I’m younger than you might guess. I was only 12 years old as I was saving up for the launch of Nintendo Wii.
I had never been more excited for a video game console, and I was literally counting down the days. On my wall calendar, I flipped forward to November 19th, 2006 and wrote “WII DAY” in big marker. I then proceeded to work backward and mark a countdown on each preceding day, up into the 60s!
Many families lucky enough to locate a Wii on store shelves would get to open their shiny new system for Christmas that year, but that wouldn’t do for me. As a 12 year old, I performed every extra chore I could find until a stack of $500 ensured I could buy the console and whatever games and accessories I wanted, on launch day.
Ever since then, I’ve been hooked on getting my games the day they come out.
Release date announcements go straight into my Google Calendar (sadly, I no longer hang a physical one on my wall) and I receive reminders as the launch comes nearer.
Whenever Nintendo launches a new title, you can find me at the store either at a midnight launch, or right when I get off work.
It’s an event. Every time.
But why—why is it so important to me that I experience new games on the first day? Wouldn’t it be smarter to wait and read some reviews? Delaying my purchase even longer could land me a discount.
The game industry moves fast. Conversations online quickly turn to the latest and greatest, so participating in gaming communities is easier when you’re up to speed.
There’s also a heavy dose of excitement that comes with being an early adopter. You get to go into a brand new, creative piece of art before it’s talked about like common knowledge on podcasts or had its surprises spoiled in YouTube thumbnails (our channel doesn’t do that, by the way).
It’s fun to be on the cutting edge. Sure, you get cut every once in awhile, but the thrill is worth it.
Scott
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I usually get my games in the mail these days, but getting them on launch day any which way is exciting. Glad I could make some awesome memories for the Switch launch.
I’ve gotten every Nintendo system @ launch since the GBA… I fondly remember getting my purple GameCube on day 1, along with Rogue Leader. It looked like a movie and the controller was like something from another world. ? Wii U was the exception, I didn’t get that until a few months after it came out, mainly because its launch games didn’t excite me one bit. Most games I buy digitally these days, with some exceptions now and then, which make them extra special. :]
The only console I have ever bought on launch was the Sega Dreamcast. I have bought a number of games on launch day though.
I think the appeal is there is a lot of excitement and optimism around the launch of a new video game platform. In the case of a Sega fan like myself, it was the promise of a fully 3D Sonic game (that was actually really good!) and erasing the disappointment of the Sega Saturn with a system that was advanced and sleek.
A lot of comparisons can be made with the Switch, coming out of the Wii U days. The sheer form factor of it was different and innovative, and exciting. The Zelda game that came with it was good enough to make the launch a frenzy.
In my case, I get consoles near launch because I am a fan of their product. I love the games the put out for them, and I am hopeful for the future. And, its just kind of cool to be one of the first ones to have something that everyone in the industry is talking about. A big console launch of standing in line with fellow fans and having a blast and making it an event is something that only happens once every few years. In Nintendo’s case, there is just something fun and magical about being in a group of other fans and awaiting the launch of a new game or console – we tend to be a fun and friendly group of people who understand what it’s like to be a Pokemon fan or a Smash Bros fan, even as many of us are full grown adults.