If it is worth the extra pricetag for the extra content, the consumer will buy it. Whether it is worth it or not is relative for each consumer, and therefore no conclusion can be reached that applies to the entire market.
I tend to be wary of, and don't really like, the concept that if you can pay more money you get an in-game advantage. You don't usually see someone throw down $20 and get an extra Queen to place on the board at the start of a Chess match.
<snip>My take is that this will mean consumers will lose in terms of value and have to pay more for less. <snip>
I'm inclined to agree that there is that risk. In practice, I've not seen too many games where the regular version was so gimped that I felt compelled to buy a special edition version. But there probably are examples where the special edition of a game wasn't really justified in charging what amounted to a 20% or 40% premium - because the additional content wasn't all that great. Oblivion Horse Armor probably wasn't worth the $3 or $4 I'd spent (for example).
Similar risks come with expansion packs. There was - it seemed to me a few years back - the start of trend (that thankfully failed) by developers and publishers of PC games to push a release that wasn't finished - followed up by an expansion pack that addressed some of the original game's issues and added a bit of new content. But instead of being called a "patch", it was called an "expansion pack" and terminology difference was worth (according to devs and publishers) $20 or so. I think consumers caught on to that quick enough to put some brakes on that out-of-control train though.
Ugh I hate this kind of stuff.
It really does devalue regular editions. You are basically telling me that you have spent effort making content and I will get an incomplete game unless I pay ransom.
It really depends on what kind of collecters content you are talking about. Physical goods like art books and foil boxes I can do without. But if the special edition adds actual content to the game then either everyone should be able to buy it or such content should be available to everyone after a certain period of time.
I am never in favour of special editions having extra game components that lesser versions do not have... there should be no "lesser" versions.
Special materials should be relative to the game, but not a component of the game denied to other users who aren`t either as rich as others or perhaps as boldly dedicated as others.
A retail chain offering a an exclusive rts unit or a vendor promising otherwise locked maps/scenarios may be nice for those who buy from them/buy the special edition, but it SUCKS for those who do not, have not, or can not. And its unfair.
I like they way Emperor: Battle for Dune did exclusive units if I remember right. After a period of time, the units were unlocked for everyone to use.
The Age of Empire III collectors edition was f**king awesome and sets the standard for others. It had posters, soundtrack, a demo disk to give to a friend, and best of all: a 208 page hardcover book of artwork.
NWN2 was very guilty of the exclusive content issue - with exclusive content both for preordering and for the collectors edition. In MOTB they planed content based on who you preordered from, but I think they only got around to giving out one item. The planned items are in the game and can be unlocked with the right files in the override folder.
NWN2 may have been single player, but missing out on a 10% discount feet sucked(I had to get a mod for it after I found out about it). Plus 'set' items that were spread between pre-ordering and the collectors edition - for a full set you had to have both(or make a custom module with them for sale) The main reason I didn't mind it that much was because there were ways to get the 'exclusive' items/feats, if I couldn't get them then I would always be hating the fact that I couldn't.
The pay for in-game advantage is also seen in paid DLC after launch. I think Ironclad/Stardock are doing the right thing for SINS by disabling it if everyone doesn't have it. This prevents the problem of those who pay more having an advantage over those who don't. Sadly, I don't see that many other companies/publishers that would do that as all they care about is money.
Personally I own the Kane edition of CnC3, Special Edition of RA3, the version of UT2K3 that came with a headset and apparently, as it let me download the extra content, the SE edition of Sins (I didn't realise I'd brought it) amongst many others.
I brought them primarily because a) I needed a headset and I liked watching the outtakes and making of's. Additional maps, units, skins, textures and such doesn't affect my judgment in which version to buy. In the case of RA3 and UT2K4 there are standard editions sat next to them (two people, two gaming machines... yes, I'm taken).
However, much like digital distribution mechanisms the whole special edition has become a farce. So I get X stuff if I order from Y vendor but A content if I ordered from B shop? I'm a simple soul and that confuses me more than which version of Windows Vista I should of brought... oddly enough the correct answer is the same for either of them: None.
Offer me a special edition with goodies. Cloth maps, plastic crap I can put on my desk, music CD's, art books, making of DVD's (I like those), stuff like that and i'll buy it. I'm not interested in T-shirts though, universally every SE I've brought with one has had a mens T-shirt in it. I'll buy it from where I want to buy it from though. I'm not going to look up a freaking chart of goodies Vs vendors to select which version I want.
No, I'll just P2P the sodding thing in revenge for giving me the hump, but that's a debate for another time.
my vote: I don't mind paying a few extra bucks to get something special. I like stuff. And it makes sense from both a consumer and designer point of view.
on a high budget product (like most AAA games these days) you really might want to charge more than $50 per person for those hardcore people that will pay anything to get said game. Hollywood is able to make this up by having box office cost like 10 bucks, but there is a flat rate on video games. And you don't want to discourage regular sales by raising the price, and you can't be selective about who you charge. So you do a 'special' promotion of some sort for those who actually care, but you charge regular for everybody else.
As a consumer it is always my option to buy a special edition, so I have the option of getting a full color manual and whatever bonus goodies come with the box (like sound track). There is no reason for me as a consumer to say don't do it, because it doesn't raise my normal price, and it allows me to be able to pay for those goodies I would not otherwise be able to get.
The bad: if said goodies are actually game effecting. I have never seen this to be the case except with MMOs, however. But I have a general objection to the way many MMOs are handled in the first place so I really can't comment. I also don't want to bad-mouth the free games that have micro-transactions for 'special edition' content that use it as their only means of income to fund the project.
Note: special auras, a title on your name, slight boost in starting gold, a hint guide, a special face or outfit, and so on are not game effecting. They don't actually give anybody an advantage (other than the money, but an extra few hours of play could fix that). And it serves as a special 'hey, I paid a lot of money' which is fine.
the starting post states its not effecting gameplay. Something like a special face shouldn't change the play value. Its not like the special select circle in HoMM 5 makes any difference. The only one that I think can argue this (that I've seen) are the maps for red alert, everybody should have access to all maps in my opinion. Even there, its valid since purchase price is more for the special edition, its only justified that the person with that should have something to oogle for more time.
/myopinion
The alternative is just to have the price of ALL new AAA title games to go up. PS3 and 360 games already did it, PC is next (in fact I'm surprised it hasn't already happened). And I want that much less than the inclusion of a special edition that the minority can buy to make up the higher budgets.
So before anybody bad mouths it... think "would you rather everyboy just pay an extra $10 across the board for this game, instead of a select few paying an extra $20 and getting something that probebly cost 1 designer 1 extra week to include?