Are Collectors Editions of Games Actually Worth Collecting?

i get why people would buy CE. for me im a big Batman fan. and got a few Batman statues so for me. the CE's of Batman Arkham Asylum and City are keepers for me. but so far i havent bought any CE's cause like they said. its cool when u used buy it but after a while...clutter.

well i only buy collectors edis of games that interest me, only downside are all the cardboxes :D

im a sucker for figurines and other stuff that you can show,

not much of a fun of only dlc stuff in collectors edis

i got

skyrim collectors, sonic generations collectors, SWTOR collectors, hitman absolution deluxe professional , far cry 3 insane edition, ME3 N7 collectors, AC collectors edition, AC2 white edition, AC brotherhood codex edition, AC revelations animus edition, AC3 freedom edition, crysis 2 nano edition, max payne 3 special edition, Darksiders 2 collectors, diablo 3 collectors, RE6 collectors, fear 3 collectors, arkham city collectors, aliens CM collectors and last but not least borderlands 2 ultimate loot chest.

too bad crysis 3 wont have a nano edition

the crysis 2 nano edtion has the biggest box of all collectors edis that i have :D

Unless you are a massive fan of a game series or the Collectors Edition comes with something useful like a game guide Special Editions and collectors editions are crap and shouldn't be bought.

only got diablo 3 and only becuse of the skull&USB and even that bugs me a little becuse its only 4gb "big",never cared much for art books,what would do it for me is a pip boy alarm clock or maybe some playing cards for poker with art from the game you know,something you can actualy put to use even if minimal otherwise it only collects dust...

Usually what gets me is if it's a really awesome figurine/statue. Just something sentimental for gaming. Like Ezio (AC2), Cole (inFamous 2), Drake (Uncharted 3). Those have been the ones i've been most pleased to have sitting on my counter near my games. but there's also only so much shelf-space so i'm being selective with it. But that's all it is, and if i really want it on my geeky-space then that's where it'll stay.

I'm a fan of Collector's but I'm more selective now, my priorities are full size artbook, things that enhance the game story (diaries, maps, journals) and making of. I don't care about statue anymore since I don't have space to put them and they will only get dusty.
So far I believe the very best collector's edition came from Blizzard and CDProjekt RED.
HALO have pretty good Collector's... Reach is my all time favourite mostly because of Dr. Halsey's diary which I deeply llove.
Ubisoft instead really gets on my nerves... They made some really great Collector's for ACs, but they never made a version that hold everything... In order to get everything for a single AC game one is supposed to buy something like 3 or more version of the same game. I am willing to pay more (within reason) to have an edition that include everything, but not to buy 2 or 3 copies...
Last I'm a bit disappointed with Bioshock Infinite, I preoredered the premium (not the songbird) but a game with so much attention to its art direction should come with a full size hardcoverd Artbook, like Blizzard's or CDP's... That mini artbook is nice but does not do justice to all the hard work made by the artist that worked in the game...

I think if the quality of collecters editions was significantly increased into making something you would actually appreciate owning beyond that initial purchase rush, even if this was met by a drasitc price increase it would only work to give added value to something worthy of being a collectible.

I' d like to get collector' s editons but sadly I can barely afford the basic games so for now they are a no no for me.

If its a game like Skyrim or RDR i really like having a map of the world.. very useful :)

I'm a sucker for collector's editions.

So far, I don't remember seeing figurines from collector's editions that're worth collecting.

I have a couple of collector's edition games myself that I really like (Star Wars : The Force Unleash 2 and Halo Reach). The goodies in them are pretty nice.

Anyway, what I really love to have in collector's editions are somethings people can really use like: The replica of in-game items (e.g. ring necklace and horse shoe belt from Uncharted 3), or apparel accessories (scarf, T-shirt, headgear, gloves, mask, logo patch, etc.) as examples. So, people can show off the affection of their favorite games. They can use those items in costume party, Halloween, or cosplay too. Sometimes, I even imagine Microsoft have held a Halo event and let fans who bought Halo Reach collector's edition use the card that come with it to access some kind of special surprise provided for huge fans only or maybe some code to unlock secrets in game.

Artbooks and soundtracks is all I want.

As far as the statues, thats really personal preference to whether you like them, but some are pretty decently made too. The AC3 statue is actually pretty solid in its design.

I think art/lorebook is cool. But not much else

The only part of this clip that I agree with is that yes, it is stupid to buy CE with the intent of selling it later, but since that's not the reason I sometimes buy them than I feel it's a moot point. It's all personal preference anyway. I still display my Master Cheif helmet with pride cause it reminds me of all the good times I've had playing Halo through the years.

I have to say Gamespot, its hardly the pros and cons of collectors editions if you get one person on there that dislikes them and another that doesnt care about them. If you want Pros and Cons find someone on both sides of the fence.

The value of them is what the individual puts on them. I like buying collectors editions. The art books are awesome, the making of dvds are fun. Do i enjoy every statue, not really. But there are some that i do really like so it balances out. This is the value for me.

the dragon statue looks okay, but everything else... meh

Absolutely. I don't have any game boxes that were signed by the entire dev team or any other truly memorable items like that. And I have nothing good to say about speculation, so it's not even in my consideration. CE is just a way to make more money off consumers. A few before me have said, we are just giving more money to support a particular game or maybe a particular dev. All the CE I've bought are completely worth it for that reason.

This is a stupid question. While a CE may be worth collecting for you , for others may not. So the answer to this question depends on the person buying the CE.

I'm never into actual protagonist/monster/character statues in collector's editions, it just seem too wasteful. However, a statue of something less obvious than a main character, like the marker statue form the DS3, that's what i'm digging. And if it wasn't for the atrocious shipping costs, it would already be holding papers on my desk =] I also like the soundtracks, but not in digital form, only the physical copies matter to me, which unfortunately is quite rare nowadays.

I got to say Blizzard collectors editions are the most arty and fancy ones i ever had !

I don't get collectors editions with the intent of selling it later.

I have to agree with some in the comment sections. Most of these collectors editions are mostly for yourself, i mean rely now if you planned on getting the collectors editions just to sell them 10 years later i don't think you rely much cared for the game.

Collectors Editions are good for one thing. Keeping the price of the regular game lower for sane people.

Well for me, buying a game with extras gives the person who bought it a piece of gaming history that as years pass by, the opportunity to reflect upon and remember the overall gaming experience. To say that it has no or little value or is just junk, exposes the narrow views of the critics in this clip. When I buy a game with collectors’ items I showcase the item and preserve it for future times, giving me the opportunity to reminisce the experience in my gaming room alone or with friends or family. I have been gaming for many years and have a good portion of games I have kept along with the extras that came with the games. I display them and some I have framed (disk, maps and artwork). So for some it may be junk but for others it is the piece of history that keeps the gaming experience alive. KUDOS to those who buy the games with the extras and display them. I have 6 grown kids with their own families and one 16 year old daughter that is still home. She games and collects as well, understanding that it has personal value that becomes the treasure in time.

i bought the max payne collectors... cause it was 20$ lol

I buy collectors' editions with some regularity. And I honestly don't care for most of the trinkets they throw in the packages. I will usually peruse an art book a time or two, maybe give a bonus DVD a spin for the hell of it. But that's not the reason I buy them. If I really like a game, a developer, or a series, I buy the collectors edition solely to give them more money. I'm voting with my wallet. And people who visit my home office (AKA: shrine of gaming history) can see that I was committed enough to series X that I have three big collectors edition boxes on my shelf. That's it.

Night Vision Goggles. Totally worth it! Now I get to stalk people at night thanks to Activision!

Lol, I have the Skyrim dragon and it IS hard to dust.

I really want the metal gear rising limited edition, the lightning globe looks awesome. Not really a fan of art books and statues.

The only collectors edition I have bought was the Fallout New Vegas CE. In hindsight it prob wasn't the best buy, but I like it lol. It had a comic book with events leading up to the beginning of the game, a platinum poker chip, poker chips from each of the in game casinos, a "making of" DVD, and a caravan deck. Will it be worth anything? No. Is that the point? I don't think so, at least not for me. Anyone with a brain will tell you these things aren't gonna be worth any money down the road, but if you want these little plastic items, then that's your choice. I liked the NV collectors edition, I still have it :-)

jus dust collection garbage

for a while.. yes some title are only worth possession for peroid of time until you satisfied and decide to sell them but there's title that you really love it and you keep it forever

for me , i've MassEffect 1,2(ce),3(ce) and i think that enough. (for now)

Short answer: NO.

Worthless garbage , the only thing that matter its the game itself.

editions that has figures are cool but for price of $150 most of the time is complete joke because those figures wouldn't cost no more then $20-$30 selling by them self on amazon or something... Then editions that have stupid garbage come on what a waste....

I only bought the collectors edition of ME1, ME2, TES: Oblivion & Ni No Kuni. Which all had pretty nice items and art work, DLC etc. Plus you get steel cases now and again. But double the price for a statue? no thanks, I did that for BioShock 1 and that remains the only time.

inFAMOUS CE content was AMAZING, you got a cool bag, a cool art-book and the soundtrack. Even if you only received the bag it would've been awesome

In game CE content could be a very bad idea. It would not seem fair to people who bought the regular game if people who got the CE received extra campaign missions or something, and could provide an unfair advantage in multiplayer (In MoH 1 the Pre Order Collectors Editions got an M60 in multiplayer, anyone who has played the game knows that that gun is F&%$ing broken and was ridiculously overpowered, killing in one shot and shooting crazy fast and accurately).