Link: https://www.ign.com/articles/150-god-of-war-laufey-collector-box-revealed-no-game-included

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

Found this interesting listing during my research: https://en.everybodywiki.com/List_of_video_game_collector_and_limited_editions

Marathon as well: https://bungiestore.com/products/marathon-collector-s-edition-no-game-code/MAC24001-100

It's a single platform game. The idea of a platform "agnostic" merch box is idiotic.

Braindead take.

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.

How detailed is the statue....

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.

What other games did this?

Woosh

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.

You're right 100%. To me, it's the an edition then, it's a bundle at best.

Idiots will buy anything

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?

This could easily not be sarcasm.

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.

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

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.

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?

That would be awesome

Ugh.

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.