Cookie Cutter: Collector’s Editions

I remember a time, many years ago, when special editions were a rarity. Collector’s Editions were reserved for notable games which deserved to have something special done for them. Even when a game was a special edition, it was completely different than what we get now: perhaps some interesting and unique packaging or a specially coloured cartridge. Now, let’s take a look at the special editions of today. Every game and his dog has one, which begs the question: What’s so special about them?

Collector’s editions just seem to be more about ticking boxes than bringing gamers exclusive, worthwhile content. I’m going to take a look at what every one seems to have, and discuss the significance, if any, of the bundled item, starting with…

Special Packaging? Check.

No special edition of a game is complete without some form of unique packaging. Whether it’s a steel tin, cardboard box, wooden box, or a simple slip case, this is the feature that immediately differentiates these editions from the average Joe game cases. Personally, I think that a special edition does need special packaging, if it’s done correctly. I don’t want to be paying an extra £10 just for a flimsy cardboard box that cost about 2p to make. Give me something substantial, something that I can cherish without it ripping or falling to pieces a couple of months down the line.

Art Book? Check.

The staple of the collector’s edition, this is something that developers and publishers can rely on time and time again when creating the bundles. Of varying quality and style, from informative books like that in the Bioshock 2 Rapture Edition, to the leather-bound ACII art book,  to the waste of paper that was shoved in with the Modern Warfare 2 Hardened Edition, it seems that people think gamers would rather be looking at pictures of a game which they could, at that very moment, be experiencing it first hand. So, why include it, then? It’s a tricky one to answer, although I suppose the main reason is cost. Many gamers love artwork, and art books are cheap-ish items to produce. I admit they’re quite collectible, and actually very nice when some effort has been put into them – just don’t expect me to get excited about a couple of screenshots printed on thin paper in a book held together with PVA glue.

Soundtrack CD? Check.

Another common fallback for the collector’s edition, this time it’s the music from the game instead of the art from the game that we have in our possession. Mostly included as an actual CD, some cheap-ass companies decide that our extra money didn’t cover the cost of a CD, so instead include a piece of paper with a download code on it. It’s not that I hate soundtrack downloads, it’s just that you can’t stick a download code into your hi-fi or CD player, so it’s not as versatile, essentially forcing you to listen to some MP3s on your console. Others think outside the box, such as the full collector’s edition of Bioshock 2 which shipped with a 12″ vinyl LP as well as the CD, to fit in with the game style. That’s how you do a soundtrack, people.

Art Cards or Poster? Check.

So the edition already contains an artbook, but you know what we need? That’s right, more pictures. This bonus artwork comes in many different variants, from postcard-sized images to full size posters. The quality of some, as with other special edition contents, is good in some cases and appalling in others. In extremely bad editions, they’re nothing more than pieces of paper with a picture on them; hardly the collectible art cards we were promised on the box. The usefulness of these are essentially reduced to nothing; you can’t read or listen to them, just observe them, so they could easily be omitted from the edition and no one would notice. Except that one guy on the internet who complains about everything. He would notice.

Figurine? Check.

Not the most common item you’re likely to find in any given collector’s edition, but the popularity has definitely risen over the past few years. Reserved for the more pricey versions, the figure contained inside is typically a major character in the game: a Big Daddy from Bioshock, Altair and Ezio from Assassin’s Creed, or even a Facehugger from Aliens Vs Predator. A worthwhile addition in most cases, this is something that people might actually want to buy. They don’t have any direct use apart from looking good on your shelf, but I love high quality models. I just wished that there was effort in there to make them look like the people they’re supposed to. I’m not quite sure who they modelled the Ezio figurine on, perhaps they ran out of time and nabbed someone off the street?

Additional Tat? Check.

The additional tat in a collector’s edition comes in various shapes and sizes and many different mediums. Did you want some stickers or a keyring? Didn’t think so, but somehow you’ve wound up with them. Not the most collectible items in the World, they seem to exist just to fill out the “Special Edition contains” bullet-point lists. You can’t read them, stick them on your wall or play with them, so the additional tat is generally useless. If we must have additional tat in there, please give people something they can use, like a USB stick (nice one, Forza 3).

So there we have it, a low-down of all the additional stuff that you might find in your Special Limited Collector’s Edition version of the game. You did make sure the actual game was in there as well, didn’t you?