thoughthead

You are now viewing a Special Limited Collector’s Edition of Thoughthead; an extra long blogger’s cut with over 2 paragraphs of never before read cynicism and wit. Only 5000 of these pages will be rendered before it will no longer be available. Expect the value to go up over time as eBay prices soar. In fact, the value of this article as already doubled in the time it took you to read that; of course two times free is still free.

That was pretty lame, but then again, so is most of the useless crap added to LE/SE/CE games these days. I’ll be honest, I’m addicted to collecting video games with the word “Edition” in the title I do the same with DVD movies but in the case of movies I simply opt for the hefty version of whatever movie I was planning on buying anyway. With games the addiction has reached Pokemon levels of affliction, that is to say: I’ve got to buy them all. It all started with Halo 2, the sweet metal box and clear plastic slip cover overlay was just plain cool and I felt it was well worth the extra $10. I had been buying the special editions of DVDs for a while but I had never really noticed games carrying that moniker until I took home Halo 2. I decided to hunt down and buy both the Limited Editions of Splinter Cell Chaos Theory and Doom 3 as both of those games interested me and were released in similar metal packaging.

See, I have this problem where I need to complete things. If I buy one of something that’s ok, but then if I have two or three of something and somehow there is a set I feel compelled to complete the set. Sometimes I even invent a “set” so I have something to complete. So where I got a few cool SE games, then I decided to collect all the metal boxed games, then I decided to collect anything with the word Edition attached to it. This of course carried over from the Xbox onto the Xbox 360.

I don’t see my collecting as a problem, there are other “sets” that I’ve given up on and simply sold off everything I had of it. I have a near complete collection of unopened Transformers Alternators that I’ll hock on eBay at some point instead of finishing the set. The problem with the games is that they’ve started selling games at inflated prices and at the same time started delivering a lower quality product. I don’t really want to stop collecting Special Edition games but if the continuous stream of garbage keeps flowing I’ll really have no choice but to stop buying all but the ones that are really worth it.

No surprise but EA was really the first company I noticed that set a new low for what supposedly passes as $10 worth of an enthusiast’s treat. Special Editions of Need for Speed and The Godfather were released on the Xbox 1, I almost bought them before realizing that they were little more than a few bonus in-game items with a cardboard slip cover for the case. A far cry from the likes of other games with a cold sleek metal shell and a whole second disc of extra value. It was clear from their packaging and advertising that they were banking on people assuming these games were actually in metal cases, they were simply designed that way. There were a few other non-metal-cased Special Editions on the Xbox 1, but all of those either only ran an extra $5 instead of an extra $10, or they were re-releases selling for $30 total. None of them pretended to be something they’re not.

There are a few illusive Xbox 1 games that are missing from my collection and I’ve neglected to waste my time on the aforementioned EA titles, maybe if I ever happen upon them on a discount rack somewhere. Because of this I anticipated the Xbox 360 launch as a sort of clean slate. Rather than scrounging around for Special Editions that I had missed in the past I could simply pick them up as they come. This was to be kicked off with a bang since Perfect Dark Zero was to be receiving the Halo 2 treatment. I even managed to get the PDZ LE for $50 on launch day. Oblivion was next and while it wasn’t a sleek metal case the packaging was quite unique and robust if not fitting for the game. Three whole discs, a nice map and even a replica bit of currency from the game world. The kind of stuff that makes even a non-collector raise an eyebrow while the hardcore nerds sweat in anticipation.

Things started to go down hill after that though. On the release day of Splinter Cell Double Agent I went into pick up the LE version. I’ve loved the previous releases in the franchise and I can easily say that the Chaos Theory LE I own for the Xbox 1 is my most coveted of Xbox 1 games. Not only because of the great case and even better extra content but it also took the most work to secure myself with a copy in mint condition and thus also has the most sentimental value. My excitement over the 4th installment was shattered when I realized that my extra $10 only bought me a case with a cheap plastic slip cover and a bonus DVD with about 20 minutes of video. To be honest I actually like the case design of the regular edition better and the included video was mostly stuff I had already watched online. The game was alright, I wasn’t expected much out of the concept and it certainly didn’t top Chaos Theory, or even Hitman: Blood Money which I had played just prior.
This trend of course has continued with countless other games since, and unlike the Xbox 1 releases where I could easily point the finger at EA it seems the cheapening of the Special Edition is a sickness that has plagued nearly all Xbox 360 publishers. This is particularly punctuated with the fact that I just recently scrambled to secure a copy of The Transformers Cybertron Edition. Seriously now, I realize that I’m an exception but aren’t Special Editions intended for the hardcore fans who want a little more extra flare in their regular gaming diet? I simply can’t imagine a non-collector in their right mind who would pay an extra $10 and pre-order a Special Edition movie game; that was actually the requirement for purchasing one of these anemic examples of a special edition. This will certainly be one of the few Special editions that increases in value if only due to the sheer apathy of it’s release and the resultant small quantities because of it. You can already find them on eBay going for as much as $90 used, needless to say that I lucked out having only paid $40 for mine.

I will give credit where credit is due. 2K games are entirely exempt from my complaints out of the three Special Edition games they’ve released all three have delivered the right stuff and plenty of it. Oblivion, Prey, and BioShock round out three of the four Special Editions that are genuinely worth owning on the Xbox 360. The fourth of course being Gears of War. So, what makes these Limited Editions worth it as opposed to say Transformers or Madden? Lets break down the key elements for our Game Developers and Publishers out there in the Audience.

1. Enthusiast Participation – This is probably the biggest factor in making a successful LE, simply include the enthusiasts in your world. With Bioshock they launched a web community called Cult of Rapture, here the Bioshock enthusiasts could conjure and this community eventually partitioned for the release of the Special Edition. Rather than just releasing some piece of garbage they asked the community for ideas, and even held a contest to design the cover of the special edition. Fans of your game want to be as involved as possible; acknowledging their existence is all they really want in return but participating them in the process… and I mean REALLY participating them… just makes their life complete. It’s not like it costs all that much to do and for what it does cost you’ll gain an army of loyal supporters who will pedal your products with excessive zeal.
2. Bring a Piece of the Game to Life – All games are really role players, gamers take on the roll of the avatar and immerse themselves in the fantasy world of the game. It’s escapism and whether you agree with people who enjoy that or not, bringing a token piece of that fantasy world into the real world makes it so very much better. The coin and map included with Oblivion, the Storybook history of Serra included with Gear of War and the well detailed hand painted figurine of a Big Daddy included with BioShock all deliver on this front. This should also flow into the case design where the case fits the the theme of the game. Ideally the case should almost stand as a relic of game world that it contains. Obviously there are standards it must meet but certainly 2K and Epic have proven that it’s not all too difficult to create game containers that themselves stand as bits of the game’s world brought into the flesh.
3. Let the Gamers in on a few secrets – Concept sketches, art-books, and behind the scenes featurettes all make great additions to a special edition. There are a few things I’d like to point out here though. Concept sketches are infinitely better when compiled in a book as opposed to a slideshow on a disc. And while it’s nice for the sake of completeness if you pop previously released behind the scenes videos on the disc, what people really want to see is stuff that they haven’t already seen. If I can get a video online for free why do I want to pay to get a copy of that on DVD?
4. Give us something we can use – Behind the scenes stuff, figurines, and a community of like minded geeks is all well and good but none of that is really useful. Special Editions should include something that either enhances the gaming experience or extends it into other areas. Exclusive game content is nice, like a few cars, maps, or weapons that owners of the non special editions either don’t have access to or have to pay extra for. Stay away from “bonus content” that is actually included with every disc and unlocked with a code. I guarantee before the game is even released someone will find out the code and post it online instantly devaluing all of your Special Editions. Other things like including a CD of the Game’s Soundtrack or even something as small as including some gamer pictures and a theme that we can use to pretty up our console’s dashboard are greatly appreciated.
5. Special and Limited Editions should be Special and Limited – Really this should go without saying but obviously it’s necessary to explain this simple concept. If the game really isn’t something that the enthusiast gamers are interested in, then don’t bother making a special edition. If you’re not sure if the game is something that has or will have an enthusiast following, then see Requirement #1 on this list, if you pass that step then you’re free to follow through with the rest of them here. I don’t want to ever see another cheap movie franchise tie-in game receive the special treatment. We’ve got Transformers and already that’s one too many. The special editions will increase in value for the same reason the Purina dog food Atari game did; by sheer apathy creating exclusivity. Really that’s not good for business because you get labeled as a company who just likes to prey on enthusiasts for a quick buck. Special Editions should be limited to games where the special edition will really be appreciated and that means games with a certain appeal to enthusiasts of your particular franchise.Limiting the Editions is very important too, nothing cheapens a special edition like hundreds of thousands of copies floating around and in such strong supply that they go for the same price as the normal edition months after release. You’ll still get voluming pricing if you only press 20K of the special edition and if you make a little less money on it because of what you included that’s ok too because you’re only making a few of them. The result will be a product that you’ll be remembered for long after it’s release, and in a very good way too. Not to mention Collectors will eat it up if your Limited Edition is genuinely limited in quantity.

So I’m staring at my list of games to purchase through the rest of the year and showing a scathing grimace as the thought of purchasing Stranglehold. I played the demo and it didn’t even come close to appealing to me. Now I’m stuck in the financial dilemma of buying the game full price on release day or taking my chances that the Special Edition will linger around for a while until the price drops a bit. Certainly that strategy worked out well in the past for games like Madden Hall of Fame Edition and Call of Duty 2 Game of the Year Edition, both of which were snagged new for $20 months after their respective releases. But then There is Transformers which I almost didn’t get and Rainbow Six Vegas that I ended up paying MORE than MSRP to purchase since I gambled and lost. Then of course there is Perfect Dark Zero and Splinter Cell that I bought on release but easily could have waited and paid half price for. I wouldn’t have a problem paying the full $70 if I actually thought that the bonus features were crafted out of respect for the purchasing gamers and the quantities were limited allowing it to hold it’s value. As a collector it’s worth paying that price even if the game isn’t exactly my cup of tea.

With all these games released with a +$10 edition tax the market as a whole becomes a lot less special. Special editions used to come once or twice a quarter and really be worth it, and now it’s clear that a lot of these truly apathetic attempts are being done just to prey on the collectors. As a collector this is a warning to the publishers who pedal this crap… STOP IT. If you keep pushing this crap on me I’m going to stop biting, I’m pretty close as it is, and I know I’m not the only collector who feels this way. The next time you want to pull a “Transformers” you’re game will get the respect it deserves… and that is to say it wont see a dime from my wallet.