Collectors/Limited Editions and Added Value

In recent years Video Game Publishers have discovered the Added Value of Special Editions of their games and finding ways to see if players would be willing to pay extra for a video game.

The makers of Bioshock recently reported that a fan actually started a petition and agreed to do it if they had 5000 votes. It sounded fishy but they got the votes they asked for and there will be a Colelctor's Edition of it.

The boxes for Collector's Editions are usually specially designed, more often than not bigger, with Ultima 9's "Dragon Edition" taking the cake for box sizes.

Oddly enough the most common thing in the box itself included seems to be a game music CD.

I used to buy these when I worked full time but I've been routinely disappointed, wishing I saved the money.

The questions I have is what do these Special Editions include and are they worth it? What would make it worth buying for you?

I think this could make a useful thread to survey what these special editions have. I started a lot of talk ion the NWN2 threads when we brought up the various international Limited editions of that game.

Depends what's extra in the box!!

I only buy CRPG collector's editions. I'm a RPG collector (both PnP and computer) so that's just my thing. Of course I like it when they are really nice... with things like cloth maps, bonus cd's, pewter figures, t-shirts, etc. I don't like it when publishers just put a game in a different box and include the add-ons and call it a collector's edition.

I don't like it when they ship the game they promised a few months earlier in a new box like Dungeon Lords did!!!!

I always grab the Collectors Edition, or special edition. Sometimes its confusing as in Silenthunter IV. Didn't know it was differense in the special version. Irritating.

I don't like it when they just put in a figurine or a music cd. I liked the Oblivion version very much. The making of DVD was fun. Thats added value for me. The only music cd i ever listen on is the CD for Wing Commander III special edition. That was cool. My music taste is a bit more aquired then those orchestral thing in a game!

But still, i do buy the collectors version everytime i have the chance.

Altough i do ask myself about the marketing ploy of Bioshock. It does feel more like a Sony marketing gimmick then a "we care for the community". And people votes for a music cd the most. Hey, whats more cheap? A behind the scene dvd or a music cd. Do people WANT only a music CD. It feels like there is a marketing genius at work on that particular game!

... but i will buy it neverthelesss...

To much money, to little time - i guess!

I voted "Just my favourite games" but to be honest I think recently I've been moving towards the "No" answer. I've been a semi-active collector of old RPGs for a while, and have collected for example almost the entire Ultima series in the original releases with all the extra stuff such as coins, cloth maps etc. I even have some of the Ultima games in multiple copies and for platforms I don't even own or use anymore. It can be great fun to collect stuff - but to be honest I think it's a quite useless hobby to have.. in a sense it *is* throwing money down the drain because there really isn't any practical use at all for most of the stuff Lately I've started to realize that the only thing I really use for just about any game I buy is the game itself.. not even the printed manual is worth much to me anymore (this has probably largely something to do with the fact that in-game instructions has become so good over time...)

EDIT:
Just thought I would mention the last game I bought the CE of: "Heroes of Might and Magic V". That game came with some nice stuff, and most importantly - the CE was only slightly more expensive than the standard edition. It came with the following extra stuff:
- Book-like wrapping: nice, but useless
- Map of the world: nice, but useless (who needs a map for a Heroes game??)
- Art book: nice, but useless
- Faction document (maybe standard): nice, but useless (in-game info is what you use..)
- Full version of Heroes 2: nice - and actually *not* entirely useless

I always buy Collector's Editions of Games (if they are available) of my favorite games, most rpg games and adventure/puzzle games. I like the fact that they come in hardbox and has some extra goodies in them. I liked the book you got on the different races when you bought the CE of Oblivion. I also liked the things you got in NWN2 CE and the the Gothic CE. I was a bit disappointed with Dreamfall's Limited Edition as all you got was an artbook with art renderings from the game, but I have grown increasingly fonder of this art book during the year (or so) that I have had the game, Dreamfall's, CE.

Sometimes, if the publishers made it worth it.

Good buy for example:
NWN2 CE -> including NW1 + addons

I used to but I don't now...in fact, I buy digital versions (eg, Steam) wherever possible. I did buy the CE for Oblivion - but only because I got it before the street date but the guy would only give me the CE.

I did like the t-shirt from BG2, but otherwise none of it is meaningful to me years later, so its a waste a money.

I consider collectors editions an absolute waste of money. There are a few exceptions, but these are extremly rare, and do not justify the many rip-off offers that are out there. But since there seems to be a demand for this kind of stuff... guess everyone has to decide for him/herself if it's worth the money...

I chose the 'Sometimes, if the publishers made it worth' option, but in fact it's more like 'Sometimes, when I missed a game and the CE is the only one still available'. When I really want a game, I buy it ASAP, and then I buy the regular version.

Not really.

Sure a shiny ce box is a cool feauture, but usually those special editions are waste of well earned credits. The extra stuff is nine times of ten pure crap. Why not offer extra levels/side quests/weapons or something that really matters? Just take a look at LOTR Extented edition dvds. Thats kind of extra I'm looking for.

I don't need cheap looking t-shirts thank you. And what about those art books or documentary cds..pff usually plain rip-offs. Cloth map is nice, but is worth of ten euros?

I tend not to buy CE/SE if they cost more then the actual game. Game boxes over here are all the same size (DVD cases) and I do not care for things like coins, rings and gimmicks like that.
I do have the odd one just because it was the only version available, but I never paid more for them then I would have for the normal edition.

If I buy a game, I buy it for the game, not for all the bells and whistles in the box.

Depends. If there's a nice map in the box, I start drifting in the yes direction. I'm a sucker for a good map!

yes! the map is the single most important element to me. not only do the maps look cool they also add to your game experience and help you to understand the world/game. not a game but the biggest example of a maps great effect to me is when i read the lord of the rings books there were full size maps that folded out attached inside. considering i have only read them once that greatly helped me to visualize everything that occured.

I put 'sometimes' ... because I generally don't, but the 'worth it' thing is what gets me. For example - 'FEAR' I got the director's cut for the same price as the regular game by just pre-ordering. And the same goes for NWN2, so I got that special edition as well.

I have never bought any tipe of collectors/limited edition. Usually because there is nothing in that I would like to have.

If we ever see Wizardry 9, I promise, I'll by collectors edition just to finance the thing ;].

I'd like to, but too often they are too expensive for my wallet.
So I voted "sometimes".
I do like game music CDs very much, by the way !

Hmm, I hadn't considered the the "if its the only one available" option but I've done that too.

Keep in mind the Lawful Good and Chaotic Evil editions of NWN2 available over in Europe were not the same as the North American Collector's edition. The collectors edition here didn't offer much except a couple of Pewter Rings, a nice box, and that Waukeen Feat.

I made a big stink that for an extra $10 Atari still gave us paper sleeves.

http://www.nwn2wiki.org/Limited_edition

The European CE's of NWN2 were ok I guess, considering they did include NWN1 + Addons, so maybe that was worth $10... then again, it wasn't if you had those already. The figurines were strange too: I bought the Lawful Good edition and got what was looking like an evil barbarian / warrior. My buddy had the Chaotic Evil edition and got.. an Ogre? What's with that?

I voted "just my favorite games", but I'm seriously leaning towards "no". Most of the time the extra content just isn't worth it. Not in Europe, anyway. You know, the grass is always greener on the other side. It really is.