RF Generation Message Board

Just a general discussion.

I'm usually not inclined to get a limited/collector's edition for a game when it comes out. For me to do so, it would have to have a LOT of content that you couldn't get otherwise. And with most limited/collector's editions that are due to come out (i.e. Street Fighter 4, Halo Wars, RE5), the price is about $20 over that of the regular edition.

Lately, I've been thinking like a capitalist and about selling the additional content portion of LE/CE games on ebay to offset the cost of the purchase. I recently saw an ebay auction of the Exclusive DLC Card from Fable 2 selling for over $20 and the light bulb went off regarding the next time I may want to get a LE/CE version of a game.

So what sells you to buy a LE/CE of a game? Exclusive DLC? Art books? "Making of" DVDs? A figure?

I find each CE/LE is different in terms of gauging it's worth. Prey for example, has an art book + 2 pewter figures that with the pre-order bonus figure makes a nice set. It was only $10 more and totally worth it. Mass Effect LE has all kinds of fun stuff in the box as well as the bonus disc that has music, themes and gamerpics. Forza 2 LE has a 150 page book plus bonus cars in a download voucher.

Ironically most of mine are for the X360. This generation it seems they piss them out weekly. Interviews and crap like that should be on the regular versions as far as I'm concerned. You watch them once and never touch that second disc again. Hardly worth $10-20 for that.

$10 more has to have really nice packaging and extra gameplay content. $20 has to have lots of swag, gameplay content and literature of some kind (book/map/comic).

Hmmm, I suppose it depends on how much I'm into the game. If it was part of a series I really like I'd be more willing to part with my money.

These days you quite often see Special editions which just have a an extra cardboard sleeve around the gamecase, these always seemed rather pointless to me. Artbooks, Cd's and extra content I'm quite happy with.

never buy them, unless i find them on the cheap.

I don't have any Limited or Collector's editions (mainly because I've just gotten into this generation with the X360, and there wasn't a lot offered before this gen), but if I was to get one, I would have to be getting something physical. Something they may be a true collector's item in 15-20 years. Something like an action figure, not just a "making of" DVD or commentary videos. And it would have to only be $10-20 more than the regular version.

I'll only buy a special edition if I think the bonus items are cool enough to warrant whatever the extra cost might be. The only SE I own is Metal Gear Solid 4 on the PS3 because it came with a bonus Blu-ray disc with over 2 hours of behind-the-scenes footage and interviews, as well as a CD with some of the game's music on it. To me, that was worth the extra $25 or so because I'm such an MGS whore.

The fact that it says limited or collectors or premium or whatever other word they can think of across the top.

Yea thats really pretty much it.
If i can't afford it at the time i will hold off or buy a "standard" edition and hope to find a "upgraded" version later.

I pretty much only buy Collector's/LE when the game in question happens to be something I really dig on. And anything from Namco's Tales series falls into that category. Mainly pay my premiums for RPGs.

I don't.

With the notable exception of Lunar Eternal Blue.

Hey, I just couldn't resist the pendant!!

I don't buy them. Whenever I see them I just can't help but think they quickly added some stuff to up the price a bit.

Besides the fact that I think they're not worth it, sometimes I'd pay the collector's edition price for the regular version just because the collector's edition is aweful. For example: that Steel case Bioshock. Yuck! I'd much rather have a plastic case that doesn't scratch the rest of my games/shelves.

Also, I tend to grow tired of a game quite quickly (often before I finish it) so the standard version is always good enough for me.

And lastly, I'm not into gaming for the money so I would never buy a collector's edition for €70 thinking "Hmmm, in 2019 this might be worth €150."

I just want to play the game on the disk. ;)

This, exactly, but I do pick the collectors editions up if I find them used at a good price

That's where it pays to research each LE/CE before they come out. Some have content on them unavailable to regular versions that's available right from the beginning of the game. Or content that for an extra $10, is cheaper on disc than the $15-20 or more you'll pay buying it piece meal through downloads.

^Agreed.

One of the things that's keeping me wary of buying the SF4 LE/CE is that they haven't specified what will be contained in the DLC that they're including.

On the other hand, with Halo Wars, if the game itself lives up to the hype, I'm thinking of getting it for the DLC cards (early code for 3 new Halo 3 maps, code for Halo Wars exclusive content) and eBaying them off. 8)

Never bought one.

I only buy LE for games I really like, for example, Bioshock.  But I will only buy special editions for games that cost the same either way.  (Like Madden 07 Hall of Fame Edition)

It boils down to the price:content ratio.  If there is $40 difference and it comes with a poster and a gashapon then I'll pass, but $10 for a bonus disc and maybe a soundtrack and I'm usually sold.  The only exception is Namco Bandai because they're starting to over promise and under deliver on their extras so unless it's included in the package I'm wary.

I pretty much never get CE/LE.  Preorder bonuses, however, I do like to pick up.

@ Phoenix

I was planning on doing the same.  I saw a bonus stylus for Ninja Gaiden:DS go for $15, which means you pretty much get the game half off.

After seeing this:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Fable-II-2-Limited-Collectors-Edition-DLC-Code-XBOX360_W0QQitemZ300285161733QQihZ020QQcategoryZ139973QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

...I'm thinking "If someone's spending that much just to get content including Halo armor in Fable 2, how much would someone be willing to spend on the next set of Halo 3 DLC maps?"

I'm gonna reserve the Halo Wars Limited Edition next chance I get! 8)

You're absolutely right. But again, I tend to grow tired of a game pretty quickly so for me having extra content is of little importance. :)

Your working from the assumption that extra content is something you'll never bother with because you don't finish games. A lot of the time it's there on a LE/CE from the time you press start for the first time. It could even be the difference between you becoming bored with it and continuing to play because it added something you needed to keep the game fresh.

Prince of Persia Limited Edition for the PS3 is a good example. In the LE version, one of the bonuses included is a code which unlocks the Prince's Sands of Time outfit for use from the beginning of the game. To a fan of the prior game or series it could add a lot to endearing that game and bridging the creative differences between them with an extra level of familiarity.

^Speaking of costumes, I heard that the DLC in the SF4 LE/CE is for 5 exclusive costumes. Can anyone confirm that?

I see, thanks!

I was thinking more in the line of the extras being end-game content. For example: I recently bought the regular Oblivion game. Although I could've waited to find the GoTY edition, I didn't because I know that when a game is as long as Oblivion the chances of me wanting to play even more of it are slim at best. :)

I tend to only buy them when they are the same price as the regular edition or if they are the only version released.  More often then not, the best stuff is pre-order extras and the extra stuff included with any "limited" edition is crap I could care less about.  Why would I want to spend 10 hours watching the makers of the game talk about their experiences making it and their hopes of me liking it when I could just be playing the game itself?  It's not that I dislike LE releases, just that I'm not big into alot of the ones we get.  Now, Japan on the other hand, they know what LE is all about!

What kind of things are put in LE releases in Japan that make them worthwhile?

I don't think I own any LE/CE edition that I didn't buy for dirt cheap or own the original game for.  I obviously joined this site because I love videogames, and have amassed a sizeable collection over the years, but I've come to the conclusion that I'm a gamer and not a collector.  I enjoy picking up games at bargain prices, and have the full intention of playing every game that I pick up.  Collecting is just too much stress on an activity that I participate in to relieve stress.  Spending the extra money for extra content is not something I'm interested in, and frankly I really wish companies would stop trying to milk an extra couple of dollars out of consumers, usually for a negligible amount of in-game content.  Frankly, people are going to buy LE/CE editions, so I can't expect companies to stop making them, but I usually frown when a company releases them.  I should note that I'm also in the camp that games have ZERO investment properties.  I don't buy games to eventually sell them, I don't keep my items sealed (even if I don't plan on playing it anytime in the near future), and I rarely trade anything off.

Contents vary from game to game but sometimes they just put the usual crap like soundtrack CD, figure, or art book.  Then there's those that put episodes of an anime series based on the game that's only available thru the game, special controlers, special memory cards, mouse pads, card sets, wall papers for your comp, charcter voice collection, and the sheet music for the game.  Then there's the realy screwed up stuff like pillows, tea cups (looking at you Squre!), alarm clocks, and any number of weird things.

My stance is if they added something that should have kept me playing, it should be in the final release of a game, whether that release be the regular version or the LE/CE version.  Why should I have to pay extra money for a game to have an element that should have been included in the regular version?  Again, just my two cents.

For some publishers, it's all about rewarding consumer loyalty. Others, just grabbing an extra $10-20 dollars. For every good LE/CE there are 5 bad ones. But you can't simply lump them together and call it a day when many versions are simply superior. In the case of Prince of Persia, the LE version was a free upgrade for people who pre-ordered it. It cost the same price as the regular and comes with an extra disc, that code and special packaging. Each LE/CE really has to be judged on an individual basis.

I liken it to music or DVDs. You can buy like 4-5(?) versions of Blade Runner on DVD. All vary in price and content. If you go to a music store, many bands have regular CDs, enhanced CDs, sets with an extra DVD, or boxsets with loads of extras. It's your choice whether you buy into the extras or not. Don't forget that gaming is a pure unnecessary, indulgence. It's all free money spent on frivolous entertainment. They offer you different versions to suit how indulgent you are, because making you pay for extras without a choice is wrong.

A replica coin from Oblivion may interest one who collects both games and coins. A Gran Turismo keychain might be perfect for a car enthusiast with a 69 Mustang in their garage. A soundtrack could find life as a custom soundtrack for another game or easy listening on a road trip.

Believe me, I know exactly how you feel about content not being included. That's one of the things I hate about downloadable content, the fact they hold some back from the disc to make that extra buck. The audacity to have content on hot standby during release day sickens me. A pre-determined plan to take content developed alongside the game and separate it for extra cash. I've been fortunate that the LE/CEs I own include content I want on physical media or don't affect gameplay outside of vanity for my character or singleplayer in general. Content that unbalances multiplayer by offering advantages or play fields some can't join in on isn't fair at all.

Thank you for answering. :)

I usually only buy the CE/LE if they have something that i really want in it. For example, i want to buy the MK Deception Premium Kollector's Edition because it has the original arcade MK1 on it.

I usually only buy CE/LE games if I happen to find them used for around the same price (example: lost planet) or if they'res alot of extra content that makes the extra $$ worth it. My brother tends to keep more of an eye out for them. He got Morrowind GOTYE just because the guy at gamestop didnt pay attention

If theres neat collectibles or in-game downloadable content. I had a World of Warcraft Collectors Edition and having the neat pets was fun to have.

They got to give me lots of extra swag. Im going to get Resident evil 5 SE because all the extra swag. I hate the downloadable content crap. It don't do some of us without a good connection any good since we cant get on live.

When they are really cheap.

A new addition to my list: Halo maps...lol  My hubby wanted Halo Wars for his birthday. I got him the LE so we can have the maps early. He's quite pleased with the patch and book.

I picked up the LE as well. But I'm selling the map pack on Ebay to offset the cost.

I like the patch, too. It seems like it could double as a coaster, though. Haven't read through the book yet. I also like the tin packaging. They got it right this time after the Halo 3 debacle.

How much was the Halo 3 CE?

What was that?

Discs loose in the case and scratched to shit.

Damn, it must be so irritating buying a new game and finding a scratched disc in there. :-\

Did they take those games back or did they send replacement discs to people who asked?

They gave me a replacement disc on the spot from a regular copy of Halo 3.

Good for you, but what a waste...you'd imagine that in this day and age manufacturers check whether or not boxes work properly before making thousands/millions of them.

http://www.rfgeneration.com/news/modern-gaming/Are-your-Halo-3-discs-scratched-277.php

 :)

Thanks! I'm reading it right now. :)