was jumping around and shouting and whatnot, and everyone else was as still as can be, just staring at my lunacy. Lol I still had a lot of fun, but since this was my first midnight launch for a game ever I thought people would be as excited as I was. Is this how most midnight launches are? I recorded some video of it here www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3QqcbBC8UI
Hmm....I've only been to one midnight release (Halo 2). There was some revelry, but kind of was like your experience. Dang, what a bunch of boring badgers---even quiet me would cheer for a Chief costume! Better luck next time.
I was doing the same thing, it was kinda gloomy until some guy dressed as The Chief walked around making terrible Halo puns, im not kidding, I hated that my phone ran out of battery.
The only midnight release I went to was for Halo 3 and it was pretty rowdy. Especially when the GameStop started up the tournament for a free Halo 3 game. It's too bad I came in second place :(
I went to the midnight release of Halo ODST in Portland Oregon; and I would have to say that that midnight launch was the saddest thing I have ever seen. I mean the poor people that were running it from the store were trying their best to have a good time, but with the torrential downpour and unimpressed melancholic people. It didn't stand a chance.
I missed out on the Halo midnight launches, but the ones I went to last year were Battlefield 3, CoD: MW3, and Saints Row: the Third. I did not see any one extremely happy, but there were a crap ton of people for BF3 and MW3. I got all dressed up for Saints Row, but there was little people even there and not there for Saints Row :[
This Halo 4 midnight launch here in Austin was the first one I ever went to, and I had a blast just hanging out with friends, and everyone in line seemed really enthusiastic. Adam Grumbo recorded a video of the launch here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VwW1dzg3DI
Of course, I think it's always going to depend on where/what launch you go to. I've heard that midnight releases are never really that exciting as you described. Hopefully next time people are as pumped as you are! And if not, you can always have fun just waiting in line and chatting with buddies. :)
It probably has a lot to do with the people you go with. I ended up going to the AC3 midnight launch since I had never been to one before and it was also kind of depressing to be there because of the crowd. They had some sort of raffle to win a life size Connor statue and some kid won it so every guy in the 18 and up age bracket spent the entire time bitching and moaning about it. It was like seeing the bad online community in the real world.
I used to go to them all the time. Had a lot of fun just shooting the shit with people interested in the same things I was. But then I got a job and a girlfriend and all that. No I just pick whatever game it is up asap and avoid the internet like the plague for spoilers.
I work at Gamestop and my store's midnights are always nuts. Its a shame you had a poor launch, we do try and get people to feel excited about the game that is coming out. Perhaps it was the group that was there. Hope you enjoy Halo 4 as much as I do and hopefully your next launch is better if you go again.
I made cupcakes for the last midnight release I went to. People were more excited about free food than they were about the game, but I couldn't blame them. It was late at night and cold. You could tell a lot of people didn't even have a chance to change out of their work clothes before showing up.
Not to mention a lot of them were socially awkward nerds.
I guess my midnight launch experience is more of the norm than the highly energetic one I expected. Ah well, I had fun and the game is great so I couldn't be happier!
After working for a major electronics retailer for a long time, I decided I'd never go to one unless I was not alone or part of a fun group. The midnight releases and holiday camp-outs that I witnessed were generally unfriendly and adversarial at best. I'm hoping something changes my perception of these at some point... heh
I would say that just because it's a midnight release doesn't mean people will be going crazy. I went to one at my local gamestop and there was a lot of people but since there were no events planned besides releasing the game at midnight everyone was very chill.
