It bears noting that A - I did not pick the still picture that accompanies this video...that was pure Adam, and B - I've got a recently emptied Hooters chicken wing box sitting next to me, a testament to the value of attending midnight launches.

Of course Best Buy locations across the country will be opening as well, but they are nowhere near as important as that one right there. Until Morhaime can be cloned, this is the way it has to be.

Best Buy® Counts Down the Arrival of Wrath of the Lich King™ in New York City

World of Warcraft® Players to Meet Blizzard Entertainment® Developers and Be Among First to Obtain Their Copy at an Exclusive Launch Celebration

MINNEAPOLIS—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Alliance and Horde members will converge on the Best Buy at 44th Street and 5th Avenue to take part in the highly anticipated midnight launch of Blizzard Entertainment®’s World of Warcraft®: Wrath of the Lich King™. The celebration, starting at 8 p.m. Eastern Time on Nov. 12 at the Best Buy store near Times Square, is the premiere developer meet-and-greet in the U.S. for the popular World of Warcraft game and the only such event on the East Coast.

The event includes appearances by Blizzard Entertainment cofounders Mike Morhaime, CEO, and Frank Pearce, executive vice president of product development. In addition, a number of the game’s developers will be available to meet players and sign copies of the game. Geoff Keighley, videogame TV host, will emcee the evening that will feature interviews, trivia and prize giveaways.

With more than 11 million subscribers, World of Warcraft is the most popular massively multiplayer online role-playing game in the world. Wrath of the Lich King is the game’s second expansion. For more information on the game visit www.WorldofWarcraft.com.

In addition to the original game and both expansions, players can purchase 60-day World of Warcraft subscription cards at Best Buy.

“At Best Buy, we’re passionate about helping gamers get the most enjoyment from their gaming systems – from having the latest releases to a full complement of gaming platforms, accessories, electronics and services,” said Jill Hamburger, Best Buy vice president games and movies. “Our newly introduced Reward Zone Gamers Club provides additional benefits and amazing experiences for our most loyal customers who love gaming.”

Reward Zone® program Gamers Club is a specialty expansion of Best Buy’s Reward Zone Loyalty Program. For every $150 spent on qualifying gaming software and accessories (certain exclusions apply) Reward Zone program Gamers Club members will receive 500 points/$10 reward certificates, in addition to their regular Reward Zone program points, that can be used on almost everything within the store. Additional membership benefits include special offers on game software and accessories, information on the latest gaming trends and hints and cheats for popular games to maximize the gaming experience. Members may also receive special access to invitation only gaming events hosted by Best Buy.

For more information on the launch event, visit www.bestbuy.com/midnightopenings.

Wrath of the Lich King is a trademark, and World of Warcraft, Blizzard Entertainment, and Warcraft are trademarks or registered trademarks of Blizzard Entertainment, Inc., in the U.S. and/or other countries.

Meanwhile, at the less important GameStops, they'll still have trivia challenges and tokens for exclusive in-game gold-plated Hammerburst weapons and Xbox LIVE themes. It's not Bender, but it's something I suppose. Call your local GameStop to find out if they're hosting midnight events, and reassure your wear game advisor that the season is almost over and they can rest soon.

GameStop to Host Gears of War 2 Launch Events Nationwide

GRAPEVINE, Texas—(BUSINESS WIRE)—GameStop (NYSE: GME), the world's largest video game and entertainment software retailer, today announced that it will host midnight release events for the Xbox 360 exclusive “Gears of War 2” by Epic Games at 3,500 stores nationwide. Starting at 9 p.m. on Thursday, November 6, 2008, customers can visit their local GameStop and be among the first to get their hands on the new game at 12:01 a.m.

Fans will have the opportunity to compete in a variety of trivia challenges as well as have the chance to bring out their inner war hero during “Gears of War” tournaments. Customers who purchase “Gears of War 2” at the events will receive an Xbox LIVE token for an exclusive in-game downloadable gold-plated Hammerburst for use in multiplayer gameplay and “Gears of War 2” Xbox LIVE Theme tokens, while supplies last. These tokens will not be available beyond the night of launch.

In addition, GameStop will host a marquee “‘Gears of War 2’ Midnight Mayhem” event in Los Angeles at its Universal CityWalk location with Xbox 360. The midnight extravaganza will feature special celebrity appearances and autograph signings by Cliff Bleszinski of Epic Games, the creative force behind the game, and “Gears of War 2” voice actors John Di Maggio (Marcus Fenix), Lester Speight (Augustus Cole), Carlos Ferro (Dominic Santiago) and others. Additionally, fans will have the unique opportunity to hang with a real life “Delta Squad” – costumed characters from Nightmare Armor Studios will be patrolling the GameStop event handing out free “Gears of War” merchandise throughout the evening.

In “Gears of War 2,” players continue the story of Marcus Fenix, a reluctant war hero, as he leads Delta Squad on a series of perilous and adrenaline-pumping missions. “Gears of War 2” blends a best-in-class third-person shooter with unsurpassed high-definition visuals, all layered on top of an engaging story of survival, loss and retribution.

To participate, visit a GameStop store for details. To find a local store, log on to GameStop.com, and search using the ‘Store Locator.’ For more information about “Gears of War 2,” please visit www.gearsofwar.com.

Last night I made the trip down the street to the Mansell location for the midnight launch of EA's Madden NFL 09, and things were definitely different. It's amazing what a little corporate prodding and a more enthusiastic store manager can accomplish. I would have called the story A Tale of Two GameStops revisited, but if they get it right the first place you go you don't need to go anywhere else.

This time around, Mansell pulled out all the stops. They had a tent set up outside the store with kiosks so players could get their hands on the game a little early. They had two coolers filled with non0alcholic party beverages. Not only did they have Papa John's pizza there, they also had several boxes of wings from the nearby Hooters (considered a family restaurant in the South), along with two lovely Hooters girls in oversized football jerseys who did far more than serve food, if you know what I mean.

They also tossed the football back and forth, and at one point one of them tried her hand at the game on the PlayStation 3. "I have no idea what I'm doing," she worried. I know exactly how she feels when it comes to football games and football in general. At one point in the evening one of the two Nerf footballs that were being tossed about in the parking lot landed in my unsuspecting hands, leaving me staring at it as if someone had just handed me a dead baby. The same Hooters girl gently took it from my grasp, saving me from the embarrassment of actually trying to throw it myself.

The night passed relatively quickly and without major incident. I chatted with the GameStop district manager Mike for a bit, who said, "Ah, A Tale of Two GameStops" after I introduced myself as a writer for an online gaming website. The Hooters girls passed out fliers for their upcoming Guitar Hero tournament. The police stopped to check up on things, refusing my offer of ice-cold Dr. Pepper that no one else wanted. Things wrapped up around 11:45PM with the raffle of an Xbox 360 faceplate and a Atlanta Falcon's cap, after which everyone lined up and quickly got their games and departed.

This wasn't just a game launch. It was a memorable event, which is exactly what I said a game launch should be in the original article. The big difference between the GTA IV launch and this one? This guy right here.
There wasn't a day that I went into the Mansell GameStop this past month that I didn't hear the new manager, Louis Lanius, telling everyone who came into that store about the big Madden NFL 09 launch. He ordered pizza, worked out a deal with the local Hooters that could result in his store co-sponsoring a Guitar Hero tournament with the restaurant, and even bugged his DM to get him a tent so the festivities could continue rain or shine. Even better, he was outside with the fans the whole evening, tossing the football, talking about the game, and generally being a part of the celebration, rather than being the stodgy guy looking through the glass from inside the store, wishing he were home. Damn fine work Louis. Looking forward to what you come up with for the Star Wars: The Force Unleashed midnight event.

As for Madden NFL 09, it looks very shiny in its protective cellophane, sitting on my coffee table. I'm a bit scared to unwrap it for fear that it will unleash my inner beast, which will then get spooked by the cats, bursting out of my apartment door in a desperate attempt to escape, leaving me with no inner beast at all. That cannot be a good thing, so I am sticking to Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon for a few more days before chancing it.

Seeing as 1,500 stores is less than half of the stores located in the United States (GTA IV events were held at over 3,500 locations), I'd highly suggest that you call ahead (or check this list) before showing up at your local locations dressed as Big Boss, as your sad story of standing in a parking lot alone in an eyepatch and trench coat would make us cry, and we hate one-eyed people crying.

I'm personally a little too old for midnight launches, as they cut into my hookers, blow and picking strange new hairs out of my back time. What about you?

Arizona
Flagstaff
Mesa
Phoenix
Tempe

California
Atwater Village
Bay Bridge
Citrus Heights
Elk Grove
Marin City
Mira Mesa
Rancho Cucamonga
Roseville
San Bernardino
San Francisco (Harrison St.)
San Francisco (Geary Blvd.)
San Marcos
Sherman Oaks
West Hollywood
West Los Angeles
Westminster
Woodland Hills

Colorado
Aurora
Denver
Lone Tree
Northglenn
Westminster

Florida
Boca Raton
Dadeland
Hialeah
Pembroke Pines
Sawgrass
Waterford Lakes
West Kendall

Georgia
Alpharetta
Buckhead
Edgewood
Perimeter

Illinois
Arlington Heights
Aurora
Bloomington
Burbank
Deerfield
Downers Grove
Evanston
Geneva
North Avenue
Schaumburg
Tinley Park

Indiana
Castleton

Iowa
Cedar Rapids
Davenport
Des Moines
Iowa City

Kentucky
Bowling Green
Elizabethtown

Louisiana
Baton Rouge
New Orleans

Maryland
Baltimore
Germantown
Owings Mills
Rockville

Massachusetts
Cambridge
Dedham

Michigan
Allen Park
Gratiot
Southfield

Minnesota
Coon Rapids
Eden Prairie
Maplewood
Minnetonka
Oakdale
Richfield
Roseville

Missouri
Mid Rivers Mall
South County

Mississippi
Tupelo

North Dakota
Fargo

New Hampshire
Nashua

New Jersey
Deptford
Secaucus
West Patterson

New York
Midtown
NoHo
Westbury

Oregon
Cascade Station

Tennessee
Hickory Hollow
Murfreesboro

Texas
Arlington
Austin
Baybrook
Dallas
Frisco
Galleria
Hulen
Lakeline Mall
Lewisville
McAllen
Plano
Willowbrook

Virginia
Newport News
Sterling
Tyson's Corner
Virginia Beach

Washington
Bellevue
Seattle
Tacoma
Tukwila

Wisconsin
Green Bay
La Crosse
Madison
Southridge

GTAIV Launch Locations [Best Buy via Joystiq][image]

"New Grand Theft Auto games are always a huge event in the gaming community and this one is sure to be no exception," said Wes Sand, senior vice president at Game Crazy. "Rockstar has outdone itself again by making GTA IV completely immersive and interactive. Our customers have been eagerly anticipating this game's arrival. This is a launch they won't forget."

Cash-in on Grand Theft Auto IV at Game Crazy

Exclusive, Limited-Edition XBOX 360 Faceplate and 'Extreme GTA IV Experience' Midnight Launch Events in 10 Markets Kick-Off Release of Rockstar's Highly-Anticipated Game

WILSONVILLE, Ore.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Snag the goods, grab the cash and catch the getaway flight - all in one wild night! To celebrate the highly anticipated launch of Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto IV title, video game retailer Game Crazy is holding midnight launch events that will give fans first access to the game, as well as exclusive prizes and limited-edition merchandise, including a specially designed Grand Theft Auto IV-themed faceplate for their XBOX 360 consoles.

"New Grand Theft Auto games are always a huge event in the gaming community and this one is sure to be no exception," said Wes Sand, senior vice president at Game Crazy. "Rockstar has outdone itself again by making GTA IV completely immersive and interactive. Our customers have been eagerly anticipating this game's arrival. This is a launch they won't forget."

Ten stores in the Los Angeles; Chicago; San Francisco; Detroit; Seattle; Portland, Ore.; San Diego; Las Vegas; Austin; and Providence, R.I. markets will hold special "Extreme GTA IV Experience" events beginning at 8 p.m. local time on Monday, April 28th. All other Game Crazy stores nationwide will also host midnight launch events that evening.

Customers who attend one of Game Crazy's "Extreme GTA IV Experience" events will receive a special text-to-win number that enters them into a drawing to win two airplane tickets to anywhere in the U.S. and $1,000 in spending money. The winner will be notified at the store shortly after midnight on Tuesday, April 29th. All other Game Crazy stores will have a different text-to-win number for a similar drawing.

The 10 "Extreme GTA IV Experience" events will be held at the following Game Crazy locations:

* 100 East Compton Blvd., Compton, Calif. (Los Angeles, 310.668.9074)
* 1738 165th St., Hammond, Ind. (Chicago, 219.844.4163)
* 855 El Camino Real, San Bruno, Calif. (San Francisco, 650.871.8710)
* 14104 Woodward Ave., Highland Park, Mich. (Detroit, 313.883.0509)
* 719 Sleater Kinney Road SE, Lacey, Wash. (Seattle, 360.413.7774)
* 1422 North Lombard, Portland, Ore. (503.286.3759)
* 3105 El Cajon Blvd., San Diego, Calif. (619.521.4734)
* 540 N Nellis Blvd., Las Vegas, Nev. (702.437.9902)
* 903 North IH 35, Bellmead, Texas (Austin, 254.867.8168)
* 933 Pleasant St., Fall River, Mass. (Providence, 508.235.1093)

Grand Theft Auto IV is rated M for mature audiences. Fans looking for more information about Game Crazy's launch events in their area can go to Game Crazy's online store locator.

GameStop to Host Super Smash Bros. Brawl Tournaments and Launch Events Nationwide

Players Prepare to "Duke It Out" in the Largest In-Store Tournament Event to Date

GRAPEVINE, Texas, March 6, 2008 - GameStop, Corp. (NYSE:GME), the world's largest video game and entertainment software retailer, today announced that it will host Super Smash Bros. Brawl video game tournaments at 2,500 of its U.S. GameStop and EB Games locations on Saturday, March 8, 2008. The tiered tournament program, which represents the largest in-store tournament event to date, is one of several events that GameStop will host surrounding the launch of Super Smash Bros. Brawl by Nintendo, available March 9, 2008.

Each round one tournament will provide players with an opportunity to "duke it out" one-on-one with other contestants in a single-elimination tournament to determine the 2,500 store winners. Many of the participating GameStop and EB Games locations will begin their tournaments at 10:00 p.m., local time; however, customers are encouraged to contact their local store to confirm the exact time of the tournament. All contestants must check-in at least thirty minutes prior to the start of play.

Store winners will advance to a series of District tournaments on March 15; winners of these competitions will advance to Regional tournaments, which will take place on March 29 (visit www.gamestop.com/smash for District and Regional tournament location details). The top eight scoring Regional winners will be declared the Semifinalists for that region and will advance to the Finals event, to be held on April 12, 2008, at the GameStop tournament store in San Jose, CA. Semifinalists will "brawl" against one another in a series of matches until one player with the best of three rounds score is declared the Grand Prize Winner.

The Grand Prize winner will receive one Vizio 37" LCD-TV, an entire Nintendo Wii Software Library, one Nintendo Wii console and selected accessories, and $5,000 in cash. Prize packages in the form of GameStop gift Cards will be awarded to the second and third place players.

For additional tournament details and to obtain a list of official rules, visit a local GameStop or EB Games retail location or www.gamestop.com/smash.

Midnight Brawl Events

To continue the Super Smash Bros. Brawl celebration that all fans can enjoy, GameStop will also host Midnight Launch Events on Saturday, March 8, 2008, at more than 2,500 locations. Most participating GameStop and EB Games locations will begin their countdown to launch at 10:00 p.m., local time; however, customers are encouraged to contact their local store to confirm the exact time of the event. Fans can also check out GameStop's inventory of special Super Smash Bros Brawl add-ons including extra controllers, charge kits, and skins.

This is a new thing for Sam's Club so it will be interesting to see if people will actually attend a midnight launch there as opposed to going to a game store or other brick and mortar store. We have also been informed that Sam's will soon be stocking Rock Band at just under $150 (something tells me it will be 149.99) which is about a $20 cheaper than most places. If you're a Sam's Club member, keep an eye on their website as they will be adding more options for pre-ordering SSBB and other titles in the future.

So, I made it back safe, sound and without incident from my midnight Wii launch. I've set the Wii up, done the software updates and created my first Mii. Now, while my roommate is making his Mii I'm going to take some time to jot down what happened.

We arrived around 11:30 and roamed around a bit until they opened the doors and let everyone in around 11:45. We were immediately greeted by a female employee dressed as Link which really set the tone. The mood was upbeat and friendly as everyone was very excited to get their Wii's. There were about 15 people there who had pre-ordered and some of their friends. There were a couple people playing Excite Truck and a few people checking out the PS3. It was very organized and calm with people waiting their turns and being very nice to each other, Apparently, several of the store's employees had friends pre-order their Wii's for them and oddly enough, none of them were there. Still, a good time was had by all and as soon as they made their purchases, everyone was off into the night to go play at their respective homes.

Now it's back to the Wii for me to check out Zelda, Trauma Center, Wii Sports and Raving Rabbids. Flynn De Marco

The Kotaku inbox is literally overflowing with emails from concerned readers from all parts of the US about EB/Gamestop's midnight Wii launches. Some people claim all of the stores will be having these launches while others claim none of them will. Well, I'm here to set the record straight for all of you who may be wondering.

The real truth of the matter is that each store is being treated on a somewhat individual basis. It is all determined by area and that areas' District Manager will be the one to make the decision. If your local EB/Gamestop is a free standing store (meaning, not in an enclosed mall) the chances are pretty good that you'll be able to grab your Wii at midnight. Stores inside malls are a different story though, being as they would have to shell out a lot of extra money to stay open and are restricted by the mall's rules. So if your EB/Gamestop is in a mall, there's slim to no chance that you'll get a midnight launch. In most, if not all cases, these launches will be strictly for pre-order customers only.

The best rule of thumb in these situations is not to listen to any blanket statements made by internet weirdos and just take the 5 minutes to call the store yourself and ask. Better to do that than face the bitter disappointment when your local store has drawn it's shutters for the night and you're left out in the cold. Flynn De Marco

The intrepid adventurers over at PS3 Seeker have used some Google Maps tools to throw together this nifty Google map showing all the locations selling PS3's at launch. You can see which stores will be opening and selling at midnight on the 17th or you can search by location. You can even see if there are any PS3 auctions available in your location. PS3 Seeker is on the job for you, adding addresses as they find them.

Please note that we are constantly updating our retailer database and are adding new locations on an almost daily basis. If you don't see a location on the map that you believe should appear there, please tell us about it via the contact form, or check back in a few days.

Finally, Google Maps being used for something more useful than looking at the roof of your own house or checking to see if that strange car is parked in your girlfriend's driveway. That's assuming that you actually have a girlfriend. Flynn De Marco

Google Map PS3 Seeker [PS3seeker.com]
[ via: Google Maps Mania Thanks, Eugene!]