Die-hard gamers line up for ‘The Beatles: Rock Band’

April Corbin

Tiarra Wantz poses with her copy of “The Beatles: Rock Band.” Wantz was one of a dozen people who purchased the game at midnight from Game Stop.

By April Corbin

Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2009 | 3:19 a.m.

Alex Lauriano’s hands are smudged with oil as he signs the store copy of his receipt.

April Corbin

Alex Lauriano halted repairing his vehicle to purchase "The Beatles: Rock Band," which came out at midnight on 09/09/09.

It’s minutes after midnight on Wednesday at a Game Stop at Nellis and Charleston boulevards, and Lauriano has just become one of the first people in the Valley to purchase “The Beatles: Rock Band” video game.

He interrupted fixing his car — thus the dirty hands — to come to the store and buy it.

The game was simply that enticing.

“It’s the Beatles and Rock Band,” Lauriano says. “I grew up listening to one, and I can’t stop playing the other.”

Despite the widespread popularity of the Rock Band series and the iconic status of the Fab Four, Lauriano was one of only about a dozen people who made the trek to Game Stop at midnight to buy the game.

April Corbin

Alexandria Anthony rings up a customer at the Game Works on Nellis and Charleston boulevards during the midnight release sale of "The Beatles: Rock Band."

He and several others waiting in line were shocked at the dismal showing.

Employees Alexandria Anthony and Randi Sepulveda expected far more hoopla. They dressed in hippie attire to set the mood for what they thought would be a large crowd.

“I’m really surprised,” Anthony said as she stared outside at the mostly deserted parking lot. “This (release) is a very big deal.”

Anthony chalked up the lack of midnight buyers to the day of the week — a midweek release doesn’t work well for students.

“Actually, I’m supposed to be going to bed right now,” Anthony said jokingly.

The presence of so many 24-hour Wal-Mart stores may also have factored into the lackluster showing.

Customer Tiarra Wantz, a college student, said she drove to several Wal-Mart stores late Tuesday to try to find the game. “Sometimes Wal-Mart puts the stands out before they’re supposed to,” Wantz said. “I thought maybe I could get it early.”

Wantz walked out of Game Stop 10 minutes after midnight ready to play for hours and grateful her first class doesn’t begin until 2:30 p.m.

Wantz’s excitement is one Anthony knows is shared by thousands of others.

Pre-sale numbers for “The Beatles: Rock Band” were strong, and the store has received an influx of calls about the game, she said.

“Plus, it’s a universal thing. You have to like The Beatles,” Anthony said.