Minutes to midnight craze

Rene Gonzalez/Contributing Writer

Sometimes the best part of the night is found in the preparation, but the GameStop in the Graham Center aims to change that. Midnight releases exemplify everything we love about entertainment: the anticipation, the companionship and the conquest of being among the first to see that new movie or play that new game. This fall is packed with highly anticipated titles, and our very own campus GameStop will have several midnight releases this semester to add to the excitement.

As a casual gamer, most of my attention goes to sports games. No other title is as coveted as the yearly release of Madden. Aug. 28 marks the release date of Madden 13. This game will be available on PlayStation 3, XBOX 360, the new PSVITA and even the Nintendo Wii. The good folks at EA have finally revamped the game a bit. With no real competitor in the market, it can get difficult to stay cutting edge, and so the franchise lulled. The last decent version was Madden 10 and before that maybe Madden 08. NCAA Football has actually turned into a better franchise with more intuitive controls and faster gameplay, making it a lot more fun. EA took notes from NCAA Football and moved some of the characteristics to the newest addition of Madden.

Defense has been overhauled, the controls seem to be smoother and now you can disguise your coverage. Calling motion on offense to see if the defense is in man or zone won’t help you anymore. The offense received some favorable upgrades as well. The passing trajectories have been improved. Using the left joystick, you can place passes in spots only your receiver can catch, push him to the sidelines while running the two-minute drill, or pass it over his inside shoulder if the coverage is tight. The overall improvements to the controls come coupled with more realistic audio commentary and additional cut scenes to add to the drama.

Madden 13 is not the only major title that will see a big release on our campus this semester. This past Aug. 19 was the scheduled issue date of the New Super Mario Bros game for Nintendo 3DS. September will be an exhilarating month with three striking midnight releases. Battlefield 3 for PlayStation 3 comes out Sept. 11 and Borderlands 2 will be available across three platforms on Sept. 18 — PlayStation 3, XBOX 360 and PC. The same can be said about another desirable sports title that unveils Sept. 25. FIFA Soccer 13 will also be seen on those three consoles.

Midnight releases not only drive sales for big titles, they also assure awaiting fans a copy of the game if they pre-order. There are quite a few perks for attending these events, some stores offer exclusive packaging or collectors edition versions. Students here appreciate the campus store’s ability to host these releases.“They offer a nice early grab for gamers to get their hands on those games they are just itching to play. It also saves time from picking it up during the day the next day. It’s especially nice when they offer little prizes to win like T-shirts. All in all, it’s just a nice event that can be fun, just like the midnight viewing of a new movie,” said senior Jonathan Jeff Mejia, biology major.So grab your buddies and a few containers of heavily sugared soda, because this fall our GameStop will be host to various midnight releases of some sensational titles. Call Of Duty Black Ops 2 is out in November, but stop by the store in the Graham Center and ask about any game, they’ll be happy to help you.

–life@fiusm.com