A collector's edition of a video game comes with two things. You have the basic game itself as well as the additional content (in the form of a special outside box, artbook, soundtrack etc). In a sense, when I buy the collector's edition of a video game I should have the standard version of the game (that all the less-fanatical people buy) and as well as the bonus stuff I'm paying anywhere from $10 to $90 more for. Wrong. Let me start off with an anecdote.
I shelled out good money for the Batman: Arkham Asylum collector's edition. While I was disappointed with all the garbage that in contained and reprimanded myself for once again falling head first into materialism I was even more disappointed with the game case itself. From a few meters away it looks like the standard case of the game but when you see it close up what you see is a cardboard "case" with a crappy pull-out cardboard disc container. Someone I know, upon seeing this, commented: "What is that? Did you print off some Batman pictures and glue them together to make a case?"
While this is one of the worst examples of this it seems that many games in a collector's edition have this problem. God of War III, Metal Gear Solid 4 and Assassin's Creed Brotherhood have large icons on the back of the case that state, "NOT FOR RESALE." Thanks for that. Alan Wake chose to give me a standard, black DVD case with no Xbox 360 logo on it. Halo Reach gave me a pure black case instead of the classic green (My friend liked this particular one and I just shake my head at him).
Then there are the "steelbook" cases. Yeah the Halo Wars, Mass Effect 2, Splinter Cell Conviction and Gears of War 2 steelbook cases look "cool." But I happen to like the regular cases of these games better. Why don't I just buy the regular version? Because I want the DLC and the artbook that come with the CE and the pride of owning a "special" edition of a game. Every time I pass the regular version of Splinter Cell Conviction in a store I regret buying the collector's edition and wish I had this normal version. The one with the awesome artwork. But instead, I payed $10-20 more to receive an inferior version.
"Awww, but I like my collector's edition case to stand out." And I like punching myself in the face, what's your point? The OUTSIDE box of a collector's edition is what is supposed to stand out. That is your pride and joy. That high quality Dead Space 2 case that proudly suggests, "Dead Space 2 Collector'd Edition." On the inside I want the SAME case that all of the lesser-fanatics are buying so I can show them that I have what they have and more, that I am the true "fan."
I am very thankful that all companies do not choose to make this error. With Bioshock 2 I received the same case like everyone else (including the shiny extra cover). Dead Space 2, Fallout 3 and New Vegas and Resistance 2 didn't punish me for paying more. With these games I can place my collector's edition box on a shelf and the regular version of the box on the shelf without feeling ashamed or out of place. I can't do this with the non-standard boxes. If I put the Alan Wake case on my shelf someone would say, "What is this Alan Wake movie about?" If someone saw my God of War 3 case they might remark, "NOT FOR RESALE, haha, did you buy a bootleg copy or something?" I certainly don't even think about putting that disaster called Batman Arkham Asylum on display anywhere but at the bottom of my sock drawer.
So, O my brothers, I would hope that video game developers and producers would see my cogent argument and realize that a collector's edition should include the standard case of a game in addition to all of the things that make a collector's edition a collector's edition. Until that time I am proud to say that these terrible consumer experiences have persuaded me to NO LONGER buy collector's edition of video games.
Microsoft announced its financial results for Q3 of fiscal year 2026, including an update on its gaming Xbox business and more.
Not looking good. Hopefully Asha Sharma is able to turn Phil’s disaster around.
To me it's still quite remarkable how they can cash-in 5.3bn in revenue in a single quarter, since their hardware is basically dead.
The stock mark is what makes Microsoft remarkable, They have convinced every institutional and retail investor to just keep piling money into them. Like many big tech giants they are just a big growing pyramid scheme. As long as people keep dropping money into ETF's that cover the market Microsoft will always be liquid. At the same time it is completely stifling innovation and competition. People need to start being more discreet in how they invest their money as it's killing the system.
Riiiiight because people will just flock back to them for one or two games per year.
15+ years of bad performance is what they call irreparable in business. It is time for them to sell off the assets and get out of entertainment.
These declines are on the back of extra revenue received from releasing games like Forza horizon 5 on PlayStation. So I’m being sarcastic here when I said they should go back to exclusives. Killing off a revenue stream from Ps5 sales will only make things worse
The charity event will be streamed live from Gamescom in August.
Thanks to the slip-up of an artist working on the title, we now have more evidence that a new Injustice game is in the works.
Then dont buy it lol. No ones forcing u and a metal or cust case is not something I brag about plus I never spend the extra $20-$90 for collectors case. If ur a big fan than buy it if not save the money and stick to the regular
Don't let yourself get ripped off for $10-90 "worth" of cut content, toys, and "steel" cases.
It's not worth it.
You do realise the whole point of a Collectors Edition is about the Collectors item you get with it.....not the DLC.
CE shouldn't include two things
Making of DVDs which should already be on the disc to begin with like ND do with Uncharted. I mean people who maon of for Making of DVDs in CE would LOVE to pay for something which should be free and would end up on Youtube in like a week
and then you have
OST.....again they will be on Youtube in like a week.
Them two are the worst two things about CE, the third worst thing which isn't as bad is actually pointless DLC but when a game like Batman Arkham City has all this DLC Skin crap going on then the CE should include EVERY SINGLE DLC out there, it's only fair since we are paying more for it.
The fact is why do people moan on about CE....don't buy them if you think there a ripp off your just spoiling it for the people who do like to buy them. I'm a collector if I see a good CE I would buy it, I'm actually gutted that I've missed out on the Metal Gear Solid HD Ultimite Collection from Zavvi.
The problem with CE now is that they're starting to go into another trend which is character statues. Some are good quality like Epic's Marcus Fenix statue while some look funny like Uncharted 3's Nathan Drake statue (admit it, because of the face it dosen't look like Drake)
The Gears of War 3 Epic Edition, Halo Reaches Legendary edition, AC Brotherhood Codex edition and the Fallout 3 CE for example are what Collectors editions should be all about.
Sounds like you either need to do research on your purchases or get a good printer and print a PDF of the cover art (they aren't hard to find) and slip it into a purchased case. You can get Xbox or ps3 cases pretty cheap. Personally I love steel books. Plus some cover art is masterfully minimalist like splinter cell or ME. Standard retail cases can be so cluttered.
Getting the CE editions can actually save you money in the long term, think of it as an investment. There are plenty of games I've bought CE editions of and have sold the collectors items on ebay minus the actual game and made a profit months later.
Aside from that, you should see what you are buying before you buy it. You only have yourself to blame if you are disappointed, you are the customer, it's your own fault if you feel you have got screwed because you didn't use your head. Like Vaud-Villian says, you need to do your research.