tThis was an era when certain stores resembled nightclubs at the stroke of midnight, filled with a long line of eager customers.

Witnessing a crowd of gamers lined up to snag the latest hardware at midnight is becoming increasingly rare. Yet, if you happen to stroll by Smyths Toy Shop on the night of June 4th, you might just experience a nostalgia-infused event.

This particular launch marks the first major gaming console release since 2020, with fans eagerly anticipating the monumental Nintendo Switch 2.

What stands out about this launch is not just the excitement in the air, but also the surprisingly small queue. Approximately a decade ago, the hype of midnight launches began to fade. With more players opting for digital downloads, the need to go out and purchase a physical copy diminished.

Consequently, Smyths stands as the sole UK chain participating in this event. Even in the US, which is known for its consumer culture during launch days, only Nintendo’s stores in San Francisco and New York have announced midnight openings.

This is a sharp contrast to the early 2010s. Back then, thanks to the monumental success of consoles like PlayStation, Wii, and Xbox, gaming launch events for titles like Call of Duty, Halo, and Grand Theft Auto were celebrated across thousands of stores around the globe, widely publicized and expertly managed.

For instance, Microsoft’s Halo 3 launch in the US featured actors dressed as Space Marines, with Bill Gates showing up at Best Buy in Seattle. Meanwhile, the Call of Duty Ghost event in the UK at Westfield Stratford hired a drill sergeant to rally the crowd.

“My favorite was Skyrim,” reminisces Greg Weller, who served as the UK Marketing Manager at Bethesda Softworks then. “I got the specs from the game’s flagship store on Oxford Street and decorated the entire front with Elder Scroll artwork. We even installed snow machines on the roof so that snow could cascade down Oxford Street in November. There was a competition for cosplay too.”

The launch of a console was a grand event comparable to a film premiere. For instance, during the Xbox One launch in 2013, Microsoft transformed Leicester Square into a hub of Xbox branding, complete with live performances from artists like B and Katy B. Just two weeks ago, Sony commandeered the Highline Hotel in New York, creating a massive video game arcade and showcasing games to thousands of eager fans.

Such extravagant launch events not only boosted retailer visibility but also created meaningful word-of-mouth promotion and press coverage. For fans, these gatherings offered a sense of belonging. “Having grown up gaming in the 90s, we often felt ostracized for our interests,” shares Rich Thompson, now the founder of Hull’s Black Rose Studios. “But hosting a midnight launch was electric. When Fallout 4 debuted, our local store even brought in a DJ. The atmosphere was like a celebration, with hundreds of people gathered.”

However, these late-night events occasionally spiraled into chaos. “We had one store in the city center filled with people coming out of pubs,” Thompson recounted. “Rowdy patrons sometimes caused trouble. I remember a significant fight breaking out on the night of a FIFA launch.”

In 2006, a man was tragically shot by a masked robber while attempting to claim his new PlayStation 3 during a Walmart event in Putnam, Connecticut. (He later recounted to a local newspaper how despite his injuries, he remained in the store to pick up his console.) In London, the police were so apprehensive about potential disturbances that they prohibited the PlayStation 3 Midnight Launch at all stores in the city, except for Virgin Megastore on Oxford Street.

The shift towards digital media, fierce competition from online giants like Amazon, and the devastating impact of Covid lockdowns have led to a decline in specialist high street stores. Once boasting over 600 locations in the UK, the Game retail chain now counts around 240. Data from the Digital Entertainment and Retail Association reveals that physical game sales in the UK plummeted by 35% last year.

Could the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2 signal a change? As observed with the resurgence in vinyl records and unexpected spikes in Blu-ray sales (a response to consumer dissatisfaction with ad-laden streaming services), there appears to be a growing interest in physical media.

Interest in physical games seems to be on the rise. Boutique publishers like Strictly Limited and Limited Run are releasing elegantly packaged modern and classic titles, while game cafes and retro arcades are flourishing.

Ultimately, the unique experience of launch events, the buzz, the shared joy, cannot be duplicated through online transactions.

“Dad took me to the store in the middle of the night for the Xbox release,” reminisces Thompson. “He had just wrapped up a 12-hour shift. He thought it would just be the two of us, but there was an enormous line. The staff were handing out drinks, Limp Bizkit was blasting through the speakers. As a 13-year-old, I couldn’t imagine anything cooler. I looked up at my dad and saw the excitement on his face mirroring my own.”