Deluxe Version, Collector Edition or Base Game… So many studios, especially in the Triple-A sector, are offering different kinds of editions for their games. The prices, content and value can vary a lot between them. But why do they even exist in the first place? The game would surely sell without all the pretty shiny things in special editions… So why should people even buy it? There are many different reasons why studios offer different versions of the games and why people would spend so much money on them. This is exactly why we’re going to take a closer look at the matter.
The Gap Between Special Editions
Sometimes it can become rather confusing when you want to order a specific game. You search for it and suddenly you find yourself on a page with multiple different versions of the same game. Most of the time, they simply get offered for different platforms like PC, Playstation or XBox. But they usually also offer so-called special editions like a collector edition or base game.
Special editions are unique versions of the game. They have additional digital content or even physical items to accompany the software. Whatever it may be, they usually come with a bigger price tag to them unlike the base game. Let’s take a look at the most common editions you can buy of a game.
The Base Game
The most obvious and popular version of a game is of course the base or vanilla game. It contains the main features like stories, gameplay features, monsters and everything else that makes the game what it is. Most of the time you can get it on various different platforms. There it should cost roughly the same throughout the different systems though sometimes it might vary a bit.
Deluxe Editions
Deluxe Editions cost between 10-50$ more than the base game. It usually contain some extra quests, skins, mounts or other items that enhance the gameplay in some way. Most of the time they aren’t really relevant for the main story or gameplay. They simply offer some additional content for the players to enjoy.
Collectors Editions
Collectors Editions are the most expensive ones of them all and usually cost multiple hundreds of dollars. They can contain everything from art books to original soundtracks, figurines or other physical items. Because of that they usually are extremely expensive. Of course a collectors edition also has the same content than a deluxe edition does.
Other Special Editions
Sometimes developers even offer multiple editions of their games like different character-themed or console-exclusive ones. Those are more rare and usually not the norm but especially in Japan it is more common to have multiple kinds of special editions for their games.
Between Cash-Grab & Fan Service
Now there is the question of why studios even make special editions for their games. Is it because they try to maximize their profits or do they simply want to provide more value to their fans? I would argue it really depends on the company and their special editions. There are a lot of collectors editions out there that I mind-blowingly good and the quality of the merch is insane… But of course, there are also black sheep out there that don’t care about people and simply try to sell a way too overpriced special edition to earn even more money from them. This is why you should definitely know the differences between a good and bad special edition.
Infinite Vs Limited
Usually, Deluxe Editions are available for purchase indefinitely, just like the base game. Some studios even offer a digital upgrade from the base to the deluxe version where you only have to pay the difference.
Collectors Editions on the other hand only have limited numbers. One of the reasons is that they are way more expensive in their creation which means if the studio doesn’t manage to sell them, they suffer a heavy loss. Another reason why is that the limitation makes them more valuable for collectors. So is it worth it? It depends.
Bonus Content
One thing that is always something people get angry about is the bonus content the developers promise in their special editions. Sometimes they are simple skins or items that don’t impact your gameplay but only make you look cooler or just show people that you’ve paid the extra 20 bucks… But sometimes they lock entire items or quest lines behind a paywall that improves your gameplay or gives you an advantage. This is what really gets under people’s skins. Of course, game development isn’t cheap and it takes a lot of time to develop but is it really necessary to give people the feeling that they have to pay extra for the full game?
Quality Merch Or Cheap Goodies?
Before buying any special editions, you should definitely do your research. While a lot of studios really try their best to provide their players with the best merch possible, some others cut a lot of corners. They make their special editions look rather expensive while the merch is actually not that valuable. So if you plan on investing money into collector editions make sure to check it first. Do the contents justify the price? Is it high quality or does it feel like a ripoff? Of course, it’s hard to tell if you have no experience with it but there are a lot of people out there that can review the special editions ahead of time so you can get a first glance at the quality of the merchandise.
Emotional Value
One of the biggest reasons why people make and buy collector’s editions is the emotional attachment people develop for their favorite games. If you’ve played a video game series ever since you were a child and waited for years for the next part to come out, then you might want to invest hundreds of dollars into a special edition featuring the main character as a beautiful figurine. This is also why new games hardly ever manufacture special editions. Without a fan base, selling expensive collector editions is rather risky.
The Fear Of Missing Out
One of the biggest reasons why special editions are so popular and get sold out even if they aren’t good at all is the fear of missing out. This fear is something a lot of companies use to hook people to their games and make them keep playing. MMORPG, Gacha Games and of course… Collectors Editions are one of the biggest things that cause that fear. A lot of fans and completionists tend to get really anxious about things like this because when it’s gone… it’s gone. So even if a collector’s edition is bad or out of their budget, they will still go out of their way to get it.
Supporting The Developers
Of course one of the biggest reasons special editions exist is to support the developers. While they also give you something in return for your money, they also gain more from the different editions. So if you aren’t sure if you want to buy a certain special edition but want to support your favorite studios, this is one of the ways you can do it.
Special Edition Controversy
There are a lot of controversies surrounding the topic of special editions or exclusive content that people seem to get more and more upset by the day. Not matter if collector edition or base game. We had a lot of discussions about the quality of collectors editions when Diablo IV from Activision Blizzard and Hogwarts Legacy from Warner Bros. Games announced theirs. While Diablo IV had a very nice packaging and they included a hardcover art book, the candle it came with had just such a cheap feeling to it and on top of that… You didn’t even get the game delivered with the collector’s edition. You had to do it separately.
Hogwarts Legacy on the other hand was one of the biggest disappointments of 2023 which many people agree on. Both the digital and the physical content lacked at so many ends and the price you had to pay for it was way too high as well. Another thing that really made people angry was the fact that they hid a whole quest line behind the PS5 Edition of Hogwarts Legacy. Even I, as a huge Potterhead myself, refused to buy the collectors editions because it was so overpriced and that comes from a person who has the Lego Hogwarts Castle on their shelf.
Special editions can bring joy to fans, but they also often tend to irritate them in the process. While a lot of studios don’t have any ill intentions, many collectors editions have gotten rather bland and cheap over the past few years. So it’s really up to the consumer if they want to spend the extra hundred to have the whole set or if they simply want to do it to support their favorite game in the process.
If you’re curious about why game studios release different editions for their game like a collector edition or base game, you might also be interested in the difference between Triple-A & Quadruple-A games:
AAAA VS AAA: What Makes The Next Level Of Gaming?
Leave a Reply