This post has not been edited by the GamesBeat staff. Opinions by GamesBeat community writers do not necessarily reflect those of the staff.
If you’re wondering why your local cubicle farm seems a little emptier tomorrow than most Tuesdays, it’s likely because Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, one of the most widely anticipated games of 2009, debuts at midnight. (Just 2 hours after this story posts on the East Coast).
We imagine that a number of you plan on waiting in line for the game’s midnight launch — and if you do, please let us know and how it went. Will you see any Bitmob staffers standing in line with you? Read on to find out who plans on buying the game on Day One.
Aaron: Normally, I’d have preordered the game — or would at least have plans to buy it the day it comes out. But I’m doing the “getting married” thing at the end of this week, so there’s little chance that I’d be able to play it before the big day. Since I don’t need it the day it comes out, I’ve placed it atop my GameFly queue. I figure it will be here by the time I’m back from my honeymoon, and then I’ll dive right in.
Why am I renting it instead of buying it? I’m not exactly rolling in cash these days, so that’s one reason. I also don’t play games over once I’ve beaten them. And lastly: I didn’t play a ton of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare’s multiplayer, and I don’t anticipate playing much more in the sequel. I’ll be way behind the curve by the time I get back, and I don’t feel like being shot in the face repeatedly as I try to catch up. I’ll beat this sucker once, and I’m done.
Shoe: My biggest dilemma wasn’t whether to buy this game but rather which version to get. I would like night-vision goggles, yes. What guy wouldn’t? But the Prestige Edition is a little too cumbersome and expensive — especially for someone who’s not making any money at the moment. The normal edition is the most affordable and would look the best in my game collection. But my need to have a nice collector’s edition for almost anything I buy wins the battle — so Hardened Edition it is.
Brett: Yes. I’ve already plunked down my money on Amazon. The first Modern Warfare contained some of the most unforgettable scenes of this console generation, and the perks and upgrades of its multiplayer sucked me in completely. So I’ve long had the sequel at the top of my “must have” list.
Then the airport footage leaked. That video absolutely blew my mind. It says to me that Infinity Ward plans to use their clout to expand the moral boundaries of video games. For a game as popular as Modern Warfare to deal with this type of content…call me hyperbolic, but I predict that Modern Warfare 2 will be a cultural watershed. And I want to be there on Day One to witness it.
Greg: I won’t be picking up MW2 on Tuesday, no. I just don’t have the time, given school demands. I’m planning as using it as a reward for finishing a couple tests on Thursday, however, and buying it that evening. It’s actually quite similar to how I would have to wait to play a game as a kid — heck, it’d be practically identical if I had to blow into the cartridge slot to get the damn thing to work.
Demian: I do want to play Modern Warfare 2, but I’m not going to be there with bells — or night-vision specs — on right at launch. I’m more interested in the single-player game right now than the multiplayer, so I won’t fall behind the curve if I miss Day One. I also want to see how it all shakes out before I decide on Xbox 360 vs. PC. Normally, I’d play it on PC because it’s a shooter, but my recent Borderlands experience — matchmaking is pretty broken on PC, among other things — combined with the whole dedicated-server issue is giving me pause.
Jason: No. I don’t care for first-person shooters, and I have little interest in this game — especially since it appears that Activision/Infinity Ward are essentially writing off the PC community.
Besides, who needs Modern Warfare 2 when I still have to beat the armored spider in Demon’s Souls, want five other origin stories to explore in Dragon Age: Origins, and am anticipating the mods that players will create for the wonderful Torchlight. I sure as hell don’t.
Rich: I will not be picking up the game up on Tuesday, because I was able to get it on Friday — yeah, I’m a cool kid.
Infinity Ward have surpassed the quality and fun of Call of Duty 4. But it won’t be long now before CEO Bobby Kotick and Activision bleed this series dry.
Michael: Nope. I don’t fancy army games. Especially ones that are so modern. And have a lot of warfare in them. Oh, and I’m broke, too.