[General Discussion] Limited Editions and You

As hard as I might try to pretend otherwise I find there’s no escaping the plain truth that is the fact that I’m a complete whore for Limited Editions/Collectors’ Editions/Limited Collectors’ Editions of games, as evidenced in the fact that I just laid down a pre-order for the Assassin’s Creed II: Black Edition (this). Oh, and that the fact that right now I also have pre-orders down for the Batman: Arkham Asylum CE, the Need for Speed: Shift CE, the Modern Warfare 2: Limited Hardened Edition, the Dissidia: Final Fantasy LE and the Forza 3 LE (and technically the Demon Souls LE too).

Of course I do have my limits and it depends if the LE/CE/CLE looks at all worthwhile (some are really rather rubbish), and if they start venturing into insane prices land (hello MW2: Limited Prestige Edition) then that’s a big barrier to even considering it. But provided I consider the price reasonable, or the goodies look rather enticing, then an LE/CE/CLE is going to have my attention and possibly garner an order too.

Now, I know Skills is also a little gay for special editions, but anyone else? Or perhaps you feel the complete opposite and hate them with a passion, why?

And what goodies to people expect, like to see, or indeed would you like to see in them?

Jam it back in, in the dark.

I'm also a total whore for special/limited editions. If there is one available when I'm picking up a game, chances are that I'll spend the extra few bucks to get a shiny metal case, bonus disc, artbooks, or what have you.

Who knows, they might be worth something someday, right?

...Right?

There's nowhere I can't reach.

I don't have too much of a desire for limited edition version of games per se, but I am a sucker for pre-order bonuses to games, especially ones from NIS and Atlus. These usually come in the form of artbooks, soundtracks, plushies, or figurines. They usually cost maybe $10 or $20 more, so I guess you could call them a kind of limited edition.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

I wasn't much into the whole Limited Edition thing with extra goodies, but lately it seems like I've been getting a few of them (RE5, BlazBlue).

The things I'd like to see are both what are usually included: Soundtracks, Artbooks, and maybe rare-er things like props of in-game items (Like the BSAA Patch from RE5 LE, or the Franklin Badge from the Mother 3 Unofficial Guidebook LE) and if its an rpg, I'd love to get a world map of the game (As that was included in a couple games like City of Heroes / Villains, and Grand Theft Auto IV). Plushies and Figurines aren't bad, but they're lower priority for me.

of course I haven't gotten that many LE/CE so I'm not one to talk with authority.

How ya doing, buddy?

Originally Posted by Omnislash124

They usually cost maybe $10 or $20 more, so I guess you could call them a kind of limited edition.

If they're costing you more they're not pre-order bonuses. Sounds like store-exclusive editions rather than a pre-order bonus (which should be free). But yes, pre-order bonuses are good too and thankfully feature in nearly every LE I've got ordered at the moment, so double win for me.

I find soundtracks less appealing than I perhaps should, but yeah a good artbook or behind the scenes book thing always appeals. Something about a nice steelbook case also always wins favour with me. I have to say the keychain and 2Gb USB stick on the Forza 3 pack do look pretty sweet and I can see myself using both of those. But yeah, plushies/figures are definitely a lower priority.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Almost every game I own on the 360 is a special, limited or collector edition. I know these things have been around for ages but only recently have I been able to afford them; part of that "job" and "disposable income" you kids talk about all the time. If there's a game I'm interested in buying, there's a damn good chance I'm buying the SUPER SPECIAL WOW version of it.

I got a few on my older systems like the PS1 (Chrono Cross and Metal Gear Solid), PS2 (GT4, FF XII, RE4 and NFS: Most Wanted) and SNES (DKC and Mario RPG) but the vast majority of them are on my newer systems.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

I've definitely become a whore for Limited Editions recently. Pretty much any game that I've paid full price for over the last year or so has been a LE, provided it had one.

As for the stuff I like to see in these LEs, extra discs in particular are nice (whether it be making of footage, strategy videos, or just a soundtrack), figures are good to have so you can put them on display and stuff, and just whatever general knick knack stuff they have is fine. I also love steelbook cases as well. I'm not really a fan of in-game content, since most of the time it's never really truly exclusive (it's usually just a way to get something in the game earlier than you normally would, or something that just becomes available as DLC sometime down the road).

And since it's been brought up, I'm a whore for pre-order bonuses just as much. I've probably bought games on their release date that I wouldn't have otherwise just because of some artbook or something else that comes with pre-ordering it (Valkyria Chronicles comes to mind, a game I pre-ordered and paid full price for just to get the artbook, but still haven't actually played yet).

FELIPE NO

It definitely depends on what comes in the Limited Edition. I'm sure I own at least 30 different games that would be considered limited editions.

What I LOVE in Limited Editions:

- Steelbook/Metal Packaging: PS2 RE4 is probably my favorite. There's just something classier about a nice metal case.

- Soundtracks: Probably the best overall value in an LE. The fact that these are hard enough to find/overpriced when they're actually being legitimately sold makes it really nice to have them just included with the damn game.

- Figures: I do love me some action figures/models. Mileage of course varies with these... Big Daddy figurine >>> mini-Crimson Viper that looks like Crimson Viper >>> mini-Chris Redfield that doesn't even look like Chris Redfield.

- Artbooks: Kinda on the low end of LE value, but they're nice enough for the one time you will ever flip through them. Negative points for SPOILERS.

- Random Ridiculousness: Messenger bags (quality tends to vary alot), dogtags, and other nonsense can be quite cool as long as they're secondary to the real meat of an LE and don't drive the price up.



What I HATE in Limited Editions:

- Making-Ofs/Misc. Featurettes: Really, does anyone actually watch these? It pissed me off so much when FANS VOTED FOR THIS as the one of 2-3 things to include in the Bioshock LE. Getting one of these DVD's as half the content of an LE is kind of like getting coal in your stocking.

- Tin Packaging: I'm looking at you, Gears of War LE. Not only are these usually dinged to some degree when you get them, but they're not the same size as your other game cases and thus may not fit right on your shelf. They also usually don't have an actual disc holder inside, just little envelopes.

- What Could Have Beens (WCHBs): Halo 3 LE coming with a Spartan Helmet? Awesome!!!!11 .....oh, it's not full-size and you can't wear it? ...Fuck You, Bungie/MS. Soundtrack CD's that suck can also be filed under this (Grandia II Povo anyone?).

-Flash Drives/Senseless Bullshit: Not sure why/when exactly this LE fad started up, but I really can't see the point in spending $10-20 on a 512mb flash drive that looks stupid and is often barely even related to the game.

- Game Content: This comes in two forms: the kind that should have already been included in the game at launch anyway but now they're making you pay extra for it (ie. bonus outfits ala SFIV or SCIV) and the kind that gives you something that people with normal editions of the game can't get unless they can pay for it as DLC (ie. special weapons). I hate both. LE's should NEVER change the content of the game itself in any way, shape, or form.

- Pre-Order Bonuses: Let me be more specific here. I hate pre-order bonuses that are different depending on where you get it OR the pre-order bonuses that only one store is doing and it's typically the most expensive store (GameStop).

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Quote:

- Making-Ofs/Misc. Featurettes: Really, does anyone actually watch these?

I do, and I find them a hell of a lot more interesting than gimmick packaging and action figures.

That said, I bought the Fallout 3 LE with the Brotherhood of Steel figure because it was going for the same price as the standard edition.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Originally Posted by Yushiro

- Making-Ofs/Misc. Featurettes: Really, does anyone actually watch these?

Yes. I actually *gasp* enjoy watching what goes on during the game's production process. Is that wrong? I'm wrong, aren't I?

There's nowhere I can't reach.

I enjoy making of featurettes as well. I enjoy Limited Edtion versions of games, though I only have Mass Effect and Grand Theft Auto IV (I put the gym bag to good use) in the LE version. I'll definitely be getting Mass Effect 2's LE and probably for Assassin's Creed 2 since they've managed to get me excited about the damn game.

Art books are great too but I hate it when they are really compact and only 20 pages long. I want full fledged art books damnit!

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Originally Posted by Encephalon

Yes. I actually *gasp* enjoy watching what goes on during the game's production process.

Same, though like anything it's a case of the mileage varying with the quality. Some games have like 3 minute long "HI I'M A DEVELOPER I MADE THIS GAME <TRAILER> GOODBYE" type affairs which are rubbish, but then some people have really interesting looks at the game development process (Uncharted comes to mind here).

I agree that USB flash-drives, certainly when the main element of an LE, are largely pointless, but in the case of the Forza 3 LE (where I mentioned the flash-drive) it's very much just an additional little thing, is there for the purpose of sharing in-game content and actually looks rather spiffy, so as a result it looks like a nice inclusion.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

I typically only care about limited editions if they have unique, in-game content. Artbooks and (most) figures don't interest me enough to spend more than $60 on a game, but I will accept pretty much anything as a preorder bonus.

I was speaking idiomatically.

I perfer getting Limited Editions, but of late, they're not as impressive as they use to be. For instance, I had a choice between Quantum Of Solace with a 007 t-shirt ... or the LE which came with a really lame behind the scenes DVD. I took the shirt.

On the other hand, I bought Turning Point's LE simply because it was the only way to get the soundtrack by Michael Giacchino. (Played the game, its broken and stupid but not as broken and stupid as most people made it out to be. I paid $15 for it, can't complain).

The only game I can think of where I'll be buying the LE for next is Mass Effect 2 and, if there is one, L4D2.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Like Omagnus, I'm also a complete whore for limited editions/collectors editions of games especially anime style games. The only problem is that it wasn't until the PS2 that I actually started pre-ordering games and getting some of the pre-order bonuses.

I had terrible access to games during high school and in college. I missed out on such many limited editions especially for games for snes, ps one, and other systems, but with having a large disposable income I'm nailing down little by little some of the collectors editions of some of the games I have missed out on. When thinking of awesome limited editions of games or rare promotional items you don't have to look no further than Working Designs. Especially with games such as Lunar, Growlanser, and Elemental Gearbolt.

Working designs knew how to package their games and this remains one of the rarest contest pieces you could ever own for an anime style game.



I would love to own this.

It is just the joy of being a collector if I can't own the limited/collectors version of the game, I'm not interested in having the game at all.

For the most part, I can't think of anything that I really don't like about pre-order bonuses. I definitely like art books and soundtracks and like guyintherubber has said I actually like behind the scenes footage.

The one thing I've always loved about the Lunar games, is the voice outtakes at the very end of the game. I would like to see more games do this, because I found the voice outtakes in the lunar games incredibly hilarious. I can only imagine that other games have had a lot of fun doing the voice acting in the game.

You can always count Atlus, and NIS America to include quality bonus content with their games. I'll continue to buy limited editions of games as long as they are made available.

FELIPE NO

I usually don't care too much for LE stuff unless it comes with something really cool like Bioshock's Big Daddy figure or Batman: Arkham Asylum's 14 inch motherfucking Batarang.

As for behind-the-scenes stuff, I'm a giant nerd for that sort of thing, for both games and movies.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Unless it's an MMO I plan on playing I generally don't care about Special Editions and that's only because MMOs usually have an ingame item included. Course, Lord of the Rings Online had terrible ingame bonuses.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Originally Posted by OmagnusPrime

If they're costing you more they're not pre-order bonuses. Sounds like store-exclusive editions rather than a pre-order bonus (which should be free). But yes, pre-order bonuses are good too and thankfully feature in nearly every LE I've got ordered at the moment, so double win for me.

I find soundtracks less appealing than I perhaps should, but yeah a good artbook or behind the scenes book thing always appeals. Something about a nice steelbook case also always wins favour with me. I have to say the keychain and 2Gb USB stick on the Forza 3 pack do look pretty sweet and I can see myself using both of those. But yeah, plushies/figures are definitely a lower priority.

Yeah, when you put it that way, it is true that a bonus would infer that you get it at no extra cost. I guess I was thinking of exclusive content. In any case, I seem to be one of the few people who really has plushies and figurines really high on the priority. Personally, they rank above artbooks for me, which fall second right above soundtracks. The only reason soundtrack is lower than the others is that games (especially Atlus ones) have started to put the soundtrack into regular releases of games (e.g. The Dark Spire, Luminous Arc 2) which to me makes it less special, not to mention I rarely put them in to listen to them. Maybe when a game comes around that has a track I really like, I'll put one in, but for now, they're mostly just for show.

On the issue of making of videos, I've never gotten one, so I can't say specifically, but it seems like something that I would be interested in watching. Developer's commentary seems like something that would be worth a watch. Unfortunately, for what games I have (JRPGs), I've never seen or heard of a game have such a thing included as a bonus, probably because developer's commentary for JRPGs isn't very practical for a non-Japanese person (though if they did manage to make one, I would be all over it.)

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Wow, I guess I really am not nerd enough to deserve my Limited Editions then. I simply have never cared about seeing little snippets of game or movie development even though I am a geek and do love video games/movies/anime more than anything. Despite all the collector's editions (or Blu-Rays) of movies I have, the only one I've ever watched making-of stuff for was The Fountain, which was admittedly very interesting. In general though, unlike many movies, games are pretty much made all the same way (within each generational cycle) and if I really wanted to see a bunch of clips of polygons-not-yet-fully-formed into characters or cars or weapons or what-have-yous, I'm sure there's video online somewhere you can watch (legally) for free, rather than paying for it as a "bonus". If those featurettes actually gave you insight on how YOU could become a game developer yourself, that'd perhaps be one thing, but all I've ever really seen are clips of different parts of a typically large development team throwing little chunks of a game together; it's never been particularly helpful stuff to know on a personal level.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

What? I don't think anyone's saying you have to be into behind-the-scenes pieces to deserve Limited Editions, just people voicing differing opinions to you and that some of us do like those being included.

And really, how can you say games are all made in the same way and movies aren't (if we're generalising to such a degree to be able to make that claim)? Is a small team of 5 people who make a little indie game is exactly the same as a small army of 200 making the next Tony Hawks is it? No, not it's not. And even with similar sized teams that doesn't mean they'll approach things in the same way at all.

Also, since when have behind-the-scenes/making-of style things for anything ever given people insight into becoming a part of the industry they're showing off? I've watched my fair share of such things for films and I can't think of a single one that has ever told me how I can get into the movies, and I wouldn't expect them to. They should tell you how the film/game/whatever was made, and good ones can be really interesting and/or really entertaining.

Behind-the-scenes stuff can be really interesting, showing how different styles of team approach different problems. Hell, just finding out where the original ideas came from. I mentioned Uncharted before as that had some really interesting looks at developing the characters, and stuff like showing their motion capture sessions and how they 'filmed' the game.

They may not be your cup of tea Yush, and that's fine, but don't just assume all of them are like the few you've seen.

Jumping to the topic of pre-order bonuses, I don't know what the situation is like elsewhere, but are people finding they're offering them more and more these days? I can't blame stores or developers at all, if some of the reaction here is anything to go by then it's working as a great way to entice people to buy on day one.

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I admit I only have one limited edition set, and that is FFXII. Maybe it's just me, but I really enjoyed that FF-history featurette and the fab tin case that came with it.

The only time I'd probably get one is if I get some really cool swag out of it to warrant paying a higher cost for it, and only if I really want the game. To be frank, all the games I reaaaaaly want never had any limited edition sets and the ones that did came with crap. Meh.

I was speaking idiomatically.

I myself like Collector's Editions for games, but I do get annoyed with substandard ones. The things I like:

Hard Metal Cases rather than slip sleeves. Slip sleeves are annoying, but those metal cases (ala Final Fantasy XII) are really nice, especially when they have a nice unique art on the front. I also like a nicely designed over-sized case like the Age of Conan Collectors Edition I have.

Art Book, but not a chincy thing. I want a thick, good artbook, with pages of concept art, high quality paintings, what have you, on nice quality paper. I would prefer a nice hardcover as well, but those you never see.

The Soundtrack is equally nice, as long as it actually includes all of the songs. I hate it when they skip out on songs for what is supposed to be the soundtrack for the game.

An Extras Disk(s} is nice when they include the "Making of" Documentaries, all of the CG Videos, Bloopers, Jokes, and even PDFs of the instructions.

Instructions and Shortcut Cards. I like having hardcopies of these so you aren't bouncing between game and PDF, and when they are well presented it shows the developer cares. Having them in color as well is important. The Guild Wars Manuscripts were things that I liked as well, with an story included as well as backstory for the characters.

The Strategy Guide being included is a nice touch, especially if it isn't one of those Bradygames style ones. Strategy Guides that actually show everything is nice as well.

Maps are also good, especially when they are made from something better than normal poster paper, and done in either a nice "style" (ala my Hyboria map made from faux leather...I just wish it were larger) or super useful (ala the GTA IV map on the back of the poster).

Keychains, figures, and all other knick knacks are meh to me, as they are more clutter that don't add anything for me, as I can usually get figures and such elsewhere and at much higher quality than they give out.

I do dislike in-game content that is exclusive as it creates the haves and the have-nots in the game but if it is something simple like bonus costumes and such that have no effect on gameplay I don't mind as much. And I loathe preorder bonuses as they are part of the driving force behind "day one sales" mentality that causes consumers to buy a game before they know it's good. Thus crappy games get sold on extras and not on the game itself...but that's another issue.

I am willing to shell out the extra money for Collector's Editions, as long as they look like some effort went into making them. Demon's Souls looks like it will be a great collector's edition, and is a good example of adding value to a physical game and I already have it on order. I see this becoming more important as games turn into a digital-only medium, and I don't want to see collector's editions becoming meaningless (see DVD Director's Cuts/Unrated/Special Edition/Anniversary Edition/Blarg).

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

I've gotten Fable II and House of the Dead Overkill's LEs, but only because Fable's was the exact same price as the standard edition and Overkill was like $5 more.

I tend to ignore them, as they're way too expensive for the most part. I was interested in the Hell's Highway one, because I'm a huge fgt for the Brothers in Arms series and it came with six army men toys I could shove up my butt, but noooooooo, they somehow made the package $50 more than just the game by itself.

So I bought a big bag of army men for $2. And had to go to hospital.

FELIPE NO

You could say... "a good soldier never leaves a man's behind"

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

I'd never bother paying extra for a limited edition copy of a game but quite often these days you'll find the limited edition for the same price or even less than the normal one a few months after release, in which case I'll get it (Then throw away the gay figure, never listen to the cd and leave the poster in the case).

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