Support NeoGAF

Mergesort · Mar 19, 2017

I mostly remember them as Platinum Games, they got later renamed Essentials by Sony. What happened to them? Where are the PS4 Essential Editions? E3 reveal?

Here are the designs of past generations

PS1:

PS2:

PS3 Platinum:

PS3 Essentials:

I don't really like those designs and most of the time I was always trying to get non-Platinum versions. The main thing about Platinum that I liked was the fact that they were somewhat a selection of great games. Most of the time you couldn't go wrong with a platinum game and they were cheaper, mostly 30 at release. I don't know if this counted for all games, but a big plus was that some even had the newest patches and DLC included! Who wouldn't want the most complete, best working and fixed edition that worked out of the box.
I really hope Sony is going to release PS4 Essentials, but they should really do something about the design of the packaging and mostly about the covers! I hate how ugly and crippled the covers are.
Adding to that the games should not be chosen based on sales imo. I think that the Essentials should be a collection of great, well received and critically acclaimed games(by critics and gamers).

So how should the new Essentials look like? Considering that Essentials are more or less the best games on the platform I think they deserve better than what we got in the past. The packaging should feel more premium. So how should it look like? If they case material stays the same, what color should it have? Should there even be a color change? What if we use steelbooks for essentials? What about the covers?

If the cases have to be plastic I think Sony should use some premium colors like black and gold(or white). The case or the PS4 label could either be black or gold. (Someone should do some mockups! Go Photoshop Gaf!)
The most important part of the case is the cover and there shouldn't, in my opinion, be any frames! Look at those damn ugly frames sony! Overall the cover should be as clean as possible. No extra information on the cover. No review scores etc. I really don't want to see that "5/7 score by DerpGamer" bullshit!! The cover art should also use a different design compared to the original game. It should be a nice cover and look premium, maybe use cool fanart?
The game itself should at least contain all updates and should be in a playable and non-buggy state! The price could range from 30-40 /$ for the base game if there is no DLC included and go up to 60 /$ if it contains DLC and all extra content. This would future proof the game in case the patch/content servers go down one day.

One last Thing I would like is a booklet. Bring the booklets back Sony! This one could be a really special little extra, as it could include more than just the instructions and the control layout. Imagine there is more, something like a few tips, tricks and hints for the game. Or a compilation of the best fanart made for this game!! I would love to have a booklet like that added! HA imagine Overwatch with all that shipping fanart

A small sum up of my visions:

Black/Gold/(white) cover/label
New and clean cover, not frame
Patched game with all DLC and extras
Nice booklet with fanart

I would love to see some mockups!

What are you thoughts on this Gaf? How do you imagine the PS4 Essentials should look like? What should they include and how much should they cost? Mockups are welcome! Be creative!

liquidtmd · Mar 19, 2017

lol

It's a shame, the PS1 platinum collection was beastly.

Remember rebuying WipEout back in the day when I accidentally broke my original

Numb · Mar 19, 2017

liquidtmd said:
lol

Gaardus · Mar 19, 2017

The South Korean equivalent looks like this:

ZOONAMI · Mar 19, 2017

^ looks about right for what we'll actually get. Throw killzone in there for bad measure.

Aha edit it is in there already. Lol

kenta · Mar 19, 2017

I always thought the best compromise would be to not change the box art or the case at all, but rather identify Greatest Hits games with a sticker. They've done this previously, when a game first goes GH and they need to update the boxes already on shelves, and I think it is the best of both worlds

Napalm_Frank · Mar 19, 2017

Kinda funny how PS1 is the only gen that got a decent design on the plat titles. Less is more.

Fisty · Mar 19, 2017

Man that PS1 Platinum design is sharp, I don't think there were any other Playstation reprint lines that looked that good, maybe PS3 Asia ones?

JP · Mar 19, 2017

It's not really worth the investment of paying for the packaging with stuff like this happening constantly.

Mergesort · Mar 19, 2017

liquidtmd said:
lol

It's a shame, the PS1 platinum collection was beastly.

Remember rebuying WipEout back in the day when I accidentally broke my original

Gaardus said:
The South Korean equivalent looks like this:

kenta said:
I always thought the best compromise would be to not change the box art or the case at all, but rather identify Greatest Hits games with a sticker. They've done this previously, when a game first goes GH and they need to update the boxes already on shelves, and I think it is the best of both worlds

NO! Fuck those are ugly as fuck and don't do those games any justice at all!

ForboJack · Mar 19, 2017

I think they are basically discounts at the PSN now.

Admiral Woofington · Mar 19, 2017

please stop with the knack jokes.

The only essentials list that belongs in is essentials to throw in the trash.

lem0n · Mar 19, 2017

Numb said:

One of the best uses of this gif I've seen, bravo.

kenta · Mar 19, 2017

Mergesort said:
NO! Fuck those are ugly as fuck and don't do those games any justice at all!

maybe I wasn't clear enough: the stickers would come off when you unwrapped the game, and then you would have a normal looking case that would fit right in with the rest of a collection. I don't know why that would be objectionable

Mergesort · Mar 19, 2017

JP said:
It's not really worth the investment of paying for the packaging with stuff like this happening constantly.

I am not a digital loving person on consoles. Print games are not going to disappear soon and i expect that most rather want a print edition.

brawly · Mar 19, 2017

I wish they brought back the silver. None of that red pish.

Pennywise · Mar 19, 2017

Mergesort said:
I am not a digital loving person on consoles. Print games are not going to disappear soon and i expect that most rather want a print edition.

Even in that case the majority of titles are easy and cheap to get. There are a few exceptions here and there, but overall they don't really need something like that again.

Sony should print some more discs of Gravity Rush 1 and TLOU (pretty expensive in Germany currently).

MrS · Mar 19, 2017

OP trolling with that title or what? first Half-Life, 3 screen-shots

vaporeon · Mar 19, 2017

The most important one, of course

TheRealTalker · Mar 19, 2017

I remember them as greatest hits collection
and the seemed to be red but not sure about the PS4 equivalent in NA

I don't see them changing it anytime soon

Mergesort · Mar 19, 2017

kenta said:
maybe I wasn't clear enough: the stickers would come off when you unwrapped the game, and then you would have a normal looking case that would fit right in with the rest of a collection. I don't know why that would be objectionable

No, sorry that sounds awful to me. I don't mean to offend you by saying this, but i hate stickers on Games. Platinum games were, in my eyes, used to rekindle the sales of a good game by distinctively repackaging it, with patches and bonuses. A sticker wouldn't do the changes and the game justice.

JP · Mar 19, 2017

Mergesort said:
I am not a digital loving person on consoles. Print games are not going to disappear soon and i expect that most rather want a print edition.

It's not really about "you" though, it's about the people selling the games. Digital sales allow them to be far more agile with much lower investment costs and the money that's spent by customers doesn't go anywhere retail's coffers.

It benefits them all round and the number of potential sales for repackaged retail releases probably isn't worth the investment and trying to get retail interested when they'd rather give their shelf space to brand new games, which make them more money.

Mergesort · Mar 19, 2017

Pennywise said:
Even in that case the majority of titles are easy and cheap to get. There are a few exceptions here and there, but overall they don't really need something like that again.

Sony should print some more discs of Gravity Rush 1 and TLOU (pretty expensive in Germany currently).

Why not? They rekindle sales of a game and include stuff like patches(i don't know if regular reprints have them). I think some Platinum games sold really well, even though the base game is 2-4 years old. Easy money i would say. It's a win-win situation if you ask me. I even did some double dips in the past!

kenta · Mar 19, 2017

Mergesort said:
No, sorry that sounds awful to me. I don't mean to offend you by saying this, but i hate stickers on Games. Platinum games were, in my eyes, used to rekindle the sales of a good game by distinctively repackaging it, with patches and bonuses. A sticker wouldn't do the changes and the game justice.

oh. Well I agree that repackaging a game with a really tasteful box and art would be nice. But, (a) this thread is filled with examples that show how Sony is clearly incapable of making that happen. Greatest Hits is a tacky nasty curse of a reward and has been since the beginning. And (b) making the case notably different from a normal game messes up the consistency when put into a collection or on a shelf. So you're making the case that GH games should stand out more, and I'm making the case that they should blend in and not be a punishment on the devs or the consumer. Guess we'll never agree then

Mergesort · Mar 19, 2017

JP said:
It's not really about "you" though, it's about the people selling the games. Digital sales allow them to be far more agile with much lower investment costs and the money that's spent by customers doesn't go anywhere retail's coffers.

It benefits them all round and the number of potential sales for repackaged retail releases probably isn't worth the investment and trying to get retail interested when they'd rather give their shelf space to brand new games, which make them more money.

Well, I get your points. I am 100% digital on PC. On consoles it's a different matter. Everything digital I had on my ps3 is gone for me and in 20 years I won't have anything of it.
And I really don't think anyone is losing if they repackage the game with extras and patches and sell it as Essential. I have no facts or sales numbers to back my claim, but it makes sense to me. Some games are selling sub 20/$ and I mean good games. Repackaging them does make sense to Publishers and Resellers. Adding content and patches is a win for customers too. And as I said I wouldn't mind double dipping to future-proof a game I like. I did it in the past and would do it in the future. My point is, that even people that previously bought the game might buy it again. There is no chance I would do that with a normal reprint.

kenta · Mar 19, 2017

Mergesort said:
Well, I get your points. I am 100% digital on PC. On consoles it's a different matter. Everything digital I had on my ps3 is gone for me and in 20 years I won't have anything of it.
And I really don't think anyone is losing if they repackage the game with extras and patches and sell it as Essential. I have no facts or sales numbers to back my claim, but it makes sense to me. Some games are selling sub 20/$ and I mean good games. Repackaging them does make sense to Publishers and Resellers. Adding content and patches is a win for customers too. And as I said I wouldn't mind double dipping to future-proof a game I like. I did it in the past and would do it in the future. My point is, that even people that previously bought the game might buy it again. There is no chance I would do that with a normal reprint.

Sounds to me like you're wanting Definitive Editions/Game of the Year Editions to become Essentials/Greatest Hits then. I understand where you're coming from, but those serve two different purposes

Mergesort · Mar 19, 2017

kenta said:
oh. Well I agree that repackaging a game with a really tasteful box and art would be nice. But, (a) this thread is filled with examples that show how Sony is clearly incapable of making that happen. Greatest Hits is a tacky nasty curse of a reward and has been since the beginning. And (b) making the case notably different from a normal game messes up the consistency when put into a collection or on a shelf. So you're making the case that GH games should stand out more, and I'm making the case that they should blend in and not be a punishment on the devs or the consumer. Guess we'll never agree then

About a), yeah I agree, Sony didn't do a great job with Platinum games for the PS2-PS3(PS1 is ok, imo). But that's what this thread is for, making suggestions, giving Sony ideas, pushing them to do a better job etc. That's why I would really love to see some mockups!

To b), fuck consistency. Who has a 100% consistent collection? Adding all the Special Editions, Limited Editions and Steelbooks to my collection makes it super inconsistent. I don't mind, I like my Special Editions and I would love my Essentials if they looked good. Blurays, DVDs etc all had the same "problem". I think most people wouldn't mind.

kenta · Mar 19, 2017

Mergesort said:
About a), yeah I agree, Sony didn't do a great job with Platinum games for the PS2-PS3(PS1 is ok, imo). But that's what this thread is for, making suggestions, giving Sony ideas, pushing them to do a better job etc. That's why I would really love to see some mockups!

To b), fuck consistency. Who has a 100% consistent collection? Adding all the Special Editions, Limited Editions and Steelbooks to my collection makes it super inconsistent. I don't mind, I like my Special Editions and I would love my Essentials if they looked good. Blurays, DVDs etc all had the same "problem". I think most people wouldn't mind.

I have a 100% consistent collection. Never bought a steelbook or a GH. I even own a black label version of DMC3SE since I didn't want the red labeling. It's more important to me than it is to you, clearly

Mergesort · Mar 19, 2017

kenta said:
Sounds to me like you're wanting Definitive Editions/Game of the Year Editions to become Essentials/Greatest Hits then. I understand where you're coming from, but those serve two different purposes

Yes, I think all good games need this, for stated reasons in OP.

DarkConfidant · Mar 19, 2017

ForboJack said:
I think they are basically discounts at the PSN now.

This.

The only other thing was I guess it signified that the game sold a million copies (or whatever the number was to be Greastest Hits).

Nothing beats those Greatest Hits collections they did for PSone shortly after the PS2 came out, that had all 3 Crash games, one with all 3 Spyro games, one with the first 3 Tomb Raiders, and one with the 3 GTAgames from PSone.

KawabataSan · Mar 19, 2017

JP said:
It's not really worth the investment of paying for the packaging with stuff like this happening constantly.

Basically this.

Not worth packaging brand new retail games at lower prices and calling it "Greatest Hits" when you can just discount it via digital stores or bundle it on PS Plus to get the additional sales / revenue.

Packaging a "Complete Edition" at $60 is the better option for publishers.

Mergesort · Mar 19, 2017

kenta said:
I have a 100% consistent collection. Never bought a steelbook or a GH. I even own a black label version of DMC3SE since I didn't want the red labeling. It's more important to me than it is to you, clearly

You put the esthetics of the consistency of your collection over improved/better editions of the game?

JP · Mar 19, 2017

Mergesort said:
Well, I get your points. I am 100% digital on PC. On consoles it's a different matter. Everything digital I had on my ps3 is gone for me and in 20 years I won't have anything of it.
And I really don't think anyone is losing if they repackage the game with extras and patches and sell it as Essential. I have no facts or sales numbers to back my claim, but it makes sense to me. Some games are selling sub 20€/$ and I mean good games. Repackaging them does make sense to Publishers and Resellers. Adding content and patches is a win for customers too. And as I said I wouldn't mind double dipping to future-proof a game I like. I did it in the past and would do it in the future. My point is, that even people that previously bought the game might buy it again. There is no chance I would do that with a normal reprint.

One of the issues is that retail doesn't really want older games taking up shelf space, particularly if they also sell used games which is where the real money is for them. The vast majority of games have a really short shelf life and I really doubt whether it is worth it for Sony or for retail.

The simple truth is, if it was worth it for them, then we would know because they would be doing it. It costs money to do what you're wanting. either they'll have to produce new discs and/or packaging or they use what they already have as backstock. If they do already have them ready to go they will either already on the shelves or they won't because retail don't want them to be there and if retail doesn't want them to be, that's not going to change because Sony has had to hand over money to repackage them.

It's happened in previous generations because there hasn't really been a viable alternative to it, there is now so having to invest in doing just isn't a concern for the people who own the games. If you compare the digital sales that we've had this generation to what's happened in the previous generation then it's pretty clear that what you want just isn't something that they consider to be a serious option.

They've moved on from it as there are simply better ways of dealing with these things now and they are cheaper for them, cheaper for the people who make the games and also the people who buy the games.

entremet · Mar 19, 2017

Yeah, as a poster said above, PSN.

And Sony is not going to print color manual anymore. Manuals are relics of the past.

More and more this industry is going digital. I'm not saying physical is going away. It's just the economy and behavior is already digital.

This is evidenced by:

Huge patches for Day 1 and so on.
Lack of paper manuals.
The majority of games coming out digital only outnumbering physical only titles.
The growth os flash sales in digital marketplaces.
Smaller shelf space at retail. I mean, compare this generation to last generation. It's pitiful.

Mergesort · Mar 19, 2017

DarkConfidant said:
This.

The only other thing was I guess it signified that the game sold a million copies (or whatever the number was to be Greastest Hits).

Nothing beats those Greatest Hits collections they did for PSone shortly after the PS2 came out, that had all 3 Crash games, one with all 3 Spyro games, one with the first 3 Tomb Raiders, and one with the 3 GTAgames from PSone.

KawabataSan said:
Basically this.

Not worth packaging brand new retail games at lower prices and calling it "Greatest Hits" when you can just discount it via digital stores or bundle it on PS Plus to get the additional sales / revenue.

Packaging a "Complete Edition" at $60 is the better option for publishers.

I don't buy digital games, there are many people that don't, for obvious reasons. Making Essentials for great games wouldn't be a loss for the publishers, imo. Can't imagine that. I don't have any sales numbers to back it up. The profit margin would be big enough I guess. This is a 2-3 year old game after all.

kenta · Mar 19, 2017

Mergesort said:
You put the esthetics of the consistency of your collection over improved/better editions of the game?

yes, absolutely. I'd rather have what was released at launch than what was bolted on later. I've recently debated finally picking up The Witcher 3, but they have a new "complete" edition with a gross yellow bar across the box which is a big deterrent

If I want more content I can buy the DLC. And obviously I'll get the patches as soon as I boot it up. But I can't change the box after the fact so I want it right the first time, which means I want my boxes clean

ElephantShell · Mar 19, 2017

Is this the same thing as Greatest Hits in North America? I had this version of Final Fantasy VII:

Always wished I had the version without the ugly green as a kid.

Mergesort · Mar 19, 2017

JP said:
One of the issues is that retail doesn't really want older games taking up shelf space, particularly if they also sell used games which is where the real money is for them. The vast majority of games have a really short shelf life and I really doubt whether it is worth it for Sony or for retail.

The simple truth is, if it was worth it for them, then we would know because they would be doing it. It costs money to do what you're wanting. either they'll have to produce new discs and/or packaging or they use what they already have as backstock. If they do already have them ready to go they will either already on the shelves or they won't because retail don't want them to be there and if retail doesn't want them to be, that's not going to change because Sony has had to hand over money to repackage them.

It's happened in previous generations because there hasn't really been a viable alternative to it, there is now so having to invest in doing just isn't a concern for the people who own the games. If you compare the digital sales that we've had this generation to what's happened in the previous generation then it's pretty clear that what you want just isn't something that they consider to be a serious option.

They've moved on from it as there are simply better ways of dealing with these things now and they are cheaper for them, cheaper for the people who make the games and also the people who buy the games.

Physical is here to stay as long as you can't take your purchases with you from PS3 to PS4 to PS5 and so on. The Essentials would be new releases with a higher price, I don't know why the publisher or retailer would have a problem with that. Most retailers in my country don't sell used games. Not putting Essentials on the shelf would be really dumb and most retailers don't really care about it. It's not like they are overthinking this like we do right now. For them it would be a new release and the would do what the always do with new releases, shelf them. I see bigger profits for both publishers and retailers and even online markets. Bigger profits than a PSN sale. You can't compare the sale of a base game from 3-4 years ago with the Essentials in the form mentioned in the OP

entremet said:
Yeah, as a poster said above, PSN.

And Sony is not going to print color manual anymore. Manuals are relics of the past.

More and more this industry is going digital. I'm not saying physical is going away. It's just the economy and behavior is already digital.

This is evidenced by:

Huge patches for Day 1 and so on.
Lack of paper manuals.
The majority of games coming out digital only outnumbering physical only titles.
The growth os flash sales in digital marketplaces.
Smaller shelf space at retail. I mean, compare this generation to last generation. It's pitiful.

Well about the manual, yeah they are a bonus as I said. You could make them digital, if you want.
Guys, what the publisher wants =/= what the customer wants. Who wants to pop in a game and download 20gb worth of patches? Because there is less retail space doesn't mean people are buying less physical copies! You forget the huge and growing online market! I buy most of my games online! Physical games delivered to my doorsteps.

Mergesort · Mar 19, 2017

kenta said:
yes, absolutely. I'd rather have what was released at launch than what was bolted on later. I've recently debated finally picking up The Witcher 3, but they have a new "complete" edition with a gross yellow bar across the box which is a big deterrent

If I want more content I can buy the DLC. And obviously I'll get the patches as soon as I boot it up. But I can't change the box after the fact so I want it right the first time, which means I want my boxes clean

That is weird to me, considering you are buying an inferior version, where you have to download patches, buy dlc etc. I know that is not a problem now, but maybe in the future. That's a reason for me why i want these essentials.

JP · Mar 20, 2017

Mergesort said:
Physical is here to stay as long as you can't take your purchases with you from PS3 to PS4 to PS5 and so on. The Essentials would be new releases with a higher price, I don't know why the publisher or retailer would have a problem with that. Most retailers in my country don't sell used games. Not putting Essentials on the shelf would be really dumb and most retailers don't really care about it. It's not like they are overthinking this like we do right now. For them it would be a new release and the would do what the always do with new releases, shelf them. I see bigger profits for both publishers and retailers and even online markets. Bigger profits than a PSN sale. You can't compare the sale of a base game from 3-4 years ago with the Essentials in the form mentioned in the OP

Physical being here to stay has nothing to do with what you're suggesting, though.

Stock for previously released games doesn't just vanish over time, what you are after already exists but the reason that you're not seeing it on shelves is simply that nobody wants to put it on shelves. If they wanted to, then they would do that with the stock that already exists.

The other thing that you're suggesting makes even less sense than this.

To republish a game with all the additional content, patches, etc makes absolutely no sense. Even though the game itself would be the same game that was released the first time, the "image" that appears in the Greatest Hits version is not the original image and therefore has to be tested again. This costs many thousands of dollars and it may not even pass the first time they submit it.

Who do you want to be paying for this? The publisher? Sony? The people buying the game? Retail?

Once it's got through testing Sony would then have to order a brand new production run from their manufacturer. Now bear in mind, when a game is originally released they could be ordering millions of copies and they can do this because they are expecting to sell many copies which would cover their expenses.

Again, who is going to fund this new production run? The publisher? Sony? The people buying the game? Retail?

We're talking probably hundreds of thousands of dollars and that's before you even take into account, the cost of storage of the games, getting them to a distributor and the distributor doing their work.

Let's pretend that it the best case scenario, that all of this is completely free. They have these games in the stores for $29.99, the first issue we run into here is my very first post.

Although we'll never get figures in terms of how much money they make on sales such as this, we know that however much it is...these sales work. How do we know this? Because at almost any point in time is a sale like this running, not only that but for much of the time there isn't just one sale like that running but two or three, or even more happening at exactly the same time.

Why does this happen week after week? Because these sales bloody work. It works for Sony, it works for the people who publish the games and works for the people who are buying the games.

They release one of their good games as a greatest Hits title for $20.00, $25.00, or whatever. When they re-release that game they can't be competing with their own PSN sales, so they either have to raise the price of the PSN version or lower the price of the Greatest Hits version so that the prices are more closely align with each other. How many people do you think are going to pay $25.00 for the Greatest Hits version when it's probably half that or quite possibly even less on PSN?

So the option that they have then is to just stop the PSN sales for all the Greatest Hits releases. The PSN sales that they do every single week because they love them, the ones that the vast majority of paying customers love them doing, the ones that they keep doing because they keep making money from.

Nothing that you're suggesting makes any sense at all, it's almost like you're intentionally not thinking any further than "Well, I want it to happen". You're not going alone in wanting this to happen but there's no reason for Sony, the publishers and retail to fund something that they don't believe will benefit them. How do we know that they don't believe it would benefit them? For exactly the same reason that we know that digital sales do benefit them and that's because they keep doing those and don't do these. Seriously, if the involved parties really believe it would be worth it for them, it would be happening.

EDIT:
I should really add here, I'm in no way suggesting that we'll never see a game rereleased at retail and I'm not suggesting that in some markets that it wouldn't maybe benefit them to do something of this kind where the conditions benefit them. Maybe there will be a game that has maybe done something unusual that would see it being treated differently to most of their games. Maybe there are locations where it does make financial sense to do this for some reason.

Simmins · Mar 20, 2017

ElephantShell said:
Is this the same thing as Greatest Hits in North America? I had this version of Final Fantasy VII:

Always wished I had the version without the ugly green as a kid.

Same. Heck most of my PS1 games ended up being Greatest Hits.

BiGBoSSMk23 · Mar 20, 2017

I had an illegitimate copy of MGS, ("green greatest hits bullshit", as my hardcore MG fan friend used to say), sold it when I got the OG one and that's the last "Platinum" "Greatest""Coolest" nonsense version of any game I owned.

They're such a combo breaker from the standard boxes on the shelves.

miller.skippins · Mar 20, 2017

Mergesort said:
I am not a digital loving person on consoles. Print games are not going to disappear soon and i expect that most rather want a print edition.

get that filthy disc away from me!

Digital bandit here and i ain't going back to physical.

Mergesort · Mar 20, 2017

JP said:
Physical being here to stay has nothing to do with what you're suggesting, though.

Stock for previously released games doesn't just vanish over time, what you are after already exists but the reason that you're not seeing it on shelves is simply that nobody wants to put it on shelves. If they wanted to, then they would do that with the stock that already exists.

The other thing that you're suggesting makes even less sense than this.

To republish a game with all the additional content, patches, etc makes absolutely no sense. Even though the game itself would be the same game that was released the first time, the "image" that appears in the Greatest Hits version is not the original image and therefore has to be tested again. This costs many thousands of dollars and it may not even pass the first time they submit it.

Who do you want to be paying for this? The publisher? Sony? The people buying the game? Retail?

Once it's got through testing Sony would then have to order a brand new production run from their manufacturer. Now bear in mind, when a game is originally released they could be ordering millions of copies and they can do this because they are expecting to sell many copies which would cover their expenses.

Again, who is going to fund this new production run? The publisher? Sony? The people buying the game? Retail?

We're talking probably hundreds of thousands of dollars and that's before you even take into account, the cost of storage of the games, getting them to a distributor and the distributor doing their work.

Let's pretend that it the best case scenario, that all of this is completely free. They have these games in the stores for $29.99, the first issue we run into here is my very first post.

Although we'll never get figures in terms of how much money they make on sales such as this, we know that however much it is...these sales work. How do we know this? Because at almost any point in time is a sale like this running, not only that but for much of the time there isn't just one sale like that running but two or three, or even more happening at exactly the same time.

Why does this happen week after week? Because these sales bloody work. It works for Sony, it works for the people who publish the games and works for the people who are buying the games.

They release one of their good games as a greatest Hits title for $20.00, $25.00, or whatever. When they re-release that game they can't be competing with their own PSN sales, so they either have to raise the price of the PSN version or lower the price of the Greatest Hits version so that the prices are more closely align with each other. How many people do you think are going to pay $25.00 for the Greatest Hits version when it's probably half that or quite possibly even less on PSN?

So the option that they have then is to just stop the PSN sales for all the Greatest Hits releases. The PSN sales that they do every single week because they love them, the ones that the vast majority of paying customers love them doing, the ones that they keep doing because they keep making money from.

Nothing that you're suggesting makes any sense at all, it's almost like you're intentionally not thinking any further than "Well, I want it to happen". You're not going alone in wanting this to happen but there's no reason for Sony, the publishers and retail to fund something that they don't believe will benefit them. How do we know that they don't believe it would benefit them? For exactly the same reason that we know that digital sales do benefit them and that's because they keep doing those and don't do these. Seriously, if the involved parties really believe it would be worth it for them, it would be happening.

EDIT:
I should really add here, I'm in no way suggesting that we'll never see a game rereleased at retail and I'm not suggesting that in some markets that it wouldn't maybe benefit them to do something of this kind where the conditions benefit them. Maybe there will be a game that has maybe done something unusual that would see it being treated differently to most of their games. Maybe there are locations where it does make financial sense to do this for some reason.

You are right that I want this to happen. It makes sense for me or at least it would be great from a collectors and gamers perspective. I guess neither you nor I can back up our claims with numbers. We don't know how profitable this would be for Sony or the Publisher(I ignore the retailers, they have no say in this, I don't know why they're so important to you). I don't know why you are so hung up on PSN sales. These are not steam sale. They are in MY opinion not as important. We are also not talking about the same version of the game. And I also don't see why both versions can't coexist. You do make valid arguments about costs and I guess to you it wouldn't be profitable enough. My opinion is quite the opposite. We don't know right now. Neither you are nor I am 100% right.

I was hoping for ideas for Essentials and how they would look like IF they were to happen. This thread was less about the IF but HOW. I don't see anything wrong concentrating on the HOW for the moment.

Mergesort · Mar 20, 2017

Simmins said:
Same. Heck most of my PS1 games ended up being Greatest Hits.

Same here, I had many Platinum version games and many of my friends did too. Yes most of us found them ugly, but most of us had them anyway. I don't know why People try to portray them us unimportant or not significant saleswise. They had a reason for their existence.

Rapier said:
I had an illegitimate copy of MGS, ("green greatest hits bullshit", as my hardcore MG fan friend used to say), sold it when I got the OG one and that's the last "Platinum" "Greatest""Coolest" nonsense version of any game I owned.

They're such a combo breaker from the standard boxes on the shelves.

I do agree on the ugliness, I guess most of us do haha
It's time to come up with ideas of how they should look like.

miller.skippins said:
get that filthy disc away from me!

Digital bandit here and i ain't going back to physical.

Don't get the hate for physical, but a physical Edition doesn't exclude a digital version or am I wrong?

DarkTom · Mar 20, 2017

ElephantShell said:
Is this the same thing as Greatest Hits in North America? I had this version of Final Fantasy VII:

Always wished I had the version without the ugly green as a kid.

This is so wrong. Sometimes I wonder how this kind of design can be validated by management or marketing.

WhateverItTakes · Mar 20, 2017

JP said:
It's not really worth the investment of paying for the packaging with stuff like this happening constantly.

I love how Sony are doing pretty good sales this gen. Barely buying preowned games anymore which is a win for them.

entremet · Mar 20, 2017

Mergesort said:
Same here, I had many Platinum version games and many of my friends did too. Yes most of us found them ugly, but most of us had them anyway. I don't know why People try to portray them us unimportant or not significant saleswise. They had a reason for their existence.

I do agree on the ugliness, I guess most of us do haha
It's time to come up with ideas of how they should look like.

Don't get the hate for physical, but a physical Edition doesn't exclude a digital version or am I wrong?

Well you still need to insert the disc to play it.

adamsapple · Mar 20, 2017

JP said:
It's not really worth the investment of paying for the packaging with stuff like this happening constantly.

Yes, Absolutely love the number of weekly and flash sales. Last year's holiday sales were absolutely bonkers. I purchased like 8 digital games at $4.99 each. Games like TR: Definitive Edition, Outlast and Whistleblower, Soma, Zombi etc.

Mergesort · Mar 20, 2017

entremet said:
Well you still need to insert the disc to play it.

I don't really mind as I don't switch between games that often. But I get the benefit, once downloaded it's just press and play.

Support NeoGAF

Playstation 4 Essential Games

Member

Banned

Member

Member

Junior Member

Has no PEINS

Member

Member

Member

Member

Neo Member

Member

Member

Has no PEINS

Member

Member

Member

Banned

Member

Banned

Member

Member

Member

Has no PEINS

Member

Has no PEINS

Member

Has no PEINS

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Has no PEINS

Banned

Member

Member

Member

Member

A company being excited for their new game is a huge slap in the face to all the fans that liked their old games.

Banned

Member

Member

Member

Banned

Member

Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?

Member

Similar threads