Have you ever gone to a midnight release event for a video game or video game console?

Just once for the switch for my son. He still has that switch but says it’s on its last legs.

Yes, but it was totally by 'accident'. The year is 2000. I'm working in a small town in Indiana, not far from Indianapolis. Early, early in the morning of March 4th, I get a call. I have to go in and attend the c-section delivery of a baby (I used to have to do that shit back then, haven't for 20 years now). So around 2:30 I get up, get dressed in scrubs, and drive to the hospital. Attend the birth. Examine the baby, do admission orders. Nothing out of the ordinary. Then I drive back home. It's a little after 4, I think. It's the morning of the PS2 launch. I had decided I would get one eventually. No pre-order or anything like that. Well, I drive by the still-closed Wal-Mart, and see like 3 or 4 people in line out front. I think "I know why they're there". Then I think : Well, I'm up already, I'm here. Might as well get one today. So I park, line up 4th or 5th in line. Store opens at 5, I think. I'm in, grab a PS2, I think I must have gotten a game as well? (Looking at the launch titles, maybe SSX. I did get Smuggler's Run but pretty sure that was an online purchase) Then I drive home and sleep for maybe an hour before getting back up and going to work. Totally unplanned, but worked out well for me.

Last two; Xbox 360 and Wii, and neither were midnight launches but early am business hours. The 360 was easy enough. My dad had a business account at Sam's Club which opens early for business owners. Got there about 6 am and nabbed one. Easy peasy.

The Wii was another matter. Got to Target about 7pm the night before and camped out for their 8am opening. It was about 30 degrees outside. It was miserable. No more camping after that.

*edit - Forgot one, the Halo 3 cat helmet launch. That one was pretty fun.

A few times at least. When Batman: Arkham City released we had a GameStop in town and they were doing a launch party. I had my deluxe edition pre-ordered for Xbox 360 so I went to wait for it.

They were giving out t-shirts and also were doing trivia. I wound up winning two rounds of trivia and won a Joker standee from the game, which I still have in my basement to this day. Also won a poster which is at my parents place somewhere.

My friends and I also went to Walmart for the release of the Switch. We all got one. I got Breath of the Wild of course too since that was the big launch title.

Also went to Walmart for the release of the Super Nintendo Classic.

I remember going to the midnight release at a Gamestop for GTA V when it came out like 20 years ago.

Microsoft Store held one for one of the Call of Duty games, my buddy wanted to go so I went.

Similarly, Xbox 360 Launch. Didn't get one, but I went.

I didn't do midnight because they didn't have a midnight release, but I stood outside line early morning for Wii at Target. I worked the Xbox360 midnight launch when I was working at WalMart. I've done a few midnight releases for games, mostly in college. I remember Halo 2 and GTA San Andreas specifically.

Never for a console or game, but I did for my favorite artist of all time. Michael Jackson’s History I & II. It was for the cd way back when.

Hey what do you know. It’s the big release for the Switch 2 as well! Same price too!

Never a midnight release. Not that I can recall. But I got up “early” to pick up the Wii at Target. I showed up about 15 minutes before it opened and scored one easy peasy. Then it became a huge hit and suddenly it was hard to come by everywhere for a long time.

And I lined up to get either the SNES classic or the rerelease of the NES classic at Best Buy. But I honestly don’t remember if I was successful. I did get both eventually.

MGS4 way back in the day. Never again.

Xbox one and Switch are the only two consoles I did this for. Can’t think of any games other than the associated launch titles. Got my Series X and PS5 day one by mail. That experience was better overall.

Only a few that I can remember.

2019: Death Stranding
2019: Pokemon Sword
2016: The King of Fighters XIV
2011: Ultimate Marvel Vs. Capcom 3
2011: Marvel Vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds

Not a "midnight" release but I did take part in Mortal Monday waaaay back in 1993. Took the day off to go stand in line at a local Best Buy to get Mortal Kombat for the Sega Genesis.

i mean if you can count it, i did stay up way past midnight for a console release (SW2). i wasn't in line (drunk or hopped up on those energy drinks, popping zits), but i felt the same frustrations as someone getting a stapled Switch 2 from GameStop.

Every console launch I was old enough to wait overnight for up until the 360. I think I was 25 when that one launched and I had a miserable time waiting outside in the rain.

I used to all the time in my younger days. It was so much fun. The NCAA Football and Madden crowds were a hoot! It was hot and sticky even at that time of night. People were begging the GameStop folks to let us in early so we could get some air conditioning, but they never did! Those were the days!

A friend of mine and I camped out for the PS2 launch at the local Best Buy. The crowd was pretty fun.

Nope. Only game I wanted at midnight was Arkham City. Went to a local store paid the clerk $10 to sell it to me at 3pm the day before.