When you buy a video game, what gears you toward it? Price? Fan of the series? The package is pretty? Reviews? And when you do find the game you want, do you buy the regular version? Or the Collector’s Edition, which costs more, but comes with “perks”?
Are these fancy Collector’s Editions worth the added cost to the consumer, and the publisher? In some cases, yes, but in other cases, a big resounding no. Why is that? Because, not everyone is a die hard fan willing to shell out the extra 20-30 bucks on average for the special versions of the game. Sure they come all spiffy and pretty-looking, generally with a developer’s diary and “special limited edition” art stuff, but it’s usually perks only big fans of the game or series will buy.
Case in point: Blizzard’s World of Warcraft. I had nothing but shock when I saw the price difference; the Standard version of the game runs about $49.99, while the Special Edition, the contents of which I couldn’t find a listing for, runs about $299.99. That’s U.S. money, a lot of U.S. money. From what I could gather looking this up, it didn’t sell very well, and there is no surprise on that. Only full-on WoW fans would spend that much on an MMO, especially one that you have to continue to pay a monthly fee for. (ED: The WoW collector’s editions have a very limited run and are often treated as sealed collector comics rather than video games, hence their high price on auction sites.)
Now, a better example of a Special edition doing well: Bethesda Softworks’ Fallout 3. My husband bought this, and I believe got it at the pre-order price, so only 10 bucks more than the regular edition ($49.99USD). It came with a LOT of perks, including a super-cute Pip-Boy lunch box, a Pip-Boy bobble-head, art book, limited edition art still, and a DVD packed full of extras. Now, according to my husband, who spent MANY hours reading the art-book and watching the DVD extras, and, of course, playing the game, it was worth the extra bit of money. He’s very happy with his purchase, and uses the lunchbox for work.
Another game that seemed borderline is Maxis’ The Sims 3. I haven’t actually had a chance to buy this game yet, but I think when I do, I might fork over the extra 20 bucks for the Special. It comes with some neat extras, including a flash drive in the shape of the green diamond common with the game and some exclusive in-game content. I was pretty much sold on the idea of a shiny green diamond-shaped flash drive. Being a Sims fan, it will probably be worth the higher price, at least for my overall happiness with game.
Honestly, Special Editions, while usually higher in price for everyone, are sometimes worth it, especially to those fans that want to know how their favored game is made and own the various shinies that come with it. If the publishers keep making Special editions, then the big fans will keep buying them, unless the price is outrageous.
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Emrys is a Contributing Author at GamerWok and an accomplished web comic artist at http://closetothechest.com 
The Ultima : Dragon Edition
Complete with an Ankh and cloth map of Britannia.
But since I grew up on this series, I’d probably even pay $150 USD for it….
I will say that *usually*, the Special Editions are geared for the collector while the regular versions are for the general populace. So most companies keep that in mind and try to make the collector’s editions really “valuable” for the collector / uber-fan
Do companies try to “cash in” on the special editions when they’re not really “special”? Certainly.
I used to buy ONLY CE’s until recently. Namely because of the lack of extras that the publishers add (except Blizzard because those bastards knows how to make a buck!)
And the cheap little toys just doesn’t do it for me anymore and the extra content isn’t all the worth it. However, I’m still a collector at heart and when I can, I will keep a copy of a rare game sealed or whatnot. I still have a first run, sealed copy, of every final fantasy for the PSX