Torment:ToN - The Collector's Edition

The unboxing of the Torment: Tides of Numenera collector's edition at PCGamesN:

Watch us unbox the collector's edition of Torment: Tides of Numenera

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To me, it doesn't make much sense to collect PC game boxes any more.

While I can't care less about boxes, I'm crazy about artbooks…
But sometimes even those have silly editions like this one for example:
http://www.biowarestore.com/the-art-…imited-edition



Who the hell needs "A portfolio including three blueprints of the Tempest exploration vessel"?!
Yea, if it was Normandy I'd probably sing another song…

Anyway, I've preordered the art of ME4, normal edition, on Amazon. The book. Not the game. It's still a question if I'll ever buy the game.

Those templates do look silly. I don't know about others but I absolutely loved the Art of Morrowind booklet that came with Morrowind Collectors' Edition. I wish we had more stuff like that, you don't see that often.

I wish we still had good cloth maps, the one that came with D:OS collectors edition was a joke, and the one that came with PoE's wasn't a ton better.

I think the problem is that today the cloth maps are collectors' edition geegaws. Back in the day, when they were included as a regular part of the game, they were effectively integrated into the gameplay. What I remember about my old Ultima cloth maps isn't looking at them as works of art, but sticking push-pins into them and using them to plan my exploration of the world. They were an integral part of the game.

Originally Posted by Stingray
I wish we still had good cloth maps, the one that came with D:OS collectors edition was a joke, and the one that came with PoE's wasn't a ton better.

They sure don't make 'em like they used to!

Years ago, I would display Ultima maps proudly on my wall…


Nowadays, I keep them hidden in the box…

Divinity: Original Sin


PoE
http://i.imgur.com/RdrEPkp.jpg

Originally Posted by rjshae
To me, it doesn't make much sense to collect PC game boxes any more.

Why is it so? To me collecting non-existing, non-permanent using-rights (aka STEAM games) doesn't make much sense. And it never did, because you actually own nothing (read the EULA).

Me:

Boxed CRPGs collected: 443 (85 since 2010)

STEAM-games collected: 0 (since the dawn of time)

Originally Posted by Sir_Brennus
Why is it so? To me collecting non-existing, non-permanent using-rights (aka STEAM games) doesn't make much sense.

Game boxes take up useless shelf space and collect dust. Games themselves depreciate rapidly over time, so they're usually not good investments. If my Steam collection goes away some day, it'll be easy to replace.

Originally Posted by rjshae
Game boxes take up useless shelf space and collect dust. Games themselves depreciate rapidly over time, so they're usually not good investments. If my Steam collection goes away some day, it'll be easy to replace.

Well, that something physical takes space is not something that was different in the past. But Collecting chinese vases is something different than storing photos of those vases in a dropbox.

I am very eager to see if your collection can be replaced when STEAM hopefully crumbles one day.

Fun fact: All over the world countries try to preserve games in boxes as art for later generations. The German Bundestag just releases millions to do so. And IIRC the Library of Congress does that, too.

Seems to make sense for some people, doesn't it.

To me the digital platforms (Steam and GOG) are just so damn convenient. I threw out all my old boxed games a couple of years ago (the ones I really love are in my GOG library anyway), and I haven't regretted it yet. Maybe Steam will crash one day, but on the other hand my computer no longer has drives for older media, not even DVD. And I doubt I would get my old games to run on a new system even it had. And getting those games to run smoothly in another ten years or twenty?

Originally Posted by Sir_Brennus
I am very eager to see if your collection can be replaced when STEAM hopefully crumbles one day.

I find your lack of faith… disturbing. Meh, I've got piles of old media that no longer work, old game books I no longer read, and old gaming maps that now look rather pitiful. Companies like GoG will be around to pick up the pieces if and when Steam folds.

Yeah there are museums of old junk. Guess what though: they only need one copy.

This is why I only buy games on GOG (or some other DRM-free platform if a game I want isn't on there for some reason)

I've come to really dislike physical boxes and whatever gewgaws they stuff in collector editions. All useless junk you can admire for a few seconds and then does nothing but sit on a shelf. I have one collector edition box left to toss out and then I'm free of all physical media and assorted cruft. It's very liberating.

Personally, I rather like being able to pull out my old Ultima Underworld 5.25 floppy boxed edition from the days of yore, read through the Memoirs of Sir Cabirus and other such gaming paraphernalia. The physical space my collection takes is well and truly compensated by their value in pure nostalgia and capacity to create vivid memory recollections of happy gaming experiences, recent or otherwise. I value them as much as my books, films and vinyl.

That pure tactile factor and notion of being able to peruse something simultaneously to the experience is largely missing in much of the mainstream digital only driven culture.

Originally Posted by Pessimeister
Personally, I rather like being able to pull out my old Ultima Underworld 5.25 floppy boxed edition from the days of yore, read through the Memoirs of Sir Cabirus and other such gaming paraphernalia. The physical space my collection takes is well and truly compensated by their value in pure nostalgia and capacity to create vivid memory recollections of happy gaming experiences. I value them as much as my books, films and vinyl.

That pure tactile factor and notion of being able to peruse something simultaneously to the experience is largely missing in much of the mainstream digital only driven culture.

I can relate to that, and understand the nostalgia factor. But still, those 5.25 disks don't do much good. Maps and manuals I can understand.

Originally Posted by tomasp3n
But still, those 5.25 disks don't do much good.

Well, that's not necessarily true if you're into collecting old computer technology as well. But I take your point. Modernity does have its hefty share of technological conveniences.

Maybe being an adult with a wife and adult friends might have something to do with you not putting fantasy maps from RPG games on the wall… no?


BTW, ya'll are forgetting a major thing. The REASON for all this extraneous bit of lore and maps is because they couldn't put it in the game itself. Once they could, the extra lore bits went away… for the most part.

Originally Posted by Vindicator
They sure don't make 'em like they used to!

Years ago, I would display Ultima maps proudly on my wall…


Nowadays, I keep them hidden in the box…

Divinity: Original Sin


PoE
http://i.imgur.com/RdrEPkp.jpg

Well, considering that money would no longer be of any value and electricity would be gone (ie end of the world scenario), I think I can live with the fact STEAM would be gone.

Originally Posted by rjshae
I find your lack of faith… disturbing. Meh, I've got piles of old media that no longer work, old game books I no longer read, and old gaming maps that now look rather pitiful. Companies like GoG will be around to pick up the pieces if and when Steam folds.

Yeah there are museums of old junk. Guess what though: they only need one copy.

If STEAM crumbled, so would GoG and the internet itself. Basically, it would take an apocalyptic event for Steam to just disappear out of the blue.

What happens with Steam when North Korea nukes Seattle?