Re: Pre-order question.
The website will take as many pre-orders for games as it can get. However, the initial shipments of games to the warehouses are not infinite. Pre-ordering the day before release may mean you will need to wait until the second batch ends up at the warehouse before it will ship, depending on how many pre-orders there are.
One other option you've got is to wait until about 4AM, or go on when you get up to go to work or school and put in a pick-up order and then go and pick it up at the end of the day. You won't have to wait for it to be shipped, and you'll be able to play it the same day. It's what I do, and I've never had to wait for a game.
This should also apply to collector's editions as well, providing there are any left by the time your order gets processed at the store. The process works by sending the order to the store, and then upon receipt of the order, the staff at the store goes and grabs it off the shelf and sets it aside for you. You go to the store, pick it up and pay for it then. You only require a credit card for the reservation of the item, not necessarily the payment of the item.
This isn't foolproof though - since there is a time delay between when you place the initial order and when the store gets it and sets the item aside, the item could theoretically become out of stock by the time the staff gets to it. This is why it's important to wait for the email that comes within three hours (during store hours) to confirm that the item has been set aside for you. If you place your order at 6AM (like I usually do before I go to work), then you may have to wait until as late as noon to get confirmation, since stores usually open at nine.
Hope that helps!
JB
