markusdragon
FI5H Agent
Is it me, or is the sudden fad of releasing limited edition versions of games getting weak already.
As far as I'm aware, the fad kicked off with Halo 2, which they released a Special Limited edition of which was in a tin box, and came with a crapload of 'the making of' stuff. This was all fine and dandy, because it allowed Halo fans to choose whether or not they wanted to spend their extra money on what was essentially quite good additional stuff, especially for the price.
Then, more recently came the Doom 3 SE, which, similarly, was pretty good quality, sporting the most beatuiful cover for a game (a fantastically decorated metal DVD case) that i've seen in a long time, and the extras, although less than what you got with Halo 2, actually included a special version of Doom I and II; with the option for splitscreen multiplayer co-op. Fantastic, when you think about it.
But then, comes the clincher. This coming friday sees the release of Jade Empire, which, like these two, comes in two editions. Unlike Doom 3's special edition which cost ever so slightly more than a normal release game, at up to £40, this one is stocking, even at Play, for a massive £45. Now, for a price that high, you'd expect some pretty good stuff, but, other than the stuff that's particularly annoying me, it fails to deliver even what comes from the Doom 3 SE; it has a normal case, and only has a pathetic 'Making of video, rather than stuff like artwork. Even worse, it's on a DVD, which means that if you don't have a DVD player or remote, you have to fork out another £25 just to see it.
But the thing that's really annoying me about the SE version is that they have the cheek to ADD STUFF TO THE ACTUAL GAME! Owners of the special edition get an extra character, and a whole extra martial art exclusively. This means that people who don't want to pay for extra merchandise are missing out elements of the actual game. Not important elements, but certainly elements that would make the game last longer, and be more interesting. And how much will this set you back? officially, another fiver, but, at Play.com where the non-SE is reduced in the same way as any other game would be, it costs a whopping extra £12 for a half-baked documentary, and added gameplay features. So why would anyone buy it? Because they're serious gamers who, having bought the lesser version, would spend months wondering what they were missing out on. It's extortion for the gaming psyche.
As far as I'm aware, the fad kicked off with Halo 2, which they released a Special Limited edition of which was in a tin box, and came with a crapload of 'the making of' stuff. This was all fine and dandy, because it allowed Halo fans to choose whether or not they wanted to spend their extra money on what was essentially quite good additional stuff, especially for the price.
Then, more recently came the Doom 3 SE, which, similarly, was pretty good quality, sporting the most beatuiful cover for a game (a fantastically decorated metal DVD case) that i've seen in a long time, and the extras, although less than what you got with Halo 2, actually included a special version of Doom I and II; with the option for splitscreen multiplayer co-op. Fantastic, when you think about it.
But then, comes the clincher. This coming friday sees the release of Jade Empire, which, like these two, comes in two editions. Unlike Doom 3's special edition which cost ever so slightly more than a normal release game, at up to £40, this one is stocking, even at Play, for a massive £45. Now, for a price that high, you'd expect some pretty good stuff, but, other than the stuff that's particularly annoying me, it fails to deliver even what comes from the Doom 3 SE; it has a normal case, and only has a pathetic 'Making of video, rather than stuff like artwork. Even worse, it's on a DVD, which means that if you don't have a DVD player or remote, you have to fork out another £25 just to see it.
But the thing that's really annoying me about the SE version is that they have the cheek to ADD STUFF TO THE ACTUAL GAME! Owners of the special edition get an extra character, and a whole extra martial art exclusively. This means that people who don't want to pay for extra merchandise are missing out elements of the actual game. Not important elements, but certainly elements that would make the game last longer, and be more interesting. And how much will this set you back? officially, another fiver, but, at Play.com where the non-SE is reduced in the same way as any other game would be, it costs a whopping extra £12 for a half-baked documentary, and added gameplay features. So why would anyone buy it? Because they're serious gamers who, having bought the lesser version, would spend months wondering what they were missing out on. It's extortion for the gaming psyche.
