darkSpyro

this will be my first full year of collecting and playing skylanders. as i just started right after the release of swap team. could anyone tell me does toys r us or any other stores have a midnight release. or do you have to wait first thing in mourning when the store opens? (except 24 hour stores of course.) if anyone has any information, it would be greatly appreciated!

In my area TRU has a midnight release, stores open past midnight will release the stock to be purchased just after midnight and everywhere else (GameStop, Target, etc.) will release everything for sale the following morning. However, as many stores' hours vary widely from area to area, this may not strictly be true for your location. The easiest way to tell would be to call any/all locations you're thinking of preordering from and just asking. The worst that can happen is they say no and you have to wait until morning to pick everything up.

-Doug

Quote: hairballl5

can anyone tell me does toys r us or any other stores have a midnight release. or do you have to wait first thing in mourning when the store opens?

I know "mourning" was a typo (morning) lol but I personally think you got it right! I know I will my mourning my empty wallet once I'm back from the stores on release day!

Got that right triggernut....we all will be mourning on that day looking at our empty wallets and say'in ... *what have i done?* ....lol
And agreed with Darkchtlde28...(Doug)...lol....just ask your local stores...and i would ask a rep that you know knows what is going on...not one of those guys that gives you the deer in the headlight look and go's ...Ahhhh....im...not...sure...*blink blink*...ahhh ...want me to ask someone?

I really hope my TRU (or wherever I end up going) doesn't do a midnight release. This is a kids game, and kids should get the experience of getting the stuff when the store opens. I don't want my kids up at midnight, even if it is a Saturday night.

Getting up early for 8 am store opening was memorable for me and my kids. I hope to repeat that.

I'm all for a midnight release.....kid stays up that late anyways.....plus all shopping done at midnight = playing all day sunday for him. Lets not forget to mention first crack at everything......paint jobs, possible variants, possible early bird sales, no line wait ( not like there was last year ) , no shortages, no pushing, no shoving.......

i will defiantly ask my tru if they will have the midnight release. if not, ill end up going to walmart that night and pay 1-3 dollars off each skylander since they are cheaper and then go to tru the next ***morning*** to see what else i could get. i dont give my hopes up on rare variants. i never see those in stores. unless its a tru, target, or walmart exclusive. but those are easy to come by. i havent seen any mention of sales on these guys yet either from any sale. just a bonus when you buy the starter packs. so i wasnt sure if any stores did last year to try to pull you in that store first.

Unfortunately midnight Oct 5th doesnt work for me as i'm at work till 7am that morning so it's a fail for me.

We did midnight launch last year and it was a lot of fun. TRU had more than enough of everything, so it wasn't a big deal to get all the wave 1 figures. My kids and I picked out everything on the list and left TRU extremely happy. No muss, no fuss, and no fighting amongst patrons. Since it was such a success last year, my kids are wanting(demanding) that we do it again.

We were there at like 4am. It was so much fun for my.son to go to all the stores in the middle of the night. He is so excited for this year and has two friends sleeping over coming with us. Their parents are happy to buy the game an d figures but are not doing an overnight gala to get them. So the kids are so excited!

Do not rely on 24x7 Walmarts to put out inventory at midnight. I went to 3 Wal-marts and no one knew what I was talking about. Most of the Wal-mart in my area did not put out Swap Force until after lunch on launch day.

^ This. Same happened to me and my son. Went back at around 9 a.m. and they still hadn't put anything out.

Quote: alex454

Do not rely on 24x7 Walmarts to put out inventory at midnight. I went to 3 Wal-marts and no one knew what I was talking about. Most of the Wal-mart in my area did not put out Swap Force until after lunch on launch day.

Quote: Txholdem1224

^ This. Same happened to me and my son. Went back at around 9 a.m. and they still hadn't put anything out.

After all of the Walmarts in my area completely failed to put their launch day exclusives for Giants out the first night and then the first week; I completely gave up on getting anything other than store exclusives there. And honestly, this past game, I think I ended up ordering most (if not all) of those online. Heck, I even had to get the "Black Friday" GITD Sonic Boom via eBay since none of my local stores bothered to put their stock out until a month had passed and nobody cared about the figure anymore.

In my experience, the retailers rank thusly:

Toys R Us - Best and (usually) earliest availability, usually have midnight launches
Gamestop - They will let you preorder everything you can but their HQ screws up their stock distribution by cherry picking
Target - They try really hard and obviously want the business but can't seem to keep fresh stock available
Walmart - They don't care, usually won't help and won't put any limit on volume purchases to prevent scalping

This year I preordered my main console's game from Target for the free trap, preordered the 3DS version from TRU and preordered the Dark starter from Gamestop. Amazon has my money for Gear Shift and, outside of exclusives, whoever will let me preorder anything else and guarantee launch day availability/delivery for me will get the rest of my money.

-Doug

Mine didn't have them out but when I asked they went and back and rolled out boxes on a pallet type.thing and let my son pick his figures out.

Quote: darkchylde28

Quote: alex454

Do not rely on 24x7 Walmarts to put out inventory at midnight. I went to 3 Wal-marts and no one knew what I was talking about. Most of the Wal-mart in my area did not put out Swap Force until after lunch on launch day.

Quote: Txholdem1224

^ This. Same happened to me and my son. Went back at around 9 a.m. and they still hadn't put anything out.

After all of the Walmarts in my area completely failed to put their launch day exclusives for Giants out the first night and then the first week; I completely gave up on getting anything other than store exclusives there. And honestly, this past game, I think I ended up ordering most (if not all) of those online. Heck, I even had to get the "Black Friday" GITD Sonic Boom via eBay since none of my local stores bothered to put their stock out until a month had passed and nobody cared about the figure anymore.

In my experience, the retailers rank thusly:

Toys R Us - Best and (usually) earliest availability, usually have midnight launches
Gamestop - They will let you preorder everything you can but their HQ screws up their stock distribution by cherry picking
Target - They try really hard and obviously want the business but can't seem to keep fresh stock available
Walmart - They don't care, usually won't help and won't put any limit on volume purchases to prevent scalping

This year I preordered my main console's game from Target for the free trap, preordered the 3DS version from TRU and preordered the Dark starter from Gamestop. Amazon has my money for Gear Shift and, outside of exclusives, whoever will let me preorder anything else and guarantee launch day availability/delivery for me will get the rest of my money.

-Doug

Yeah my Wally-World did the same thing...didn't have Swap Force stocked till about 10:00AM...I also did the same Preorder as Doug did. Will most likely go at midnight to TRU to get my 3DS starter and a few figures then swing by Gamestop and get my Dark Ed....if there open...lol...i don't belive my Target will be open ...but since its close by i will look.

Can any TRU employees confirm the midnight release yet?

Yeah, unless you get lucky, Walmart completely sucks for launches.

Last year, knowing *exactly* what the two Walmarts in the town I went to Toys R Us in had, I went to the first Walmart right after TRU to try and get Enchanted Hoot Loop. It was a horrible mess. It was all "Dude, you have two cases. They're about this size ::making shape with my hands::. You got them in on this date. They have orange stripes on them that say not to sell them before today." No luck. Went to the other Walmart in town - same story. Went back to the first one, finally got a manager who went to the back, found it for me. Checked out. Came back the next day after hitting up Target and GameStop and met one of the other customers from that night who was leaving, upset, because they *still* hadn't put them out. Which confuses me, since I bought them that night. Seriously, why only bring the *one* out? Grr.

I had same issue with Walmart for a midnight release last year, only it was for Disney Infinity (don't hate). The release date was the same day as my son's birthday, so I thought I'd pick up what we wanted at midnight and surprise him first thing in the morning when he woke up.

It's not like I just strolled into my closest 24 Walmart out of the blue and expected to find everything, I had called two days and the day before and spoke with the customer service people at the electronics section. Both said they had the Disney Infinity stuff in the back ready to go, and that I could come buy at midnight of release day, just ask the workers to bring them out.

When the time comes that midnight, nothing was out. No one was working electronics, so myself and another couple that were there for the same thing spoke with a worker who kept us waiting for about 45 minutes before they finally brought out cases on a dolly. Then we had to follow them to the front of the store since those are the only working registers at night, and finished up our purchases. Left the store after 1am. Despite the issues, it was worth it as my son was shocked when he woke up and walked into our gaming room.

Never doing a midnight launch at Walmart again though.

Is this thread broken?
I only see 13 post, it says there are 18 post.

I dunno - there's 20 posts now (#19 yours and I assume mine is #20).

Urgh idk what to do...my kids getting me excited to go at midnight on the 5th but i start work at 11pm on the 4th and end at 7am on the 5h....then go back at 4pm to work to 11pm. Now i just want to use vacation and go but i want to save time for winter /xmas. Sigh...what to do.

^I think stores will be flooded with this game, so I wouldn't waste vacation time on it. You'll have absolutely no problem walking in on Monday and picking up whatever you wanted, especially since so much of it can be preordered on Amazon. It could be a good lesson in patience.

Quote: PurpleSnurple

^I think stores will be flooded with this game, so I wouldn't waste vacation time on it. You'll have absolutely no problem walking in on Monday and picking up whatever you wanted, especially since so much of it can be preordered on Amazon. It could be a good lesson in patience.

Naw I wouldnt be able to get it till like wed and then not play it again till the following monday...hense why i was thinking abt taking off so i could go with my son to get it as my wife is not going to wait for me

^ You should go.

Realy...might as well...take a sick day SlayerX11.

I agree to stay away from Walmart. I went there at 10am for the Giants launch. They didn't have anything out and the people in electronics didn't know what I was talking about.

Glad I had already been to TRU across the street and got most of what I wanted.

Quote: UncleBob

Yeah, unless you get lucky, Walmart completely sucks for launches.

Last year, knowing *exactly* what the two Walmarts in the town I went to Toys R Us in had, I went to the first Walmart right after TRU to try and get Enchanted Hoot Loop. It was a horrible mess. It was all "Dude, you have two cases. They're about this size ::making shape with my hands::. You got them in on this date. They have orange stripes on them that say not to sell them before today." No luck. Went to the other Walmart in town - same story. Went back to the first one, finally got a manager who went to the back, found it for me. Checked out. Came back the next day after hitting up Target and GameStop and met one of the other customers from that night who was leaving, upset, because they *still* hadn't put them out. Which confuses me, since I bought them that night. Seriously, why only bring the *one* out? Grr.

Hey at least ur Walmart got em. Mine never got the Swap Force shipment. It was at least 2 weeks after release before my Walmart had anything to put out <.<

They probably had 'em sitting in the back for two weeks before putting them out.

Quote:

Yeah, unless you get lucky, Walmart completely sucks for launches.

I went to Wal-Mart for the DI 2.0 midnight release and it is pretty much as everyone stated before. Nothing was out on the floor and the ladies working had no idea about the release. They had to go in the back twice to find DI 2.0. They brought out the boxes, but I couldn't find the power disc packs and they said Walmart must not have received them. It was also the same for FIFA 15 which released at midnight too. Although, they did eventually find the game in the back and the guys there were able to purchase them.

The suckitude of Walmart midnight launches appears to be consistent across stores. I'm not sure if the night staff is told or Walmart really doesn't do midnight launches. Regardless, I won't be looking to go there for the midnight release of Trap Team.

Quote: GamerDrone

Quote:

Yeah, unless you get lucky, Walmart completely sucks for launches.

I went to Wal-Mart for the DI 2.0 midnight release and it is pretty much as everyone stated before. Nothing was out on the floor and the ladies working had no idea about the release. They had to go in the back twice to find DI 2.0. They brought out the boxes, but I couldn't find the power disc packs and they said Walmart must not have received them. It was also the same for FIFA 15 which released at midnight too. Although, they did eventually find the game in the back and the guys there were able to purchase them.

The suckitude of Walmart midnight launches appears to be consistent across stores. I'm not sure if the night staff is told or Walmart really doesn't do midnight launches. Regardless, I won't be looking to go there for the midnight release of Trap Team.

You have the terms launch and release mixed up (even though you used both of them in your post). There are so many 24 hour Walmarts and Targets such that they're bound to screw up release day and have things available later in the day or even a few days later. Movies are released every week and games throughout the year such that they probably don't have a stock team dedicated to have everything put out at midnight of every release. A proper "launch" was done by TRU where they went out of their way to be open at midnight at select stores and advertised it. I doubt any of the TRU stores were unprepared for the launch. To all other retail stores, it's just release day (put it out as you please since it's now past street date and permitted to be sold). Quite honestly, even the midnight launches are a bit much. They're fine for those who want their first pick at figures and the hardcore collector who wants to find chase variants, but 99.99999% of people who will own the game don't have it as a priority to be playing the game by 1 am on release day or ensuring they have all launch figures on day one.

For those people that do make it a priority to play the game by 1am on release day or want to own the launch figures on day one, now they know that Walmart may not be the place to go. And, from other posts, Walmart may not even put them out on release day. Better to go to the other stores. Just relating my experience so those people can make an informed choice.

Quote: GamerDrone

For those people that do make it a priority to play the game by 1am on release day or want to own the launch figures on day one, now they know that Walmart may not be the place to go. And, from other posts, Walmart may not even put them out on release day. Better to go to the other stores. Just relating my experience so those people can make an informed choice.

I wasn't criticizing you or your reasons to be at a game launch...just mainly pointing out that TRU knows how to properly handle Disney Infinity and Skylanders launches whereas other stores see it as just another new item release without much regard for having product stock out first thing the day of release. This is a fan forum and I understand the reason why a true fan would attend a launch...I just think it's a bit much (any midnight launch regardless of the product).

Quote: mastermc54

[...]the hardcore collector who wants to find chase variants,[...]

I get the impression that Activision doesn't send out chase variants in the launch cases - I don't think *anyone* has ever mentioned finding one, at least.

Quote: UncleBob

Quote: mastermc54

[...]the hardcore collector who wants to find chase variants,[...]

I get the impression that Activision doesn't send out chase variants in the launch cases - I don't think *anyone* has ever mentioned finding one, at least.

Back when Giants was released, Rock Zook and Rock Whirlwind were in the Wave 1 Single Pack cases and Triple Pack cases. I saw about 3 of each on the release date.

Last year, the TRU press release which, among other things, contained the list of stores having a midnight launch was put out on 10/7 which was 6 days before the launch on 10/13/13. Perhaps we'll know a week from now (i.e. 9/30, six days before launch) which TRU are going to be open at midnight, if any.

I just want to know what the deals will be for that week. That will determine which stores I go to on release day.