[Super long story incoming]

be me decide I want physical copy of the game because i appreciate the little extras and it makes the purchase feel more worth it So I go to Walmart at 1am. Of course they only sell the PS4 and XBone copies, and after spending 30 minutes trying to get help a manager looks some stuff up and informs me there are no physical copies of the Witcher 3 at Walmart for the PC in the entire state. 7AM comes around and I try Fred Meyer as a long shot; of course they aren't carrying it either. So I wait till 10am until GameStop opens. Wait in line with 4 people who each buy it for the PS4. Everyone's laughing and having conversation and there's this odd camaraderie going on. The store goes silent when I ask for a PC copy. The clerk looks at me like I have ebola or I'm an alien or something. People are standing around whispering to each other. "Oh uh... PC? Sorry, we only have one copy available and it's a pre-order that's been purchased already. I can call to see who has one, but I'll be honest I doubt there's many copies out there." I ask for the number instead and he prints out a list of GameStop stores in the state.

So I drive to the mall where there's a Best Buy. I find the empty PC case with a picture of the Witcher 3 and bring it to the register. The clerk goes to a lock-up area and brings back the PS4 version and tries to ring it up. "Oh, that's the PS4 version I need the PC version." The clerk kind of freezes and I get the alien look again. "Oh, uh PC? Yeah you did hand me the PC version, sorry about that. Uhm.. uh, hold on." He calls a manager over. The manager looks at the PC version with barely contained disgust. "Sorry guy, we only had 3 copies sent to us and they were all pre-orders. We probably wont be carrying the PC version, your best bet is to order it online or download it." I leave somewhat stunned that I'm getting this dismissive service and bad looks everywhere I go.

Call a GameStop that's located about 20 miles from me, at another mall. "Witcher 3 on PC? OH fo'sho man, yeah we got tons of copies man, I'll hold one for you I got you!" Lolwtf? Drive all the way out there. Buy it with no problems. Get home.

DVD-ROM wont open and the light is a solid green. WTF? Trouble shoot for awhile then learn that my DVD-ROM is toast; I can even smell that it's toasted. Drive to a small computer parts recycle place and buy a used DVD-ROM for $3.

So it's 1pm, here I am finally installing the game (crossing my fingers it works). Over 13 hours; I probably could have downloaded this thing twenty times over. Totally worth opening up the cases and seeing all the little extras, the thank you note from the development team, having an actual physical disc etc. Worth it.