Gamer/Collector

Is there ever a point where you think you’ll stop gaming? I have delved into the deepest pits, and fought treacherous odds to find someone to predict the future for me. And when I got there, and asked “Will I? Will I ever stop gaming?”, and shook the round, black prognosticator – it said “It doesn’t seem likely”.

I ask this question on the heels of a (small) decision I made recently. Now, I made the addendum – small – because in the scheme of things it was a rather small decision. Now, for me, it was footprints on the moon. Prepare yourselves, you may want to sit if you aren’t:

I opted out of buying a collector’s edition for a game I truly love…

Feel free to take a moment to catch your breath before you keep reading. You’re okay? Well, let’s continue:

Now I fancy myself a pretty hardcore gamer (despite time constraints) and more than that – I’m a collector. I have Funko Pop! figure, Marvel action figures and a bunch of random gaming memorabilia that I’ve accumulated from dozens of collector’s editions. I also don’t trade in my games to EB, or whomever. You can see how I feel about that here. So on top of all of the collectibles, I have my games.

But do we get to a point where we just end up buying games to put on the shelf? I know that I don’t have anywhere near the time I used to, but I still continue to buy games. To my credit, I have reigned in how many games I buy and when I buy them. Rather than just grabbing them all at release – a lot of them get put on the back burner till things slow down.

Does there come a point where we lose the distinction of being a gamer, and become consumers? I mean, we’re always consumers. But there is definitely a difference between buying to have them, and buying to play them. If they’re all just going to end up on a shelf, at some point, this is you:

And, while the thought of owning all of those games is somewhat appealing, it’s just unrealistic.

Having moved across the country recently, I was able to purge a bunch of my old gaming stuff that I had stored in the basement. So I won’t end up in this situation any time soon.

The other reason I ask this question is: once upon a time we used to get a couple of big releases a year. Now, especially at this time of year, we get 3-4 AAA releases per month for at least 3-4 months. And, the industry has really started upping it’s game release wise. The release landscape has significantly changed in the last few years. I remember, having worked on the development side of things, that September to April was a dead time of year. Now, major releases are springing up in March (2017 will see the Switch and probably a Mario or Mario Kart game to go with it) and last May we had Overwatch to name a few.

So if we all buy the way I have for a long time, there must come a point where we have more games than we can feasibly play. Unless, of course, you’re all living my dream where someone pays you to actually play video games (which is what people thought I did for a living when I was a tester…and trust me, that’s not the case).

So do you consider yourself a gamer still? Do you still buy all of the collector’s editions with all of their fantastic plastic crap? Sounds off in the comments, tweet me, whatever. I’m curious to know. You con contact me here, here or send an e-mail here: theegogames@gmail.com. Please follow and subscribe.

As always, if there is a topic you want me to cover, shoot me a message, tweet me, leave a comment below and I will happily write it up.

– The Ego

Back again

Wow, I really kind of fell off of this. To my loyal readers, a heartfelt apology.

And what, can you possibly guess, has brought me out of hiatus? This.

So, I was very anxiously awaiting my copy of Fallout 4 today. I woke up early, just like I did as a kid at Christmas, refusing to do anything on the off chance that the mail would end up coming while I was elsewhere. Of course, that wasn’t the case. But you know, as well as I do, that if I had of done anything else, they surely would have come in the mean time. I was actually curious to see who would get it to me first, Amazon or Bestbuy. I was glad to see my faith in Bestbuy was not tried. Pretty disappointed in Amazon. I’m sure you’re wondering why I ordered two. Well, when something like this comes along, you want to make sure someone is going to fulfill that order. Worry not, fair readers, I don’t intend to scalp the second copy. When it finally shows, it’s going to a co-worker at the price I paid.

But here it is:

Now, I purposely kept myself from watching videos, reading articles, etc before the release. One of my co-workers tried to show me an unboxing video, and I had to walk away from him. But then it arrived. The article I posted had caught my eye, but before I’d read it, I wanted to unbox my own.

Now, I’m not going to say that the article is 100% in the wrong. Yes, the Pip Boy is made of plastic. And yes, it looks like plastic. But my question to the author, and to the people who have complained the same: What were you expecting? Did you think it was going to be a working, metal, futuristic Pip Boy?

Hell, even Todd Howard called it like it is. At the E word, he said: “As far as stupid gimmicks go, this is the best fucking one I’ve ever seen,”.

In defense of the article, yes, it is expensive. Yes, it’s “junk”. But if you’re buying this collector’s edition for any reason other than you love Fallout, then frankly, you need to re-think how you spend your money. Find me any game today that puts out a collector’s edition, where the statue or collectible isn’t plastic. Even some of the better one’s I own, Darksiders 2, Skyrim – the statues, masks, etc – suprise! Are all plastic…

Even the Portal gun that I purchased, and that cost me more than the Pip Boy edition (and I didn’t get a game or steelbook with it). Is it plastic? Yes. Is it incredibly well made? Well, not really. Is it cool? You bet it is.

I think people’s expectations have gotten too high. I know I’ve said it before and I’ve likely posted as much. The entitlement is getting to be a bit much. Far be it for me to say that x is worth x amount of money. I think that’s a value judgement that each person has to make for themselves. But the truth is, this is what you should come to expect when you buy a set like this. It’s never going to be the high-quality work of art that you want it to be. The Portal gun is a great example. If you want something that is built with a little more heavy-duty plastic, moving parts that function, and circuitry that serves a real purpose – expect to pay real money for it. And, again, this is just a bit of fan service. Something that you can throw up on a shelf, and take down once in a while to show off. Trust me, the Portal gun doesn’t come off of its stand very often.

I wish that opinion pieces would take a bit more time and thought. Rather than just writing a complaint off of the cuff. Sort of like this one.

I promise there’ll be more.

– The Ego

The (figurative) towel

When is enough, enough? I feel like I should be dragged (likely kicking and screaming and swearing) to some sort of gamers anonymous meeting. I just keep buying new stuff. So, here it is:

My name is The Ego, and I have a videogame buying problem.

Phew, now that that’s off my chest – I feel a hell of a lot better. Well, not really, but at least I can feel the acceptance flowing through me. And, I’m sure, since you’re reading this, you’re probably looking over at your wall, your entertainment center, or whatever you keep your mountain of games on – that you’re in the same boat as me.

So I guess the question we have to ask ourselves, is, is there a breaking point? Is there a moment (I ask because if there is, the line is so far away, I can’t see it) where we just say “enough”? I don’t know if that point will ever come for me. It may. It may. But frankly – I’m not sure I really want it to.

I think the problem that I’m starting to see is that getting that new game – whether it’s something that I’ve been anticipating playing, or some new game that just excites me in some way that I wasn’t expecting, I just don’t get that same feeling I used to get. I’m starting to feel a bit like this:

Yup.

That thrill, instead, is the replaced by a feeling of creating a real burden. Am I just adding to my pile of games to play, consuming because I am in fact, just a consumer? Or, am I just fooling myself into thinking “Yea, at some point I will get through all of these games”…I want to play them, I do. I like to think, and I’m sure my wife would agree, that I’m pretty good when it comes to controlling my spending and not wasting my money. I’ll reveal a little of my “personal” life: I don’t smoke, don’t do drugs and I rarely drink. So buying games is really my one vice. When I look at it like that, it’s a lot easier to stomach the concept of spending money on games (especially, like I said in an earlier post, if you shop smart like I do).

But should I throw it in? Should we all? Or, at the very least, is there a line in the sand? And to quote one of my favourite movies “across this line, you do not“. Trust me when I ask this, I do not take the question lightly. Not in these hallowed halls. I just wonder if there will be a day where I stand in front of a rack of games and just say: “Naw, I don’t want any of this”. I highly doubt it’ll happen – it certainly doesn’t seem to be one of those things on the horizon anyway.

Part of me thinks that my compulsion, and inevitable feeling of dread, spans from my being a collector at heart. As a kid, it was things like Marvel trading cards. You would hunt and trade and buy and such and eventually, you’d reach the end. You’d have a complete set. Gaming isn’t like that – but it kind of is. You don’t come to a point (at least, I don’t think so) where you say “Yep, I have them all”. It’s a continual art/consumer project. Which isn’t to say I use that term in a pejorative sense. It’s great that there are people out there who make a living masterly crafting these games. I wish (on a daily basis) that I was one of them.

So to anyone reading out there, don’t think that this is me giving up. It’s not really me calling the cease-fire. I want the games to keep coming – I do – I swear. All I’m asking is, will there be an end to it all? I hope not. This is one addiction I can stand to support indefinitely.

– The Ego

Tough choices

So, I’m sitting here, trying to decide what to do. I’m beset in one of those truly rare occurrences where I’ve been caught off-guard by a new release that I knew nothing about. That game, in this case, is Disgaea 5: Alliance of Vengeance. Now, I know some of you are probably thinking: Well it’s a pretty easy decisions, buy or don’t buy. Right?

Well, if things were ever that easy, I don’t think blogs, vlogs and review sites would even exist. Let me breakdown my problem for you. Maybe, and I hope this is the case, it’ll give me a bit of clarity, and maybe, just maybe, a reason for some of you to comment and weigh in. That would be most excellent. As an aside, I don’t really have anyone else to give me any advice. I generally only have the angel and devil on my shoulders. The angel, being my wife and my wallet telling me that I already have enough games to play. The devil being my co-workers and the other part of my conscience telling me I need to buy anything remotely interesting because I’m missing out on great experiences.

So here’s the deal:

1. There are times where games, not major AAA releases obviously, just don’t last in stores. In this case – my store only received four copies of Disgaea 5. Now, it may stay online for some time, and it may not. So I put a copy aside for myself while I took some time to look into the matter. If the game disappears, I’m going to have to hunt for it. And, frankly, that’s tedious at the best of times.
2. Money/time – Yes the age old battle. I think that’s sufficient.
3. Lack of review sites. Now, I know this isn’t a game that is going to be at the forefront of every gaming site. But it doesn’t mean that it doesn’t deserve a decent enough review. Now, I’m not going to tear down other people’s art or what have you, but the choices to see an in-depth review about a relatively unknown game are pretty lackluster. IGN, who devoted a whopping 2 minutes, but is barely able to justify why the game ranked an 8.7 or another review I saw on youtube, which is almost 10 minutes, but is choppily read without any kind of inflection – boring me so badly that I couldn’t finish it even though it probably held the answer to my dispute. Generally, I go to gametrailers.org for my reviews. They combine video evidence and a well formed script to actually (and articulately) explain the boons and failures of games. But they too often pass on reviewing smaller title releases. I guess I get it – can’t review everything (though, I’m sure they have the staff to). I know there are a lot of written reviews, and given that I, you know, write a blog, should probably impact me just as well. But when it comes to a digital media – I really do want to see something. Sites like Metacritic make it so easy too. Collecting all of the reviews together, and offering user reviews. But even sites like that, with a relatively unknown game, are lacking.
4. What else is out this month? That ended up being the next question I had to ask myself. What else have I pre-ordered for October? Fortunately, this is the smaller issue. Looks like I only have Assassin’s Creed out, so at least that’s not going to be the deciding factor. Course, I wouldn’t mind grabbing the Darksiders re-master. But it’s not enough of  a reason to put off a new title. November though…We all know how big that’s going to be.

As I close this out, I think I know what I’m going to do. It’s always easier to just say yes, and worry about the problem later. Eventually I’ll make it through my backlog. At least that’s what I tell myself to sleep at night. Post. Weigh in. I want you to.

–  The Ego

A question of ethics

Let me shake off the dust here. Been a while since I’ve posted. My apologies faithful readers, rest assured that things have gone back to normal in my life – which means more posts.

So here’s the topic du jour:

Consumer morality or, A Tale of Secondary Ethics.

That is: Is it ethical for a business to allow, nay, essentially facilitate a secondary market for their items?

Since the dawn of collecting, there have always been those people – if you can really call them that – I’d say most people on the receiving end would call them scum. I’m talking about the scalpers.

The people – without whom – we might actually be able to buy the concert tickets, action figures, Amiibos – what have you – without having to pay through the nose or compromise our principles to acquire.

So here’s my thought process, and you’re welcome to tell me I’m wrong: Being that I work selling Skylanders, Amiibos, etc – I try to limit people’s purchasing. I have no problem if someone is coming in to buy a whole wave of figures for themselves. But I won’t let someone come into my section and buy up a whole character. I know what they’re doing, and I’m not going to let them profit off of other people’s misery. I’ve been in a position many times where I could have kept or bought and flipped something for double or triple its value. The allure of money is most certainly tempting. That being said – it’s a total breach of my personal ethics.

I do see some retailers, Toy-R-Us for example, who have taken a stance on it at a store (and more likely) a corporate level. They know why people are coming in to buy 20 Meta Knights. But it is a bit of a sticky wicket. A moral quagmire, if you will.

Certainly, they are in it 100% to make money. And to a high extent – to make sure every customer leaves happy to influence future purchasing behaviour. The quandary comes in when you have to decide – at that higher level – which strategy is going to help more, or, burn less. Let’s weigh the pros and cons for both:

Letting the scalper scalp:

Pros

• Every product sold is revenue earned
• Selling out basically ensures replenishment
• More product sold = recognition for the store/management

Cons

• Allowing scalpers to purchase for re-sale is the tantamount to creating the secondary market first-hand
• Lack of stock for other customers – which leads to less people coming in looking for specific items
• Gives the store a bad reputation to the primary customer base
• Not having accessories like Amiibos means sales drop on the bigger ticket items that incorporate those accessories (read: consoles, software, etc)

Stopping the secondary market on the store level:

Pros

• Shows the customer that their needs are put ahead of numbers/statistics
• Equitable distribution of product, creating inherent good will in the customer’s mind
• Increase in sales of related products due to availability

Cons

• The possibility of clogging stock due to unsold units
• Angry scalpers (who, no matter how much you may dislike are still “customers”)

Now I know sometimes there are legitimate stock-shortages due to manufacturing/shipping difficulties. But the truth is that most businesses condone this behaviour because money is money. At the end of the day – all the people who are interested see is X dollar amount gained in X department. They don’t see (and I’m sure in some cases, they don’t care) how those numbers break down – or the ramifications thereof.

Maybe I’m more sensitive because I’ve often found myself having to contemplate giving in to the temptation of buying from scalpers in my various pursuits. Maybe I’m just echoing the thoughts of those I interact with. More likely the latter. Seeing the eyes of customers who are relieved to hear that I stand up for them even without knowing them, makes it all worthwhile. At the end of the day, it’s definitely about integrity. Mine, or the stores, but it should count for something.

– The Ego

Gone Fishin’

This isn’t something I’d say very often, but I feel it warrants it this time:

The gaming industry can kiss my ass. Seriously.

So, I go on vacation, and before I left, nothing going on. Literally nothing. You can tell that it’s a slow news day when you see IGN posting obscene amounts of fluff pieces about their opinions, or rumours that aren’t rumours, rumours about rumours or better still updates on pieces that are rumours about rumours and how no one has gotten back to them. That being the case for the last few weeks, I figured – well, at least while I’m away, I won’t feel bad about not updating my page, because nothing is going on.

And then today happens:

Pokemon Go! is announced, Fallout drops some knowledge on us and there are (possibly) substantial leaks about Kingdom Hearts 3…

Hence, my ass.

What a day?! So, here I am, sitting in a hotel room, 1AM, writing this up because these are seriously big topics. I’m going to regret the hour, but something has to go down on (virtual) paper.

I guess I’ll start with Pokemon Go!. So here I am, what, a month ago saying “Nintendo needs to step up and give us the Pokemon console we’ve all been begging for” *COUGH* self promotion *COUGH*. And then they go and do this.

Pokemon Go! Is as close as Pokemon will ever been to being real (I really hope that I’m wrong). Now, I know it’s kitschy and will likely be infinitely less fun than advertised. At least to the extent that I doubt people in my city will all be rushing into the town square to battle and (hopefully) capture Rayquaza. Though this is definitely, again, one of those places that I’m horribly wrong.

While a Pokemon MMO or something like it is still on my top 5 gaming wishlist, I think that this game will prove to be quite a bit of fun. Nothing fun:

But I think it’ll hold its own.

And I am the last person who is going to talk up a mobile game. Other than as a phone, the only things I use my S4 for are web surfing and listening to music. I’ve tried my hand, pun totally intended, at playing mobile games. I have Fallout Shelter going. Though, I’ll be honest, having a hard time seeing the fuss and this is coming from a total Bethesda mark. So, playing a Pokemon mobile game might prove to be lame or some kind of fad. Time will tell. But the idea of forcing me to get out and do stuff, and perhaps catch a Kingler? Sounds like a day for me. Plus, it gives me an excuse to go out for more walks, which will definitely make my wife happier.

Oh, and did you see what they’re releasing with it?

That’s a good enough excuse for me to dig out the olde’ Pokewalker. I hate watches, don’t do Fitbits, but I will get one of these. I wonder how cool it’ll look when I’m walking around with that, my pokewalker on my belt, and my Pipboy (fully functioning) on my wrist? I bet it’ll be awesome!

I just hope that the quality is there. I also hope this catches on better than I think it will. The biggest problem that the franchise has had so far is that it can’t keep up with the demand for something new, and it won’t go 100% the way fans want it to. My main concern is going to be around how much this game requires people to commune and actually play in the same general area. I can say, with 100% assurance, that I haven’t physically been in the same room to trade pokemon since 2011.

So, is the game there? Is the tech worth it? How long will it be until I turn the notifications off? Only time will tell. Till then, I will be warming a spot on my wrist. Yup.

– The Ego

A little unorthadox

This isn’t my usual type of posting. Normally, if you’ve been following from the start, or took the time to go back and read some of my earlier posts (if so, you totally rock) you’ll know that my posts are usually pretty topical – or are about some sort of gripe I have with the industry. Or, in the rare occasions, something I’ve noticed that a company is doing right.

In the last few weeks, I’ve been picking up a bunch of different games. This week past, I saw a game I wanted, come up on clearance, so I figured I’d go for it. It was the collector’s edition as well. Hell, go big or go home right? The contents seemed pretty cool – being a fan of the series. Oh, it was Elder Scrolls Online. Probably useful info going forward.

So I ordered it online, expecting it to show up on Friday. Figured by the time I got around to opening it, it’d be the weekend, and I’d have some good fodder. However, the postal gods were considerate – and got it to me on my day off. I get to the post office, and there is a massive (seriously, no hyperbole, massive) box with my name on it. Immediately, I figured it was one of those times where the company I bought it from was overly cautious and shipped it in a ton of packaging. I mean, look at this:

It looks pretty standard. Right? Well, it’s not.

That (^) is how big it is. The box is the size of a grown-man’s torso. Bethesda – That is how you do it!

I made a post not too long ago how I mostly pass on the collector’s editions now. The items are often not worth it, or the price is too high for what little physical mementos that are included. This, however, is the polar opposite. When my wife got home and saw it, she was under the impression that I had purchased a second PS4. Suffice to say, she was less than impressed. Being that A) I don’t need a second PS4 and B) She bought me my PS4 – I can’t say as I blamed her. However, when I explained to her, and opened the box to show her, she couldn’t get over the fact that all of this was to house a single game.

The box art is very nice. Nothing really special. It’s the same as what you’d get on the case of the standard box. That being said, it’s a nice box nonetheless. When you get it open, though, the case inside that’s protecting the various items inside, is very deep. It has a velvet-esque texture. Within you find it holding in the statue of Molag Bal, the game inside of a steel-case and the art book.

Now, so far as collector’s boxes goes, it’s pretty standard fair.

I will admit, the statue of Molag Bal was pretty awesome. Very high on the quality and the detail. Coming from the makers (I can only assume) of the Anduin statue – you’re getting something along the same lines. The size is good. Not something where you have to look at it and say “where the hell am I going to put this?” (though, to be fair, I asked that anyway…My house is basically full from top to bottom with this sort of stuff as is). But it’s also not so small that you question whether it was worth the extra cash.

The art book is where the set really shines. It’s hardbound, and laid out like the piece of art it is meant to be. Normally, I don’t get overly excited about this. As a matter of fact, I just found the one that goes to my Darksiders 2 CE, and well, it’s pretty lame. It’s a 3×5 book.

The only real lackluster item in the set was the steel-case. Could have used better art instead of just being maroon.

All in all, not bad.

– The Ego

Fadtastic

So, Skylanders, Disney Infinity and now Lego Dimensions.

The horizon seems more like an infestation than a boon. I won’t lie or pretend like I haven’t played it, don’t own it, etc – because I do.

The appeal of Skylanders, at first, was two-fold:

1. My wife agreed to play it with me if I bought it (and better yet, she ended up splitting it and the supplementary characters I bought).
2. I am a collector. The thought of having physical DLC that I could handle, display and appreciate – was pretty appealing.

The unfortunate truth, though, is both of those reasons were fleeting.

So, with 1, my wife had enough. Understandably. I put out a lot of time and effort in hunting these things, well after she lost interest. The truth is, when the figures were about 8$, it seemed okay. Grab the ones you want, pay a bit at a time, not a big deal. But then Skylanders: Giants came out. The Giants, of course, were huge and thus more expensive. 14.99$ was a hefty price tag for a small toy, but hell, there were only 8. Grabbing one at a time over a period seemed reasonable. But then Skylanders: Swap-Force came out. I kept it up. The prices, they also kept up. In other words, they got more and more expensive. Which seemed okay, again (you know, we can justify just about anything to ourselves), because the figures had new tech and were built a little better. But then the figures were 16.99$ and two per element…I kept it up, and I basically ended up buying almost all of them – mostly on the secondary market because the scalpers scalp well.

Then Skylanders: Trap Masters came out. So now it’s mini figures, regular figures, Trap Masters and traps. I knew the whole time that all of these things were a cash grab – and I didn’t care. But a man has his limits. You can imagine my opinion of the new annual release – Skylanders: Superchargers. I can only imagine what accessories you’ll have to buy beyond the vehicles.

The problem is, a game like this is tantamount to a virus. Once it settles, it spreads and multiplies. Which is way people convince themselves it’s okay to buy in droves, and in turn, sets a dangerous precedent for the publishers and developers.

So while I was busy buying and collecting a legion of Skylanders figures, Disney was hatching their own bundle of cash-grabbing monsters. Their concept, slightly different, but “compelling” enough to find a place for it in the market. With Disney buying both Lucas Arts and Marvel in a short period of time – it was obvious that they’d be making their Infinity debut eventually.

And then, like a classic 80’s wrestling match, a third contender is running down the isle to vie for the title.

Lego Dimensions. I get the appeal. The Lego games are way more fun that I’d have likely given them credit for before I’d engaged in a few of them. I was fortunate to be able to grab one of the Lego: Harry Potter games, I think I got Years 5-7 before 1-4, but I knew the series well enough to justify it. They’re easy, but compelling.

So, on that basis, I get why people would be interested. But the market is so saturated now with these toy/games. Something has to give. Given how little I see come into the store, and how little I see go out – I feel like the rug is about to be pulled out from under their collective feet.

It looks like the early fall is going to be a rumble in the jungle. All three games will be out within the same thirty day period. That being said, I feel it in my gut. I think this is going to be the year where the camel’s back is finally broken. Shelves are stocked and interest is waning. Hopefully we can all get back to business. Oh, and don’t get me started on Amiibos.

– The Ego

Better make a list

How does it even happen? Somehow I completely missed the fact that Dishonred – Definitive Edition is due out in less than a week. Maybe I’m slipping in my old age (30+ is old, right? I’m not wrong here?).

So here’s the question of the day: Do I keep it, knowing that I have it on my PS3, and all of the DLC that I haven’t even touched. Or, do I just pass (not so easily done), get around to it and finally finish it on my PS3?

I feel like buying it again – knowing I paid for DLC (which is annoying enough as is) and not finishing it will drive me crazy. I get hung up on weird stuff like this far too often.

At the same time: I have a hard time going back to my PS3 games. I don’t know what it is? Other than better graphics, and a more comfortable controller – there isn’t a whole lot of a difference. But whenever I go to play, and I get tired of waiting for a match to actually pair up in Evolve, I think: I should go play something else. Then, usually, I start getting a bit ADD with what I should play. I put something in I’ve played, or something that I’m nowhere near finished and then I get discouraged, turn off my console, put Netflix or Youtube on the TV, and just browse the web.

So I just endless flip back and forth between Evolve and Farcry.

The worst part of trying to make this decision, is probably that this is just one example of the problem. Every day I see the bright pink case of the DMC just sitting there, all seductive and all. Telling me: “Don’t feel bad about not finishing me on PS3…Just buy me again and I’m sure someone will buy your old copy”.

If I hadn’t of bought the DLC for the game, I don’t think this would be a question I’d even be asking. I would just buy it. But, the problem is, (aside from the money) it sets a bad precedent. Both for myself, and for the industry. I think we’re all a little too comfortable with the way DLC has worked for some time. Game of the year editions, definitive editions, etc have become the norm. When Borderlands 2 was out, and to a lesser extent the Pre-Sequel – I figured: Why bother? It’s a guarantee that they will release an edition, either the same price, or cheaper with everything on disc. And I haven’t been disappointed yet.

It’s probably something worth replaying regardless. Looking at it that way makes it an easier pill to swallow. But then I think about getting the trophies – ha. That’s at least two playthroughs. Can’t do it.

Even as I write this – the decision is getting clearer and clearer. It’s a fringe benefit to writing this blog. I don’t really have anyone who I can use as a sounding board. My wife will just tell me I don’t need another game. She’s right of course – to an extent. Can’t tell her that of course. None of my friends are real gamers and customers aren’t about to weigh in on the issue.

I know a lot of the time, I ask questions in this blog that are either rhetorical, or posed for (philosophical) effect. But this is one of those rare occasions where, writing down my problem, actually gave me a good idea of what I need to do.

I think at a later date, if I have the time, I will get it. For the time being – I think if I get the hankering to pick it up again, I’ll just force myself to work through that DLC of my own volition when I have the extra time to take care of it.

Wow, that feels good. Closure. It’s a nice change. I think we should do this more often…Did this just get weird? Yea, it really did.

– The Ego

Batteries (not) included

I love, yes love, collector’s editions of games. I have belt buckles, masks, statues and stickers. I think I even have a Kingdom Hearts keychain batting around somewhere. For a very long time, I would pre-order and hunt for basically every special edition that I could get my hands on. The few I regret not getting: Splatterhouses’ mask, the Alduin statue from Skyrim, the bobblehead/lunchbox from the Fallout 3 set and most of all: the Borderlands 2 loot chest. I came pretty close to shelling out the cost on the set when I found one on kijiji. But I didn’t.

With that in mind – I find myself getting pickier and pickier about which sets I’m going to pick up. Part of it: It’s getting way too expensive to just pick it all up. I mean, when I was doing it in the hay day of collecting, the prices of collector’s editions were somewhere in the area of 90-120$. Now, they barely add anything worth picking up (in most cases) and the prices are sky-rocketing. And frankly, I think that they’d have a pretty hard time justifying the price tags.

Compare this:

To this:

Now, granted, the Borderlands set ran somewhere around the 200$ mark (at least in Canada), but something that was 1.5 or 2x the cost of the WoW set – you’re getting a lot more bang for your buck. I like Blizzard, and the packaging and digital stuff is cool. The only thing is: Aside from the digital, and the box, all you’re getting for your extra money is a mousepad and a soundtrack.

Another great example of something worth the money is the new Fallout Pip Boy edition. Look at this thing:

So, it’s a Pip Boy and box I can display. Check.
Amazing videogame collectable. Check.
It actually functions with a smartphone and app. Seriously?

At 160$ – this is a license to print money. It’s no wonder that it sold out within the hour of being posts on Bestbuy and Amazon.

Todd Howard put it best when he said: “As far as stupid gimmicks go, this is the best fucking one I’ve ever seen,”. I don’t envy the people on the buying end of the secondary market.

If this is going to be an on-going trend, other companies need to step up their game. Mousepads, stickers and dinky bobbles are the collector’s prizes of yesteryear. They are going to have to be economical, they are going to have to be something that doesn’t take up an obscene amount of space and they are going to have to be next-level fun. If they can manage that, and I definitely think it’s in the realm of possibility (Bethesda is proof in the pudding). I get that not every edition will come with something that actually functions. Statues aren’t bad. Alduin would look awesome on my shelf – as awesome as anything made of plastic can be. It has to be fantastic. I’ve always liked about half of the pack-ins for the Assassin’s Creed sets. But there are only so many statues of their protagonists that I can reasonably handle. Especially since they’ve all kind of been duds since Ezio…

I hope, going forward, that companies take what Bethesda is doing and step their game up. Assuming they’re going to continue the trend. And why not? People will buy them and the manufacturing of a plastic statue, mousepad, some digital content or a steelbook is a low cost with high margins.

I know this is just a fan mock-up, but look at this:

I dare you to tell me that sucks. I’m not even a huge Star Wars mark, and I would happily display a cool stormtrooper helmet on my shelf.

I’ve already gone way over my image budget, but this:

Yup. If this was an Xbone exclusive set, I’d buy the console for it.

Both helmets, and the rest of the plastic that I have, and will continue to buy, will all look great next to my portal gun. Whooosh.

– The Ego