Xbox 360: Zero Hour 2

Yahoo! returns to the desert for day two of the Xbox 360 Launch Event: Zero Hour.

After dinner, the excitement inside the hanger began to rise, as the zero hour started to draw close. G4 had a full TV crew on hand, in order to cover the final hours in a live broadcast and Southern California band Louis XIV performed a live concert. Even the draw of a musical act couldn't deter the hardcore though. While the band performed at the front of the hanger, gamers started lining up to pick up their system. Despite the energy, obvious exhaustion was starting to set in as the majority of people waiting were sitting on bean bags.

A few minutes before 9:00 pm Pacific Time, breakdance entertainer Tommy the Clown took center stage with his rainbow-colored hair and two of the most hardcore gamers at the event. Edgar Bounds and Mike Dedwyldei drove more than 35 hours to reach Zero Hour, coming all the way from Senatobia, a small town in Mississippi. The two were selected to be the very first gamers in the US to buy an Xbox 360.

"We drove out here, 1800 miles straight through. 35 hours. Then we got lost in the desert," laughed Bounds. "I think everybody felt sorry for us for driving so far."

As the official first purchase, Bounds picked up a premium system along with Call of Duty 2, Perfect Dark Zero, and three extra controllers.

"It's been incredible. Amazing. I haven't slept yet," said Dedwyldei. "I've been up playing Call of Duty, Perfect Dark, Project Gotham, just everything. I'm getting Call of Duty and I'm waiting on Gears of War and DOA4."

As the countdown clock ticked away, the rear doors of the hanger opened up and bathed three Best Buy delivery trucks in a flood of light as they slowly rolled inside. Flanked by two motorcycle officers, the procession made its way to the front of the hanger and into the store where staffers quickly started unloading the trucks directly onto a waiting assembly line. At that point the crowd perked up, and there was a literal snowstorm of white bean bag chairs as the waiting gamers stood up and tossed them aside.

Despite the large crowd, the wait to get a system was surprisingly short. The Best Buy staff was very efficient at distribution, clearing out the entire line in a little over an hour. The best part was no one went away disappointed.

"It was exciting to actually have a retail site on location and to be there when the first Xbox 360 came off the truck. Everybody made it home with a system tonight," said Hamburger. "We were anticipating upwards of 3600 people at this event. There were enough systems, software and accessories to support sales to all the participants."

After the hardcore had picked up their systems, you might have thought they would simply rush home to play. Some did, but quite a few remained, boxed systems at their side, playing games until they were quite literally kicked out. Call of Duty 2 stations were in use up to the very end.

So, looking back, what was the highlight of it all? Playing the games? Buying the system? Not according to Clan PMS member Shannon Ridge, of Boulder Colorado. For her, the moment of truth occurred on Day 1 when the hanger doors opened for the first time.

"They opened the door so slowly, and the light was just pouring out of it. It was such an amazing experience to see that -- all the gamers running in, finding their games, finding their stations," said Ridge. "I think they should do this every year! It's a great thing for the community."

Microsoft took a big risk in assembling a consumer event of this magnitude, but in the end you would be hard pressed to find anyone that considered Zero Hour anything but a success. Many attendees echoed Ridge's sentiments in saying that they wished game companies would hold more events like Zero Hour. For better or worse, the event has redefined how to launch a system: Waiting outside a store for a midnight sale may now be considered passe.