xbox campers in richmond va

[toastman]

doesnt stack up to mouse and keyboard

What does when playing FPS?

[abydos1000]

A lot of stores don't do pre-orders (most major retailers) so saying you are an idiot for not preordering is stupid. Considering that all of the major retailers will sell out within minutes as well as all of the preorders being taken really early, and even those with preorders likely not getting a console. It reasons to stand that the demand for the item far outstrips the supply.

I would agree it would probably not help to pre-order now, but anyone could have saved themselves the trouble had they done so early on and paid in full. That said, if you don't have a game store near you, then I guess you are SOL, although for me, even an hour drive would have been worth it had I been interested.

I don't see a post where anyone called him and idiot.

[abydos1000]

Random gamestop in MoCo, MD to get mine. but I preordered so it's no bother.

well except the midnight weather is gonna be crap

I used to live down there. Have you ever been to Starland (specializes in classic consoles, etc)?

[melancholy]

I'm picking up my preorder at midnight tonight at Blockbuster. Normally, Blockbuster is not allowed to do a midnight release, but my friend is a manager and he's letting me pick mine up after they close.

I'm thinking about showing up at 7am and stand in line with the people at Best Buy. I'll walk up and say, "Hey, I see there's already a line forming! I'm excited about the launch of Polar Express too! Tom Hanks is amazing in that movie!"

[Nyarlathotep]

I'm picking up my preorder at midnight tonight at Blockbuster. Normally, Blockbuster is not allowed to do a midnight release, but my friend is a manager and he's letting me pick mine up after they close.

I'm thinking about showing up at 7am and stand in line with the people at Best Buy. I'll walk up and say, "Hey, I see there's already a line forming! I'm excited about the launch of Polar Express too! Tom Hanks is amazing in that movie!"

it would be much funnier if you take your 360 box back with you, fill it with random old bits of broken electronics, then go 'wtf? I didnt want one this colour!' and throw it at a wall really hard right in front of the queue

[Specially Cork]

Well my local Game store recently got a refurb, and an Xbox 360 demo unit to go with it, and I got my first play on one today.

First thing I noticed is the whole brick thing hasn't changed a bit, and the console is a lot larger than I assumed. up close I actually prefer the original Xbox design, the 360 unit looks quite cheap in real life...

...but, I loved the controller. It felt really comfortable and looks really smart. Top job.

Next the games. I only got to play Call of Duty 2, which is a pretty bad start because I'm not really into the war re-inactment thing, but it seemed really well-done for what it was. Graphics-wise...wow. Everything looked so crisp and clean, and it was rigged up to a decent widescreen LCD TV and I couldnt pick out any jaggies.

I walk past the store everyday on my way to Uni, so I'll pop in to try out some more stuff (if I can). But the games library just isnt appealing to me, and ?50 a game?!? **** that.

[ASCIIN]

meh, no good launch titles (unlike the dc) so I'll be saving my pennies for next year's ps3

[butters]

I was in Gamestop earlier rumaging through the used Gamecube pile and a guy wheeled in about 10 360s on a dolly. I heard him say he was lucky he didn't get ambushed in the mall.

[XPoGoX]

Wow, ppl are already lined up at the door at the wal mart here...and the store isnt opening till tomorrow at 6, haha.

[royhubbs]

yea, I went to the 24 hr wal mart, at around 3pm and there was a line at the customer service, must be fun waiting in line for 9 hours.....

[toastman]

A lot of stores don't do pre-orders (most major retailers) so saying you are an idiot for not preordering is stupid. Considering that all of the major retailers will sell out within minutes as well as all of the preorders being taken really early, and even those with preorders likely not getting a console. It reasons to stand that the demand for the item far outstrips the supply.

I would agree it would probably not help to pre-order now, but anyone could have saved themselves the trouble had they done so early on and paid in full. That said, if you don't have a game store near you, then I guess you are SOL, although for me, even an hour drive would have been worth it had I been interested.

I don't see a post where anyone called him and idiot.

I'm sorry let me re-word that "saying he should've preordered is stupid". Because there are clearly more units demanded than manufactured and since a large chunk of these units are going to stores that don't take preorders, it stands to reason that there are even less chances of being on a preorder list, because there isn't enough units to be preordered, and if there were, we wouldn't have the problem in the first place. Considering that preorder number 51* doesn't get a 360, even if that preorder was paid in full 6 months ago, then standing in line actually makes a hell of a lot sense if you want one. I mean you can drive up, see the line, and if it is too long, you can go home. If it isn't too long, you can stand in line and be assured a 360 just like those who preordered.
And honestly, if I was a preordering retailer, I would insist that you came early on the day of launch to claim your unit. There are lots of people who want one, being smug about plonking down $10 3 years ago isn't going to ingratiate me to you anytime soon. The day after, all unclaimed preorders would be generally availble, first-come, first-serve basis. Those with pre-orders who missed out would have their money returned with a caution about being a pompous dick.

But good luck with your shoddy hardware. Hope you get a month or so out of playing highly mediocre games before someone realizes that HDD explodes after it reached 45 degrees Celsius (or any other random problem usually associated with the first batch of consoles manufactured).

I'll wait for the major bugs to be ironed out and some decent exclusives to be released before I drop the cash on it. And hey, I might even be able to pick up a Premium package for half of what you paid, or at least $100 less.

I just don't see why people are always in such a rush to buy new consoles. Same story every time.

*See Penny Arcade a few days back.

[DCFan2004]

My guess is as with the PS2, the people that paid their pre-orders in full get first priority, and even those may not be covered.

Not a game in that initial line up that has me even mildly interested.

Yea paying off in full buys you nothing with Gamestop. My friend Pre-ordered back in June and was about 85th on the list. They told him if he paid it off in full then he would be bumped to the top of the list. Well last week he calls Gamestop to see what the deal would be for the Launch and they told him they recently changed their policy on reserves and now they were going in order of date reserved as opposed to who paid it off. To say the least, he was pissed and ended up having to argue with them to get his $350 back (he still left $50 as a deposit just in case).

[melancholy]

I drove by Best Buy on my way back from seeing Harry Potter just to see what it was like. OMG, it was only 8pm, and there were probably about 15 people waiting in line. Some dude even had a tent. I'm going to pass by at midnight again, of course, holding the system to the window and laughing.

[DCFan2004]

My room mate and my other friend are currenty in line in at Best Buy, numbers 17 and 18 in line. They're gonna end up spending the night but the store is getting sumthign like 76 units so they'll get theirs. I just gotta wait for mine to arrive, I got mine through the reward zone program, so i get a 360 as well and dont have to camp out in the rain in 40 degree weather.

[abydos1000]

My guess is as with the PS2, the people that paid their pre-orders in full get first priority, and even those may not be covered.

Not a game in that initial line up that has me even mildly interested.

Yea paying off in full buys you nothing with Gamestop. My friend Pre-ordered back in June and was about 85th on the list. They told him if he paid it off in full then he would be bumped to the top of the list. Well last week he calls Gamestop to see what the deal would be for the Launch and they told him they recently changed their policy on reserves and now they were going in order of date reserved as opposed to who paid it off. To say the least, he was pissed and ended up having to argue with them to get his $350 back (he still left $50 as a deposit just in case).

It did with ebgames when the PS2 came out, but I had paid in full about 4 months in advance (and had started my pre-order about 10 months in advance). That was the only time where I violated my rule about not buying a console at launch and it really only was because I had a crap load of PS one role playing games unplayed (my PSone had died that summer). Also, we had no DVD player at the time. So for the first 6 months or so, my PS2 was used for playing PSone games and DVDs.

[DCFan2004]

My guess is as with the PS2, the people that paid their pre-orders in full get first priority, and even those may not be covered.

Not a game in that initial line up that has me even mildly interested.

Yea paying off in full buys you nothing with Gamestop. My friend Pre-ordered back in June and was about 85th on the list. They told him if he paid it off in full then he would be bumped to the top of the list. Well last week he calls Gamestop to see what the deal would be for the Launch and they told him they recently changed their policy on reserves and now they were going in order of date reserved as opposed to who paid it off. To say the least, he was pissed and ended up having to argue with them to get his $350 back (he still left $50 as a deposit just in case).

It did with ebgames when the PS2 came out, but I had paid in full about 4 months in advance (and had started my pre-order about 10 months in advance). That was the only time where I violated my rule about not buying a console at launch and it really only was because I had a crap load of PS one role playing games unplayed (my PSone had died that summer). Also, we had no DVD player at the time. So for the first 6 months or so, my PS2 was used for playing PSone games and DVDs.

Yea but most stores changed their policy when they found out about the limited quantities they were getting.

[Specially Cork]

It would all be so much easier if companies released stuff when they actually had enough available...but then there wouldn't be enough hype would there?

[abydos1000]

It would all be so much easier if companies released stuff when they actually had enough available...but then there wouldn't be enough hype would there?

No there wouldn't be (enough hype). I think they reasons they give for shortages tend not to be true. The play off the fact that most Americans' need for instant gratification too (have to have it now).

With the way these things go, I wonder if one should get one at launch and just turn around and sell it on ebay or whatever? If a sucker really wants to part with their money that badly...

[Nyarlathotep]

No there wouldn't be (enough hype). I think they reasons they give for shortages tend not to be true.

Plus of course, telling people there arent going to be enough units to go round becomes a self fulfilling prophecy, as the ebay scalpers all make sure they get more than they need so that they can fleece the desperate.

[Hawq]

For anyone that was driving past a large line waving the box in a car window take a look at this a truly mind boggling thing to do which may have made some fanboys weep