To C.E. or not to C.E.

One of the latest 'incentives' to sell games by video game publishers aside is the infamous Collector's Edition. The usually have a special packaging, may or may not contain some plastic figure, statue, art-book, soundtrack or extra character and run you an extra $10-$20 on top of the normal $59.99.

The quality of said bonuses vary but the majority are 'worthwhile' if you are fan of the particular game. While some publishers merely throw a tin can with a code for redeemable mp3s or something (Demon's Souls, I'm looking at you) Others go a little further and have the nice cases, or a huge statue or figure (Skyrim's dragon statue, and Marvel v Capcom 3) Either way I must admit to being a sucker for steel-cases and statues. Being a 'Geek' I feel like a lot of us do, and the bonus figures and whatnot often look cool displayed on your desk or shelf. Nevertheless, I have been burned in the past, namely on that blasted Halo 3 CE that was half the cost of an Xbox, and only real draw was a scale Spartan Helmet, which you couldn't even wear.That particular rarity could be found littering the aisles of most major retailer for years after, and often at bargain basement prices.

Damn you Master Chief!

Bookends are now a trendy CE bonus

This is not to disway my fellow gamers from buying collectors editions, if you are a fan of the game, and have a little extra to spend, great. But one thing you should probably realize, is that they will probably not go anywhere in value, as they aren't 'Collectors' items in the true sense. And function mainly to grab a little extra cash from our pockets.

The one motto I try to live by, is that if something says that it's a Collector's Edition, then it's probably not. As these things are something that's intrinsically natural in and of itself. That misprinted baseball card, or low print run comic book that becomes famous for something later on down the road are things that become valuable or a collector's item, not a video game direct from a manufacturer with a sticker slapped on it that says so.

So long as we realize this, though, and don't mind parting with the extra scratch, go for it. At least I do from time to time.