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.