8 Tips For Tackling A Game's Midnight Release

Summary

• Plan ahead, coordinate with others, and prepare snacks and equipment.
• Stay hydrated, avoid spoilers, and get enough rest before the release.
• Embrace the midnight release experience, it can be quite funny and exciting, but don't neglect sleep and self-care.

Your first midnight release is a rite of passage as a gamer. Picture it, a game that you've been so excited for you can't think of anything else is about to come out. You have it pre-ordered, maybe the bonuses were even half decent. That midnight hour approaches, but are you really prepared?

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Whether you're getting ready for your first midnight release or you're a veteran of standing outside the store in freezing weather, we thought it would be good to lay out some of the best strategies for making the most of playing a game the very instant it becomes available.

Picking up new games from your local store at midnight isn't as common as it once was, with many preferring digital pre-orders for the convenience and maximizing the minutes of a midnight release. Either way, we've put together tips that should mostly work no matter your preferred approach.

8 Plan Ahead

Whatever plan you put in place you have to have a plan, winging a midnight release is a recipe for disaster. Especially as you get older and have more life commitments, a midnight release has to be treated like a complicated heist job. Blueprints, synced-up watches, convenient flashbacks - you're going to need it all.

Book time off work, make sure your partner knows the score and send the kids to their grandparents. Whatever you need to do to make sure you can throw your sleep schedule off course with wild abandon, make sure to take those steps ahead of time.

7 Coordinate

Cooperation is key to most things in life, and a successful midnight release is no different. Coordinate with the loved ones in your life so they know you're going to become a dweller of the night for several days, but also with your fellow gamers.

If the game in question is multiplayer, make sure you get yourselves on the same schedule. If you're going to the store to pick up your physical copy, aim to head there together. Not only will this mean you have some company, it's also just safer to be with friends when out in the middle of the night.

6 Don't Just Snack

Stocking up on snacks is important, you're definitely going to need them, but you need to think bigger. Snacks are a tasty way to keep hunger at bay and potentially give yourself a quick sugar boost, but you're in this for the long haul. You're going to need a proper meal.

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Making something ahead of time you can dip into when you need it, like a chilli, will mean you don't have to stop your gaming session for too long. Alternatively, something quick and simple will work just as well. Avoiding reliance on snacks will stop you from having a sugar crash and let you keep gaming for longer.

5 Hydrate

Coffee and energy drinks can give you the boost you need to stay up late and game for longer, in moderation. But make sure that you drink some actual water too, nothing else is a substitute for good old H2O.

Aside from being good for you just in general, properly hydrating will help stave off the headaches that caffeine and energy drinks can often cause. You'll wake up the next day feeling a little less undead and be in better shape to get back to your new game as soon as possible.

4 Avoid Spoilers

Making sure that a game is one you're interested in enough for a midnight release, while also avoiding too much information about it is a tricky balancing act. You don't want to drop full price on a game and stomp all over your sleep schedule for something you won't like, but you don't want to have half the game spoiled for you either.

Stick to spoiler-free reviews, text or audio exclusive ones are a great way to learn about the game without seeing too much. You can also rely on friends who are less worried about spoilers to keep you informed on if the previews are positive or not, without having to check them out yourself.

3 Rest Up

The best way to make sure you have the energy for a midnight release isn't to chug a six-pack of energy drinks, it's to get some rest ahead of time. Keep your schedule light if you can, or even have a nap during the day if your schedule allows for the luxury.

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Conserving your energy ahead of time means you'll be better equipped to play for longer and appreciate the game you've been waiting for. Make sure to get some rest afterward too, and let yourself recover from your late night and long gaming session.

2 Charge Everything

You don't want to have to sit in a less comfortable position because your controller has to be connected to the console, make sure to charge it up ahead of time. Charge a spare up too, if you're planning on an extra long session. Most important of all though, charge your wireless headphones.

Waking up other people in your house isn't an option, but neither is playing with the volume at the lowest setting while you strain to hear important story dialogue. Charge up your headphones and any other devices you use ahead of time to make sure that not only can you game undisturbed, but also that your gaming doesn't disturb others.

1 Go To Bed

We've done it, you've done it, everyone has done it. Staying up too late, squeezing out one more hour of game time, it's a bad decision that no one avoids forever. You do need sleep though, no matter how good the newest release is, and it's okay to put the controller away so you can go to bed.

It might feel like torture, but you'll be in a better position after some sleep to actually enjoy your new game. Playing well rested is a lot better than struggling to keep your eyes open, you'll appreciate the details far more and feel less like a zombie. Take that long rest, you need it.

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