Are Collector's Editions a Waste of Money?

Push Square: "Collector’s editions are a relatively new phenomenon. They only came into fashion about ten years ago, rewarding franchise fans with steelbook cases and behind the scenes footage of their favourite games. Since their humble origins, package sizes and price tags have increased, as publishers go in pursuit of additional profits from their latest big budget releases. But is there any value to the inflated editions, or are they simply a big waste of money?"

[Hellsvacancy]

Look how happy this guy is after opening his Black Ops 2 Care Package http://www.break.com/index/...

Alot of them are not worth money

[BlindGuardian]

GOTY editions make CE meaningless

expansions beat toys any day

[Lucreto]

It really depends on how much of a fan you are of the game.

I have all the Assassin's Creed ones and I love them. I bought shelves to just display them.

[JoySticksFTW]

Demon's Souls had that handy strategy guide, cd of the amazing soundtrack, and a art-book.

The strategy guide along with the wiki was great help, but that soundtrack, man... Love it :D

Favorite tracks was Tower Knight and Maiden Astraea

Oh, I also got the inFamous 2 collector's edition for Cole's Sly Cooper backpack. The dlc powers and statue were just cool bonuses.

[WolfLeBlack]

Whether it's a waste of money or not really depends on whether you think the contents were worth your cash. Most of the ones I've bought over the years have brought a smile to my face, and I enjoy having them, so they've been worth the money I spent on them.

A good collectors edition can be a great thing for a fan, but there are a lot of poor ones out there.

[SirRidge]

If you don't want the collector's edition you can easily avoid them.

I know I've never regretted buying any of the ones I own.

[Alos88]

I haven't bought one since the original Bioshock... my Big Daddy figure came with a hand broken off. :(

[Cam977]

Although I never have owned the full-whack premium editions of any game, I have intact owned the 'Limited edition' copies of Dark Sould and Hitman: Absolution. So far I yet have to be disappointed, with Dark Souls I received 2 DLC soundtrack codes on top of the lovely art book and box.

[Nicaragua]

yup

[Dogswithguns]

Yeah.. but some of them can get pretty cool stuff and worth it.

[-Gespenst-]

In the case of Assassin's Creed, it's just consumerism gone mad. Stop trying to make us want and buy all this stuff. I'm only interested in the game.

[RuperttheBear]

Sometimes they are worth buying just so you can sell the collectables a few months later. I've done it quite a few times, it can pay for the game you keep and you might make some profit.

[littletad]

The original Bioshock was a perfect example of a great collectors edition. Reasonably priced and fans picked the cover.

[dorron]

I never purchase collector's editions. I wouldn't use anything apart from the game. Figures and books would finish gathering dust on the shelves...

I usually wait for GOTY or complete editions.

[brettyd]

I only purchase collectors editions that have nice cases (MGS4, Hitman, Deus Ex..) i don't go for statues and crap.

[ExCest]

Logically and realistically, yes.

Psychologically, nope.

[aLucidMind]

Depends on whether you buy them based on the title rather than what they have. Whether it is worth it is subjective but whether it is a smart purchase is not.

Comes with a soundtrack? Pass, that's what YouTube is for; especially if you have Realplayer.

Comes with an artbook? Pass, that's what Google Image is for; someone will post these things somewhere and those will pop up on there. That's what *right click*-"Save Image As..." is for.

DLC Discount? Doesn't matter, not worth it if it is only going to get crap DLC or just one or two.

A statue, accessory (necklace, belt buckle, etc), or some other piece you can display or wear? Definitely worth it if it looks good and is a quality piece. However, it also depends on price; Skyrim's (for example) was overpriced, the Alduin statue was not high quality and had nothing else with it.

[RFornillos4]

a "collector's edition" 's worth is dependent really on the "collector" himself. you can put an astronomical price on a video game which includes a figure or whatever, and collectors will still buy them; most will see the price, but collectors will only see the sheer satisfaction of having that item. in a way it does cater to consumerism.

personally, I find a "collector's edition" appealing only when the included item is worth owning, and is beautifully done. i've seen a couple that includes figures that is beatifully sculpted or made, and that is worth getting. however, i've also seen many that looks like cheap plastic or using cheap materials and easily breaks, or just poorly made, and they have the nerve to brand it as "collector's edition" -- and this is just plain garbage.