One of the things I like to do the most when reviewing our release guide is to check what kind of editions will go on sale for each video game, in case there are any collectors that are truly striking.
Without going any further, the colossally wonderful Elden Ring was released with two collector’s editions whose prices were between 190 and 260 euros. And it is not for less knowing that it is a clear candidate for game of the year. The problem is that the panorama in 2022 is less spectacular than other years, where in 2020 the astronomical figure of 2,000 euros was reached for an edition. If we look at the games that remain to come this year, everything is much more austere.
Delays are not helping this trend
Recently, after seeing what games will come out in april for PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch or PC, it was quite disappointing to see not only the drop in releases, but also the absence of true heavyweights.
Nor is it that the first quarter of 2022 has started like a beast, taking time to take off until Dying Light 2 came along in February. From then on, proper names with a lot of substance followed one another, such as The King of Fighters XV, Horizon Forbidden West, Miyazaki’s aforementioned Elden Ring, Gran Turismo 7, Kirby and the Forgotten Land or Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands. But the outlook until June is worryingly deflated, saving long-demanded titles like Mario Strikers Battle League Football. The blame? The countless delays.
If we look at the games of the first batch of 2022, there are several such as the reboot of Saints Row or Forspoken, which have been delayed until August 23 and October 11, respectively. And if we broaden the spectrum, without a doubt the delay of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 until 2023 has hurt a lot, despite the fact that personally I never believed Nintendo when saying that it would come out in 2022, wow…
The rest of the releases of major titles will end up taking place at the end of the year, where much is expected of games like Gotham Knights or especially Starfield, Bethesda’s most ambitious production to date. However, for now none has a collector’s edition. And in fact in recent years not all heavyweights enjoy this type of edition, opting mostly for simple Deluxe editions with DLC or at most an art book to accompany the product so that it is close to 100 euros.
But it is that in April there will be no collector directly. And if we look at May, the most expensive are those of Made in Abyss (89.99 euros), which to top it off is simplistic by bringing a notebook and a poster, and the Among Us Ejected Edition (€92.95) that has not stopped being delayed and should be out soon.
Over the last few years we have seen a progressive descent in the number of luxurious editions of 150 euros or more, highlighting only four or five in each quarter. 2021 was very restrained in that sense, as we saw with its global review: in its third quarter there were only two collector’s editions.
Lately you have to resort to “limited” stores
This gradual decrease in usual stores for any type of video game has caused a considerable increased limited runs luxurious by specialized pages such as Limited Run Games, iam8bit, Strictly Limited Games or Pix’n Love, to name several of the most popular today. And as is logical, without having renounced my collector’s desire, I have bought in all of them.
The problem is that this kind of editions, which for the most part are not cheap at all, tend to sell out within a few minutes… almost always because of resale to speculators. And with the pandemic situation, that situation was aggravated by taking months or even more than a year to receive all those orders.
As a clear added value that outweighs any inconvenience, we have that exclusivity, a good handful of extras to satisfy all the needs of a good collector’s edition or throw nostalgia, such as when recreating Super Nintendo or Neo Geo boxes. In my case I couldn’t avoid, for example, the Super Hydorah as if it were precisely a SNES game or getting that emulation of the “Rolls-Royce of video games” boxes with the entire collections of Samurai Shodown or Metal Slug . It is a market that does not stop using claims of this type and against which it is difficult to resist if you are a fan.
In addition, this kind of stores are not limited exclusively to indie productions, but from time to time games with a capital weight in the industry, such as Diablo II due to its remastering and a special edition with three vinyls for 200 dollars. Or the Ori and the Blind Forest bundle plus Ori and the Will of the Wisps for Nintendo Switch by 150 dollars. Editions of this caliber are announced every month in any of those stores, unlike in others.
Here’s a quick review of the last ones that have been announced to drool…
This edition costs $200 and is exclusive to iam8bit. But it does not include the video game, eye.
Extremely limited, this edition of the Neo Geo classic costs more than 200 euros at Pix’n Love.
For fans of Japanese kaiju. Limited Run Games still has this edition for $125.
Strictly Limited plays on the nostalgia for Wonder Boy for 150 euros. What content!
Boss Team put their own game on hold…and it sold out. $200 and it hasn’t even gone on sale yet.