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BluenoseGames · Jul 25, 2015

Over the years I've purchased many Collectors Editions for games such as Batman Arkham City, Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris, Tomb Raider 2013, Mortal Kombat 2011, The Last of Us and much more.

I've come to question myself, are they really worth it? Some Collectors Editions come with cheap figures TR 2013 where as some actually come with great statues like Batman Arkham City.I ask my self, why do I purchase this? Only for them to sit on a shelf and collect dust and virtually do nothing.

Even for my faivourite franchises like Tomb Raider, why am I spending extra money on these usually worthless items in Collectors Editions when really all I want is the game. This includes Mirrors Edge as I've recently been debating whether or not to get it, even if its one of my faivourite franchise. I'm like no I simply can't justify the price for these things anymore.

What do you guys think ? What makes a Collectors edition worth it to you ? And what makes the price justifiable?

ElTorro · Jul 25, 2015

Depends, obviously.

One thing that annoys me though is that collector's editions always(?) come with the physical version of the game. I have switched to digital games only.

Aselith · Jul 25, 2015

No. Not ever. (except the COD minifridge that thing is going to be chill as fuck.)

ShogunDarius · Jul 25, 2015

Nowadays generally no especially ubisoft those ones drop in price so fast that they hold no real value after awhile unless you are a massive fan of the series. The best ones tend to be j RPGs or anime based games imo.
Even then there has been a decline in quality compared to years ago.

Caronte · Jul 25, 2015

If you don't care about what they come with why would they be worth it?

Aselith · Jul 25, 2015

ShogunDarius said:
Nowadays generally no especially ubisoft those ones drop in price so fast that they hold no real value after awhile unless you are a massive fan of the series. The best ones tend to be j RPGs or anime based games imo.
Even then there has been a decline in quality compared to years ago.

I mean I guess. Hope you like artbooks?

BluenoseGames · Jul 25, 2015

Aselith said:
No. Not ever. (except the COD minifridge that thing is going to be chill as fuck.)

Yeah I just think all together I'm going to stop getting Collectors Editions, maybe I'll get Special/Limited Editions for Steelbooks and things like that.

system11 · Jul 25, 2015

Is this an item I would buy separately?

Yes -> Buy special edition.
No -> Buy normal edition.

LewieP · Jul 25, 2015

I don't really understand the appeal of most of them at all. They typically just come with a few cheaply manufactured trinkets at ridiculous prices.

There are exceptions, but the majority of them are unappealing to me. I just want to play the game.

DOWN · Jul 25, 2015

Most of your collector's editions are in the closet or trash and you know it.

It's just mass manufactured Chinese stuff that some rich marketers came up with so they could laugh with their money in hand and never buy the products themselves.

Pancakes R Us · Jul 25, 2015

Most of them, IMO, become worthless after a while. Also come with lots of junk/cheap stuff. I have a few Nintendo ones, that's it. MP Trilogy price dropped big time after the $10 download deal (and now $20). I'm not fussed though, glad lots more people got to experience it.

Devilgunman · Jul 25, 2015

BluenoseGames said:
Over the years I've purchased many Collectors Editions for games such as Batman Arkham City, Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris, Tomb Raider 2013, Mortal Kombat 2011, The Last of Us and much more.

I've come to question myself, are they really worth it? Some Collectors Editions come with cheap figures TR 2013 where as some actually come with great statues like Batman Arkham City.I ask my self, why do I purchase this? Only for them to sit on a shelf and collect dust and virtually do nothing.

Even for my faivourite franchises like Tomb Raider, why am I spending extra money on these usually worthless items in Collectors Editions when really all I want is the game. This includes Mirrors Edge as I've recently been debating whether or not to get it, even if its one of my faivourite franchise. I'm like no I simply can't justify the price for these things anymore.

Yeah you should answer yourself before asking us, I think. If you're not fan of the franchise who appreciate some exclusive extra stuffs that comes with the CE, why did you buy it? If you just want to play a game, then just buy a game. Nobody forces CE on you.

To answer the thread, all the CE I bought are worth it because I only bought the franchise I really like. I paid $100+ for FFXIV CE for a tiny fcking statue and some arts that cost a few dimes to make but they have so much value to me because I love the game and the franchise.

Keyser Soze · Jul 25, 2015

I am much more likely to buy a piece of well made framed art or memorabilia about a game I like rather than spending money of cheap poorly made boxed in tat.

Nokterian · Jul 25, 2015

I only bought every World of Warcraft,Starcraft and Diablo C.E since you get a lot stuff and because OST,Artbook are my main points but also in-game items across all blizzard games these days. Recently bought Witcher 3 C.E for PS4 and also worth it. It really really depends on it if it is worth it.

Bookman · Jul 25, 2015

I'm ambivalent on the issue. I'm a grown man and should not decorate with plastic but I like that it shows that I'm a gamer. has blamed the kids for many years now but now they older so I just have to accept that I see something aesthetically beautiful in a plastic figure of Kratos.

it shows at least that I'm a fan gow-fan.
it tends to be pretty much, however, I have given away most of my figurines to my son (who is still nonetheless think it is a bit cool) and have selected objects in the living room..hmm maby I should upload some images, I myself is a bit unsure if this is normal (my wife thinks not)

scoobidoo112 · Jul 25, 2015

Bookman said:
I'm a grown man and should not decorate with plastic

A real grown man doesn't give a fuck about what others have to say or think about his hobbies. I'm a grown man and I proudly display my collectors items. If that bothers anyone they can get the fuck out of my house. It saddens me that your wife doesn't respect the things you like.

Xis · Jul 25, 2015

Nokterian said:
I only bought every World of Warcraft,Starcraft and Diablo C.E since you get a lot stuff and because OST,Artbook are my main points but also in-game items across all blizzard games these days. Recently bought Witcher 3 C.E for PS4 and also worth it. It really really depends on it if it is worth it.

The Blizzard ones are really nice. Hardcover art book + soundtrack make it worth it.

Darth Karja · Jul 25, 2015

Probably not. But am I still buying the fallout 4 pipboy? Fuck yeah. Going to wear that shit one time and then realize how uncomfortable it will be, and then decide I wasted my money. But oh well.

Only collector's edition ive bought was gta 4. Picked it up in a store for like $60 6 months after it released. got a nice lock box out of it. I use it to keep all my silver. Worth it for the price, but probably not at the price it was when it came out.

Bookman · Jul 25, 2015

scoobidoo112 said:
A real grown man doesn't give a fuck about what others have to say or think about his hobbies. I'm a grown man and I proudly display my collectors items. If that bothers anyone they can get the fuck out of my house. It saddens me that your wife doesn't respect the things you like.

though I like Assassin's Creed, maybe she is ashamed of it never improved combat system?

Nokterian · Jul 25, 2015

Xis said:
The Blizzard ones are really nice. Hardcover art book + soundtrack make it worth it.

Exactly i have Legacy of the Void in pre order..it is one of those games i do pre order because of the C.E and after a while they become rare to get when i have that i have all Starcraft 2 C.E.

Zombine · Jul 25, 2015

Anything involving a statue for an established game franchise is almost always not worth it. Not even speaking directly about the figure itself (which is always built out of the cheapest plastic), even if you want it just check back in 6 months and you'll see them on clearance for less than the standalone game!

walkrue · Jul 25, 2015

system11 said:
Is this an item I would buy separately?

Yes -> Buy special edition.
No -> Buy normal edition.

Isn't special edition usually come with something that you can't buy outside that special edition?

ElTorro · Jul 25, 2015

Xis said:
The Blizzard ones are really nice. Hardcover art book + soundtrack make it worth it.

Art books and soundtracks are usually what makes me consider collector's editions, too. I don't care much about collector items.

Bookman · Jul 25, 2015

Edit: nevermind. Cant upload images from ny phone

InfiniteCombo · Jul 25, 2015

No, they don't seem to be worth it.

I bought about 3 of them during last gen, and in each case:

- The CE was massively overpriced
- Came with a very cheaply made plastic figurine
- Came with a booklet that contained no useful information about anything
- Some other miscellaneous nonsense that was neither aesthetically appealing or useful

Last gen was the first -- and immediately the last -- time I ever bought a Collector's Edition of anything.

GnawtyDog · Jul 25, 2015

Demonfang · Jul 25, 2015

For me, its the statues/figurines which make me want the collectors edition. Usually the JRPG collectors editions that i want hold their value and if not increase in value anyway, that's if i wanna sell it.

I can't resist the tales of collector's edition ... I own them all!

Prototype · Jul 25, 2015

I almost always end up throwing everything away eventually. Waste of space. No need to hold on to shitty tins, or a art books I'll look through maybe once. Or cheaply made figures, when I could just buy legit statutes. Needless to say, I don't buy them anymore.

Chastten · Jul 25, 2015

Generally, no. They often come with cheap plastic trinkets that hold no value whatsoever. Once the hype wears off, you're left with something that no one cares about and is just collecting dust because it's impossible to sell.

There are exceptions though, sometimes they come with a cool figure or artbook and those are the ones I like. The current Nintendo ones with the Amiibo are fine as well if you're into those.

sixteen-bit · Jul 25, 2015

They rarely ever are.

TwiztidElf · Jul 25, 2015

Do you really want the crap that comes with them?

I used to buy CE's all the time, but I realized it was just crap.
For me it's just usually the art books I care about. Eg, for the Blizzard CE's, I get them, get the art book and chuck the rest of the crap in the bin.

Cat helmets, night-vision binoculars? GTFO of here with that crap.

RiggyRob · Jul 25, 2015

Nintendo special editions are always worth it, usually because they come with something wearable (shirt, scarf, badge etc).

The Bravely Default one still makes me cringe.

Dr_Boris_Goltz · Jul 25, 2015

No they're not worth it, and neither are season passes.

Same with pre-order bonuses... It's all nonsense.

Edit: To clarify, anything the developer feels okay with removing from the base game in order to incentivise pre-orders or CE sales is going to be either low quality, or completely irrelevant to the core game.

John Kowalski · Jul 25, 2015

Not even.

Visualante2 · Jul 25, 2015

Very, very rarely. I liked the look of Fallout 3's lunch box but only considered it once it hit bargain bin prices. At which point I already had the game. It's never quality stuff.

If Rockstar released something like this then you know, that'd be worth it. Most good sound tracks or art books are never included with the game. I think StarCraft 2 and Bioshock 2 did a nice job.

RiggyRob said:
Nintendo special editions are always worth it, usually because they come with something wearable (shirt, scarf, badge etc).

The Bravely Default one still makes me cringe.

That Mario Kart blue shell was an attempt at saying "me too". Absolute trash. £60.

fluffydelusions · Jul 25, 2015

I don't get em but that hotline miami 2 one looked sweet

Atolm · Jul 25, 2015

They're junk most of the time. I don't buy it them because I don't have enough shelf space and I don't like figurines, and even if I liked them, they're garbage 90% of the time.

I love art books though. I'd buy more if they packed the game with them. But since usually most popular games have art books released separately, this is no longer a problem.

Coflash · Jul 25, 2015

I think they're good if you can showcase them in a way deemed worthy:

This was when the collection originally started, not so worthy:

If I couldn't showcase them in a nice way, I wouldn't keep buying them. I also think that buying them to sell again is a mistake as you're just hording something you don't really care about. I personally get a lot from them sitting there on my shelves. I'm a long time gamer and they all conjure memories and I just like having them.

In regards to certain CEs being worthy; there's a lot of SHIT out there. Mostly from Ubisoft (they're the most consistent). It's rare you will ever get a decent figure or statue from a game CE. Dark Souls II, The Witcher 3, Bravely Default, Assassin's Creed... the list really does go on. They're all utter shite. I know you can't expect much for the price of a CE and this is why I encourage people to not vote for figures/statues when given the chance (like with DE4 & Just Cause 3). Compare them to the likes of gamingheads or Hot toys figures and statues and it's like chalk and cheese.

malfcn · Jul 25, 2015

Sometimes there is so much fluff. For my Epic Edition of Gears, I put Marcus on a shelf and displayed the cog tag. The flag and all the other stuff never came out of the box.

misho8723 · Jul 25, 2015

I personally don't like them, but once in maybe 5 years I buy some really cool and intersting CE of some game - like this CE of Witcher 3.. totally worth it

Burgess_101 · Jul 25, 2015

fluffydelusions said:
I don't get em but that hotline miami 2 one looked sweet

Cost me £80 including customs charges in the end, was so worth it.

I bought an infamous gamestation 'special edition' one time. I learnt a harsh lesson that day. It was worse than the normal edition it came in just a cardboard box for fuck sake.

EDIT: found it

AppleSeason · Jul 25, 2015

Not anymore. I won't look at them for more than 5 minutes and they are a pain to fit in the shelves with the rest. I will settle for a steelbox.

DodgyGeezerFella · Jul 25, 2015

Only if I receive this rare special item -

Alcoholikaust · Jul 25, 2015

Blizzard ones are absolutely worth it

I buy ones for games I'm interested in and never feel ripped off

I display the statues and put art books in a dedicated bookcase.

AHA-Lambda · Jul 25, 2015

No. Pretty much never, no.

Yautja_Warrior · Jul 25, 2015

Depends on a number of things really, Price and Content being the main factor. Over the years some CE's have been really good and some have been shocking.

I think the best Collectors Edition recently has to be the newly announced Fallout Anthology.

A Mini Nuke Case (with bomb sounds and an extra slot for Fallout 4)
Fallout.
Fallout 2.
Fallout Tactics.
Fallout 3 Game of the Year Edition.
Fallout New Vegas Ultimate Edition.
(that's a lot of game)

All that for the price of £39.99 (mega value)

Omni · Jul 25, 2015

Increasingly... no.

I mean I used to be able to justify spending 150 dollars on Halo collector's editions because I knew that I would play them for years. Now that games seem to be released annually, it just seems like a waste. Plus I'm kinda outta of that phase where I care about physical releases.

Toaster05 · Jul 25, 2015

I told myself that I'd never buy any more collectors editions after paying silly money for the Old Republic CE. I have never even opened the Malgus statue thing.

How is that working out? Well I still buy Nintendo SE and CE's and only today I've had to stop and think 'Do I really need that Fallout Anthology?'

The answer was no. (So, I expect I'll pre-order it by the end of the day)

Stevey · Jul 25, 2015

Alcoholikaust said:
Blizzard ones are absolutely worth it

I buy ones for games I'm interested in and never feel ripped off

I display the statues and put art books in a dedicated bookcase.

Yeah Blizzard ones are pretty much the only ones I get nowadays.

Sushigod7 · Jul 25, 2015

This year the only one I'll buy is the MGSV with the bionic arm. I've started to be really selective most of the time I end up selling the extra stuff.

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