Damn,i hope this does not happen here in the U.S.A

Hopefully it's not like this in the US. I still don't have a pre-order, and every time I remember to get one I'm either too lazy to take a bus to the store, or the store is already closed.

Won't happen to me since I reserved my copy. I can go whenever I want . . . . err then again, if they do a midnight release I'll likely be in line anyway >_<

Meh. I have my PSP. I'll live.

I knew this was going to happen.

Good thing I slept in instead and didnt bother going down.

Hell even in my 24 hour game shop there was a massive line outside around 12:00 am. The game sold out by 12:30 am. You should have seen how many bikes were parked outside the store.

INSANTY I tell you.

I grabbed my copy of DMC4 and went home.

Were there any lines for DMC4 and Disgaea 3?

@Witzbold: But which got sold out first?,SSBB or DMC4???

One interesting thing is the selection of different folks who were waiting for the game. It wasnt just otakus. It was like a shitload of normal looking folk too.

Just goes to show how many people know about the series.

@Witzbold: haha, was just about to ask how you'd faired, my man.
and yeah, to those wondering if itll be like this stateside? i'm guessing "yes" and either pre-ordering or hitting the biggest box store i can find and hoping for the best.

@foxuser17: SSBB which else? DMC never was that big of a "line" grabber here in Japan, since its a "hardcore" game and doesnt exactly grab the casual users which is the majority of the market now.

Madness.

Madness.

@TheIrishNinja: I figured Id get mine later.

Dont want to stand in the communist breadlines quite yet. I had enough of that last night when trying to get my DMC4 copy, since the line was for SSBB but I still had to stand in the fucking thing.

If theres one thing Japan does suck at its fucking crowd control which is ironic considering its such a jam packed with people country. :/

Just curious but in Japan during big-name launches, do retailers set aside a bunch of registers to deal with the purchases concerning strictly with the new release and save one last register for customers buying other goods? Or is there only one register reserved which would explain the huge lines?

So should SSBB game be considered the first wait in line game? I think it should.

I don't understand the huge fuss about this game. The original was really fun but the game isn't THAT great. Apparently I'm in the extreme minority.

@Witzbold:"SSBB which else? DMC never was that big of a "line" grabber here in Japan, since its a "hardcore" game and doesnt exactly grab the casual users which is the majority of the market now."

dude, do you ever give it a rest? I'd really like a detailed account of just how SSBB is "casual" and DMC4 is "hardcore." If even the slightest bit of your answer includes the presence of blood or the dominance of a grey/brown/black color palette, it is insta-fail.

@UmeShoryu: No they always do the same shit.

Which is nothing.

They never plan ahead.

Actually I do believe the PS3 and Wii days though they made some slight changes. I know with the Wii they had registers set up outside.

This article was not up 30 minutes ago. I just went to Yamada's knowing the game wouldn't be there. I knew. Really I did.

When I left empty-handed I was so crushed. Now I get home and see this. I feel a little better. But not by much D:

@ajay42: That line should be more than enough of an example for you.

Those folks are not lined up for DMC4. Sure there may be a few here and there but nothing in comparison to those who are lined up for SSBB.

If you dont understand why the 2 games can be categorized as is then you sir are the one who FAILS. Not to mention obviously does not understand the market here in Japan.

how you walk up in there and score a copy so easly? paying homeless people to stand in line for you! tsk tsk mr rich businessman.

hmmm i love super smash but not enough to line up for a game i've never lined up for a game. maybe a system ahh the freezing jan of waiting for a ps2....I rather play DMC4 now if i had the chance lucky i don't have to wait till MARCH for dmc4 >.> lol

BTW i wouldn't really call Super Smash Brothers Brawl a Casual game...

Eh it's to be expected with such a highly anticipated title.

Capcom have balls releasing DMC4 the same time as Brawl. They're both going to be AAA titles though, and I'm sure a bunch of people in Tokyo bought DMC4 + Brawl together.

I've been watching live streams of Brawl and DMC4. I want them both now.

Hey there is a guy buying a Wii at the Xbox counter. Is that allowed? I suppose the clerk was just lonely. So, so, terribly lonely.

Wow. Looks like the Wii-Hardware-Sales will be through the roof, too. Let's see if the Wii can beat the DS for the week.

@foxuser17:

Actually Wii fit was a stand in line game as well

@Vandor:

Wii won last week

@Nickname:
Indeed! Thank you very much. :)

@Avinash_Tyagi: Looks like Wii is going to win this week too then.

Oh my.

@Avinash_Tyagi:
Really? Didn't see any numbers for last week yet.
Well, then it seems like a given that next week will be the same.

@ajay42:
Anyone who's played any of the DMC games will be able to tell you why it's a hardcore game rather than a casual one. You CANNOT play any DMC game without dedicating yourself to memorizing boss patterns, replaying earlier levels to make money because you suck too much at the later ones to earn any special moves, instead having to spend all your money on extra lives which get more expensive the more you buy.

I don't think I've ever come across any series in recent times which punish you for not being a gamesplaying god as much as the DMC games do. The freakin' unfair extra life system is what kept me from bothering with playing DMC3 past the third level, fun as the core game may be.

sadly it was sold out at my local smalltown yamada denki, but I did manage to get DMC4. I also saw at least one person buy a PS3 specifically for DMC4 and a huge stack of neglected 360 copies.

Nintendo... at least *announce* the european release date, PLEASE. I can't take it anymore!

@Vandor:

Latest famitsu numbers put Wii a bit higher than DS

@PSN ID: Kadaj24: Yes you are. Dislike noted, stay out of future SSBB posts please.

@Witzbold: I agree that SSBB does draw a large amount of casual gamers, but classifying the game as "casual" based solely off of this is fact is unfair.

Brawl (based off of my knowledge of SSB:Melee) has a huge amount of depth for the "hardcore" who are willing to invest a lot of time in learning the nuances of character movement and advanced play.

My point being: nearly any game can be classified as "hardcore" to those who choose to take that game seriously.

Nice, hopefully it will sell better than SMG.

@CeeJay005: ITS EASY TO PLAY hence the 2 button control scheme.

Its a game that you can pick up and have fun with regardless of your own skill level.

Great for casual and hardcore due to the balance put in.

Its still a casual game since it reaches the market not to mention the controls of it make it highly accessable, yet at the same time it has enough depth to also kepe the more hardcore fans satisfied.

It aint that hard to figure out why it can be classified as a casual game.

I have just lined up three hours ago at Biccamera in Nagoya. Although the line was long, it took me only 15 minutes to get it over with. Most of the people were getting SSBB but I also saw several guys with DMC4 PS3 (including one getting it with SSBB) and a guy buying a 360 bundle with DMC4.

@Witzbold: I guess our definitions of "casual" game are different. If your definition of "casual game" is any game that appeals to the casual market, then you're right and theres no sense arguing.

BUT, I played Melee at a moderately high level of play, (Granted not quite pro level), and I thought the game was sufficiently "hardcore," and the control scheme that includes advanced techs. was not easy.

But in the end, the difference between "hardcore" and "casual" is all a matter of perception.

@Witzbold: Gotta agree with ya, any game can be a bit of both, but when I can take a game, play it for 30 minutes, and then can put it down and take up where I left off without having to re-remember controls/what progress I did/where I need to go next a day or two down the line, then the game is considered casual for me.

Yes, if you're a die-hard fan, it can be hardcore for you, but if you can introduce it to someone else and have them pick up the basics in a few minutes, let loose, pause, play another day, and go at it, I'm pretty sure it's safe to call it casual.

Harvest Moon for me = Hardcore ^^
Harvest Moon for everyone else = Probably nowhere remotely close to Hardcore :3

@CeeJay005: Heres another simple example but I bet luke is going to get pissed at me about it.

Advanced Wars could be considered the casual game since its easy to pick up and play without much knowledge or time invested into it.

Panzer Tactics on the other hand can be considered a hardcore title due to the amount of information and slight learning curve involved with it. Not to mention the difficulty / scale of the scenarios could scare away folks who are not into the genre itself.

While both games are deep which can satisfy the hardcore gamers one is marketed / designed to be able to reach the casual market also.

There lies the big difference.

Hmm, I'ma take the risk and not reserve it over here. Hell, I like going from store to store to see who has any copies left. Plus, doubt many people in my area have Wiis anyway...every time I go to my local store, it's a rare sight to see someone buy a Wii game. Maybe I just go at wrong times, who knows.

@Melody-Kitn: You example of harvest moon is a tough one lol. Im not too sure what to call it myself. Since it is a very deep game at the same time its something that can be picked up and played in piecemeal also. Kinda like Animal Crossing.

Those types of games I personally wouldnt know what to categorize them as haha.

"Maddness?" This is Spaarta.

@Gustavo:
You're a hoot!

Still dont know what the big deal is about this game

@Witzbold: I think a better word for SSBB is a "game with mass appeal". It trancends both the casual and hardcore markets. Street Fighter II was also like this.

@Jonathan: Thats a good point also mate. :)

I guess it would be better to use the term casual and hardcore in terms of the type of gamer instead of the game itself.

@Jonathan: Actually yes thats the best phrase that could describe it along with other games. Good one!

This all casual-hardcore thing makes me sick, Can we just stop classing every video game in only 2 categories ? There's enough variety in the video game world, why do we limit ourself to 2 ? When I play games I never think about wheter it's hardcore or casual, I just play and have fun ! But when it comes to internet It's always about that !

@Witzbold: Yep, harvest moon is... odd. But strangely addictive (at least for me). I just threw that in there to give everyone the benefit of the doubt that casual/hardcore may have very different meanings depending on the person and the game you target them to.

I stopped by six retailers (some big, some small) tonight around 8:00pm, and it was sold out everywhere. Instead of spending the night smashing away, I'm here on Kotaku to report my failure and smashed inner child.

Too bad I'm not into DMC4, plenty of copies still out there.

@Shteve: Thats becuase its what the 2 markets are split up into. We the gamers are no longer a single tribe.

The devil known as profit has split us into 2 warring factions.

The Hardcores and the Casuals.

The bad thing is we are outnumbered 10 to 1.