I like stuff. I’m a freak about Collector’s Editions. I like the idea that when I spend 70 to 80 dollars of my hard-earned dough, I’ll have something cool to put on my shelf to show for it. I also like being able to score exclusive bits of DLC, art books, and other extra items along with my purchase. Hell, I like surfing around eBay and looking at collector’s editions for stuff that I picked up years ago just to see how much they’re going for now. In times when retail presences are getting slimmer, Collector’s Editions stand as shining beacons for packrats like me.
There’s a growing trend on retail shelves. Boxes are getting lighter, and in efforts to save paper and money, publishers have been cutting corners left and right. Even something as intrinsic as instruction manuals have become increasingly rare these days, with some publishers like Ubisoft opting to put all necessary documentation online and only including small one-sheets in the box with their game. It’s especially disheartening to see ads take up as much in box space as what would pass for a manual. For people who like their gaming experiences to be supplemented, this is a stark sign of things to come.
A piece of my collection. I’d have included more but I ran out of room on my dining room table. Note to self: get a bigger table.
On the other side of the coin, you see more collectors’ editions releasing than ever before. Only a few years ago, Collector’s Editions were limited to MMORPGs and sought after franchise titles, but these days it seems that most games have some form of Collector’s Edition, from fighting games like SoulCalibur V and Mortal Kombat have them, even rhythm games like DJ Hero have some version for only the most hardcore fans. There seems to be a duality in place in the videogame industry; you see a larger focus on giving games a smaller physical footprint than ever before, while you also see a lot more games getting big box collector’s editions than you’d have seen in earlier years.
For me, Collector’s Editions have always been about extending the experience beyond what you get in the game itself. Granted, some collector’s editions do seem like cash grabs trying to excuse charging an additional 10 to 20 bucks for a tiny figurine and a metal case, but many of them also contain some great features to keep you invested in the game’s universe even when you aren’t playing it. You’ll often find art books that showcase the design of the game’s environments, characters, and weapons, interviews with the team behind it discussing their influences and inspirations, and bonus DLC to extend the experience beyond the base game.
Long after I’ve played through a game and gotten my fill of the gameplay, I can look to the Collector’s Edition on my wall like a trophy, thumb through the included art book, and reminisce on the experience. Sometimes it rehypes me into revisiting the game and playing through it all over again, which to me seems worth the added cost. The act of buying a game has become so impersonal these days, often little more than a few clicks of a mouse and – boom – you’re downloading the full experience. There’s something about being able to go to a store, scour the shelves, and pick out the right game. But that’s a rarity these days; except for in the case of collector’s editions.
I don’t think I’m alone in my appreciation of Collector’s Editions. There must be many more hoarders out there; if there weren’t, then Collector’s Editions wouldn’t be so prevalent. What are some of your favorite collector's editions over the years?
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Steven Hopper is the Executive Editor for IGN's Xbox channels. Check him out on MyIGN and Twitter.
