Special Edition

By Rob Fahey Published 6 February, 2010

Expensive versions of games are growing common, but consumers are growing wary of them.

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Downward pressure on game prices is a common theme in industry discussions. The situation is fairly clear - with retail price wars further fuelled by the entry of supermarkets and mass-market online retailers, not to mention the continued growth of the second-hand market, games now find their price tags being assaulted on a new front, as consumers find entertainment value in cheaper products on new platforms like Xbox Live Arcade, PSN, Facebook and iPhone.

Retail price wars will eventually yield winners and losers, and prices will rise again; the collapse in consumers' perception of the value of interactive entertainment, however, will take much longer to repair.

There is one bright light, however, in what's overall a somewhat gloomy picture (for publishers, at least - for consumers it's obviously fantastic, and for clever developers it's arguably a golden opportunity) regarding game prices. That bright light is special editions of games - a field which many publishers were slow to exploit, but which has gradually become a key part of the release strategy for any major title.

Special editions are, quite simply, a way to get customers who would be willing to pay over the odds for your game to do exactly that. Many games have a vocal and dedicated group of core fans who have followed the development of the title for months, if not years - many of whom may be people who enjoyed the developer's previous games, or previous games in the same franchise.

These people are, of course, a minority of those who will end up buying the game, but have always been considered valuable due to their contribution to word of mouth marketing. Now, publishers are realising that they can also make a significant financial contribution to the success of a game.

Consider BioShock 2, which turns up on store shelves next Tuesday. Most gamers, of course, will buy a simple copy of the game in a DVD style case - but for the select few, the game they'll be picking up (either from the store or from a delivery man) will come in a huge box, replete with a hardback book filled with concept art, a soundtrack CD, a set of lithographs and even a vinyl record of the first game's music.

The fact that only a tiny percentage of those people will own the equipment necessary to play that record is amusing, but irrelevant - it's collectable, and the game's fans are willing to pay extra money to own something unique which is related to their passion.

This is not a revelation which originates in videogames, of course. For years, movie and music companies have produced expensive special editions to capitalise on the willingness of dedicated fans to pay more for something more "special". This has reached new heights as bands have broken away from the traditional record labels which had previously supported them, with major acts such as Radiohead and Nine Inch Nails effectively betting that they can rely on their fans for support rather than needing the financial muscle of a label.

The independently launched albums which Nine Inch Nails released over the last few years, for example, came in multiple different forms - from digital downloads for a few pounds (vastly cheaper than the usual price of a CD) through to hugely expensive and elaborate special editions, produced in extremely limited numbers and signed by the band members.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, those extremely limited editions sold out rapidly - each one netting easily as much revenue for the group as 100 sales of the digital download version would.

Thus far, few games have gone quite that far - with a few notable exceptions, even the most elaborate special editions aren't even twice as expensive as the normal game. Although special editions have become normal within the industry, they are still approached somewhat tentatively by many publishers.

Afraid to commit to the idea - perhaps with images of unsold stock of baubles and artbooks piling up in warehouses preying on their minds - publishers tend to opt for the safest option, namely a soundtrack CD, a tin case, and perhaps an artbook, coupled with an extra tenner or two on the price.

If anything, this over-cautious approach is actually holding back the true potential of game special editions. Many games, after all, benefit from a stupendously devoted fan-base - often rivalling those of films or bands in their fervour. There is no doubt that certain games, from established franchises or hugely respected developers with cult followings, could easily sell genuinely limited, high quality editions for hundreds of dollars - a potential revenue stream of millions of dollars which is otherwise being left on the table.

Of course, when your game is grossing hundreds of millions already, as in the case of the industry's top sellers, that's arguably not very important. However, the reality is that it's games on the fringes which can benefit most from the culture of special editions - games whose sales may not be enormous, but whose enormous appeal to a small core of dedicated fans turns them into cult hits.

These games could see a significant upturn in the revenue they generate by releasing expensive, high-quality special editions. In the case of certain niche games, it could even make the difference between breaking even and flopping.

Unfortunately, as appealing as this possibility may be, the present fad for special editions of almost every major game on the market could actually be poisoning the well, at least to some extent. All too many games today are graced with hugely disappointing "special editions" - cheap, poorly made plastic models and flimsy, badly printed artbooks are the order of the day for some publishers, which naturally serves to make consumers wary of further special edition purchases.

A consumer confronted with Bayonetta's dreadful gun model or the spectacularly awful special edition for Batman: Arkham Asylum - both fantastic games with dedicated fan-bases who are perfect targets for good special edition boxes - is a consumer unlikely to pay over the odds for another special edition in future.

Handled correctly and applied to the right games, special editions can make more money for the publisher and developer while simultaneously delighting your most devoted fans - a win-win situation. To achieve this, however, publishers will need to get genuinely creative - involving the development team in the process of designing the special edition, and crafting something that's worthwhile, in keeping with the tone of the game, and which fans will genuinely be proud to own.

One can only hope that publishers will recognise the value of doing this before consumers become completely sick of cheap plastic models and the special edition fad ends entirely - another golden egg laying goose casually led into the slaughterhouse.

For more views on the industry and to keep up to date with news relevant to the games business, read our sister website GamesIndustry.biz, where you can read this weekly editorial column as soon as it is posted.

Picture of Rob.

About Rob Fahey

Rob Fahey is a former editor of GamesIndustry.biz who spent several years living in Japan and probably still has a mint condition Dreamcast Samba de Amigo set.

Read more articles from Rob by visiting the Rob Fahey archive page.

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Comments (61) Latest comment 2 years ago

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  • Drpwnage #1 2 years ago

    I agree Rob, I would have bought a Dragon Age special edition if it had included a life size Morrigan blow up do..... I'll stop there.

  • KillerMonkey #2 2 years ago

    @Drpwnage
    Holy shit yes, would!

  • Red-Moose #3 2 years ago

    One way to do special editions with games is like movies and have extra actual in-game content like an extra level or something, much like a movie having an extra 20 mins of scenes. You'd have to have a real nasty streak as a publisher to do that. I think the middle ground here is that the games with loads of expansions are effectively the "special edition" versions.

  • FreakyZoid #4 2 years ago

    Your article has missed out on one of the other psychological benefits of special editions - by contrast they make the regular edition price seem more reasonable. More here: http://ww w.psychologyofgames.com/2010/01...

  • bad09 #5 2 years ago

    I dunno they'll never get me on this stuff. I collect models and stuff like that (geeky I know!), but I just can't link a game and the money they want for these things. While obviously many like this kind off stuff I just can't see the appeal, all I want to do is play the game. Even these new deluxe digital versions I just look and go but "but that's a tenner cheaper".

    Instead of paying more my goal is paying you less, these days you're very lucky to get 30 notes out of me. But then maybe I'm just a tight git.

    Saying that if I like a movie character I might pick up a model (got wicked Mcfarlane AvP/Matrix setups I've had for years!). So I guess it's all about how passionate you are about it.

  • DDevil #6 2 years ago

    I got burnt by a couple of special editions/tin book versions of games and generally avoid them now.

    The Forza Motorsport 3 Special Edition was good though. Nice keyring, memory stick, faux velvet interior to the box and lots of special cars that are being gifted to me to this day.

  • Ged42 #7 2 years ago

    I'm a sucker for art books, but most of the other stuff looks so naff that I don't bother with it.

    I guess they appeal to some folks though like Psychotext and his MW2 night vision goggles.

  • Ryuken #8 2 years ago

    "One way to do special editions with games is like movies and have extra actual in-game content like an extra level or something, much like a movie having an extra 20 mins of scenes. You'd have to have a real nasty streak as a publisher to do that."

    True, that's what I think is just as despicable as the pre-order exclusive in-game items. A cloth map, amulet or extra lore book is all fine by me but once developers start changing the game experience itself (right from day one and even before if you take pre-order goodies into account) they lost me out.

    I think people accept this a lot more for movies because you've got a certain staged release pattern there: theatre release, DVD edition and then after that the special editions and what not. In the hype-driven business of games there doesn't seem to be any room for such an approach. :(
    Edited by 1 at 06/02/10 @ 11:15

  • fiery_jackass #9 2 years ago

    >Red Moose.
    exactly. That's my fear; that this will change from being a market for the fat kid on youtube waggling a commemorative Marcus 'n' Dom chainsaw gun to being something that'll give me genuine commercial angst.

    gah.

  • Waffleaber #10 2 years ago

    Agreed, I had the Street Fighter IV special edition on pre-order and when it came through I was sorely disappointed in my tacky boss-eyed Ryu and Viper. Definatly not worth the extra money paid so I exchanged it for the regular version.

    That Bioshock 2 special sounds ace though, especially the vinyl.

  • Redeye #11 2 years ago

    Just give the the games, people - that's all I'm interested in.

    All the extraneous bullshit you're charging an extra arm and a leg for, no thanks.

  • UncleLou #12 2 years ago

    I never buy special editions. Give me the game, preferably as a digital download. Everything else is just dust-collecting tat in my book.

  • AphoticCosmos #13 2 years ago

    I still get good CEs, and I appreciate it when publishers take the risk.

    /strokes ACII Black Edition.

  • HermitArcader #14 2 years ago

    Post deleted at 09:17:39 22-12-2011

  • SMOM #15 2 years ago

    I've only ever bought one Collector's edition of a game, that was for a game i really liked and even then i bought it preowned a while after it came saving myself a great deal of cash. On the whole anything other than the standard edition has no real appeal for me.

    If they were actually "limited" with only a small number to be sold and not just mass produced then maybe i might consider buying them as then they might be worth something in the future, currently most limited/collector/special editions are in essence worthless crap designed to squeeze even more money out of the consumer.

    Prime example being the MW2 Prestige edition, NVGs that are in fact LEDs, nice.

  • Paulie_P #16 2 years ago

    I bought the Arkham Asylum Special Edition, I'll never buy another special edition again.

  • RobTheBuilder #17 2 years ago

    The special edition of Forza 3 was really nce. However seeing it reduced to half price within a month made it slightly less enjoyable.

  • Metalfish #18 2 years ago

    I'm in two minds about the packaging of additional in game content with special additions, especially in MP games. I'm not going to begrudge a man an awesome hat if he wants to pay for it, but if he's got better guns/armour than me, then I think the backlash is justified.

    On the other hand, dev's gotta eat.

  • harhol #19 2 years ago

    Special editions are a great way to make a quick buck. Bayonetta's "dreadful gun model" is fetching upwards of £40 on eBay.

  • Darkbeat #20 2 years ago

    I love getting a little extra figure and stuff in special editions.
    What I don't like are "special editions" that have in game unlocks such as incredibly imbalanced special weapons, items or henchmen (looking at you Godfather II) or "gold weapons" for multiplayer. There is nothing uglier on this earth than a gold Ak 47. In other instances like Mass Effect II and Assassin's Creed 2, the lack of content you'd get from NOT buying the special edition (like extra missions) is worrying me. I get that they are trying to keep places like Gamestop to profit off pre-owned games but what happens in 5-10 years when you wanna replay that classic game but can't access half the content because you don't have a code for it?
    The new Splinter Cell game has an ENTIRE GAMEMODE cut from the regular edition... What's up with that??
    Edited by 1 at 06/02/10 @ 15:34

  • RickHard #21 2 years ago

    Well, I could not agree more with the article. Call me an old bastard (being in my 30something) but I really miss the cardboard boxes from the good ol'years ! I like to look at them in my library, it reminds me the fun I had playing the actual game (fmy favorites being Fallout and Baldu'rs gate!)

    I think this is a good way for the industry to develop : 90 % of the games will be standard editions and distributed digitally, 10 % will be special editions and thus boxed. And I would be quite happy with it... as long as there is a substantial difference between the two versions (anyone remembers the joke the boxed copy of HL2 was...).

    Besides, when offering a game as a gift (christmas, birthday,...), a special edition is ace ! Way more ace that a download code anyway ;) So, let's roll the bigboxes again.

  • secombe #22 2 years ago

    Forza 3 would definitely have merited some discussion here, T10/MS have probably produced the 'best' (and most profitable) 'Limited' Edition to date, aside from the throwaway extras (nice box, keyring etc) they continue to treat those who spent extra very well to this day - gifting them special cars on a fairly regular basis...not insignificant considering how expensive it is to buy cars in the game.

    The crucial bit is, it's clear to those who don't have it what they're missing, and when the inevitable Forza 4 comes along, a whole lot of people will see the benefit in buying the more expensive version (myself included), many have already gone one step further and traded in their standard version and upgraded.

    On a similar note, they've also locked a whole lot of content into the original purchaser of the game, a clever way of limiting second-hand sales.
    Edited by 1 at 06/02/10 @ 15:54

  • Eraysor #23 2 years ago

    Oddly enough I thought the Mass Effect 2 Digital Deluxe was going to be a sure fire purchase for me, but when I actually bothered to look at what you got for that extra £10, all you really get is a bunch of pictures, a bunch of MP3s, some jpeg scans of a comic book and a bunch of completely intangible items. Really didn't seem worth that extra tenner for me.

    On the other hand, I got a really nice mousepad with Guild Wars Factions, which I am still using right now. I also use the keyring and USB stick from the Forza 3 CE.
    Edited by 1 at 06/02/10 @ 16:11

  • hilts #24 2 years ago

    Another great weekend article that I agree with!

  • Britesparc Verified Creative, ITV #25 2 years ago

    I'm a sucker for special editions, but then I don't actually buy that many games a year, so fortunately it's not a remortgage-the-house issue (this year all I'll get will be ME2, Crackdown 2, and Reach).

    I bought the Halo 3 Legendary Edition, and I still don't regret it. Game was fantastic, had some really good 'special features', and being a huge nerd I love my Master Chief head sat on my bookshelf. On the other hand, the Fable II set was quite disappointing, so it's swings and roundabouts.

    In a "spesh dish", I like to see artwork, exclusive in-game content, behind-the-scenes stuff, and ideally a tin box. I love tin boxes, me.

  • rommy667 #26 2 years ago

    Ive got a few special edtions on the cheap otherwise they not worth it.........

  • Rizzle #27 2 years ago

    Excellent article - though I still mourn the passing of the cloth map. The only special edition I've really enjoyed recently was Introversion's Multiwinia tin, neatly aimed at rewarding interested fans with feelies for their support. I still

  • RandomTerrain #28 2 years ago

    I bought Tomb Raider Anniversary Special Edition as it had the audio CD with it. Luckily for me, it was the same price as the normal edition. Extra art cards, and access to DLC could also make special editions somewhat tempting, but all the other junk, no thank you.

    Most of the recent attempts by companies have been insulting to customers. A temporary tattoo for example, oh dear.

  • Darren #29 2 years ago

    IMO, most special editions are just an excuse for publishers to package a load of cheap crap with a game and sell it for £20+ more. The BioShock 2 one is a good example of this... a 12" vinyl LP that few people will probably be able to play, a ridiculous oversized box (because of the LP) and a nice looking but pretty pointless art book.

    For me, the perfect special edition is a game that comes in a nice steelbook case with a bonus DVD or music CD, preferably for the same price (if you shop around) or just a few quid more than the standard version. That's all I want. At least those don't take up any more space than a normal game so you don't have to rethink where you're going to keep the non-game contents.

  • Gunzberg #30 2 years ago

    I like special editions, I hate the trend for game content though to be exclusive to an edition or a retailer.

  • MrCrun #31 2 years ago

    GTA IV was good. Keyring, lock-box, bag thing, art book and sound track. Oblivion was good with it's coin thing and lore guide. I like the tin cases of the Stalker games. Bioshock was dissappointing and Neverwinter Nights 2 made me want to kill things. Plastic extras are bad. Unless it's Fallout 3 and that is because the Pip-boy bobblehead in-game would be plastic too.
    I almost want to buy Anno 1404 for the box and compass alone.

  • laharl80 #32 2 years ago

    Art books and soundtracks i like.Tin boxes and making of discs i don't.Codes for dlc are good too.Night vision goggles are a stupid thing to include unless they came with dead or alive extreme beach volleyball.

  • ardamillo #33 2 years ago

    I completely agree about poisoning the well. My interest in special editions is wearing pretty thin. I didn't even buy the Mass Effect 2 SE because it seemed so pointless.

  • costa_k #34 2 years ago

    Great article.But not all of 'em are the same.What's the point in some artwork book or a tinbox???
    I wouldn't waste a penny on them ,but I'm glad to own a Bioshock Big Daddy model and Bayonetta's Scarborough Fair pistol.

  • flakmagnet_ #35 2 years ago

    I wish more games took the Assassins Creed/Halo 3/Bioshock route.I've got my Altair and Ezio standing proudly alongside a Big Daddy and the Master Chief's head. Love all 3.

    Resident Evil's tiny little Chris Redfield ended up in the bin in disgust, he looked horrendous.

    It's not nearly as much of a risk if you put some work into the quality!

    Wish Halo:oDST had a legendary edition with an ODST helmet... maybe Reach will get a legendary edition. Please?

  • darkmorgado #36 2 years ago

    The special edition of Forza 3 was really nce. However seeing it reduced to half price within a month made it slightly less enjoyable.

    Not if you actually bought it when it was half price it didn't ;-)

  • Turambar #37 2 years ago

    Maps are what really piss me off with these things. If you going to include a map, make it map size and on good quality paper this way it will be both desirable and useful. Not sub A3 size on the thinnest glossy paper you can find.

  • cjb110 #38 2 years ago

    Having bought a few collectors eds.

    Fallout 3 and GTAIV were good for the extras, the bobble head and lunchbox in fallout and the safe. Gears, Halo and ME were more standard, artbook and 'making off'. Though the themes in me1 were a nice extra.

    The best though was COD2, it had a great video of the building of a level, and the design process. In comparison ME2 video was just PR crap, that I'd already seen because I was a fan of the first. Also UT3 brilliant, with its level design tools and tutorials (something bioware should have done with the dragon age CE).

    The special eds should be something you cant get from on-line news sites, or haven't already seen. If your going to do a making off, then make it detailed (like the Lionhead diaries) or original (like the COD2).

    As for content, not sure, so far its too easy for publishers/devs to 'skip' bits just for the CE or launch day DLC.

  • FairgroundTown #39 2 years ago

    Marillion are a better example than NIN/RH, because while they had a couple of hits, they were never "huge" - and they go one step further - they sell the special edition before they even record it - and then as an extra bonus, buyers of the SE get their name on the cover. However, whether there is really any analogy with games, I don't know. Maybe they could sell "parts" as extras - e.g. send in a photo of yourself, and you get to be "in" the game?

  • Sunyavadin #40 2 years ago

    I wonder if a special edition of Nomad Soul if it were released today would be signed by David Bowie and include a copy of the full Hours album? That'd be worth it.

    "Everybody knows who you are, my master"
    "Reall? Sure? Everybody?"
    "Pretty much"
    "And may I say that Hours was a tootally underrated album"
    "Yeah? I mean I thought so, but was it too little too late?"
    "That would be Tin Machine"

  • LionheartDJH #41 2 years ago

    @ Paulie_P

    Same here, I made the mistake of buying the Arkham Asylum CE and I was bitterly disappointed. I could understand the plastic baterang (though not quite the ridiculous scratching of it to make it look "used";) because obviously a metal one could be potentially dangerous, but when you're charging £20 extra and not even providing a slip cover so that you can put the game box with the rest of your games you're taking the piss. It's a shame the CE was so tacky because I loved the game, but I couldn't bear the fact I'd been burned for 60 notes on it so I traded it in for a disappointing £24, which at least meant I got some of my money back.
    After the Arkham Asylum episode I certainly have no intention of ever buying a special edition again, and I agree that most of them are not worth buying at all, with a few exceptions (the Bioshock one does at least sound original, with the LP, and many people seem happy with the Forza 3 one). Soundtrack CD's and bonus DVD's are all fine if you're really into the game/franchise but I really don't see the attraction in paying £60 for a game and an action figure, for example.

  • metalangel #42 2 years ago

    I have only enjoyed one special edition, Fallout 3. Every other one has been shit. Frontlines had a crappy art book, CD of bad music and a tshirt so small I gave it to her indoors. Bioshock largely similar, with a stupid figurine, appalling "soundtrack" CD (three or four tracks is NOT a soundtrack, people) and nothing of interest. Forza 2's bonus cars I never used, and the book is just the in game car info, but printed and bound! Not keen on any special editions again, and the practice of slicing ingame content out really sickens me.

  • SonicUk #43 2 years ago

    I normally go for Special Editions I must admit, if the stuff included is actually of any use to me(plastic figures or night vision goggles definitly arn't). I'm very happy with my Bayonetta Climax Edition(particually as I got it at the same price as the normal game), and my FarCry 2 tin case which seems to be very rare. I like having a nice tin case or special box sitting on my shelf along with my other games(and have no interest in download only games at all). If I'm a really big fan of a game then an artbook of sorts or a soundtrack cd/making of dvd is nice to own. I do not agree with "special content" though like "special" weapons or "exclusive" levels. I believe everybody who owns the game has a physical right to use such things in their entirety, especially if these extras enhance the actual gameplay as they've already paid full price for the game and shouldn't have to pay for something that was cut just so it could be milked for a few more bucks.
    Edited by 1 at 07/02/10 @ 17:46

  • mixpython #44 2 years ago

    I have to say, after spending over £100 on the Batman:AA special edition box set from play.com, i will never be purchasing another Spec Ed out of principle!! Not only was the art book of bad quality, but the "exact replica" batarang was made from hollow plastic and resembled something you would get free with a magazine!!! I just want to know at what point did someone stand up and say that this would be sold for over £100!!!!! One would assume that, with such a price tag, would come some level of quality ! but nooooo! it was absolutely diabolical. I can not understand how they are able to get away with such outright robbery!

  • Murton #45 2 years ago

    I don't think it's right to say that publishers aren't doing special editions properly. The "plastic shit" special editions named are example of bad special editions while the usual art book and soundtrack is labelled as "overly cautious" but what about the new devious twist that many publishers have taken with regard to special editions? Art book and soundtrack cd as stanard, plus a free DLC. Given the very cynical view most gamers take towards DLCs these days it's a smart move by publishers to put these download codes into the SE boxes, if nothing else it creates the illusion of value as the save whatever the asking price of this DLC will be.

  • atomised #46 2 years ago

    a good limited edition for my mind was the gamecube zelda, with the extra disc of games and docs etc...now that was sweet!
    i have been surprised how crappy some of them have been to be honest for every forza 3 there is a dante's inferno...now that is a crappy one!

  • Zaltan #47 2 years ago

    I remember I got the Special Edition of Half Life 2... It came in a big steel tin with a making of book and a T-Shirt, which I still wear 6 years later! From what I remember it was less than £40 on Amazon at the time. Thats the only special edition that I've bought. There are very few games that I would want those sorts of extra's from.

  • Paulie_P #48 2 years ago

    @LionheartDJH

    Don't forget to mention the Asylum book with all the villains' profiles in it which just looked like it was printed on the cheapest paper and was already included in the game anyway.

    The whole thing is sitting gatheriing dust while the game itself is sitting glaringingly out of place with the rest of my ps3 games.

    @mixpython

    I didn't pay £100 for it though, you really got screwed by play.com there!
    Edited by 1 at 07/02/10 @ 23:06

  • dillingerdan #49 2 years ago

    Well firstly I have to say I am a sucker for a "Limited/Collectors/Special Edition" and probably always will be. I just love owning something truly unique that relates to the game, and its always nice to see the jealousy in your game-loving friends eyes when they see what you have.

    I totally agree that maybe this needs upping to the next level. I mean the problems are clear, but also it can just be developers greed too. I mean it depends how "Limited" the run of the SE/CE/LE is really, and the price. I would much prefer a quality product than anything. It needs to move away from DLC or exclusive content to a degree too, as they are nothing that doesn't come onto the subjective "network" after a few weeks/months and then the purchase is nullified.

    I would prefer truly unique things like figurines (fully articulated, high quality. I can often get a £12 figure from Play.com that beats the included SE one which costs an extra £30), game related merchandise and other such things, but the problem is the fact the company cheaps out oh so often. It's not so bad when it's a few pounds extra but when you pay almost twice the cost of the game alone, it really puts you off SEs (well for me, mostly from the specific Publisher/developer). The Bayonetta metal cast gun was free at least, so it's excusable, and it's probably still one of the better Limited edition bonuses around TBH, as no-one else can really top it for quality.

    Art books can truly be great, and a joy to look through unless they total 6 pages... seriously what's the point in something so poorly thought out. Chances are they have absolutely thousands of concept drawings and stuff lay around and yet we get like 12 pictures? Seriously chuck em all in there, we're the ones paying for this stuff for Christ's sake.

    I think the biggest gripe sometimes is region discrepancies. Like the Batman SE which was even cheaper than the US version (same cheap boomerang though). It really gets you down when they don't even consider a specific region worthy of a proper SE, especially when it's a European (British no less in Batman's case) developer!

    There is also another problem to draw on. Exclusivity deals. What point is it if you don't advertise an SE game and we never hear anything of it, because you signed an exclusivity deal with superduperunk nownonlinesite.com to get the sole rights to the LE of a game? I know you are probably trying t eliminate competitive pricing or something but when you don't even know a game was available at such and such a place until it's too late it becomes redundant even making it.

    And If I need to smell wax paper again it'll be too soon. It STINKS! Use high quality paper, not a cheap glossy alternative.

  • mdmaster #50 2 years ago

    Collector's editions have been a gripe for myself for quite a long time now. Unfortunately I'm still a sucker for those things and for every single game that interests me, I try to get ahold of the routine edition. I really wish they would stop this, for most games it makes no sense anyway (an artbook for Saints Row 2?!?).

    I agree with the article that indie niche games would benefit quite a lot from such a special edition: Psychonauts comes to mind, I'm sure many people would have paid quite some money for an art book and a couple of figurines. I know I would have. Unfortunately those games usually have crappy publishers that would never take such risks, so an indie collector's edition is really out of the question.

    So, nowadays most mainstream games get a damn collector's/special/limited ed. (someone care to explain the difference between those?); even as recently as five/six years ago there were not that many and, of course, they were way better. The special edition of Warcraft III comes to mind, that was really a work of art: I remember paying a horrendous amount of money and I never even had a job at that time, but still when I opened it... it was way worth every single euro (80€ to be exact).

  • JohnnyWashnGo #51 2 years ago

    I love a good special edition and am quick to purchase them when they pop up. But recently there have been some really quite bed special editions of games which have taken the shine away from some of the better ones.

    Batman Arkham Asylum was utter shit. I don't know what to do with the huge box it came in and that plastic piece of rubbish that came with it needs to go in the bin or something. To compound the overall feeling of crapness that the special edition of the game gave you, they saw fit to put the game disc in a crappy cardboard case. Its shockingly stupid and a waste of time to be honest. I had to buy the cheap version of the game just to have a box that fits on my shelve and doesn't look out of place.

    Assassins Creed II was another waste of time. My only reason for buying it was to get the soundtrack that came with it. I needn't have bothered as it was only a small number of tracks which were put onto a DVD as separate tracks - not even put on a CD that you can play in your CD player?!?! I mean, what the hell was that about? Who puts audio onto a DVD?

    If publishers want to produce a special edition of a game they need to do it right:

    - Artbooks are great when bought separately. Tiny art booklets are pants. Don't include them.
    - Soundtracks can be great. Make sure they come on CD and not DVD!
    - Game guides can be useful for some games. Don't include them as small booklets with little content - its offensive.
    - Childrens tattoos are not very special - we don't want them (final fantasy I am looking at you).

    Overall, special editions need to be special otherwise you risk pissing off the very people who would buy the stuff to begin with. Take Demon's Souls and BlazBlue special editions from the states as strong examples of how to do it right. Look no further than God of War 3 special edition in the UK to see how to get it wrong.

  • mdmaster #52 2 years ago

    @Zaltan

    Actually, that Half-Life 2 special edition was eSPECIALly shite. Here it went off for 60/70 € and gave you what? An horrible looking tin box (I had a toaster with the same exact box, honest), a lousy and enormous t-shirt (hello? not all gamers wear a damn XL) and a 60 pages making-of/mini guide that just advertised the way better strategy guide by Bradygames.
    I mean, that is all you could do for the GAME OF THE DECADE (whichIdontapproveofbutwhattheheck) ?!?

  • melch #53 2 years ago

    i hardly ever buy LE/CE's last ones i did buy were the guildwars boxsets which i thought were excellent, you got art, mouse pad, cd, special in game bits and pieces, actually felt like it was worth it.

    so glad i didnt buy Batman AA CE, sounds dire

  • X #54 2 years ago

    I never buy special editions either due to the 'extras' having to go somewhere once I've got them...got enough rubbish I can't get rid of in my room already! :)

    I am getting the Just Cause 2 SE though but only because I pre-ordered for less than the base game and I definitely want a map for this bugger!

  • sneetch #55 2 years ago

    The preorder/special edition vendor specific content is what winds me up: "pre-order off us and get exclusive units/maps/weapons or whatever". Pre-ordering from a specific vendor should not affect your actual in-game experience, IMHO. Of course I fully understand why they do it, I just don't like it.

  • jefranklin18 #56 2 years ago

    I may be in the minority here, but I do not mind downloadable content as Exclusives. For example, the MAG Collectors Edition only differentiates itself with a different case, PS3 dynamic themes and additional skins for your character. Likewise, Heavy Rain Special Edition is "just" a different case plus more downloadable content.

    I would rather have this than a crappy plastic toy, as I am sure my wife would.

  • GundamJehutyKai #57 2 years ago

    I have to admit that I am a sucker for a cool looking special edition. Luckily, I dodged the bullet when it came to the Arkham asylum special edition but I did grab me a Scarborough fair. At least that was free, and quite well made, just really badly painted! So I painted it over again!

  • Embra #58 2 years ago

    The big box that is the Bioshock 2 SE arrived this morning and, for me, is one of the best SE's I've seen. Lots of attention lavished on it, right down to the plastic insert tray it all sits in. A proper soundtrack CD (unlike, say, the one from the Bayonetta Climax Edition) neatly decked out as a mini-LP, a stunning artbook that gives some solid insight into the design process without being overwhelming, an LP that I can't play but that makes me grin (I know, I know), and some neat posters that'll be looked at briefly. The music and the book are worth the extra I paid, and the other stuff is very pretty fluff I have no objection to. No buyer's guilt this time, unlike with the Batman and Bayonetta SE's.

  • AgentCool #59 2 years ago

    I've bought a few SEs in the past and, yes, many of them have been crap. Most recently, 'Dante's Inferno: Death Edition' is a good example of how to not make a special edition. The digipak case is nice - except removing the MS security seal takes the ink off: MORONS! - but the bonus DVD doesn't have much on it and there's basically nothing else. For £10 extra, I at least expected a paperback book of the original poem but, no, we get a link to a website with it on.

    Some SEs do hold their value though. Just last week I sold my SE copy of the original 'Mass Effect' for £45 which is £5 more than I paid for it brand new over two years ago.

  • mixpython #60 2 years ago

    @Paulie_P

    Your right mate.. i got totally screwed!! I loved the game so much and I thought that it would have some really awesome "EXACT REPLICA" batarang the likes of which you might find in Forbidden Planet in london, which would sit happily next to all my other memorabilia.. little did i know!! man do i feel stupid!!

  • barnard666 #61 2 years ago

    I have a korean army of two special edition - I got it because it was cheaper than the standard game - the box is huuuuuge, and inside you get a two hundred page hardbacked A4 game manual, and a sticker sheet...its about the size of the batman SE - and even worse.

    I love special editions, I am buying less and less of them as get crapper and crapper - size is important, dont make the thing so fricking huge....I will never buy a master chief helmet again...

    Give me an extra disc with a decent documantary, the art books are cool....old games packed in (eg dead space having the wii game in - if they do it) or quake 4 having quake 2 - that really rocks.

    I would pay good money forpretty much any special edition with any of these things - the documantaries alwasy suck, but it would be so easy to make them good...really it would....they are never long enough / never get to the details, they are always just "yeah everyone here is great...here is our work station...." they never tell the real stories of how they failed to hit their dates, or how the game was crashing up until the last minute....even loads morefootage of the early demos / proof of concept stuff. Anyone who makes games knows how much of this crap there is, I think thereal problem is that the dev team are too busy to collate it, they need a full time "special edition guy" on the team.