When people who don't play games ask me what Im doing today, I tell them "oh, planned on playing some killing floor and maybe dark souls". If you dont act like its a "secret you dont know anything about!", its okay.
Dont be ashamed of your hobby, ffs

News crews? Wow. I've never been to a midnight release but plan to go tomorrow night (Wooohooooo). I figured I's just walk in, pick up the game, walk out.
How busy are midnight releases usually? Should I arrive early?
Pertinent info : Size of town I live in : ~ 90 000
Two game stores in the own are opening at midnight.
From you guys who have experience in midnight releases, how busy do you think it will be? I was thinking no more than 30 or 40 people max.

You want to slay dragons yet you fear cameras and fellow dragonslayers?

you can expect about 45,000 at each store give or take and few

If none of your friends are gamers, why would they watch Skyrim midnight release coverage?

I think you'll be fairly safe where you are. Only specific stores where Bethesda (or whoever) is putting on a publicity event are going to be like that.

I was thinking of going to this one specifically, which will probably be absolute carnage:

http://www.videogamer.com/xbox360/the_elder_scrolls_v_skyrim/news/skyrim_uk_midnight_launch_details.html

I wasn't thinking of going down just to get the game really, but to see what's going on.

If you're friends hate you for something that petty, you're better of without them.

Get some new friends, they're probably all alcoholic smack-heads anyway.

Easy... if tons of freaks will be wearing costumes... Do the same thing!

Where a cool costume, with a Mask covering your face.

Done.

Best of both worlds.

I fear rampant consumerism and corporate marketing events.

But I enjoy a good party.

This may be a bit of both.

What makes you think I'm not?

Well, generally they tend not to have time/money/intelligence to play computer games.

You must hang out with the wrong alcoholic smack heads...

The ones I hang out with have time, money, and intelligence. It's the gamer's I know that don't lol.

I wouldn't venture into Oxford Street in the daylight, let alone midnight. You'd probably get trampled by shopaholic tourists.

Sorry OP but you sound a little pathetic and sad. Being a closet anything is sad. If your friends would actually judge you, what kind of friends are they...?

WoW did an awful lot to move gaming into the mainstream. Whether you think that's good or bad is up to you.

If your friends are going to think less of you based on your video game playing hobbies, maybe it's time to re-think some of those friendships. As for social suicide? Are you some kind of big-shot in your area that has a public persona of an anti-gaming crusader? Otherwise, how would showing up to a midnight release have any social stigma attached to it.

Do it, dress up, don't care
I had similar feelings to you before I went to see the play version of Rocky Horror picture Show in costume (Little Nell/Columbia if you must know)
Even if it is covered by media like the opening night of Rocky Horror was 90% of your associates won't notice, most of the remainder won't care or will think its cool, and the other 1% are total dorks whose opinion you shouldn't care about anyway

LOL, no offence but good grief, the "norms" are the sad ones as they all seem to scared to be what they are!
BE ONE WITH THE INNER NERD! EMBRACE THE GAME!
nerd all my life and proud of it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3njjD41f48


actually, my pal's a 350lb human-gorilla, literally have seen him grab folk by their ankles and bounce their heads off the floor, he loves games, especially D&D...I'm his DM.
Don't **** with the nerds!

if you keep a low profile because your ashamed, your a loser in my book, be true to your self ffs... id be happy to be in line, ive been a surfer, rock climber and mountain boarder for like 15 years, ive been to more live music gigs that i can remember, 10 years of consecutive music festival, ive led a steriotypical cool life, because i always liked those things not because i felt peer pressure to do them, but i also like computer games, im down with it, with my self, i do what i like as long as it doesnt hurt others.
if your mates think other wise rip them a new one over it im sure they have somthing to be ashamed of, if as simple as trying to hard to be cool, the worst kind of ppl imo.

I think I need to edit first post so it's more obviously lighthearted. I have a dry sense of humor, and it's obviously not worked in this case.

Many people seemed concerned about my lifestyle, which is kind of funny given the snippet of info I provided. And that all half truths at best.

Well to answer your original question, yes, there is a big communal spirit
Bunch of like-minded people turning up at unlikely hours, of course there is
Just like people who queue for Wimbledon tickets

Woww... if playing rpg games is something that u feel needs to be a (dirty) secret, then you have bigger issues then going to the midnight launch or not...

Cant wait to get mine tomorrow night, woohoo. Look like im gonna be up all night playing it!

My thoughts:

Seems like a bit of an odd thing to worry about.

But, in the end, it's just a game. If this is causing you some stress..... just wait til later in the day and pick it up during regular business hours.

Few hours won't really make any difference. (especially since you don't seem to have any other friends who'll be playing it, so it's not like they're going to be bombarding you with emails and calls with spoilers. )


Me, I've never gone to a midnight sale/opening of anything - not CDs, not movies, not books, not concert tickets, not sports..... certainly not going to bother for a game.