God of War Laufey is the next big game to get a collector box without the game itself.
Does two high profile releases make a trend?
If so, I don’t like this trend.
God of War Laufey is the next big game to get a collector box without the game itself.
Does two high profile releases make a trend?
If so, I don’t like this trend.

I really really really want to play this game. I won’t though, because fuck Sony.

Depending on how you feel about things, PS5 emulation (wrong word, but gets the idea across) is actually gaining steam now
So give it a little time and play it away from a PS5 console?
I mean yeah obviously, by now they’ve bougth the previous gow games 😂
Up until the ps3 era I really enjoyed God Of War, I only bought a ps4 to play the “new” one when it came out and it sucked. I was so pissed I wasted my money on a console to play such a trash game. I’ve not played one since.
They advertise THE BOX. You got the box. They even put some statue there or something. Why so dissatisfied? :)
Does two high profile releases make a trend?
I mean, from Sony’s own mouth, it is. They’re done with discs, it’s the whole big controversy lately. Physical collector editions will be nothing more than a bundle of game tchotchkes that may or may not come with a code to download the game itself.

This is not just about no physical disc, though. This is about a game’s collector’s edition not even coming with the game itself, physical or digital.
Yep, hence the “may or may not” part of my statement. The practice not entirely new either, since a few publishers have been doing that for a while now as a “platform-agnostic” way to handle collector editions. Just weirder for Sony, since they only have one platform they’re releasing on, but presumably they want it to be interpreted as giving the “choice” (read: opportunity to give us more money) for people to also choose between the standard and digital deluxe edition.
Sony did it for Spider-Man before this: https://tech.yahoo.com/gaming/articles/collectors-editions-without-game-good-200013882.html
Happened for Dragon Age Veilguard: https://kotaku.com/dragon-age-veilguard-collectors-edition-rooks-coffer-1851623607
Diablo 4 as well: https://www.psu.com/news/diablo-4-limited-collectors-edition-costs-nearly-100-but-doesnt-include-the-game-itself/
There’s a bunch more, but that’s just what I grabbed in a couple mins of searching.
You’re right 100%. To me, it’s the an edition then, it’s a bundle at best.

Not a new thing with Sony: https://culturedvultures.com/sony-collectors-editions-without-discs-ps5-ps4/

Hasn’t this been a thing for a while now? Some Collectors Editions don’t include the game, because people that buy them usually want to play immediately, but those boxes might only arrive after launch. People would have to buy the game twice, so this way they can get the normal edition first and then “complete” it with the rest of the Collectors stuff.
I think Blizzard has done some stuff, where you get Battle.net credits, when you activate the Collectors Edition code, on an account that already has the digital game. This is a better system imo, but doesn’t make sense for every game. Dunno if this is only for WoW or they still do it though.
Why? It’s a platform agnostic merch box. If you like the price for the merch, get it, if not, don’t. If anything, it emphasises that there’s no need to preorder the game, even if you want the CE merch.
It’s a single platform game. The idea of a platform “agnostic” merch box is idiotic.
It’s a single platform game so far, and it makes the box viable as an option for people who already got the game and later decide they want the merch if they don’t sell out right away.
Even if it had none of those advantages, it also doesn’t make anything worse for the customer.
Sony has already announced that they’ll no longer release ports to any other platforms. Unless that changes, it will always be a single platform game.
it makes the box viable as an option for people who already got the game and later decide they want the merch if they don’t sell out right away
It’s a limited stock product being sold before the game even releases. They will sell out. If you buy it later you’ll be paying scalper prices.
Virtually all of this is subject to Sony changing their mind and they have all their bases covered “just in case” this way.
Even if it had none of those advantages, it also doesn’t make anything worse for the customer.
Yes, it does make things worse. Did you notice that this doesn’t even come with a steelbook? Collector’s editions always came with both a steelbook and the game itself. First they removed the disc as part of the package but kept the steelbook, now they are “discontinuing” discs altogether, and you say that it’s ok? Do you enjoy getting screwed over? There’s no excuse to not even include a digital copy. Do you know of anyone that would buy this but not actually play the game? You’re either a bot shilling for corporations or extremely submissive and/or gullible.
How am I getting screwed over? There is a product (the merch) and a price for the product. If you don’t like it, don’t buy it. Why are they not allowed to just sell a box with merch?
Do you know of anyone that would buy this but not actually play the game?
Probably not, but who am I to judge. Everybody who buys the merch can still also buy the game on whatever medium is available. If the game was included, the price would be higher. If a download key was included, people who want a physical disc would be unhappy. If a disc was included, people who want all digital would be unhappy.
The median price was always 150-200 USD and all collector’s editions used to include a game copy (physical or digital). What they’re doing is taking stuff out and keeping the price the same. Accepting this as a consumer, again, is extremely dumb and submissive.
Everybody who buys the merch can still also buy the game on whatever medium is available.
You mean digitally. That’s the medium they can control even after you’ve paid for the game so that’s the only one they want you to have.
Even if there’s not a PC version, it works out better to let buyers choose disc or digital for themselves (assuming this game gets a physical release, which I don’t know if it will).
I don’t think splitting the trinkets from the game is so bad, unless this merch box is priced like there’s a game in it. I mean broadly, more modular options are good.
Edit: Quick search says the game is supposed to get a disc. So yeah, I’d say selling the collector items separate from the game is probably for the better.
Except that steelbooks are normally included with collector’s editions and most of them included the disc as well. Cost is also not lower than usual, son elighten me, what’s the upside here?
The GoW Ragnarok collector’s edition was apparently 200 w/ the digital game, this box is 150 without a game. Adjusting for the fact that the world sucks and everything costs more, seems about right to say they’re not charging for the missing game? (Tho I’d still say both are overpriced.)
I wouldn’t want a digital copy of a game, but I know many people would. That’s the upside, is that people can buy whichever version of the game they want separate from the extras.
Steelbook is a weird one to exclude, and I can understand the frustration if that’s something you want and they’re not making one.
The ragnarok version actually did not include the game. Only a steelbook for you to put the game in if you bought it separately. I think both are overpriced for what they are.