While we're avowed defenders of queueing for tech and gaming related products here at HuffPost, it's impossible to ignore that it does lead to some awfully awkward photos.
And nothing is more awkward than a video game launch - a product that is rarely, if ever, subject to shortages (and which these days is usually concurrently released online - making queueing in person somewhat pointless).
We're not sure what the reason for the pictorial awkwardness really is. Maybe it just isn't possible to hold up a video game box in a photogenic way? Maybe there's something about standing in line for three days that dulls the sharp edges of the human soul? Or maybe it's the ersatz grins of the shop clerks, the guffawing games execs and otherwise dishevelled games stores in the background that heighten the tension?
Either way, we sympathise with those who want to queue. In fact, we salute you. But next time it's launch day and you're out in the cold, try and be second in line and not first - as far as we can tell, it's the only way to avoid turning up in a gently mocking HuffPost slideshow.