AUBURN — Hundreds gathered late Monday night at the Auburndale Shopping Plaza in hopes of being the first to buy the newest manifestation of the popular Call of Duty video-game series: Black Ops. The first-person shooter follows the stories of Special Forces operative Alex Mason and CIA agent Jason Hudson, both members of a clandestine black operations unit.

By 10:30 p.m. Monday night, nearly 150 people had already converged in front of the video-game retailer GameStop to purchase copies of the game, which went on sale at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday. Well, they sort of went on sale at 12:01.

“Before midnight, they bring everybody in to ‘pre-ring’ a copy of the game. Then, at 12:01, everyone comes back through, shows their receipt, and picks up a copy of the game,” said an employee. “The idea is to get people out and playing as early as possible.” (Due to a company policy, the employee asked that his name be withheld.) But he expected that the crowd would likely double, to around 300 people, by midnight. Those who came latest, he explained, might not receive their copies until 2 a.m.

The video game’s midnight debut has become a yearly event at the store.

Shaun Sturgis of Auburn had been in line since around 8 p.m. and anticipated waiting several hours more before receiving his treasured copy.

“We’ve been planning this for months,” Sturgis said, standing in line with his friend Donny Hamel, of Lewiston. Last year, Sturgis and Hamel learned the tricks to making the experience easier. “Get here early,” Sturgis said. “Try to keep your spot. And rotate out. Somebody waits in line while somebody goes to the bathroom.”

“Sit and wait,” Hamel advised.

Also on hand at the event was a van, specially outfitted with large LCD screens and a game console, on which waiting fans played previous versions of the Call of Duty series.

Also at the event were members of the Auburn Police Department’s Regional Explorer Post, a group for kids aged 14 to 20 who are interested in pursuing a career in law enforcement. The group meets twice a month to help the Police Department facilitate community events and do volunteer work. Det. Barry Schmieks, a coordinator for the group, was manning a table at which the group was selling pizza, soda and other snacks.

This is the second year that the Regional Explorer Post has attended the Call of Duty debut as a way of promoting their message and organization. “We were contacted by the store last year,” Schmieks explained, “and thought it would be a good opportunity for fundraising.” The Regional Explorer Post had brought backup — two Auburn Police Department SUVs and an APD pickup truck — whose blue lights flashed vibrantly against the otherwise dark storefronts.

Those who wait until 2 a.m. for a chance to start playing their new favorite game have got to be prepared. “We’ll get to bed whenever we pass out, I guess,” said Sturgis, still enthusiastic after more than two hours of standing in line.

“I’ve got a kid,” Hamel chimed in. “So I’ll stop to take them to school tomorrow.” His tone was half serious.

“Well I took tomorrow off,” Sturgis countered. Now that’s dedication.