New Video Game Ritual
 

I follow a very basic pattern.

1 - Take it out of the bag and get a knife for that damn stupid plastic wrap.
2 - Flip through the manual while smelling that awesome New Game Box smell. If it's color and no pictures, put it back and NEVER READ IT AGAIN.
3 - Load it up and appreciate the loading screen they've designed for me.
4 - Dig in.
5 - After a few hours of uninterrupted total gaming time, I put it away and think about how good/not good it is.

For me, it depends on when/where I get it.

At a mall, or somewhere I won't be able to play it for a while (but have some spare time anyway):

1) Mindlessly dig at the plastic wrap with my fingers/fingernails.
2) If the plastic wrap breaks enough to open it, throw out the plastic wrap and open the case.
3) Smell.
4) Take out the instruction manual, close the case, return case to bag.
5) Thumb through the instruction manual while wishing the game was playable at the moment.

When I can play it:
1) Open it, smell (if not done already)
2) Put game in console/system
3) Start game on either Normal or 2nd-hardest difficulty available (whichever is higher)
4) Play for an hour or so
5) Leave and do something more important
6) Come back to it every day or few days and play for an hour or two

If the game is really good and/or addicting, replace "an hour" with "many hours". Devil May Cry 4 is an example.

Note that by this manner, I will only read the instruction manual if I absolutely have nothing better to do. I find them pretty useless in general. They only give you the most basic of basic info, and at least half of the information in them is not helpful in the slightest at the start of the game (either because it's a Canadian edition and half-French, or because it talks about things you can't do yet).

http://www.ctrlaltdel-online.com/comics/20060405.jpg

Ok here comes Doc's

1. hand over the few dollars then spend 2-4 minuets with the change portion eather going into "screw it"and hand a five or have the correct amount available
2. rush out of the store to avoid the mean looks
3. get in car read back and do a girlish yet also manly squee with two fists up to my smiling face
4. drive home like a madman hoping that no cops show up on the road
5. get home and attempt to open with my non-exestant fingernails. if critical hit cheer. if fail get a friend to do it. if epic fail get a very very sharp knife and hope my blind rage doesn't make me scratch the disc
6. toss the ads open the manual and tell my friend all the neat things i can do over the phone
7. when my friend finally asks me "how does it play" put the disc in the console
8. start playing then A:have some problems start, B:its instantly becomes my bedtime, C: some family disaster happens, D: everyone complains that i play video games to much and that i should get off it for a week, E:all of the above... happens
9. leave game
10. come back to game and do the girly-man squee only to find out that all my friends have beaten the game
11. curse the gods

Hmmm...

1. Stare at the box for awhile, enjoying all of the pictures from the game and trying to guess what context the pictures are from.
2. • a. (if purchased away from home) pull off the plastic cover (very systematically,) and read the instruction manual.
   • b. (if automatically at home and instantly playable) pull of plastic cover and instantly start playing the game.
3. Play the game until I have something better to do/I get bored.

I would say that sums it up for me. If it's a computer game and needs installation, I usually try and get the installation going before I go and do something (like go to dinner, or something) and leave it be for awhile.

EDIT: Oh yes, the girly-man squee reminded me. If it's a particularly exciting game (which most games I buy are), do a similar victory-squee thing. Which may or may not include holding it up and going "duh duh duh duuuuuh" ala Legend of Zelda. When showing it to my friends, I try and do it in the sneakiest way possible. "Hey, I got a new person who moved in my animal crossing town, wanna see?" *game boots up to reveil new game, which is followed by squeeing,*

My pattern:

(1) Open it.
(2) smell it.
(3) read the manual once for any details that I might 'need to know.'
(4) play it until I'm bored.

Interestingly, that's one of my favorite comics, and it's from one of my most hated arch-rivals.

But yeah I've found that 99% of gamers will gladly buy Car Fresheners if they had the New Game Plastic smell.

1. take game home
2. pop it in the console for a quick first impression
3. put it on the shelf and tell it to get in line and wait until I've finished his three four five cousins
4. curse low game prices and lack of willpower

1) Arrive at store. Pick game off of shelf/Ask for pre-ordered copy (I prefer the latter. Makes it feel even better.)
2) Pay for the game/Hand over pre-order slip.
3) Walk out of store.
4) Wander around the mall with the friends that have accompanied me to the mall, for none of us have a car, and thus must kill time until the bus home comes.
5) Around 5:30, eat dinner at the mall's food court.
6) Not pay much attention to the meal, and keep thinking about the game nestled in my bag.
7) Head over to Chapters with friends, and while they look at books, discreetly pull the game out of my bag and fiddle with the plastic wrapping.
8) If someone notices me fiddling, keep going. If no one notices, keep going.
9) Once plastic has been opened, put plastic into store bag, and that into my backpack. Keep game out.
10) Stare at the front side for a while, hiccuping butterflies all the while.
11) Flip the game over to back. Repeat step 10.
12) Look at spine for any nifty details/pictures/stare at the name/imagine it on my game shelf.
13) Open the case slowly, savouring the echo of that 'opened case' sound.
14) Discreetly bring the case (inside facing me) close to my face and sniff a few good times.
15) Stare at the top of the disc
16) Remove manual and feel it for a few seconds.
17) Begin reading manual.
18) When done reading manual, place it back into the case and then sniff the inside a couple more times. Close case, enjoying that sound as well, and then placing case into store bag inside of backpack.
19) Hop onto bus, arrive home no later than 10:30pm (people are dumb and forget when the bus comes.)
20) Totally forget being tired, and pull the game out, open the case slowly, savouring the sound again, and sniffing a couple more times. Carefully remove the disc, and admire underside of disc. Then, turn on game system and play until I pass out.

I disagree. It'd ruin the magic of the smell. I mean, sure, ice cream tastes good, but would you actually eat it for every meal if it wasn't bad for you?

1. Buy game

2. Play game

3. Hate game