First In Line

from
peloquin3.buzznet.com/user/photos/waiting-line/star-wars
Seth Godin asked the other day "Who Comes On Opening Night?"  In other words, who stands in line for the opening of that play/ movie/ band whatever event?  Who gets the hardback of that new novel?  Why gets the actual CD anymore - on the release date no less?  Or the "limited edition"?  Who buys the video game at midnight:01 when it's released, waiting outside Gamestop in the snow?
True fans.  True believers.  Followers.   Those who say, "You made it, I'll buy it." I don't need to wait to hear it's good.  You wrote the book.  You directed the movie.  The game is the third installment in this franchise and I'm in.

I was thinking about the few things that's true for me anymore.  Terry Pratchet's books I still buy in hardback and the late Robert Jordan*.  But I'll take a chance on a paperback if I've got the money.  I'll buy U2 on CD...but I can't think of anybody else unless it's cheaper than buying it on iTunes.**  I do cull the used CD market from time to time and check the discount bin at Walmart.  I would go opening night for a new Star Wars movie (yeah, I'm that guy***) but I can't think of a single other movie that I couldn't wait for the dollar theater or netflix or, heck, just to catch it run on TV sometime...  I do buy a few DVDs every once in a while - like The Lord of the Rings and Band of Brothers, but even my DVD purchases amount to about fifty bucks a year, tops.

So what does that mean for anything we do?  Who are the early adopters?  Why does it matter?







* Yes, someone else is finishing his series for him.  But I'll still buy them, dangit.
** 'Cause that's where it'll end up anyway...
*** But I won't dress up as a character, sorry - I'm not THAT guy...

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