Grand Line Auto: Waiting for GTA IV (Baltimore suburbs edition)
by Kyle Orland 
{ Apr 29th 2008 at 1:30AM }
Believe it or not, the police car in that photo actually belongs to an off-duty Anne Arundel County police officer looking to pick up a copy of the anticipated crime simulator for himself. But that doesn't mean there wasn't active law enforcement involved with the Grand Theft Auto 4 launch festivities at this Laurel, MD Gamestop. Keep reading for more pictures and a full account of the line-waiting experience as GTA4-eve finally bled into GTA4-day.
By 11:45, there were 50 people waiting in the 55 degree weather of the strip mall parking lot to get their copy of the game as soon as possible. By midnight, the crowd had swelled to about 70, and late stragglers brought the total pick up count closer to 100. Store management opened the doors at around 11:30 to start processing payments and get receipts cleared so the handouts would go smoothly at the stroke of midnight. Still, the line wasn't fully cleared until about 12:30.
Federal officer Kevin McMurtry was on hand to make sure the line behaved in an orderly fashion. Store management called him in at around 9 p.m., he said, to keep an eye on things and prevent confusion over the the two-line system the store had set up (one to get your receipt marked, one to wait to pick up the game). McMurtry said that the crowd was nothing compared to the Halo 3 launch, which reached around the block, and that everyone was on their best behavior. "Everybody knows if you make trouble, you're not getting the game," he said.
Ryan Wilhite, Charley Kingsley and Jon Gomez (right to left) were the first ones to line up for the game at 4 p.m. Monday. Simon Rojas (far left) and Julian Richardson (not pictured) joined the line around 8 p.m. Asked why they got there so early, Kingsley gestured towards the line and said they "thought it would be like this, then." The group agreed that the multiplayer mode was the main draw for No. 4, but granted that they'd be blasting through the single-player mode all night tonight. "We might not be going to school tomorrow," Gomez offered. Might? "Maybe it's definite," Wilhite added.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Paulmichael @ Apr 29th 2008 1:40AM
Wahoo just picked up my receipt from my local GameStop, though there's only around 10 people near the store. I'm back home now, waiting til a bit later to go wait in whatever line will form... For some reason, it's not as big of an affair here in Santa Clarita, CA (Near Six Flags Magic Mountain)
klitorisaurus @ Apr 29th 2008 1:41AM
10:40 here, it's killing me! I've got the next two days off. Hopefully I'll be able to show up at 11:30 and still get home by 12:15 to play.
Mike @ Apr 29th 2008 1:44AM
I am from Baltimore and will be picking up my GTA IV copy tomorrow. Go Baltimore!
DomoBraden @ Apr 29th 2008 1:48AM
Thankfully for me I live in a crappy little hick town where a line-up of any sort would be grounds to announce that the apocalypse is at hand. Unfortunately for me I have to wait until the store opens tomorrow, (no midnight launches here. *cries*). If there was a midnight launch, make no mistake, I would create a line... one man army or otherwise.
Trethan @ Apr 29th 2008 1:53AM
Had someone grab mine for me at Wal-Mart. He said there were four people besides him, because as usual, everyone assumes Wal-Mart will be a madhouse and skip it. Same thing happened with the Halo 3 launch, although there were a whopping 7 people that time. (Meanwhile the local GameStop had hundreds lined up for Halo 3).
Of course, all bets are off when it comes to the metro Wal-Marts.
horriblename @ Apr 29th 2008 1:58AM
Never thought I'd see such a massive line for the Nail Salon! Must be having a special on Manicures/Pedicures.
Andre @ Apr 29th 2008 2:00AM
I've got my copy of GTA IV in hand, but unfortunately it's not being opened until tomorrow. I've got to get to bed, I leave for school in six hours and need sleep beforehand. :/
Fernando Rocker @ Apr 29th 2008 2:03AM
My local Circuit City didn't opened at midnight =(
Maverick Saturn @ Apr 29th 2008 6:26AM
Did you have to wait till morn?
aReEeNeN @ Apr 29th 2008 2:09AM
Baltimore, the perfect place for Grand Theft Auto, both the game and the actual crime! Don't give me shit for this either, I live in Baltimore! :-P
Yourself @ Apr 29th 2008 2:53AM
Too bad the game doesn't have realistic traffic jams - then it could be just like DC!
[.sm0ke.] @ Apr 29th 2008 12:43PM
Charm City? Moar liek Stab City, amirite?
Night Elve @ Apr 29th 2008 2:10AM
I've my pre-order receipt right beside my bed, so tomorrow I will walk to Sam's Club (Mty, Mx) and pick my GTA4 copy.
Purple Haze @ Apr 29th 2008 2:34AM
Isn't New Zealand crazy being 1 day in the future? I don't even own a PS 3 or 360 but I've played it for a couple hours at a friends house.
baby sea tuna @ Apr 29th 2008 9:40AM
Eff you, Futureman!
ugg.tryptophan @ Apr 29th 2008 2:48AM
i am so going to master nails tomorrow
Vcize @ Apr 29th 2008 3:09AM
55 people? You lucky dogs. There were ~400 in Gainesville.
GoonieGooGoo @ Apr 29th 2008 3:11AM
Aaah....so good to see stupid kids becoming stupider by skipping school for a video game......
At least my kids will be their bosses one day.
Maverick Saturn @ Apr 29th 2008 5:51AM
Meh, why not :) One day isn't going to make the difference, its if they becoem WoW gamers that you should be worried.
GoonieGooGoo @ Apr 29th 2008 1:50PM
I can understand skipping a day of work...if you are an adult. But as kids.....especially these days in the US....they need as much school as possible.
There's a reason the US is falling behind in education and science.
Even as a huge gamer...and an advocate of the benefits of playing videogames for kids.
I couldn't allow my teenage kid to be out at midnight to pickup a game so that he could skip school the next day. THe game will still be there in the afternoon.
Heck...their summer vacation begins in less than a month. Then they can devote as many hours as possible to completeing the daunting 100s of hours of gameplay that GTA IV will offer.
Jon Gomez (The guy in the picture) @ Apr 29th 2008 7:18PM
I didnt skip school. I went to school, Went home, did my HW, called up the girlfriend on the cell, and me and my crew left. Besides i have a 3.5 weighted GPA even if i did skip school that really wouldnt make a difference
americankgb @ Apr 29th 2008 4:05AM
I'm curious as to which gamestop location that is, esp since theirs an off duty Anne arundel cop there. Maryland FTW!
americankgb @ Apr 29th 2008 4:08AM
Nm, its the laurel gamestop. I just misread the post.
brandon_r87 : Brawl : 4897-5857-5091 @ Apr 29th 2008 4:44AM
That off-duty cop is getting a head-start on the game. He's illegally parked.
Eternityx @ Apr 29th 2008 7:22AM
Yay for Baltimore!
Dan @ Apr 29th 2008 7:48AM
The Shoppers to the left of that Gamestop makes awesome muffins. Just FYI.
josh @ Apr 29th 2008 8:10AM
Laurel is considered the Baltimore suburbs now? it's closer to DC, isn't it?
I got my copy last night at the inner harbor best buy.
Kyle Orland @ Apr 29th 2008 11:47AM
Laurel's kind of halfway between DC and Baltimore, and since no one has ever heard of it, I just picked one and called it a "suburb." In truth it's pretty much just an old stop-over town on the old U.S. Route 1.
josh @ Apr 29th 2008 12:15PM
Don't get me wrong, I have had some good times at the Laurel Race track...
beastiecube @ Apr 29th 2008 8:25AM
Annapolis representin!
M.H. Williams @ Apr 29th 2008 9:06AM
That's my Gamestop! Huzzah!
Morgon @ Apr 29th 2008 9:35AM
Yeah, I wouldn't call Laurel 'Baltimore'-anything.
I almost went to the Best Buy in the Harbor, but it was raining like a beast yesterday... annd... well, I'm lazy.
Was there a decent turnout there??
baby sea tuna @ Apr 29th 2008 9:36AM
Damn, buncha people from MD here! Represent!
We should all figure out how to get together and play Smash Bros or something sometime!
Dauragon88 @ Apr 29th 2008 9:54AM
Haha, I'm pretty sure thats the Gamestop where I bought my wii. :D
thathoustonguy @ Apr 29th 2008 10:08AM
Yeah Baltimore!!
i Live in Anne Arundel Country (go to college in indiana tho)
i havn't been to that gamestop tho, i go to the EB in crofton.
ill be making my trek home from college wednesday, cant wait to pick up a copy of Mario kart for Wii
this is completely off topic, nothing to do with GTAIV...but go Baltimore!
GoonieGooGoo @ Apr 29th 2008 1:53PM
Annapolis is not a suburb of Baltimore.....cmon.
Jon Gomez (The guy in the picture) @ Apr 30th 2008 7:16AM
If you guys were talking about they day after we waited i still didnt skip. Did i mention im graduating this year. So easy on callin me a kid. Although there were some 12 yr olds with their moms there. that was pretty funny. NEXT STOP MGS4
Rurik @ Apr 29th 2008 8:29PM
Hazzard county... err, Harford county, represent! :)
Nope, didn't get in line. I still need to play through Eternal Sonata and Metroid Prime 3. By the time I finish those, GTA4 will be half its price on eBay :)
Vich @ Apr 30th 2008 9:54AM
hurray for fellow marylander's.
baltimore isnt laurel and i do live say... i dont know 20-30 minutes away from it. from montgomery county
Nick2828 @ Apr 30th 2008 1:42PM
You should have came to the gamestop in Glen Burnie a real suburb of Baltimore. There was weed and beer everywhere it was a good launch night.