Discussion on Collector Editions + Evaluating Zelda Tears of the Kingdom CE
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- Опубліковано 21 тра 2023
- Hello! I hope you all are having a wonderful start to the week. Today I wanted to chat about whether video game collector editions are still worth buying this day in age. I would love to hear how you all feel about this topic & what you look for when selecting collector editions to buy. Also if you've been playing TotK, I would love to hear how it's been going so far! :)
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I feel like 90% of CE’s have gotten really cheap with what they include while simultaneously inflating the price. For the cost they typically go for now we used to get a really nice figurine or something equivalent, but now all we get are pins and cards.
Yeah it's been disappointing to see so many CEs offered with 'inferior' products at more expensive prices.
The market is oversaturated with "otaku" subscription boxes, and so the VG industry is simply answering to that (I wouldn't doubt it if these lower quality goods are all made in the same shops)... Then there's also the fact that most gamers, especially young ones who don't yet see value in CEs, would rather spend their money on virtual cosmetics
I have found the Nintendo ones to hit the sweet spot of price and quality, the art books they give being hardcover is really nice
Or a uselees metal box and map. I see you BOTW and FFXVI
Collectors with figures are between 250 to 350 sadly… I remember paying 117.00 for BOTW collectors edition and it was way better than TOTK
Yes I misspoke when talking about the price for TotK, I don't script my videos so I was recalling the difference I paid after a coupon. I shared the correct MSRP price in the video however.
You're such a natural
Great vid! The space limitation thing is really a huge factor for me, there are so many SE/CEs that are super tempting even if it’s just a glorified cardboard box. I feel like many of these are being directed at ppl with game displays, focusing more on the outer appearance than the included content :3
I can totally see the emphasis more on the display prospects vs. the contents with many of these CEs 😂
I’m a collector for years across many platforms . I think my best advice to other collectors or people starting out is focus on what you enjoy and can relate to or have / will play. I see many people collect everything and it becomes cluttered and disjointed. I am a big fan also of soundtracks especially Vinyl LP’s , I love some of the JPG & JRPG music.
I have admittedly purchased editions to sell on to fund my future purchases. I’m 45 retired military! And my Wife and I who is still serving love our collection in our games room ! We love to game & long May it be so 😃👍🇦🇺👏
Great video, as always! It's nice to learn about your experience with CE's!
The last special edition I purchased was the Halo 3 Legendary Edition with the Spartan helmet. A part of me wants to collect too but I just don't have the room. And you are right about collectors editions getting out of hand. We live in such a fierce, fear of missing out culture.
That we do 😅
My new favorite channel! I'm glad youtube recommended your channel!
Another great informative video, Emily! Thank you for sharing!
First time watching one of your videos, I enjoyed it! I try to control myself with getting collectors editions, I'm always tempted to get them but I usually pick up accompanying merchandise like the art book or sound tracks. Especially as you mentioned they normally only give a preview in the collection
I share similar sentiments with you Emily regarding Collectors editions!
I feel like yes, if it's your favorite franchise, splurge on the collectors, with this though at the same time, i feel like some collectors editions are starting to lack a lot of quality items and the asking prices are ridiculous.
What came with the God of War Ragnarok / Horizon Forbidden West Regalla Edition (to me) justified paying the price i did since it had a lot of physical goodies, statues, steelbooks, soundtracks, etc. A prime example of a company doing this justice is NIS America with their Limited Editions at 99$ Which is honestly insane for the asking price of what you get boxed within too (I know you know this lol).
Also yes the stress is a huge deterrent too, i remember Elden Ring's Collectors being a mess on Bandai site cause they wanted to rebrand and relaunch the store the day the Collectors and Premiums dropped, so i got screwed at checkout with the Premium Edition :)!
The Zelda CE for me was 197$ CAD and i kind of do regret buying it - mainly because it didn't come with a statue or master sword like the previous edition had, BUT under 200$ it's still somewhat okay i suppose!
Overall collecting is subjective but the appeal of Collectors Editions unless they're from my favorite franchises is still to lose it's luster, slowly but surely.
As always, keep up the stellar work and i love discussion videos like this! :)
I just wish those fancy first party Sony collector editions came with the physical game, I still can't believe Ragnarok came with a steelbook but no disc 😢
But yup a lot of collector editions are becoming too expensive and losing their appeal (though I agree NIS probably does the best with balancing quality & price these days). With the TotK CE you can always look into selling it if you still regret your purchase, at least that should at least retain it's value.
@@orbalology Yeah that did upset me, the Jotnar edition is gorgeous, Regalla too - but no disc :(!
Also i think i probably will, both the Amiibo i got and CE is still sealed so i might just return it to the retailer or sell it to someone else!
Also yeah.. some collectors are 2-400$ but the contents are really lacking and no, they're slowly not worth it anymore lol.
You talking about games puts a smile on my face! But I enjoy your videos, your taste in games, your quirky personality and genuine passion for your games you enjoy! I like Collectors editions for only my favorite series or developers!
7:06 that's what she said hahaha love your vids!! I love how kinda cozy and super chill your vids are 😁
the collection of figurines and other knickknacks is impressive! i love the fire emblem NES cartridge!
great public speaking and lovely video as always
Tried buying my first CE with ToTK but it was truly just too stressful. So ty for sharing yours!
And omg that RE4 incident; I’d been so upset! So terrible and unfortunate.
Very informative video, Em! Wonderful as always! ♡
Thank you, Jay 😊
I ALMOST picked up the collector's edition. We'll see if I regret that one day...
But I've been having a blast with the game. Actually, I've been playing and Jenn's been watching and helping me with the puzzles, which she doesn't do all that often normally, but it's been extra fun getting to experience that with her. The open-endedness of how the shrines are set up make for some really fun brainstorming sessions.
So glad to hear you & Jenn have been enjoying the game a lot! It's cool when you can have a copilot involved in a game like this to help solve the puzzles :)
Thank you for sharing your TotK Collector’s Edition. I bought mine to keep sealed, so it was interesting to see what’s included on video.
No problem!
I recently got the GrimGrimoire Once More CE and was pleasantly surprised by the quality.
I appreciate your summary on a lot of these things when it comes to orders. I feel a lot of people who put the time and effort to receive these physical benefits have been “shafted” and not getting the things they expect.
I’m very selective now with purchasing collectors editions but I can’t say no to my favorite franchises (Persona and Zelda)😅 I’m glad I was able to pick up the TOTK collectors edition! It’s front and center on my shelf now 😊
Aww nice, glad you were able to secure a copy!
While I do think CEs do include less for more money now than they did a few years ago, I do have to defend the Totk one. I thought it was really expensive, I bought it anyway and after unpacking it, I think its relatively fair in comparison. I think the Xenoblade chronicles CEs were about 100€ and had a Steelbook, softcover (at least in Germany) Artbook and soundtrack. The Zelda one was 30€ more, but had a hardcover artbook, pins, steelbook and a really nice steelposter (I didnt expect to like that one) and I thought between those compared its fair that Zelda was more expensive. BUT what I really hated is that stores sold the CEs and especially the amiibo for different prices. I was lucky and got the CE at the My Nintendo Store (which also came with a preorder bonus and after hearing some stories about damaged CEs the best packaging) for 130€, while Amazon and a few Electronic markets sold the CE without the preorder bonuses for 150€. Amazon even sold the Amiibo, which was 15€ at the My Nintendo Store, for 30€, but it still sold out and people are selling it for even more, so it wasnt even effective against Scalpers.
Depends where you're ordering from as-well. I've wanted to pick up some of the Ys or Trails collectors editions, but shipping to Canada costs $60 USD, when ordering from the NIS America store. Just can't justify that additional cost.
Personally, I've sworn off collectors editions completely. There are exceptions, obviously. But, I felt like every time I got one, I'd just look at all the trinkets quickly (maybe display the statue if there is one), box it all back up, and never touch them again. They just became another thing taking up space. And I think I'm accurate in saying that CEs are really difficult to sell. My local game store always has the same ones sitting around. The people who want a CE of something already pre-ordered it.
Some CEs can be difficult to sell for sure! There will always be those high in demand ones, especially if it's a sleeper hit, but if they end up being too expensive they're probably slow movers.
It's funny because I found your channel because you were recommending Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology (which I have since acquired), and I noticed the Trails collector's editions in the background. The one for 3 is the one that caught my eye, if I remember correctly. Then I find you talking about collecting, so I'm glad I found this channel. I am a collector, I used to be far more into it than I am recently. I think the Ellie edition of The Last of Us 2 changed things for me. That's when bots and scalpers started being a real issue, so it wasn't enough to hear about a new collector's edition on the day it came out or maybe the next day anymore. I had to find out about it as soon as it was announced, then I needed to scour the internet for information on the exact date and time of the launch and through which vendors at which time I had to get multiple screens (usually my laptop, tablet and phone or two), and then just hope and pray that I get through the purchasing process.
That is when collecting went from a fun little aspect of my gaming life into a competitive sport. I have some good wins, like the Jotnar edition, which, as you know, went very fast. but I'm trying to clamp down on my CEs. I'm brokenhearted that I missed out on the new Trails of Reverie CE, though, since I have all of those CEs, including the Japanese ones. I will eventually have to pay way more on eBay for that one.
But it can be exhausting. Getting the CE for Hogwart's legacy was a multi-week process. And securing FF XVI took most of the night when it launched.
I want to get FFVII Remake 2's CE so I can eventually have all 3 of them, but other than the space constraint (which is substantial), the stress of getting one like that will be so limited and such a battle to get...I honestly don't know if I want to do it anymore.
I'm trying to only go for unique ones of games I like. Like the floating wand in Hogwarts Legacy, Mjolnir in God of War, and the MECH with the garage in Armored Core 6. But there are franchises that I will always hunt down. Like Final Fantasy and Trails.
How else do you determine whether you will pursue it on day one or just pick it up down the line? Is there a cost: stress ratio you use? Lol. Or do you just hear about one for a game you like and pounce because if you hesitate, you'll end up paying 150% more at a minimum on eBay later?
Nowadays I try to limit my collector editions to 5ish franchises. And give myself leeway for another 2-4 CEs per year. My favorite franchises like Trails I always pre-order but some of the leeway CEs I sometimes wait to see if I can get them cheaper on Amazon warehouse or other vendors.
Great pick up! Loved the video!!
Good vid. It’s too stressful and I typically end up missing it and end up paying scalper prices which I regret later on.
Collectables can be a very rewarding hobby, especially with rare limited edition LPs/vinyl pressings from some of my favorite bands (often limited to under 200 copies and appreciates a ton in value).
I'm bummed out I missed out on the CE of RE4 2023 considering it's my favorite single player game or all time (the original), but I've got a copy of every single Capcom/Laced Audio RE 2-4xLP collab VGM vinyl sets in both colored sealed and black regular, which are now worth a combined total of nearly $5k (it fills out more than one Ikea Kallax shelf now at this time).
I don't really like selling collectibles or "flipping" for a profit to the detriment of one's passion/contentment but it opens up a good channel for trading. My entire Discogs library is valued at over 6 figures now, I'm quite proud of that. Nothing really beats TCGs in terms of raw potential for collectibility value and appreciation over time - especially when kept in perfect PSA10 condition. We're talking about single YGO cards valued at $300k USD, something that I was extremely passionate about growing up but unfortunately missed my window of opportunity to get in before COVID.
I only missed out on the CE RE4 drop because it was shadow dropped on GameStop's Canadian website with no warning - it wasn't available the day of the announcement for preorder during the showcase and when the website opened.
Great video as always, Emily! Over the last few years, I've definitely gotten a bit pickier on which Collector's Editions. As much as I looked forward to and am currently enjoying Tears of the Kingdom, I don't think an art book and steel poster was quite enough to entice me personally. I think I prefer either really elaborate art books, physical figurines, or soundtracks to be included in collector's editions. I used to be really into steelbooks, but now, I'm starting to prefer having the consistency of regular game cases for display purposes.
Definitely an interesting discussion and framing for showing your TOTK Collector's Edition. Keep up the great work, Emily!
Thanks Derek! And I agree there are times that skipping a game's CE in favor of some other related merch like full OSTs, figures, or artbooks may make more sense :)
Totk is my very first owner collectors edition along side upgrading from og switch to Zelda oled model. I’ve been playing Zelda since the nes years and have a lot of fond memories with the Zelda franchise. Botw absolutely blew me away and so far totk far exceeds it! No regrets and will probably be a only Zelda collector edition fan in the future. Great vid.
You nailed it off the bat about subjectivity. Value is decided by the individual when it comes to luxury items like these. My own take is that I must want pretty much everything in the box and ideally have a use for them. The TOTK box is just about there for me, I’m not hugely into pins but its a nice addition and the rest is very attractive. The Sakuna one also looks lovely. The ones I’m less fond of are the expensive ones with sometimes not very good statues in. I try to keep my collecting under control but I do have the deluxe edition of FF16 on pre order. Basically an extra £30 for a steelbook and a cloth map, but as you said I think this is one I’m going to want a souvenir of. I’m also very weak to steelbooks, so they got me there😄.
I picked up the collectors edition of totk solely to put on ice to see the return in the future. I bought a second regular copy of totk to play of course.
I agree on what's valuable to some may not be for others.
Myself I enjoy daily usable items. I think that's why I love the Yakuza 6 one.
It comes with two drinking glasses, stone ice cubes and coasters. I believe one of the kiwamis had a business card holder.
To me, a CE is worth it if it has an art book or the OST. I enjoyed the TOTK CE.
Great job you are easy to listen to ! Nice voice - i hit the subscribe and good thing I have all those CE of those games too 😮
Great video! I think for me the biggest factor limiting my collecting right now is shelf space. I've found myself buying items in the past that I'll display for about a year but end up putting into storage. I'm focusing more on items I know I'll not only value as a collector, but ideally get good use out of like the Zelda Tears of the Kingdom Switch I recently picked up which is almost like a work of art IMO for my living room beside my TV.
The TotK OLED is really beautiful! Definitely worthy of the art title :)
I've become more of a CE collector, rather than just a physical game collector. Since most physical games don't even come with manuals in the box, getting them digital might be best if you don't care about physical bonus rewards. I like to have things of games I liked on display around the house.
TotK is the first CE I skipped out on. It was more expensive than the one from BotW but instead of a beautiful huge statue of the decayed Master Sword we now got 4 crummy pins, the overall content just isn't the same and 90 bucks extra for pins and an artbook is just outrageous.
While I agree with you that the price was a little high, it's disingenuous to say it was $90 for a set of pins, and a book. That extra price included a steelbook, and that strange metal poster as well.
@@Widgerber That's like 10 bucks right there.
Great video Ive recently been thinking if it was really worth it given that I missed the Zelda collectors edition. In the end like you said is really depending on the franchise if we are fans or not. Ive only purchased some Fire emblem only having two collectors edition and the rest standard versions and monster hunter stories 2 the rest are standards I have also bought special reserve as well as limited run last one i got from those companies were loop hero and knights of the old republic
I held off on getting the collectors edition for totk, but picked up the amiibo for it instead, which is probably one of the coolest amiibos I've seen! That metal poster does look cool though!
I live 90 minutes from the Nintendo store in NYC. I’ve been lucky enough to be able to go to the Nintendo store and pick up the collector editions. They are normally stocked through the release weekend.
You're looking cute in that jacket Emily! Tears is great but it also feels daunting because of it's size. It's like I'll never have the time to finish it.
For me, it’s can be a mixed bag. I have Avery hard time buying any CE that is more than 50% more than the cost of the game alone, no matter how cool the additional stuff is. The only franchises that I really go crazy trying to buy CEs for at this point are Fire Emblem and Xenoblade Chronicles. Otherwise, I might spring for a CE if the addons looking exceptionally cool. Things that drive me towards a CE are a steel book, art book or CDs. Great topic and a great video!
You have absolutely great start of collecting these switch games🎉
The collectors edition for tears of the kingdom is the first collectors edition i’ve ever bought, i think i was inspired after binge watching all of your videos! I’m happy with it, not sure were the poster will end up
Oh no hopefully I'm not too bad of an influence on your wallet 😂 I'm debating where to prop mine up as well. I'm sort of tempted to get a double sided magnet and put it on the fridge lol.
Yep. I agree with you on everything you said on a collector's edition. I myself have stopped buying collector's editions except for a few series I really enjoy. One of mine being the Final Fantasy series. Except for FFXVI. The price for the CE was not worth it to me considering I'm also a huge soundtrack collector. So instead I just purchased the Digital deluxe edition and the CE soundtrack. The other series I'm a huge fan is the Trails series. I love that NIS America still includes an art book, steel case, and soundtrack for around $100. Thanks for the video and glad you're enjoying the Zelda world.🙂
im a monetary collector, my default usually is to double dip (if it has a CE ill get the CE and a base game to play the base and keep the CE sealed) but my financial situation allows me the privilege. I only really buy CEs I know will hold/increase in value, so anything JRPG related usually, anything nintendo, the NIS America CEs, Atlus CEs, or import only CEs. I tend to avoid CEs from limited game companies, or games that dont have the physical game inside.
Your mention of the values was spot on, most steelbooks run 30-40$ (The best buy steel books for Valkyrie Elysium and octopath traveller 2 regularly sell for around 30-40, to high end rare steel books like scarelt nexus selling for 200), art books are usually valued around 20-30, and mini soundtracks are about 50 cents a song. The CEs with statues are the best ones to get, I got the RE4 and all the Tales CEs and they are amazing
In 2007 I got a Bioshock limited edition with a heavy statue, a soundtrack cd, and making of the game dvd for $10 over the regular edition.
i managed to get the RE4 ps5 CE and TotK CE. im not much of a collectors edition person as i only have a few others Octopath, Undertale and Botw... but honestly i LOVED re4 remake and i did miss out on the CE back in 2005 for the OG release.. i do proudly have the leon statue on display and looks great! the TotK CE is actually not bad IMO, the art book and steel book and steel art print are HIGH Quality. i think theyre worth it for if youre an avid fan of the series not for hoarding/scalping. Most are good for the RETAIL price and NOT the scalpers prices for sure... RE4 CE was def on the pricey side though.
Does your TOTK collectors edition game case still have the age rating on the front? I’m in the UK and mine doesn’t have it which makes it really nice to display on its own.
Me buying a Collector's Edition usually involves primarilyhow interested I am in the game/series, but also the content within the CE and also the price.
-I have the Fire Emblem Engage CE because I like Fire Emblem a lot, enough to pre-order it (I actually preordered it twice, the CE from Walmart because they had it and the standard from GameStop because they included a set of tarot cards. I gave the the second one to a friend)
-I do also have the Zelda Tears CE, but I didn't pre-order it. Just walked into my local Target and they still had one unclaimed so I decided to go for it.
-I bought the Danganronpa 10th Anniversary Switch CE since I really like that series (so I may end up getting the CE for Master Detective Raincode later this year by the same people)
I've been eyeing the Master Detective Raincode CE as well, though I've been trying to talk myself out of it lol
Great discussion! I usually have a difference threshold between the regular edition and collectors edition… like if the regular is 50 and the collectors is 80, I’ll probably just buy the collectors.
But with some I’m willing to go a little more depending on the game.
I just watched your TotK OLED unboxing video and I could see the difference from the Switch Lite was night and day. I'm not sure about picking one up though, I just bought a PS5 in April so I'm still kinda soaking that in. Plus TotK and Advance Wars, which I got for $100 with the new voucher program from Nintendo. And I had to renew my Nintendo Online Expansion Pack for the year, those three purchases would be about half the price of the new OLED!
The CE of TotK looks like a nice set, they were sold out when I checked so that decided it for me. I have put about 10 hours into TotK, maybe a bit more, and have hardly advanced the storyline. I have also been exploring Hyrule and doing side quests.
Hope you are enjoying your new OLED!
Lovin this collection!
I never considered collector's editions until I went to PAX East for the first time earlier this year. Since I love a lot of NIS games (Y's, Trails series), I bought the Lacrimosa of Dana collector's edition from the NIS booth, although I already own the regular copy of the game. From there, for some reason, I somehow started falling in love with grabbing collector's editions of games for the PS4/5 and Switch. I wound up buying collector's edition versions of games I had never played and knew nothing about, but had a ton of fun doing it. Yes, it was costly, but I think they're really cool items to have in my collection, and I have no regrets! 🙂
I was ready to order Trails to Azure on Switch not so long ago but it sold out really quickly. Fortunately, NIS did a small restock of the limited edition for only 20% more than the normal (deluxe) edition. I’d not purchased a so-called big box extra edition of any kind for many years but was blown away by the value here. There’s so much in the box - CD soundtrack, hard art book, cloth poster, steelbook, standees, AND the physical deluxe edition with those extras also included. Crazy good deal. Sad I never got Zero Limited box 😢. Mind you, I would not have bought it if I didn’t love the series, contents was not what I wanted or the price/value wasn’t there. I love Zelda but I didn’t see value in the box so I pre-ordered the standard edition (which had £10 off).
NIS really makes some great CEs! They probably provide some of the best value these days.
I think collectors editions are usually marked up a bit, but I think if your favorite franchise has one with interesting items it would be a safe bet overall. I think this one for Zelda: TotK turned out pretty well, and the items do add up for a pretty good value.
The no-brainer collectors editions are usually the ones that are only $10 more and come with a few extra things.
Great discussion Emily! I also like to have complete artwork and OSTs from Japan and often do this instead of collectors editions. Collectors Editions are often used as part of companies businesses plans to ensure they make a profit (especially with the more niche publishers like NISA) as well as with marketing. This is partly why a lot of LEs only include a selection for artwork and OST and not the full package - sometimes this also means physical games themselves don't go to retail at all (ie. Limited Run Games).
Also side note - ironically the upcoming Legend of Nayuta soundtrack in NISA's limited edition is actually complete, which is a first for their Falcom releases.
I was really happy to see Legend of Nayuta receiving the full OST release in the CE! It almost makes up for the omission of a steelbook 😂
Yes the Xenoblade 3 CE preorder was the most stressful experience for me! How do you judge when to pickup a new game’s CE? Just stick to series you know? Or if you’re just excited about an upcoming game you assume you’ll like?
Always hard for me to spend $$$ on a game when I’m not sure if I’ll really like especially for new IP…but if I wait and pick them up later they skyrocket in price! So much fomo haha
It's really difficult to preorder games that haven't released yet, even if it's from a franchise you really enjoy! For me I try to stick to just my top favorites, though I do try to allow myself to pickup a couple other CEs for new games that really intrigue me, on the off chance they may become new favorites. I try not to overextend myself too much on this, but if I end up not enjoying it I would probably try to resell (even if that's not always easy to do).
@@orbalology oh having a fallback of possibly reselling is a good idea! I remember hovering over the buy button for the Sakuna: rice and ruin CE you have, but just not being sure if id love it enough to want the extra goodies and higher price and now I’m kinda sad I missed it haha!
@@orbalology also keep up the good work, love your videos!
Great video and discussion! I’ve been picking up multiples of my last few collectors editions to try and get a box that isn’t beat up since I’ve had many shipped without any padding in the box. I would think stores would have an incentive to try to reduce returns. Similar to you, collectors editions without the game bug me and feel incomplete.
I hope you're able to secure a clean box! My TotK had a little damage on the back which was disappointing but at least it won't show when I put it on display.
Wish I could have gotten on that XC3 CE 😭 but it’s probably better for my wallet since then I would have felt compelled to get the others for sake of completeness.
I think for me the most worthwhile CE inclusion for me are the art books. I just adore seeing the style guides and progression of their design. Exclusive content (or exclusive content on physical media like FE Fates and other DLC) is an amazing draw to me as well.
Great video as usual!
I love art books as well! It's really cool to see the design process for the characters & environments. And thanks :)
Just got mine yesterday. ❤❤
Didnt realize the re4 collectors edition situation. I was gonna try and get one and couldn't. The convenience of shopping online versus going and buying something from a store in person i find is a double edged sword with how fast everything sells out.
My standard edition of tears of the kingdom will arrive Wednesday. I had to order after seeing all the crazy videos involving the physics and whatnot. I love how much they're getting out of the switch performance wise, i think its amazing.
I've been playing my limited run cartridge of doom eternal. I can't believe that game and doom 2016 run on a handheld device, I'm super impressed by it.
Also my theory on collector's editions with no game is to get people to buy the collector's edition and the standard edition with the physical game inside. They make more money that way!
I don't normally buy the CE but if I do, I only go for the ones that have a CD soundtrack. For me, a good CE would come with the game, physical soundtrack, an artbook, and maybe a figure/statue. One thing I can't stand is when they market the outer box as one of the things you get with the collector's edition... I mean I get that it may have some different art on it but come on now.
i agree with you on many points if i have a strong connection with the game i want to own the collector’s edition. I do feel that collectors editions are very cheaply made now a days. Some of the prices are outrageous too for instance i have seen recent collectors editions in the 199$ to 299$ range which is wild. This really makes those NiS collectors at launch seem like a bargin smh. The street fighter 6 collectors edition is $250 dollars is wild. The Totk collector’s edition was ok although i feel that it should been $99 msrp.
I mostly try to pick up special editions of franchises that I already know and love and hardly ever regret doing so. But I admit sometimes I buy them on a whim and keep asking myself if I should have lol (recently Ys Origins and Trinity Trigger, I know nothing about those games and they're currently on the backlog, yet I got the collector's edition).
I can relate 😅 Day 1 versions can be a bit too much for me too with their cardboard box/items. Especially for new IPs or a game you don't know too much about. I'll admit I've avoided buying a few of those because I don't have space & just want the standard case 😅
Thank you, Emily, for the interesting discussion topic! What you said about pre-orders did kind of bring up the dilemma I always have because I also only buy the CE for games I love. What if you skip the CE and end up loving the game later? Then the second-hand market is the only option. Or what if you buy an expensive CE and end up not liking the game? I had this with Fire Emblem Fates where I ended up disliking the game immensely. In the end I don't mind having the third route physically with what happened to the 3DS eshop but that was still one expensive letdown... There are so many CEs these days too, I'd love to pick up more for smaller games but I don't have all the money in the world. It would be nice if they did more launch editions with a little extra artbook or an extra bonus trinket.
Trails CEs are always a must-buy for me because they usually do a very good job with them. I have bought Zelda and Fire Emblem CEs before, but it depends on the game and whether I like the contents. (Soundtracks, posters, artbooks and steelbooks are usually the items I enjoy most, my milage varies with statues or usuable items like clothing or stickers, not having a physical game is a no-no).
Been loving the recent TOTK content. I think collectors editions are a good way to get the game and merchandise for the game as a bundle.
This is a good point - a lot of individual merch can be marked up in comparison. Or like for TotK there's a lot of Japanese exclusive merch that are probably difficult to obtain (because they were sold as lottery items) and expensive to import.
It really always came down to shelf-space and cost for me.
Usually the trinkets and fluff that collectors editions come with don't do much for me. Especially with Limited Run.
I have one or two collectors editions of some of my all-time favorites. For example; the Shadow of Valentia collectors edition.
For me personally, it's definitely hard to gauge if a CE will be worth it before a game comes out. With a game like Engage; it was a toss-up if i'd enjoy it enough to want a CE for it. It sucks that due to scalpers and the limited releases of these CEs, it doesn't leave you a lot of room to decide AFTER you bought the game lol
FOMO really makes it difficult when factoring in preordering CEs of games that haven't released! If it's a popular enough series I guess they're often easy enough to resell if the game doesn't live up to expectations but that can be a pain in itself and not worth the effort.
Hi !
My answer to your question is going to lean towards "no".
There was a time when games came out in packaging in the form of boxes. Most often there was the game booklet and often bonuses like maps, artwork or a lore booklet and illustrations. And these games were sold at the normal price. For me, it was the good times and it was happening on PC long time ago.
Then came the DVD box type packaging. And from that moment, there was only a summary notice which gradually disappeared completely. In parallel appeared the collector's versions of the games, a little more expensive with bonus content, goodies justifying the price difference. This difference was reasoned and reasonable and as long as we were passionate about the game or the license, we let ourselves be tempted. There was no competition to get these collectors, you could have them in stores the day of the release and even after.
Then there was this wave of collectors who were looking for the objects not necessarily because they were a fan but, and it is unfortunate in my opinion, because they want to have the prestige of saying "look at my collection, I have this rare and expensive collector's version and also this one and also this one". For me they are no longer collectors of favorite franchise, these people are just collecting to grow and masturbate their ego.
And then, there are added those people who take advantage of the scarcity and the growing demand for collectors' editions. There are a lot of them, resellers, scalpers, etc.
These people are just speculating and playing on the rarity and the result is that the price of these collectors is only increasing, that it is more and more difficult to succeed in obtaining certain pieces even in pre-order. I find that completely crazy.
To talk about the collector's edition of this latest Zelda, I'm happy to have it but at the same time I'm sick of the price I had to pay. So I don't know how much this collector was sold at your place, but in France, the price was between 130€ and 150€ but more this last price than the first. It was the price of the official retailers but for the one who was lucky enough to get it on the Nintendo Store it was 130€.
To get it, I had to make 4 pre-orders, 3 were canceled. And it was driving me crazy, because the pre-order was canceled because supposedly they didn't know if the product would be back in pre-order stock, and after a while it was back in stock at a higher price.
I'm not going to tell what I had to do to get the Xenoblade 3 collector, my favorite license, it would take too long but it was just as epic!
So for the big fan of a license, I want to say that "yes" it's worth taking a collector's edition as long as the content is interesting and relevant.
What I personally prefer are the art books and that's the main reason why I give in to a collector's edition.
But if prices continue to rise and the difficulty of having one of these collectors follows the same course. I will end up saying "no" and "stop" and settle for an art book and the game in normal edition.
Post edit : For Xenoblade 2 I advice you to get (if you don't already got it ^^) "Xenoblade Chronicles 2 Official Artworks Alst Records" from Famitsu / Kadokawa, 352 pages full of artworks, and way more content than in collector's edition.
I have the artworks on my list & saved in my AmazonJP cart actually. Just need to pull the trigger one of these days 😂
@@orbalology 3190¥ 😉 Go for it, won't last forever ! ^^
What can sucker me into collector's editions are nice art books and a sound track, and while the Tears of the Kingdom Collector's edition doesn't have a sound track, I am happy enough with it. I agree though that I have to really like the franchise, but at the same time, the collector's edition has to be obtainable without losing sanity (drops for the CE for Tears went on for days after release). Aftermarket is a tough one.... I wish I had known about the Trails series much sooner. I will be getting those grails very, very slowly...
For games I'm really going to get into I'll consider getting a CE version, and I'm a sucker for sculptures and figures. Sometimes though, even those don't seem to justify the price tag, like if the sculpt is high quality and unique to the CE (e.g. Horizon Zero Dawn's Aloy figure) then sure, but if it's a Pop-Up Parade-level figure then it's hard to justify an extra $100, even taking into account other niceties. That said, was happy to pick up a JPN Zelda Tears of the Kingdom CE, spoon and all, and will be diving into that after my current batch of work wraps up :)
Only collector edition i ever bought was the big box for Stella glow on the 3ds. I guess it was more of a release edition. I have to really like a game to get one
So far I’m loving Totk. It’s a beautiful open world game. Definitely better than botw and botw was beautiful too.
I'm still obsessed with CEs for most of the games I play. Zelda was an exception because it isn't my favorite series, and I've only played BotW for about 30 minutes so far... so having the CE for TotK didn't feel that important to me, nor did it look very impressive in the pics I saw. Now that you've shown it to us, though, it looks surprisingly nice!
The stress of getting CEs can be a lot... I remember when Shin Megami Tensei V came out. The preorders for the Fall of Man edition were announced for a very specific time on a very specific day. ATLUS really screwed the pooch there, releasing it hours later without any warning, and didn't limit the number of copies per order, so it was sold out in two minutes and huge fans like me were devastated. I ended up having to pay about 2.5x the price to buy a preorder from an eBay scalper because even though I don't want to support scalping, ATLUS games are games where not getting my mitts on the CE would be too upsetting to even imagine.
Same with Fire Emblem (after Fates, because unfortunately, by the release of Fates, I wasn't into CEs). I missed the Nintendo Direct FE: Engage announcement and my chance to get a CE, so again I had to pay a stupid amount of money for what was a so-so CE overall.
Some CEs are ridiculously overpriced these days... the base game is about $60 and the CE can go upwards of $300. It's crazy to think that I'm spending that much money on a game, but half of the fun for me are the collectibles and displaying my CEs.
My absolute biggest CE disappointment recently was the Persona 5R port to Switch with the +1 More Edition. The CE shipped as a big, bulky, stilly looking, floppy cardboard chest that doesn't fit anywhere nicely in my collection due to the unusual size, and it just didn't have much that was exciting included. Two of my recent CEs that I really loved were Soul Hackers 2 and Night of the Holy Witch. I'm really looking forward for the Night in the Woods CE as well, as I am a bunch of NIS releases. I hate it when companies half-ass a CE by throwing in a soundtrack and a tiny little paperback 28 page art book and then charge 50% more.
Fantastic video, I rarely go for collector editions these days. Is that the FF7 REMAKE Collectors edition next to you on your shelf?
It is indeed! I haven't played it yet 😂 🙈
So sad I missed out on the Xenoblades 3 CE - I understand it was hard to get hold of in North America, but I think the stock was even lower in Europe, so they were all gone before I could even add them to the shopping cart. Though, I'm happy to have preordered the Final Fantasy XVI SE, which comes with a world map printed on a cloth canvas :)
I'm not a big collectors' edition collector, but given how much I've been enjoying Tears of the Kingdom and how nice the collectors' edition looks I kinda wish I had ordered it. The hours of enjoyment/price ratio seems like it will justify the cost.
That's a good way to look at it! Time well spent :)
Aside from collectors i remember trying to pre order ps5s, you really had to keep an eye on twitter and stuff because for amazon people were able to make a link that just put the PS5 in your cart before the URL for ps5 even went online. So when Amazon's ps5 page finally went up for preorder they were already sold out. Some times things like that happen for these collectors editions and it's so annoying.
The PS5 buying process was such a mess! I've found it a bit annoying when listings sell out so quickly too before they're supposed to go live.
I very rarely get them as my space is so limited and it's rare they include anything I want. Only time I made sure to get it was for the Fire Emblem Fates as it was the only way to get the full game physically. Only one I wish I had gotten was Ni No Kuni for PS3 as it came with all kinds of stuff like the full Wizard's book.
I went to a midnight release at GameStop and they were doing trivia for a chance to purchase one of the 15 CEs they had. I actually knew the answer to one of the questions that nobody answered (What was the name of Ganon’s alter ego in LTTP?), but I didn’t answer since I hadn’t planned on spending that Much. Anyways, I felt some regret the next day About not getting it. I mostly just wanted the art book. I hope they’ll release a Creating A Champion type book and I can just pick that up.
Regarding the game, it’s a little overwhelming how big the game is and how much there is to do, but I’m loving the depth of the story and side quests. The game is also quite a bit more challenging than BOTW. It’s definitely going to be a slow burn for me, as well.
I wish they included something special like the master sword in BOTW but I love hardcover artbooks so I'm happy with it.
Where did you get your large Pyra & Mithra statue? It's awesome
You can pick these up from local shops like GoodSmile US right now or import them from Japanese shops like AmiAmi, Mandarake, etc.
Awesome video Emily 👌👌
Zelda and Final Fantasy are my two favorite game series so I don’t mind spending money for those CE’s. With that being said it’s been a VERY expensive two months or so with both coming out; especially the FF CE, but I needed to get that massive statue!
It's not the same but Google translator can live translate text filmed with your camera. It replaces the text inside the picture (you don't even have to take a picture, just watch it through your camera with the translator app) 💟
I think it's worth it for sure I'm also happy I was able to get it but it was hard to get with all the scalpers. So far I love it and it currently is my favorite game
Glad to hear you're enjoying TotK a lot too :)
Had to get the xenoblade series from scalpers (i know im not alone here), but they did handle the collectors editions for the tears of the kingdom well. I got mine during the midnight release. I was 5-12 people to receive one. Totally think it’s worth it. It’s a beautiful box.
It was nice how available TotK CE was in comparison for sure! I still see copies being sold at retail online in waves.
@@orbalology Yeah! Definitely a step up, and a lesson learned on how other companies should release their collectors editions too. I feel like anybody who wanted one didn't have to worry too much about it. Great video as always. Looking forward to your next unboxings!
The xenoblade chronicles pre orders were such a headache. I'm far happier with the full artbooks anyways so i've been being better about opting out of the collector's editions. It's silly but I find myself getting FOMO about the box and steelbook itself
Same lol. Those holographic boxes & steelbooks are difficult to resist 😂
I also was able to obtain the CE of Zelda totk. I love the steel poster that was included. I find it hard how to hang cloth posters. However, this steel poster comes with a super sticky magnet to hang it, which takes away the worry about hanging the poster. It just snaps on and off.
I forgot to add I look for art books, music CDs, and figurines with collector's editions. I am waiting to start Zelda totk. I am going to finish atelier ryza 1 first.
Zelda is my favorite game series, so this was a no brainer for me. This is my 2nd special edition game I got for the Switch; the first being Metroid Dread. I went all out for Zelda. I got the OLED, the SPC, and the CE of the game. I'm about a week in, and I'm really enjoying TotK so far. I just wish they bring back classic dungeons. I feel like they can do it with the openness with BotW and TotK too. I'm also not the biggest fan of Ultrahand. It's neat that it's in the game, but it can be tedious to build some things in the game. I know Autobuild is a thing. I just unlocked it a day or so ago, but if they want vehicles, just give us vehicles. We already have a motorcycle.
Hey Emily, just wanted to clarify about that RE4 remake thing, especially since I was one of those individuals who had their preorder cancelled. GameStop said it was supposed to be an online exclusive. So even though myself and probably hundreds of others preordered it in store, we were never supposed to be able to do that. Which is messed up! Since we weren’t told that until almost two weeks before release! GameStop also said they did oversell online as well and that was a result of their move from whatever old accounting/inventory software to SAP so it created a discrepancy in inventory so some online orders were also cancelled. Their handling of it was absolutely abysmal! In my opinion, they should wiped the slate and completely started over in terms of the preorder to give EVERYONE a chance instead of cancelling all in store and some online. Like that’s so unfair. It definitely has made me reconsider ever doing a preorder from GameStop ever again. I like how Sony is handling the Spider-Man 2 collectors edition and even how they handled ps5’s in general with the lottery to be selected to buy it as it does deter scalpers efforts. I also like preordering from Best Buy and unfortunately realize GameStop may again get exclusives which I guess I’ll be forced to get second hand or just live with FOMO and get over it. I also liked how Nintendo handled TotK’s collectors edition. Not only did they produce enough to satisfy demand, they said they would guarantee people had the opportunity to get the collectors edition in store on day 1 for not only those who preordered but even for those who did not. They didn’t say how many would available but just that it would be which was good on Nintendo! I was lucky to get TotK CE at target and didn’t learn of the preorder until we’ll after it was sold out online. And that target I went to had like 15+ CE’s so everyone in line that I saw was able to get one! So that was amazing! I really think stores should not be able to make it exclusive. CE’s should be available at multiple stores.
I just got Zelda TOTK CE! It’s my first CE! Ordered it through Best Buy on release day. I was shocked to get through.
Sadly it had a small fine line on the back of the box, where someone must have sliced a little too deep in the shipping box with their box cutter. Luckily it barely grazed it and didn’t cut it. From arm’s length you can barely see it. 😅
I also just received my second CE. I bought Mushihimesama for switch. Love my shmups, and have never owned a physical copy of it. Another sad story though. I didn’t realize it came with a collector card in the box the guy shipped it in, and I threw it away. So I’m 0-2 with CE’s so far, but I’m not done yet! I’m about to order Eschatos for switch 😂
Addictive hobby.
I think it’s great you open your CE’s. I too am not in it to flip it for profit. I just want to enjoy the contents rather than let them sit inside a box I just paid over 100.00 for. Thanks Emily for the review. I was wondering if somebody else liked this TOTK edition as well. Makes me feel like my first CE was worth it!
I have a a few CE just for those games I feel are really worth while. Zelda, Xenoblade, Fire Emblem etc.
Para algumas edições gostaria da possiblidade de comprar os itens separados como é o caso do CD da trilha sonora do Mario + Rabbis SOP que é muito boa. Parabéns pela aquisição muitas pessoas estão comprando essa edição de Zelda.
I agree, it would be nice to purchase some things like soundtracks or art books separately instead of having to buy the full package. And thank you!
I don't normally buy collectors editions but will buy them sometimes for games that I enjoy.
I remember trying to get the Pokémon scarlet/violet oled switch last year and I could not pre order it anywhere and gamestop made it so you have to be in line when they open to get one. My saving grace was the fact that I work overnight and was able to get there after I got off work, but it’s getting ridiculous what you have to do for these kinds of things.
Great video as always, Emily!
For me, personally, seeing the increase of prices of these CE's while at the same time seeing the decrease of the quality of the CE's really sucks. It's a combination of the fact that it's either the contents are low quality (i.e. cheap pins, sound selections, digital code only games, etc.), they are too unwieldy to be displayed or used (i.e. statues), the game itself is mediocre or bad, or a combination of all of them.
Combined with the fact that a good chunk of companies are already charging $70 for a standard game (which personally, I will never buy a game for that price, I'll just wait for sales lol), which therefore, impacts the prices of these CE's (CE's used to be at a price range of $80-$100, now they are $150-$200), and the active push for a digital only future, really makes collecting (and playing for that matter) games for many people a pain in the bum now lol.
Hey boo. I like CE even more now than before because physical media is soon to be a thing of the past. I have the SF6 CE pre-ordered it'd $250 at Gamestop. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder same goes for the worth of CEs. My favorite CE is Elden Ring.
Great job Emily.
Great video!
Thank you :)