Topic: Those "Special Editions" are getting expensive

[idolminds]

Add two more.

As the article lists:

Fallout 3 Survival Edition: $120
Gears of War 2 Lancer Bundle: $140
Halo 3 Spartan Helmet: $150
Dead Space Ultra Limited Edition: $150
Mirror's Edge Runner's Bag Bundle: $130

Kinda crazy, huh? And that Mirrors Edge one is wild. If you preorder you get a yellow bag, and then you can get this edition with the red bag. They better be nice bags for it to be $70 more than the regular game.

*EDIT*

Apparently the red bag is pretty nice and normally sells for $85.

[MysterD]

I'm glad these Special Ed's don't have special extra in-game content.
When Special Ed's give me some extra in-game content, I get annoyed -- very annoyed.

Special Ed's should give for extras no in-game extras.

[Pugnate]

I'm glad these Special Ed's don't have special extra in-game content.
When Special Ed's give me some extra in-game content, I get annoyed -- very annoyed.

Special Ed's should give for extras no in-game extras.

I am glad you completely agree with what Idol had to say.

[K-man]

I'm all about extras (currently got fable 2 CE preordered at 80 bucks), but i'd have to really love a game/series to pay over 100 bucks for it.  The Halo LE was tempting, but damn I'm glad I didn't bite on that.  Stores are giving them away now.

It's pretty simple though.  The people that want it will buy it.  Those that don't, won't.  I personally like having the choice.

[MysterD]

I am glad you completely agree with what Idol had to say.

I went off on another tangent.

Anyways, on subject...

...The only extras I really care about for games usually have to at least include a Soundtrack CD and Making Of The Game DVD for me to be interested -- if it's going to be like $10-15 more or so.

Once they start introducing insane Super-Duper Special Edition that are over $100 prices -- like offering gym bags, a Master Chief helmet, or say a Lancer weapon -- I think I don't care too much on those items. I don't know, but that just ain't my thing.

I don't know, but I don't think I really need a Fallout lunch box or a Real-Life Pip Boy (even though a Pip Boy does sound cool, but not necessary), for that matter.

[idolminds]

I always kind of wonder why some of these special items aren't made available in an online store.

Take Mirrors Edge for example. It looks cool and all, but what if I end up not liking the game? Thats always a possibility, so why do I want to drop $130 to get the game and bag when I might not like the game? Then I'd be stuck with a bag branded with a game I don't like. If they offered it in an online store I could buy the game, decide if I like it, and then grab the bag if I do.

Going further, how about all the posters, sticker, tshirts, and other items they give away at trade shows? Charge a couple bucks and fans of the game could pick them up. Maybe this is something game companies could do to offset the effect of piracy. Its not something pirates can duplicate, it gives the fans a little extra, and you make a little money off it. Its not a forced purchase or a limited time deal like a preorder bonus.

I'd love to have posters of my fave games, but unless you are/know the guy at Gamestop or can visit the trade shows you can't get your hands on them easily. Why buy it on ebay from some asshole that got it free at E3 when the company could sell it for $5+s&h and make some extra cash?

[Quemaqua]

Interesting thoughts, idol.  That all makes sense.

For me, I do enjoy nice editions when they're worth it.  That Dead Space thing sounds lame, though.  There's very little to tempt me there.  Sure, it's a lot, but so much of it seems kind of worthless.  Whether or not the price is worth it likely hinges for most on how nice the art book is.  I wouldn't go anywhere *near* that price unless the thing was huge and hardbound, and even then that's a huge stretch.  The most I ever paid for a special edition was GTAIV, and even I don't know exactly why I did that.  The concept was just really tempting and I had extra money to blow at the time.  Generally speaking, anything over $80 is too much.  Warcraft III still had the best special edition of any game I ever bought, and that one was still only 80 bucks.  Now we're being asked to pay more for editions which aren't as nice or are of roughly the same quality.  Fuck that.

[MysterD]

I'll go with Idol -- yeah, selling some of those Crazy-Fan Special Edition extras on the game's website-store would be a good idea.