I know I'm not the only one with a collector's edition addiction. I remember with some level of dismay the amount of difficulty I had trying to track down a CE copy of Unreal Tournament 2004 when it was released way back when and much more recently my total inability to source a copy of the World of Warcraft: Burning Crusade CE. The demand for these special editions of games and the incumbent goodies they contain is definitely there and it appears to be growing. I'm fine with that. It is the response of game publishers to this demand that is starting to make me cranky.

I remember a time when a collector's edition of a game was something generally reserved for all but the most anticipated of titles. In a sense they truly were collector's items (although anyone expecting them to actually appreciate in value is clearly out of their mind), rarities of gaming goodness packed with extras a plenty to reward the faithful. The only titles that earned the right to have a collectors edition tended to be the latest entry in a long running series or the latest game from an esteemed developer such as Sid Meier.

These days it seems games are receiving collector's editions with the same level of gay abandon that sees the pop-stars go on a world-wide tour off the back of just one chart-topping single. Am I being a bit of a CE snob? I guess I am but the issue is largely moot since I can't help myself and I end up buying them anyway.

I look at my gaming desk and I see the Kane Edition of Command & Conquer 3, I see the Radiation Edition of Stalker, I see the shiny tin box of the Supreme Commander CE and more. Sure the return of CnC should be celebrated with a special version and yes, Total Annihilation fans have been holding out for Chris Taylor's return to the genre for some time. Hell I can even justify putting my pre-order down for the Legendary Edition of Halo 3 on the Xbox 360 (retailing at approximately $200) but Stalker? Sure it has been the victim of a lot of hesitant anticipation, and hell, it even turned out to be a very enjoyable game (see our review in PCPP #138) but are we talking the kind of game where the desire for which has reached the critical mass that demands a collector's edition?

I'd argue no.

A good collector's edition of a game used to be like Christmas. It was a rare event to be savoured; this alone is what made up much of the joy of the purchase (apart from the game of course). When I picked up the collector's edition of Unreal Tournament 2004 with its DVDs full of Unreal Ed Tutorials I knew I had bought something special, a thank you to the fans. When I buy a tin box with Stalker, an extra booklet and a DVD of videos most of which are already available on the net I think cash-in.

Of course I can't point my finger at the publishers in this instance. The problem, and therein the fault, is mine and mine alone. They keep shovelling out half-arsed collectors packs and I keep buying them. The demand is there and I'm the one demanding. Of course I could protest the dilution of the importance of collector's editions much more effectively than this blog and simply not buy them... but oh those tin boxes are so very, very shiny.