It Ain't The Link, It's What You Do With The Traffic

EA Giving Out Reasons To Buy: Tries Deluxe Box Set Versions Of Games

from the neat dept

Fri, Aug 14th 2009 4:54pm — Mike Masnick

Someone submitted the following anonymously, suggesting that it was a bad idea, but it seems like a worthwhile experiment to me. EA announced a pre-order offering for a special "Collector's Edition" version of its game Dragon Age, which includes a fancy steel case, a cloth map of the world, a "making-of" documentary, a soundtrack of the game and a bunch of other extras. It basically sounds just like what many musicians are now doing by offering special deluxe packages for serious fans. It's a way to segment customers, so some can buy the cheaper regular version, and others, who really, really like the game, can go all out and get the deluxe set -- including all sorts of scarce goods that can't be "pirated."

Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.

Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.

While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.

–The Techdirt Team

Filed Under: collector's edition, deluxe box set, dragon age, video games
Companies: ea

30 Comments

If you liked this post, you may also be interested in...

Reader Comments

Subscribe: RSS

View by: Time | Thread

Steve Phillips (profile), 14 Aug 2009 @ 5:00pm

Blizzard
Blizzard has done this in the past - most notably with the Warcraft III collectors edition.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Eric the Grey, 14 Aug 2009 @ 5:31pm
  
  Re: Blizzard
  Yea, it's not completely new. Turbine also did it with Asheron's Call I believe, with special extras in the deluxe set.
  
  EtG
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
  - another mike, 19 Aug 2009 @ 1:52pm
    
    Re: Re: Blizzard
    Westwood, too. I use my Tesla soldier figurine when the family gets together to play Monopoly.
    [ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Blenster (profile), 17 Aug 2009 @ 5:52am
  
  Re: Blizzard
  I was VERY pleased with the Warcraft III Collector's Box and frequently show it off as an example of "what to do". Conversely I felt very cheated by the Half Life 2 Collector's Box which came with the game on a single DVD instead of multiple CDs and a X-Large tee-shirt (that looks like a tent on me) and frequently point that out when showing how great Blizzard did with Warcraft III. My opinion of Blizzard as a company is much higher than that of Valve, even though I love the games Valve creates. I feel like Valve ripped me off and I *still* get annoyed when I think about that, years later.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
  - nasch (profile), 17 Aug 2009 @ 9:12am
    
    Re: Re: Blizzard
    Did you not know what was in the box when you ordered it?
    [ link to this | view in chronology ]
Chris Blaskey (profile), 14 Aug 2009 @ 5:53pm

Good idea, but hardly new
A lot of game companies do this actually. It's mainly MMO companies, but some others do it as well.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Anonymous Coward, 14 Aug 2009 @ 6:10pm

Sounds like old news to me. I have collectors editions from a number of different games, including World of Warcraft and Guild wars. They are also not uncommon in the console gaming world. Consider the fallout 3 lunchbox CE and the halo Master Chief helmet CE.

Considering that in most cases the value of what gets bundled into the CE is more than the price difference between the regular edition and the CE I'm not positive they make economic sense, but they definitely can foster consumer loyalty.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
- garfalk (profile), 14 Aug 2009 @ 6:32pm
  
  Re:
  and here i was, about to mention the same games.
  
  definitely not new, but it's always good to see more companies try it.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
Robert Ring (profile), 14 Aug 2009 @ 6:11pm

Yeah, this is pretty common. I got the Fallout 3 Collector's Edition, for example, which comes with a book of concept art, a bobblehead, and a making-of DVD, all in a tin lunchbox. A lot of companies do it.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Peter, 14 Aug 2009 @ 7:20pm

I am interested in Dragon Age. I purchased a lot of Bioware games. Baldurs Gate 1&2, NWN (and expansions), KOTOR. Probably half the games I purchased were from Bioware.

I dreaded the day that EA bought them. Because I won't buy a game that requires interaction with remote DRM servers to play (which is typical EA). I will be watching Dragon Age closely. Have I already bought my last Bioware game? The ball is in EAs court.

I always wondered who buys these more expensive big metal box things. Might have been cool when I was kid, but these days I love the new small box games, don't like my large boxes that take up more room. A metal case that takes up even more. That won't win me over.

Screw around with DRM servers again and a long time paying customer will be lost here.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Ed C., 14 Aug 2009 @ 7:47pm

From the nothing-new department...
So, I remember when some companies used to put freebies with every copy. I've got a few posters, extras and sound track CDs, and even a novel! Most of them weren't even collector's or GOTY editions either. Ya, that was even back before anyone ever heard of digital distribution or internet piracy! Of course, the reason they did it then was because the market was flooded with games and they were trying anything to get noticed.

Nowadays, we mere gamers are treated like serifs that should be grateful whenever they get around to releasing patches for the broken productes we paid for.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Ryan, 14 Aug 2009 @ 7:49pm

Not New
He didnt say it was new, just that it was a good example of combatting the problems of piracy. Instead of going out and filing charges, they found a way to make money.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Ed C., 14 Aug 2009 @ 10:41pm
  
  Re: Not New
  The name of the game is still the same: added value. I'm actually glad that they're rediscovering it.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
Nick (profile), 14 Aug 2009 @ 7:51pm

Common
Right now I've got Batman: Arkham Asylum and Modern Warfare 2 preordered. They come with a batarang and night-vision goggles respectively. Metal cases and dvds are pretty lame too tell the truth.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Forge, 14 Aug 2009 @ 7:51pm

It's not even new in MMOs. Guild Wars had collector's editions, not just of the main/first game, but of each subsequent chapter.

I still enjoy the hardcover art book I got with GW original.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Kash, 14 Aug 2009 @ 7:55pm

Just look at Call of Duty, Modern Warfare 2. There are three editions. The regular, game only. the "hardened edition", a more typical collectors edition with steel case, dvd, art book, etc. And the "prestige edition", which includes everything the other two do and a pair of night vision goggles.

Yes, real life night vision goggles. All for only $149.99
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Patrick, 14 Aug 2009 @ 8:33pm

The return of the Feelies
The cloth map is pretty cool, harking back to the old Ultima games. Some old publishers always included a bunch of these "feelies" which gave some spice to the experience, such as "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy."
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Anonymous Coward, 14 Aug 2009 @ 9:32pm

Want to give a reason to buy? STOP USING VIRUSes disguised as DRM that are known to destroy peoples PCs (SECUROM).
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Ilfar, 15 Aug 2009 @ 5:04am

I likes my shinies
Given a choice between the standard version and the special one, I've always been a sucker for the shinier pack...

Total Annihilation (came with the game guide), Starcraft (came with the guides too!), Supreme Commander (Shiny metal box, posters, big metal thing), Spore (Making of DVD and art book)...

An extra couple or ten bucks, and I get fancy stuff to put on my walls. Who could say no? :D
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
ryan, 15 Aug 2009 @ 5:50am

I agree with all the people that say "This is nothing new!" because it isn't. Nevertheless, it being an old idea doesn't make it a bad idea. I love collector's/limited/special editions when it comes to games and I always buy them instead of the regular editions.

I have to confess that I have somewhat of a collector's streak, so it definitely doesn't apply to everybody, but these collector's/limited/special editions are the best anti-piracy method one could come up with in my opinion.

Bottom line is: yes, this is one good example of giving people a reason to buy and many game publishers use it (successfully I would say). Also, another good reason to buy, when it comes to EA, is that they are starting to come to their senses about DRM: the retail version of Dragon Age will have only a basic disk check. I really appreciate the fact that they listened to the users' feedback and acted upon it.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Rob Weber, 15 Aug 2009 @ 11:09am

Why Not Go Free?
Why keep fighting the demand for free digital goods by consumers? Why not invest more heavily in ad-supported options?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Valkor, 19 Aug 2009 @ 12:03pm
  
  Re: Why Not Go Free?
  Because intrusively ad-supported options are obnoxious, and less obtrusive ads are worth little to advertisers. Ads work for some things, but video games don't seem to be one of them.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
Van, 15 Aug 2009 @ 11:41am

Not new, but still a great idea
I agree with the other commenters: this isn't a new idea. It is, however, an awesome one for the right crowd. Just the other day I was looking through my Warcraft III Collector's Edition box set. I've had it for seven years, and I still like to go through it every now and then. It included a bunch of stuff which significantly added to the value and experience of the purchase (although it was notably more expensive -- something like $30 more than the standard version).

The problem with this is that it often only appeals to a certain crowd. I, for example, greatly enjoy the tactile and visual sensations of the stuff that comes in these. Some people, however, "just want to play the game."
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
batch, 15 Aug 2009 @ 1:07pm

The collectors edition is not the new part
The new part is that, if you buy this game new, not second hand or pirate it, you get two pieces of the download only DLC included: http://kotaku.com/5335971/dragon-age-pre+order-scheme-gains-%252B1-against-used-sales

If a person buys the game used, they would have to pay for this extra content, should they want it, instead of it being included in the box.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
- batch, 15 Aug 2009 @ 1:09pm
  
  Re: The collectors edition is not the new part
  Need to clarify- the DLC comes with both Standard and Collectors. That's where the incentive to buy first hand comes in for all versions.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
Urza, 15 Aug 2009 @ 6:19pm

'Collectors Edition'. Right.
How about they make some of this stuff _standard_, like they used to. A cloth map of the game for example. Nearly every game that I bought before around 2000 came with some kind of big fold-out map of some sort. Some of them cloth. And these weren't 'collectors editions'. Most games also used to come with big manuals - with the kind of information they now try to sell separately. And they'd come with stickers too sometimes. And catalogs to buy 'special edition' merchandise (T-shirts, patches, pins, etc). Why don't they bring that stuff back?

Oh, right. Because a 'Westwood Studios' T-shirt means something. An 'EA Games' one doesn't.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Anonymous Coward, 16 Aug 2009 @ 9:41am

Have you seen this?
http://www.bargainshare.com/lofiversion/index.php/t163820.html

Not only a game, but a souvenir as well!!!

I don't really buy games but I bought this one!
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Sos, 16 Aug 2009 @ 4:24pm

You post this like it is a new or uncommon thing. Its not.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_video_game_collector_and_limited_editions
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Sheinen, 17 Aug 2009 @ 3:10am

I've got the LE Batman:Arkham Asylum on pre-order with Play.com for about £70. It comes with a Bat-Blade! How awesome is that?

I also pre-ordered the LE Assassins Creed 2 with an Altair figurine in the box.

Plus I got the Halo 3 which comes with a life-size Master Chief Helmet and both Gears of War LE Tins with Art Books.

Consoles have a long history of doing this, it doesn't always work but when they get the right stuff in the bundle I'm happy to pay an extra £20-£30
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
PrometheeFeu (profile), 17 Aug 2009 @ 5:22pm

It's not new, but it really works and is worth mentionning. I know some people who pirate everything they can and buy nothing except collector's editions. And they buy a LOT of those.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]