The recent controversy surrounding the Fallout 76 Power Armor Edition has been a particularly odd scandal, with the disappointment surrounding Bethesda’s RPG being exemplified by the reaction to this collector’s edition. With it not resembling the product Bethesda initially advertised, Fallout fans were up in arms over the cheap bags that shipped with the special edition of the game, to the point where Bethesda was forced to issue replacement canvas bags to buyers.
But what are your thoughts on collector’s editions in general? Do you think they’re a waste of money, or are you the first to pre-order them? You can share your own opinions in the comments section below. As always, we’ll feature our favorite in tomorrow’s Tell GR.
Paul Tamburro, executive editor: “No. On the few occasions that I have purchased collector’s editions, all of the items included in them has been promptly stuffed away in storage. The issue with collector’s edition merch is that if you don’t go all in on that aesthetic, you wind up with one statue of Kratos that you have to explain to your mom when she comes to visit. I pre-ordered one for Destiny when I mistakenly believed it was going to be the best game I was ever going to play. Spoiler alert: it wasn’t.”
Jason Faulkner, senior editor: “I’ll buy a collector’s edition if I’m already absolutely sure I’m going to buy the game and want to support the publisher. I’ve got the Resident Evil 2 one on pre-order right now, for example. Unfortunately, most of the time now for bigger games “collector’s edition” is just code for “really expensive edition” and there’s not really any reason to get in a hurry to purchase one. After the Fallout 76 Power Armor Edition debacle, I have to say I’m going to be more cautious. I’ve lucked out so far and never really bought a real stinker, but I also usually stick to buying them from Japanese publishers, which tend to put out higher quality collector’s editions than those in the West. Well, except for that Marvel vs. Capcom one with the easter eggs glued in a box that were supposed to be Infinity Stones.”
Mack Ashworth, lead editor: “I’ve bought special editions in the past, but never to keep for myself. Gears of War 3, for example, came with some unique skins which were exclusive to each different retailer. I bought a bunch and flogged the codes on eBay for silly prices. I did the same thing with Mass Effect 3. Oh, and the Halo fire helmet thing? Yeah, I was a total ass, but I was also a student who needed to pay for beans on toast. I don’t much care for the physical goodies, either, as I like to keep my rooms free of clutter.”
Bradley Russell, news editor: “I think I’ve only ever “bought” one collector’s edition and that was a GTA 4 one accidentally sold to me for the price of the standard edition. While that was pretty nifty, I don’t think I’d ever buy one, especially as most cost three figures. It’s just too much money for something that often depreciates in value pretty quickly and, for the most part, is plain tacky. Those nylon bags sure do look good, though.”
Michael Leri, features editor: “I’ve only made the mistake of buying a collector’s edition once and it was for God of War 3. It came with a bunch of useless dumb crap: a code for the soundtrack I never redeemed, an admittedly cool but tiny art book, a few skins, and a cheap ass Pandora’s Box made of the lamest plastic I’ve ever seen. My fat cat couldn’t even fit in the box so I got no joy out of it. While I loved God of War 3, it showed me that collector’s editions are almost never worthwhile for me and my money is better spent elsewhere (except Funko POP figures).”
Last Week’s Best Comment
Question: What Do You Think of Red Dead Online?
Zap Rowsdower: “Pretty fun so far, I’m glad I can lasso actual players, and I have gotten into some pretty fun fist fights. It’s nice that they plan on expanding it over time so hopefully things like Poker and Liars Dice will come out, as well as more missions and other things.”
