Lunchtime Discussion: Waiting
I want it now!
Published: 12:00, 05/10/2010 by Kris [Halbpro].
44Sometimes you lovely readers send me Lunchtime Discussion topics, but only a few are dedicated enough to send the whole discussion. Amphlett is one of the dedicated ones, so sit back and get ready to discuss the wait for a game.
Every couple of months or so I’ll get a little excited about a new game due for release. I might not even have noticed it in the line-up, at least not until THAT trailer grabs my attention. You know the sort, the trailer which shows off the new gadgets, the new game-play and the potential for mayhem. So, off I go to scour the web for the best prices (I’ll only buy from a physical shop when I have a good wedge of cash built up through trade-ins).
A full month before the game is released and my pre-order’s placed. I check a few times on the site to make sure the pre-order’s correct. I’ll start checking around for more clips and trailers of my pre-ordered game, hoping to glean a little more information about the new piece of digital excitement I’m going to receive.
Two weeks before release and I’ve checked the calendar to see exactly which day my order might be despatched. Without fail I’ll say to myself “Ah, release date is Friday so with a good tail wind I might see a despatch on the Wednesday before so that I receive it by Friday morning.”.
The week of the game’s release is too tense, way too tense. It’s more tense than being at Molineux with Wolves 1-0 up with only 15 minutes to go! I start getting a really excited now, waiting for that email to come through from the online shop to let me know that my order is being processed. As soon as that email comes through I’ll hit up the online shop and try to glean a little further information on the status of my order (it’s no longer a pre-order in my mind). Bham! “Despatched”! It’s only Wednesday morning so I might get the game through on Thursday morning.
I work from home so regularly hear the drop of two and a half pounds of junk mail through the letter box but somehow the drop of a pre-order on the mat sounds different. I can recognize it straight off.
It’s Thursday morning and I’m on another conference call, participating, taking notes, making changes, etc. but all the time I have my spidey-sense turned up to high ready to recognize that sound of a game hitting the the door mat. 9:35am and there it is! That’s the sound of a game! Shoot, another 15 minutes before this conference call wraps up…
I can understand that not everyone’s as fortunate (or not, dependant upon your viewpoint) as me to work from home, but I can only imagine how much it would mess with my head all day if I was in the office on a Thursday morning knowing full well that my shiny new game was waiting for me at home.
Is it just me? How do you feel about your pre-orders? Should I go and sit in the corner for being a little weird?
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05/10/2010 at 12:03
Member since: Aug 2008
I must admit I get very impatient when I get that email in my inbox saying “your order has been despatched”. Fortunatley the Mrs works nights most of the time so she gives me running commentary of the postbox ;)
05/10/2010 at 12:05
Member since: Aug 2008
This is exactly my experience (bar the working from home, you lucky sod) but I only tend to feel it for REALLY big releases or ones I am uber excited about.
Gran Turismo is one for which I can already visualise this happening. I sometimes book release day off work for a game about which I’m super hyped and for GT, I’ve booked 3 :)
I really like the excitement, the build-up, the tension and then the joy of finally playing.
05/10/2010 at 12:07
Member since: Feb 2009
I’ve stopped pre-ording due the prices but I keep an eye on lovefilm regularly so I know when a game is waiting to be dispatched and then I know when it has (and so does everyone else as it appears on facebook).
I get most new releases on release day through lovefilm. The worst thing is ordering a game and it doesn’t fit through the letter box so I have to wait an extra day to pick it up from the post office.
05/10/2010 at 12:09
Member since: Forever
Oh thats a nightmare, my lazy postman has done that too me a few times
05/10/2010 at 13:09
Member since: Aug 2008
Benefit of a small community village. We know the postlady and if it’s anything other than a signature needed, she pops them in an outbuilding we have.
05/10/2010 at 12:07
Member since: Forever
Wolves ? Really, oh wait im a Liverpool fan I better shut up, ;-)
I work in an office, and am constantly forced to wait for my mail which is a blessing most day but on the odds occasions like you mention above its horrific torture. Last time it happened was MW2, but since then I have broken my cherry when it comes to midnight launches so I’ll be doing that more often now, seeing as Asda is open 24hours anyway. I’ve even managed to sell the idea to 4-5 of my friends based on how much of a laugh it is in the queue with everyone else who are all of a similar ilk to yourself.
05/10/2010 at 12:15
Member since: Jun 2009
I hate waiting and having the displeasure of not working till 3 I too get the joy of having to wait for the letter box to slam and the item to fall on the floor then the disappointment sets in when its just Bills or junk mail and then you have to wait another 24 hours .
05/10/2010 at 12:24
Member since: Nov 2008
c’mon me babbies
05/10/2010 at 12:28
Member since: Nov 2008
Sorry I couldn’t help it.
Back on topic, the final days ia a killer for me. I work from home so I can wait behind the letter box, but our postie doesn’t deliver until after midday, thta is a long old wait for a game. If however it does trun up you can pretty much write off work for the rest of the day.
I try not to build my hopes up too much of it coming before release, but I am always dissapointed when it is not hear when I hope, the worst thing is seeing a friend online playing that same game.
05/10/2010 at 12:25
Member since: Dec 2009
Back in the PS2 days, i’ve had retailers advise me to pre-order a game in case of being sold out on launch day but my experience was that i’ve never been unable to purchase any game off the shelf at launch so usually i only pre-ordered if there was an exclusive demo included.
With the current gen, pre-order bonuses have become standard but for the most part i’m not swayed.
I made an exception for Heavy Rain and will do the same for The Last Guardian but given my anticipation for both of those games i can appreciate the waiting game pre-orderer’s have to endure. It’s something i don’t have to go through as i usually walk in to a retailer on launch day and take a box off the display. :)
05/10/2010 at 12:29
Member since: Nov 2008
My debit card that I pre-ordered Heavy Rain on was changed after I ordered my SE from HMV. The order failed and I was not only late getting the game but they sould out of the SE. I was gutted.
05/10/2010 at 13:14
Member since: Aug 2008
Shouldn’t really use debit cards online, they aren’t protected. Use a credit card and pay it off every month. I used to work for a company that investigated after companies were hacked and card details stolen and, trust me, even the BIG ones are not safe. Credit card is guaranteed as the card company just reclaim the money back of the retailer that got hacked.
05/10/2010 at 17:11
Member since: Nov 2008
Good point about the debit cards. Any large purchases go on my credit card after we lost loads when a company went into administration.
With ID theft I’m pretty worried that Amphlett has stolen mine. Can’t be that many people (esp on TSA) working from home, supporting Wolves and being this sad about games.
05/10/2010 at 23:36
Member since: Jun 2009
I’ve been using my debit card on Play and Amazon for years now and haven’t had any problems. I’m with Natwest and they have an Advantage account going on which apparently protects your card as if it was a credit card, and protects agains identity theft, but u never know I suppose……
05/10/2010 at 12:38
Member since: Jul 2009
Great article, Amphlett.
I used to work as a graphic designer for an IT company but thankfully it was small enough to allow all the perks that came with it. Every one of us used to get all deliveries sent to the office. We never missed a single drop. Although how my mates could have their unopened goodies next to them is beyond me. No matter what I ordered I had to open it instantly! I just wanted to see it even though I’d ordered the damn thing.
I am a complete child! Hell, I can’t even sleep properly on Christmas Eve and I’m 37 years old! Only last week I was losing sleep the night before one of my best mates arrived as I hadn’t seen him in ages. I’m just silly like that. :-)
Anyway, I’ve been working for myself for four years and it’s definitely a perk. Being in for so many deliveries but being able to try things out lunchtime as I call the shots (when my clients aren’t too demanding). T’is fab! Oh, and I don’t miss the daily commute!
05/10/2010 at 13:09
Member since: Jul 2009
I’m not as bad these days as I normally have a backlog of stuff that I’m playing through. It’s only for the games that I *really* want that I will go through the whole pre-order stress fest.
Our post is fairly erratic, arriving at a random point in the day. Fortunately, our depot is open until 6pm and is about 5 mins from my house.
In the last place I worked we would just get things delivered to the office. Not sure which is worse, knowing you have a game on the mat at home or having it next to you in work and not being able to play it.
05/10/2010 at 15:04
Member since: Feb 2010
I’m currently waiting for a book I ordered 3 WEEKS ago off amazon, Band of Brothers blu-ray I ordered on saturday, and finally F1 2010 I ordered yesterday. I’m excited about them all, and struggled to sleep last night as I thought at least one would arrive!
Due to Royal Mail being so inept in my area, none did :(
05/10/2010 at 16:42
Member since: May 2010
the daily mail’s new motto is we don’t deliver so GET YOURSELF or we strike
lol
05/10/2010 at 16:43
Member since: May 2010
Edit get it
the comments really need an edit button