What's Wrong in Gaming - Collector's Editions

Collector's Editions have been a part of gaming for years.  There's some arguments about what the first collector's edition game was because game companies didn't ever put them out there as a special edition.  They included things like cloth maps and lapel pins in their games as no extra price to entice gamers to buy them or at the very least, pay attention to them.  Are those considered collector's editions?  What about a differently colored cartridge? 

Is this Zelda a Collector's Edition Game?

Regardless of these questions, in my mind the trend of collector's editions really began with the sixth generation of consoles, the PS2, Xbox, and Gamecube years. Game developers began offering up collector's editions of their games for $10 more ($60 as opposed to $50).  They would usually include something small.   Halo 2 has a metal case and a bonus disc that had some behind the scenes stuff in making the game, Doom 3 included the original Doom and Doom 2 included which was pretty neat, and I had personally picked up several because "it was just $10 more".

Then something happened.  The seventh generation of consoles was coming, and the game publishers decided to increase the base price of their games to $60 as a sort of "next gen tax" that would allow them to increase the production value.  They had been testing us with the sixth generation collector's editions to see if we would pay $10 more for something that was being delivered with more.  Their rationalization was that if people are paying $60 for a game with a making of disc, they would pay $60 for the seventh generation games which were going to offer more in graphics and game play experience.

And we did.  Reluctantly, at first, but then it became the norm.  Nintendo is the only of the big three that held onto a $49.99 MSRP believing it have a better chance at capturing new gamers with the lower price point (it worked). 

Although seriously, who would pay $60 for this?

This brings us to the here and now.  Game companies continue to put out collector's editions of games at an inflated price.  Some of them, like the Halo: Reach Legendary Edition (even more of a collector's edition than the collector's edition!) go for $150, almost three times that of the regular edition!  What's so great about these things?  I used to tell myself that it was a way to be more of a part of the universe, to have a piece of the game in the real world.  Then I wondered what I was really getting out of paying the extra money.  Here's something that should infuriate some people:

The original Assassin's Creed.  Check that statue out, that looks pretty cool.  Looks like it's a good size, something you can set up on the bookshelf.  This is how it was sent out to the gaming websites to show what buyers would get with their "limited edition" version.  Check out what they actually got:

The hell?

The thing is half the size of the disc!  There were actually a few other figures like this that upset the people that bought them for Street Fighter IV and Resident Evil 5.

Ahh!  It's a zombie!

As you can see, the quality on these things were terrible. But poor quality items didn't stop companies for touting them as bonuses with their games, and so far hasn't stopped gamers from shelling out the extra cash for them.  Sometimes, the bonus is a big smack in the face, take a look at the bonus items for Call of Duty: Black Ops "Hardened Edition":

Most of the items are redacted by the government

You get a "limited edition medal", 4 additional co-op maps, an avatar costume, and the dreaded "steel case".  What's this worth, $5?  $10?  Try $20.  For $80 you can be slapped in the face by Activision while they grab your wallet.  If you want a remote control car with a camera in it, slap on another $70 for a total of $150.  Silliness.  Just plain silliness.  Collector's editions have gotten so out of hand that even strategy guides have hopped on board offering a "100% complete guide" to the game for a premium price.

The point that I'm really trying to make here is that by buying these collector's editions, consumers are telling the game companies that they're willing to pay their $60 for "premium game play" as they put it, and then shell out MORE for additional items packed in with the games, putting a premium on the already premium game.  To cut it short and make sense of everything, you're telling them that when the eighth generation rolls in, you're willing to pay more money for your games, because they will say that those games are the new best thing out there and charge you another "next gen tax".

The only way to stop them from doing this is to stop buying these games with extra stuff that you don't even really care about.  I know, sometimes there's something really cool out there, and I'd be lying if I wasn't planning on picking up whatever collector's edition Blizzard offers for Diablo 3, but at least take a good look at what you're getting. Ask yourself if it's worth paying $70 for Fable IV when the eighth generation comes around in a few years.  Of course, if you want the in-game goggles and sword letter opener, that's going to run you an extra $20, but that's ok because it deepens your play experience... right?

No, no it doesn't.