Limited-Prestige-Collector-Rare Edition…
Do any of those sound familiar? Do they entice you to buy? It’s no surprise that video game companies release their ‘limited’ editions in hopes of pushing the right buttons with gamers and pushing them over the 59.99 (69.99 in Canada) price point. Every year, it would seem that an increasing amount of games are being released in multiple editions to see get the up-sell that gamers will indulge in. This coming holiday season is no different (and leading up to it) is no different. Dead Rising, Halo:Reach, Final Fantasy XiV, Medal of Honor and the ever popular Call of Duty: Black Ops. This list goes on and there’s something for everyone. I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve been tempted to buy a sub-par game *cough*afro samurai*cough* based solely on the cover art; knowing that it was a sub-par game. What that tells me, is that good cover art can be a very strong decision factor. At the same time, price comes into play, Afro Samurai was retailing for $9.99 when I saw it. A small $10 investment pales in comparison to the announced Prestige edition of COD:BO at $149.99 and for what? a remote control car that doesn’t affect your enjoyment of product or enhance your experience with it.
I’m not going to get into the debate of collector’s who need every piece of memorabilia from a franchise, that they will buy those premium editions with no thought of value. My focus is going to be on the average game buy who does play COD and Halo but won’t just walk in thinking that the most expensive edition is the one for them. I feel that a ‘special’ edition should enhance what the game has already done or what it will do. Believe it or not, I think that art books are a nice thing to look through, even though most critics will argue that it’s just filler to up-sell us. That is a tangible item that allows you to get a better appreciation of what you saw or will see. Will the passive buyer or someone that isn’t a fan of the game pick up the premium edition for the art book, probably not. Even fancy packaging might only push some people over the edge that were not prone to doing so. From what I’ve notice with these editions, essentially, there are those that:
1. Buy every special edition for every game they are going to buy
2. Buy every special edition for franchises or game that they like
3. Buy some special edition if the value of the content is seen
4. Buy very little special editions due to special circumstances
5. Don’t consider special editions an important factor.
With the first group, it’s a no brainer what they will do. With the second group, they are the die hard game players that know what they like and won’t stray too far from that unless there is a new IP that catches their attention. Gamers do love good swag, but the swag has to be unique in its own right. A figuring or a piece of plastic memorabilia only goes so far. I feel that a limited edition packaging speaks louder than just any trinket thrown in to feel like you’re extra dollar is going further. Take Red Dead Redemption for example, the Gamestop/EBgames ‘limited’ edition was actually limited, since there was a finite number of copies available and it was only available through that outlet. So now my copy of RDR, even though it has the same artwork, came with a cardboard sleeve that has a shiny cover is enough for me to think twice about reselling that copy of the game because I know it’s something that feels rare, even though it probably isn’t at this point. Which leads me to my next problem with these ultra limited editions.
Rarity has to mean something or you’re simply setting yourself up for a gamer that will learn from their mistakes. By nature, a gamer who is willing to buy a special edition of a game is just as quick to think twice about one that offers nothing of value for their dollar. Lets look at Halo 3 and it’s legendary edition, an edition that was individually numbered and said to be an instant collector’s item. So rare, that two years after its release, stores still had them lying around and liquidating them cheaper than the stand alone game. What does that say to us? Well, it says that we were suckers for paying $149.99 since there was no real rarity issue ( which was the value add that they tried to push, along with the master chief helmet) and that the next time they release something like this, then it’s probably better to just wait a few months and get it for cheap if you really wanted it. I feel that Blizzard is one of the few companies that uses rarity properly, their games rarely coming out does help that. The World of Warcraft expansions and Starcraft II are prime examples of games that have become true collector’s items.
Where am I going with all of this? And what does this have to do with game design? Well, to answer the latter, not much but it’s something to consider. Publishers and developers are very vocal on their dislike of the used game market so this is one of the strategies that they are trying to implement to get gamers to think twice about reselling their games, if they have a trinket that makes them feel like value was added. Even though people still end up reselling those games and keeping the toys or the books, the plan seems to backfire. What I’m suggesting is that these companies can accomplish much more with much less. DLC is one way that companies are fighting back, offering the multiplayer component to new purchases and forcing used copies to pay a fee to access the content. If they choose to offer a special edition, make it feel special. Different cover artwork, steelbox case, sleeve cover… Just the little things that make your game stand out and still keep within a certain range of costs. Beyond that, make your limited edition, actually limited! I know it sounds crazy, but if you have a finite number of copies of a game with different artwork and a DLC code for special content, then the next time you release a game, gamers will have learnt that they need to act on that game if they really want that extra stuff. Gamers learn fast, for better or worst. A limited edition should feel limited and unique if you want to present it that way. The littlest thing can sometimes go the longest way.
