Midnight launches were once huge events when new AAA games were set to release, or a new console was about to hit the market. However, since COVID-19 hit brick-and-mortar stores likeGameStop, forcing them to rethink how to stay open while keeping staff and shoppers safe, midnight launches seem to be a thing of the past. It doesn’t help that many games or consoles are now ordered online and delivered right to players' doors, leaving the justification of a midnight launch event diminished.
As understandable as it might be to not encourage mass gatherings in the face of a global pandemic, many are now wondering if midnight launches will return with vaccines available. Much likeE3’s plans for a 2023 return, some believe midnight launches could come back around as a sign that life is returning to some sense of normalcy. But with no major midnight launches seemingly planned for the foreseeable future, fans can only reflect upon the hype that came with such events.
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The History of Midnight Launches
Before online ordering was more than a dream, players would need to stake out their local store to wait in long lines just in the hopes of picking up limited copies of new releases. Even if it meant sacrificing time and comfort to get one’s hands on something early, it was a prestige some players considered worth the effort. That’s whyGameStop’s midnight launch ofCall of Duty: Black Opswas one of the biggest in its history back in 2010.
The Future of Midnight Launches
With the rise of online shopping and preorders making the gaming lifestyle more readily accessible, the justification for midnight launch events was harder to find. Encouraging customers to camp outside stores in the dead of night to pick up a copy of a game is a difficult sell when they could be delivered to their door or downloaded instead. Some retailers likeAmazon and GameStop would advertise exclusive bonusesto incentivize players, be it additional in-game content or merchandise like figurines or clothing.
With COVID-19 hitting the global community in late 2019 and early 2020, most if not all events were indefinitely postponed. Some events like gaming conventions couldn’t go virtual, andmidnight launches were canceledeven when hyped games likeDoom EternalandAnimal Crossing: New Horizonswere set to release that same month. Now with gaming conventions making a comeback, fans are hopeful that midnight launches can also return.
Given these launches were such a staple of the industry, some believe midnight launches returning could demonstrate faith in the market. But as players and developers alike readjust from gaming being predominantly online and thegaming industry making 91 percent of its revenue digitally, some wonder whether this will happen. Midnight launches could be a bygone tradition that some in the industry feel is unnecessary, leaving just the memories of the hype they once brought.
