Do you think $60 is a lot to pay for a game? It isn’t cheap I’ll give you that, but compared to the 90s, ha, $60 is a steal. Starting with the PS2 generation of consoles things started to get more uniform. Most new games were $50 and then when we jumped into the HD era with the Xbox 360 and its competitors, it’s been $60 ever since. That would mean that from 2005 to the present new video games has been more or less $60 right out of the gate for thirteen years. Now what about my allegation of games being more expensive in the 90s? In regards to the Super Nintendo and Nintendo 64, prices were wildly different between each game. For example, Chrono Trigger was about $80. I mean, yes, that game is worth $80, but holy cow. Isn’t that insane? That’s just one example too. Even the Mario games were a bit spendy.
Again, it depended on the game and store too, but thankfully everything is pretty much set. But here’s another riddle. Production costs must be getting more expensive due to the hardware right? Shouldn’t games then cost more? How are companies recouping their losses? The answer is in the title: collector’s editions. These didn’t really exist before the HD era of gaming. Yes, there were some, but not a lot. If a big game were to launch without one today, well, it’d be weird. That’s how common they are. So I rounded up some of the lamest and also some of the rarest ones on the market for a fun little romp. Enjoy!
30 Lame: Destiny 2 Collector’s Edition
Destiny 2 was kind of a disappointment. It was fun don’t get me wrong, but it suffered from the same problems the first one did i.e. there was a lack of supported content. Aside from that, their special edition was lame. This messenger bag is nicely designed, but come on. What about this bag says Destiny to you? Do they even have bags in space? I assume they just use wormholes as storage space, or something. That’s the only way that universe makes sense.
29 Lame: Mass Effect: Andromeda Collector’s Edition
Yeah, Destiny got some things wrong, but it’s not as much as a space disaster as Mass Effect: Andromeda. I was worried about the lack of outreach during EA’s marketing campaign prior to release, but the hopeful side of me theorized they wanted to save the whole thing as a surprise. Well, it certainly was a surprise, but one of pure horror. I don’t care if that remote controlled buggy works well. Any collectible from this game should be trashed.
28 Rare: Dead Space Ultra Limited Edition
I’m a huge fan of the first Dead Space and I didn’t even know this special edition existed. At launch, it was just $150, but now it’ll fetch a pretty penny online.
For the zombie fan that loves art.
If you find the right buyer you might just net yourself $900. Of course, that’s provided this is sealed. The coolest part of this bundle was the giant art book as seen above. I’ve seen scans of it and the art is gorgeous. Creepy, but gorgeous.
27 Lame: Batman: Arkham Asylum Collector’s Edition
Here’s a dream most of us nerds probably share. Did you ever pretend to be Batman? It can be an expensive hobby if you try to replicate the costume and tool set. Low and behold, a somewhat affordable special edition arrives for Batman: Arkham Asylum with a Batarang. Yes! Oh, wait. It doesn’t come off the stand. Why even bother at that point? It’s like telling your kids you’re taking them to Disney Land, but when you get there you just park outside it. Fun.
26 Lame: Call Of Duty: World at War Collector’s Edition
Call of Duty: World at War is not the best in the franchise, but it’s still pretty good and marked the uprising of Treyarch’s talent. I also think including a water canteen was a clever marketing strategy as it fits the war motif. However, it’s not real. That’s right. The hole is sealed shut. Why even bother making one if you’re not even going to make it accessible? Now you just have a prop canteen in your domain that practically says, “I’m a sucker!”
25 Rare: Elemental Gearbolt Assassin Case
Special editions for games weren’t as prevalent before the PS3 and Xbox 360 generation rolled around. They existed, but were few and far between. Take this obscure PS1 game for example. Elemental Gearbolt is an on-rails shooter. It didn’t require a light gun peripheral, but wouldn’t you want one covered in gold?
For the would-be anime James Bond fan.
Placed in a sleek attaché case, this limited edition contest item is worth about $2136 to collectors. Personally, I don’t think it’s worth it since the game is lackluster, but admittedly this looks smooth.
24 Lame: Marvel Vs. Capcom: Infinite Collector’s Edition
First of all, I want to applaud Capcom for including four pretty awesome statues with this bundle. Mega Man X alone looks amazing. That said, the real treat should have been the replica Infinity Stones. On the box, they look like gems. In reality, they’re basically just those cheap plastic eggs you used to get in your baskets for Easter except less cool because there is no change, or candy inside. Thanos would be most displeased especially if he paid $200.
23 Lame: Grand Theft Auto V Collector’s Edition
Whether you like it, or not, Grand Theft Auto V was, and continues to be, a smash hit. The game has broken numerous sales records, including being the “fastest selling entertainment property to gross $1 billion dollars in a 24 hour period.” That’s according to the Guinness Book of World Records back in 2013. Based on that you’d think, the collector’s edition was pretty dope, right? Wrong! The biggest merchandise it promoted was a blueprint map, a shirt, and a hat. Wow. Really went all out there.
22 Rare: The Last of Us Post-Pandemic Edition
There’s nothing truly remarkable about this box set for The Last of Us. The big items included were a comic and a statue of Joel and Ellie. At the time it could have been yours for a paltry sum of $150. Now you’re looking to spend about $1100 for it.
Statues are unneeded in the post-apocalypse, unless you use it for bashing skulls.
The bundle wasn’t even that exclusive either and it fetches almost as much as that contest item for Uncharted 2. I mean, not exactly, but it’s pretty close.
21 Lame: Xenoblade Chronicles X Collector’s Edition
If there were one trend I wish would burn in a fiery game in regards to special editions it would be the inclusion of a game’s soundtrack. Don’t get me wrong. I absolutely love video game music, but these CDs are usually just samples and not the full score. Come on. Still, I’d rather have a demo CD than a USB that includes only ten songs. Yep, that’s what you get with Xenoblade Chronicles X. What a complete waste of plastic!
20 Lame: Red Dead Redemption 2 Collector’s Box
I couldn’t make this list in good conscious without having one of the newest games on here. In fact, I decided to go with one that isn’t even out yet: Red Dead Redemption 2. Rockstar is promoting a collector’s box set for $100. $40 more than the asking price isn’t that much, but wait. It’s more nefarious. See this box, which is probably just cardboard, has a lot of crap in it that doesn’t look interesting: cards, trinkets, and what not. The worst part though is that it doesn’t include the game. What?
19 Rare: Fallout 3 Survival Edition
I don’t want to set the world on fire.
There’s a bobble-head, lunchbox, and even a replica of the Pip-Boy. It all looks so rad! Not $700 rad, but hey, if you have an unopened copy, we may be able to negotiate.
18 Lame: Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 2 Collector’s Edition
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed has issues, but overall I think it was a good idea and still pretty fun, albeit super repetitive. There’s no way I can even pretend to like the second one. It is a rushed, budget job thrown out before a kernel of an idea was ready just to make some quick money. You can tell with the special edition too, which just came with an ugly thumb stick. It’s only 2GB too! Way to sell Star Wars.
17 Lame: Fable 2 Collector’s Edition
Peter Molyneux is…let’s say eccentric. He has a lot of great, pie in the sky ideas about his games that usually don’t come to fruition. This is so true that a Twitter user even started a mock account to pitch the weirdest ideas out there. Man aside, the goals of Fable II’s special edition were also not met. It was supposed to come with a figure, cards, DLC, and other bonuses, but in the end, it just shipped with a behind the scenes DVD due to setbacks. Fable is a video game series filled with more blunders like this.
16 Rare: Resident Evil 6 Premium Edition
Care to guess how much a special edition of Resident Evil 6 costs? If you said $1300 then you’d be right!
It’s pretty sad when a jacket is cooler than a video game.
That’s the approximate cost for this Japanese exclusive deal that came with the game, some other trinkets, but more importantly, a replica of Leon’s leather jacket. Say what you will about the game, it’s bad, but that jacket is actually pretty spiffy. I wouldn’t spend that much on it, but still.
15 Lame: Dead Island: Riptide Zombie Bait Edition
This might be the most distasteful limited edition on the list. It’s more baffling than the rest and that’s saying something! So Dead Island Riptide’s PR team though it would be a smart idea to package a headless torso of a busty, bloody girl in a bikini. Nothing says this guy is not going to destroy me like seeing that on a dude’s shelf during a date. This caused such an uproar the company had to issue a very obvious apology.
14 Lame: Halo 3 Legendary Edition
Before Call of Duty became the reigning champion of console first-person shooters there was Halo. No game was bigger than the launch of Halo 3. It was a phenomenon to be short. The special edition was even pretty well regarded as it came with a pretty solid replica of Master Chief’s helmet. Here’s the lame part. Due to poor packaging of the game discs, a bunch of these had to be replaced as they were scratched up. It cost Microsoft and Bungie a pretty penny to replace them all.
13 Rare: Grid 2: Mono Edition
If you thought Resident Evil 6’s jacket was out of your price range well then get a load of this. That’s right; Grid 2 was offering a car with its Mono Edition. How much? Oh, just a cool $180,000, which is just chump change.
Don’t go Speed Racer, no no.
I got that lying around in my couch cushions. Ha, I mean really? If you’re going to buy a sleek racing car why would you get one attached to a game? That is to say, if you’re a formula racer then why play a simulation?
12 Lame: Resident Evil 7: Biohazard Collector’s Edition
Resident Evil 6 is a bad game with a cool collector’s item. Resident Evil VII, on the other hand, is a fantastic game with a bunch of lame trinkets. First of all, it has a replica of the plantation mansion, which would be too eerie to display on a shelf. A severed finger as a zip drive is just morose. I do like the case as a VHS cassette though, but overall it’s just a bunch of useless junk with an eerie edge.
11 Lame: Overwatch Collector’s Edition
While Overwatch didn’t hit me as hard as other gamers and people in the industry, I do appreciate it as an interesting story. I also like all of the characters. Here’s the thing though. For their special edition, they included a statue of Soldier 76. It’s nicely detailed, yes, but it’s uncolored. Also, of all the heroes to choose from why go with him? After all, Tracer is in on the cover of every copy. Seems like a weird omission doesn’t it?
