Did u ever not reserve a popular game and get it on launch?

[PDorr3]

I was so happy to know that Zelda: OoT was going to be released on my birthday, I never reserved so I had to drive all over looking for it and finaly a kaybee toys had one copy left, I was so relieved, and very happy.

I never reserved SOCOM I on ps2, and everyplace was sold out, and just before I was ready to give up I figured I would try the microplay with low expectations, but to my suprise there was one left! inflated price but I did not care, I was really, really excited you wouldent believe.

Same thing for xbox live starter kit, same problem as socom, and I resorted to microplay, there was one left, but the guy said he was holding onto it for someone but the guy hadnet been in for like 2 days so he sold it to me, so nice! unfortunately microplay is no longer there and in replaced by a gamespot -_-

For a gamecube I waited online outside of a kaybeee toys for like 2 hours, and for my DS i waited outside of a bestbuy for about 2 hours.

So, have you never not reserved a popular game/system and got lucky enough to still get it on launch?

[slip81]

X-Men Legends
Katamari Damacy
Midnight Club 3

None were reserved and all were gotten on the street launch date.

There have been others on the PSX, but I can't remember which.

EDIT: Almost forgot, got RE4 CE without a reserve as well :)

[hezeuschrist]

Just the gamecube system itself. Nowadays I never reserve crap becuase there's always a shitton of supply everywhere. Just hit up a Walmart or Target and you'll likely get a copy.

Unless there's a preorder bonus, then I'll get it (Suikoden IV :()

[culltyler]

I went in to pick up my Minish Cap reserve, and it wasnt there. Walked out with RE4.

[machine.slave]

I reserved a copy of Halo 2 CE, but only because I wanted the free figurine. :D

[Tatsu]

I never got a game on the release day but I still have a funny story to tell:

At the X-Mas when the first Donkey Kong Country was released the marriage of my aunt and uncle went downhill. We went there to celebrate and it seemed that my uncle were responsible to get the parent's gift for my cousin. As usually he was late and since it was THE GAME this season it was sold in all the shops. My aunt was really upset because without it they wouldn't have a gift for their son. To our surprise my uncle came home and had the game, the last one available in the whole city. So how did he get it? He went to one of the stores, asked if they sill had a DCK game and he got told that there was only one left but that it was reserverd for a Mister X. He used all of his charm (and he is quite a womanizer, I tell you!) and told the sales woman "Oh that's for me. My wife has reserved under her name". He got the game without a problem and so my cousin (and I of course) still had a good X-Mas. But poor child that got his game stolen...

[Speedy_NES]

Breath of Fire II for SNES...my two brothers and I highly anticipated the game's release, and when my dad took us to go buy the game we were really eager to get our hands on it...went to a whole bunch of stores with no success though, but on the way home decided to stop at one last store, and they had a single copy left ;) I remember the excitement like it was yesterday ;)

-Speedy

[sliop24]

Was The Wind Waker a popular title?
LOL

[howdoin]

Halo 2, the slim PS2, the PSP and almost everything else.

I decided to never pre-order again after a couple disapointment with EB pre-orders

[DynastyLawyer]

Pretty much every popular game that came out before FF7... :roll:

[Rogmeister]

I never reserve anything. I went on the GameCube's launch day to get it and K-Mart was already sold out...and it was only about 10AM! So I just went across the highway to Wal-Mart and they had plenty. I also went to Wal-Mart on Halo 2 Day and got it with no problems. Usually, I don't even bother getting games on their launch day...there'll be plenty of time to get them later...and usually at lower prices. :D

[Jumpman Jr.]

Ocarina of time.
Funny thing is, I played it for 5 minutes, and hated it.
Then, 7 years later (2 months ago), I start playing it for the first time, and beat it.

[Tony Montana]

I got GTA III after searching for awhile, but it was so not worth my time to hunt one down that if Im fairly sure I'm going to buy it I just reserve it. Frankly, people that have this complete objection to reserving stuff seem a little retarded to me. Its not like its anything extra and I sure as hell dont want to buy my stuff at WalMart or wait for some place to open. I just reserve it and stroll on in whenever I like that day to pick it up.

[Yago]

I never reserve anything. I went on the GameCube's launch day to get it and K-Mart was already sold out...and it was only about 10AM! So I just went across the highway to Wal-Mart and they had plenty. I also went to Wal-Mart on Halo 2 Day and got it with no problems. Usually, I don't even bother getting games on their launch day...there'll be plenty of time to get them later...and usually at lower prices. :D

Never have and never will. I am very patient when it comes to waiting for stuff. I never needed to be the first person to get something or see a new movie. It is just no big deal to me.

[DigitalSpace]

The only game I've ever bought near launch was GTA: San Andreas, a couple days after it came out. I got it at the first store I went to (Best Buy) and they had several copies left.

[SkiDragon]

The N64. Everyone was sold out, but Kmart had a new boxed one in the display case, which they let me buy.

[Frankie23]

PIcked up Fable on launch day without a pre-order. Wish I'd waited for reviews, I was so disappointed, and I didn't even consider my expectations to be very high. I also could've gotten Halo 2 on launch, but passed.

[Griking]

I remember visiting Gamestop on launch day for both the last Madden and for Halo 2 and they had more copies in stock then I though they'd ever be able to sell.

I had a good laugh thinking back to when they were trying to convince me that you'd never get a copy unless you reserved it up front. (bullshit).

The only games I'll ever reserve are the odd ones that aren't going to be big sellers and that they won't get more than a few copies of.

[THATinkjar]

I have hardly ever reserved and it hasn't been a problem. Games usually ship in very high numbers these days. Finding them somwhere locally isn't really a problem for me. Maybe I'm one of the lucky ones in that regard.

[Melf]

I only reserve those titles I want that I know will have a low print run. Reserving big name titles is just a ploy for Gamestop and EB to pad their reservation lists. I bought GTA:SA at TRU without any reserve or anything, on launch day. Same with Vice City.

When I wanted the Halo 2 CE, the manager of GS told me to pay the game in full and come at midnight on Nov.11, and maybe he could get me a regular copy of the game. I told him "thanks but no thanks" and went to TRU the next day. They had plenty of both versions available and I got my CE without any hassle.

[Lady Jaye]

The only time I ever did was for Zelda: Wind Waker because I wanted the bonus disk -- since I never had a N64, I never had OoT, so I really wanted to get it. Of course, I didn't know that Nintendo was to release another Zelda bonus disk (although to the defense of the first bonus disk, it has OoT Master Quest...).

So, basically, unless the bonus pre-order item is really something that I really, really want, otherwise I don't care for picking games on release date nor to pre-order them.

[buttasuperb]

I used to reserve games.

Now I just wait for the Friday Fry's ad, because big time releases are usually $35 or so. I just got Forza Motorsport last week for $34.99

[link1110]

I got both my DS and PSP on launch without reeserving.

[Bluteg]

Nope, I wait until they are $20 or less. If you can wait you can build a much more plentiful collection this way.

[Griking]

I find that 90% of the time game store employees as full of shit when they tell you that you won't be able to get a copy of a game unless you reserve it up front. Unless its an odd obscure title you can usually show up on launch day and find more than a few unspoken for copies of a game on the store shelves.

The only games worth reserving are the quirky lesser known ones because stores will generally only get a copy or two.

[Tony Montana]

I remember visiting Gamestop on launch day for both the last Madden and for Halo 2 and they had more copies in stock then I though they'd ever be able to sell.

I had a good laugh thinking back to when they were trying to convince me that you'd never get a copy unless you reserved it up front. (bullshit).

The only games I'll ever reserve are the odd ones that aren't going to be big sellers and that they won't get more than a few copies of.
------
I find that 90% of the time game store employees as full of shit when they tell you that you won't be able to get a copy of a game unless you reserve it up front. Unless its an odd obscure title you can usually show up on launch day and find more than a few unspoken for copies of a game on the store shelves.

The only games worth reserving are the quirky lesser known ones because stores will generally only get a copy or two.

For the really big games you're probably right that you can get them easily without reserving, i.e. Madden Halo GTA, but the next level games the same doesnt always hold. Perfect examples are SW: Episode III and God of War. They sold out real quick the same day so if you didnt reserve you had to wait for the next shipment which is only usually a couple days but still you had to wait. And the only reason the big games are easy to get is because they know how much demand there is from how many reserved it. Thats the biggest reason for reserves, it lets the company know the interest level and how to divy up the allotment, although it also basically guarantees you will buy the game from that company also.

[jdc]

There's no need to reserve anything these days. There's only about a trillion copies of anything floating around on release day. Everybody over-orders in order to ensure adequate coverage. You could walk into anywhere and pick up the oh-so-rare, better-reserve-it-months-ahead-or-you-ain't-gonna-get-one Halo2 LE on release day without a preorder. Preorders are a joke and so much bullshit. Why they even bother any more is beyond me.

[Promophile]

For most game I agree. But look at a game like, say, Katamari. For MONTHS after release the game was impossible to find in most areas since no one had preordered so stores got barely any copies.

[Arcade Antics]

I've never reserved any game that I've wanted and always gotten them on launch without incident. :)

[Archenemy]

Nope, I wait until they are $20 or less. If you can wait you can build a much more plentiful collection this way.

Yup.

And I never buy recent games as well. As someone said in another topic, recent games are way to "mainstream". Many of them lack that appeal my oldies have...

I miss the days of Secret of Mana, Shining Force 3, Radiant Silvergun...

[PDorr3]

There's no need to reserve anything these days. There's only about a trillion copies of anything floating around on release day. Everybody over-orders in order to ensure adequate coverage. You could walk into anywhere and pick up the oh-so-rare, better-reserve-it-months-ahead-or-you-ain't-gonna-get-one Halo2 LE on release day without a preorder. Preorders are a joke and so much bullshit. Why they even bother any more is beyond me.

some areas though there are a limited number of gamestores, like in my area I must rely on one EB Games, so if they sell out I am doomed. It's better safe than sorry.

[ECWSandmanECW]

Madden 2005

[goatdan]

I got Super Mario Brothers 3 and Perfect Dark on the day of release. Those were the only two ever for me. I just don't care to pay that much for a game at launch. I'd rather wait for a little price drop first...