540°

Sony Selling Collector's Editions Without Discs Is Just Baffling

There's been a recent trend of Collector's Editions launching with just a voucher in the box, and that's a bit silly.

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culturedvultures.com
Neonridr684d ago

my guess is it's to save on manufacturing costs. I believe with Horizon 2, there were no differences between the PS4 and PS5 versions which means they don't have to create separate editions. Just include a digital code for either and away you go.

Personally I think it's ridiculous. At the very least if this is the direction you are going, then get rid of the steelbook and give us something else in its place. It's a slap in the face to give us an empty case to put on our shelves.

Stanjara684d ago

Manufacturing costs??? Do you know how much merch is in that collector edition?
They don't want to give you digital and physical game in the same box...

I don't understand why.

Eonjay684d ago (Edited 684d ago )

I think I get it but what they are doing is taking the easiest way out. So the issue is that the Collectors Editions are meant to service PS4, PS5 and PS5 digital edition. This way everyone is covered with one SKU.

A better solution would be having a physical collection and a digital collection and hope to God that if someone is buying as a gift that they get the right one. I think they have attempted to idiot proof it and give one digital SKU with PS4 and PS5 codes included.

It's not really that baffling. And it's not related to costs.

Christopher684d ago

***I don't understand why.***

That's pretty easy to understand why they don't give you both, they don't want to give you two copies of the game. A digital code assigns the copy to your PSN account, the disc doesn't but validates based on the disc being in the drive and can be resold.

Bobertt684d ago

It's because they want to push people to go digital only. They make more money and you can't share or resell it so they will increase sales even more.

Neonridr684d ago

I'm saying it just makes it easier for Sony to make X number of collectors editions and not have to worry about breaking them up into PS4 physical, PS4 digital, PS5 physical and PS5 digital. Make one SKU and then be done with it.

RauLeCreuset684d ago

"It's because they want to push people to go digital only."

I doubt it in this case. They're going to sell out of the collector's edition. There's no need to worry about resales affecting other collector's edition sales. I doubt they're worried about resells affecting regular edition sales. Who gets a collector's edition and only resells the disc?

Neonridr is probably right about them only wanting to make the one SKU. My opinion is they should go physical if they can only do one SKU. It's a physical product. Digital PS5 owners knew or should have known what they were getting into when they saved on the initial purchase price by going digital.

anubusgold683d ago

Companies have been doing this for the last 10 years i go to the store to buy a hard copy of the game only to find a stupid code in it. Alot of us have bandwith caps or slow speeds and would like to avoid the massive downloads some games take.

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 683d ago
-Foxtrot684d ago

The issue is it's a collectors edition, the bread and butter of these are things you can collect and it's always a draw for people who purchase physical games

Yeah there's people who are digital who probably are downbeat there's never any collectors editions with digital codes but the thing is it's a minority

How can you include a steelbook then put in a digital code, especially when the first games collectors edition had a similar steelbook and included the game.

It's a horrible practice and it's something that needs to stop

It's easier to sell a game disc at launch, gain that money back and buy a digital copy than the other way around.

684d ago Replies(2)
Eonjay684d ago

Um no don't get rid of the steel boxes and it isn't a slap in the face when you are a calm and reasonable person and know what's happening. It's actually easier that choosing to be offended.

Neonridr684d ago

what's the point of the steelbook though? It's just a fancier case to hold your disc in it. If it's digital then why include it? Put something else in its place.

Eonjay684d ago

Clearly I am really, really fond of steel boxes lol. It's no joke. I like to display them. It's my thing and I don't want to give it up.

Neonridr683d ago

@Eonjay - that's fair, I love the look of them too. I just like being able to use what it's intended for too :P

VenomCarnage89683d ago (Edited 683d ago )

I love steelbooks too Eon, but displaying an empty steelbook in my collection would feel retarded

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 683d ago
Lifexline684d ago

Lol it doesn’t matter the reason they should include a disc. Any other company did this and everyone would be so mad but Sony gets a pass on some things for some reason.

Mobis-New-Nest684d ago

This collectors edition should have come with PlayStation Plus Premium. If I'm just getting digital copy with no physical disc then you have to include it in the PlayStation Plus Premium subscription, no questions asked. Sony needs to start catering to my needs or your not in my good books anymore. Fix it now.

himdeel684d ago

Not baffling. Cost effective.

Because:

Money.
Game doesn’t run from disc because they are just a vehicle for the download or access to a digital key to run the game.
Less cost to not manufacture disc.
They want you to Move to digital.
Money.
Money.

dumahim684d ago

A blu-ray disc literally costs a dollar to make. A steelbook case, which most people seem to agree, is absolutely stupid without a disc certainly costs more than a dollar to make. If being cost effective was the point, they'd just leave out the steelbook case.

HyperMoused684d ago

Manufacturing costs.......they are producing a steel book that is useless, you already get the game so would have to buy the game again, (which i would be betting is the plan yeah, the hard core fans will buy it twice)

badz149684d ago

While people are already talking about the upcoming GoWR CE, I'm here still salty that my Uncharted 4 CE didn't come with the Triple Pack that gives you The Lost Legacy which comes with the Digital Deluxe Edition of the game. what gives??

I also bought the Spidey PS4 Pro and it comes with the DLC for the game which are very nice.

now, call me whatever, but I would love for them to sell the CE without the game at all because I want to buy whatever version of the game but still want to enjoy the CE which are usually very expensive early on and can be found cheaper down the road - win-win for the consumer...I think.

dumahim684d ago

There's no way it's about costs. A disc is very cheap. Certainly cheaper than making the steelbook case for it. The biggest edition of this is probably going to be like $250. They're not going to sweat over a $1 disc.

683d ago
Neonridr683d ago

it's just easier to make all editions the same. Include digital codes for either machine and just make one collectors box. I didn't mean the cost of making a disc, just the logistics of having to make 4 different SKUs vs 1.

DarXyde683d ago (Edited 683d ago )

If they're worried about the cost, charge more.

It makes no sense to have a premium edition of a game without a physical copy. Such a weird way to cut costs.

TheLigX683d ago (Edited 683d ago )

I think they do this so that the digital edition ps5 owners can buy it and actually play the game.

+ Show (10) more repliesLast reply 683d ago
gangsta_red684d ago

I never understood any collector's edition that sold everything but the actual disc. It just never made sense to spend all that money for physical everything (statues, books, etc) else but the actual game disc all this is based on.

684d ago
-Foxtrot684d ago

Rockstar had the right idea with Red Dead Redemption II

You could only get it on their official website

You chose the Collectors Box and you could then bundle it with the special edition which included the Steelbook, this allowed you to choose your version, Xbox, PS or PC. You could even buy the box separate.

Sony are just being lazy, they have official website stores so they could easily do the same thing.

Christopher684d ago

Mix and match would have been optimal. Or, why not just sell CE elements on the side at release and then sell a steelbook version and non-steelbook version of the game?

Christopher684d ago

In this case, it's because Sony has an all-digital PS5 version, which means if they put the disc copy in, those owners can't play it. If they put the digital code in, everyone can though some people have to deal with data caps to play it. If they put both in, you're getting two copies of the game, which is a loss of a sale to them.

Elda684d ago (Edited 684d ago )

Sony just needs to make PS4,PS5 & digital only collector editions.The digital-only editions should have something else in place of a steel book. The PS4 & PS5 editions should have the discs & no digital code. It's not at all difficult especially knowing these collector editions are limited.

gangsta_red684d ago (Edited 684d ago )

Okay, that does make sense. But at the same time can't Sony just have a legal type disclaimer for digital PS5 owners that the Collector's Edition has a disc is included? Or even two versions?

Since this is a physical release i would think more people would assume that a Collector's Edition has a disc included.

Lightning77684d ago

Yep same thing with the Halo Infinite xbox edition. A digital code for that works across all systems. Convenience is key.

RauLeCreuset684d ago

That's the drawback to going digital. It shouldn't fall on those who paid more for a physical to then receive a lesser physical collector's edition. Digital console owners can buy a digital deluxe edition or whatever special digital edition there is. It won't come with some of the physical perks, but, again, that's the difference between going digital and going physical.

@gangsta_red

"But at the same time can't Sony just have a legal type disclaimer for digital PS5 owners that the Collector's Edition has a disc is included?"

They wouldn't have to do that much. They don't do it for normal physical copies.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 684d ago
IMissJimRyan684d ago

If those fans are buying, there's no reason for a capitalist company spend more on a product.

shaenoide684d ago

Sad...but true. Or sad because it's true.

Eonjay684d ago (Edited 684d ago )

I don't think that's the issue. I think the issue is that they are trying to address 3 different systems with one collector's Edition. It wouldn't make sense to put in a code, a PS5 disc and a PS4 disc. And the code needs to be there for PS5 digital edition users.

dumahim684d ago

Then it'd also make sense to just not even include the steelbook in the first place.

CrimsonWing69684d ago

What’s even weirder is they include the steelbook. Like, is this a joke to them?

MIDGETonSTILTS17684d ago

I went all digital for this gen, and I still want the steelbook ONLY for GoW 2. You see, the first game came with a very similar, and equally cool steelbook. So, having both makes them both cooler. Ditto for the map and “carved” figures.

I’ll sell the record and pins.

The box is huge, but no more dumb than my Death Stranding case for my baby lamp… one will be stored on top of the other 🤗

CrimsonWing69684d ago

Yea I didn’t consider that.

Christopher684d ago

People complain if there's nothing for them to put on the shelf in regards to the case. So they do it. Now people complain there's no disc inside of it. Pretty normal for gaming enthusiasts. There's always something to complain about.

CrimsonWing69684d ago

Hold up, man! I feel like for someone who purchases physical media and collector’s editions this is a valid complaint. Jeezus, most Collector Editions come with the disc and steelbook. Ease off on lumping all gamers as complainers.

Christopher684d ago

****Hold up, man! I feel like for someone who purchases physical media and collector’s editions this is a valid complaint. ***

It's a valid complaint that because others would complain that they didn't include a steelbook case even though it's a digital copy of the game that they did include it but not the actual disc?

You really need to read what I said because, yeah, you're being lumped in there considering if they hadn't included the steelbook at all and kept it all digital, these complaints of a steelbook w/o physical copy wouldn't exist as they do right now.

And, in this day and age, most CE don't come with physical copies actually. Most CE are digital only even.

autobotdan684d ago

You are complaining about complaining

Christopher684d ago

I'm explaining complaining. I'm not telling anyone to stop complaining. You are attempting to make my opinion seem less valid than someone else's.

RauLeCreuset684d ago

This isn't one of those damned if you do; damned if you don't, lose/lose scenarios. They did it to themselves in both scenarios. Include a disc and a case. Problem solved. That should be the norm. It's a physical product. Cater to the physical audience, or go the extra mile of creating separate versions.

awiseman684d ago

Is this supposed to be a joke?

CrimsonWing69683d ago

I also want to point out that Gotham Knights and Callisto Protocol Collector’s Editions come with the physical game. Also, so did Elden Ring as well as most other Collector’s Editions coming out this year.

+ Show (5) more repliesLast reply 683d ago
Tedakin684d ago

Know why? Because they think huge fans who will buy the expensive edition will also buy a standard edition to get a disc to put into their collector's edition case. They're pulling some BS to get the biggest fans to buy 2 copies. What other explaination makes sense?

CrimsonWing69683d ago

Lol, I actually honestly though that too.

MIDGETonSTILTS17684d ago

I’m okay with this in THIS case, because I want a steelbook to match my steelbook for the first game.

With that said, I’d be surprised if they ship empty steelbooks in the future. Considering how this case matches the one made for the the first game, this feels like something they mulled over heavily. Why else ship an empty case?

dumahim684d ago

They also did this with Horizon Forbidden West's collector's editions.

wwinterj683d ago

They ship a empty case because they want you to buy the regular version too. Just add the regular version to the cost of the collectors edition and problem is sold. Although I do agree that everything should be included in one bundle.

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50°

Horizon Forbidden West Optimized for Low-End PC: NVIDIA RTX 4060/AMD RX 6600

We’ve already posted the optimization guide for Horizon Forbidden West, including one specifically for GeForce RTX 4060 laptop GPUs. This article will specifically target low-end PCs costing $600-$700 to build with entry-level components such as the Radeon RX 6600 and the Core i5-12400F.

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pcoptimizedsettings.com
220°

Looking Back, God of War Ragnarok Should Have Been Better

As more and more PlayStation exclusives make their way to PC and other consoles, God of War Ragnarok remains one of the last bastions of first-party greatness from Sony this generation. The long-awaited sequel delivered the thrills, violence, and intense storytelling fans have come to expect from this new chapter in the God of War saga. Or did it?

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fortressofsolitude.co.za
Terry_B1d ago

..just like the most of your articles.

Babadook79h ago

They’re cover image cutout should have been better.

Abnor_Mal1d ago

Looking back, any game could have been better than how it released.

Skuletor22h ago

Except Pong, that sh¡ts perfect.

anast19h ago

They could have used different colors.

Abnor_Mal14h ago(Edited 14h ago)

Brick Breaker?

RNTody15h ago(Edited 15h ago)

Metal Gear Solid 3 could not have been better. Gauntlet, down!

Yet my own argument is defeated by the release of Subsistence, so you win! xD

Abnor_Mal14h ago(Edited 14h ago)

Uh, what just happened?

If I knew how, I would add that John Travolta meme of him looking around kind of lost.

Good-Smurf1d ago

Then they couldn't release any game thinking like you.
They can keep improving the game for 15 years but at what cost?
Not be able to do anything else and not be able to move on.

Profchaos1d ago

Bingo Duke Nukem forever would of likely achieved great results if it came out when originally planned but over a decade later it came out to bad results.

Same tbh g here they could of worked on the game for years but risked the industry passing it by

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310°

Sony Expects 77M Total Shipped PS5 Units, Helldivers 2 Beats GOW Ragnarok’s Sales Record

Sales of Arrowhead Studios' third-person shooter, Helldivers 2, have surpassed 12 million copies, beating God of War Ragnarok's record.

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twistedvoxel.com
Babadook77d ago

77m in under a year is mighty impressive.

badz1497d ago

what?? dude, this is for total PS5 shipment, not total sales for Helldivers 2 LOL

Babadook77d ago (Edited 7d ago )

@Badz

Lol.

I hope you aren’t suggesting this is an all time sales forecast. I was referring to the actual time stated. FY2025 is in pretty much one year. Just under as I stated.

PrinceOfAnger7d ago

Good, now release the games day-one on PC.

Kakashi Hatake7d ago

That would dip into hardware sales. This game did well on PC because it's a multi-player game.

purple1017d ago

am I correct in thinking games like helldivers can't be easily pirated, as they come with constant updates to the content, so new pirated/cracked version would have to be installed every bloody day

but single player one-and-done games, can EASILY be pirated. Choice.

maybe this is also why Helldivers sold well on pc, aside form fans liking it of course.

darthv727d ago

Sony makes more $$ off software anyways so it wouldnt hurt things as much as you think. There will still be the console only people to buy the specialized hardware... why make PC players wait any longer than they already do?

S2Killinit7d ago

@Darth
Because PlayStation is a console and we love consoles.

Babadook77d ago (Edited 7d ago )

@Darth

The big money in consoles, or Steam for that matter, is in the 30% cut that you make on all games. This is why Xbox is pretty much screwed as they didn't target that. If Sony puts everything on PC they will lose their share of 3rd party games as those 3rd party games would be bought on PC. Its best to keep your platform the thriving ecosystem hence you give timed exclusives to your home console, unless the game is not relevant such as GAAS which might as well be on PC day one.

darthv727d ago

Dook, your assessment implies that console players are just jumping ship to PC and that is not the case. PC players play on PC, console players play on console and then you have this small segment that sits in the middle that go between the two. Sony would not lose 3rd party $$ as they still have their console fanbase who only play on their console. Sony putting their games more frequently on PC will yield them even greater sales as the PC players would not have to wait as long to buy. Now Sony may lose a percentage to Valve... but they make it back in overall revenue from both console and pc markets. We have seen what happens when sony releases a PS game on PC. Its nearly a hit every time, and sony sees this as well, so you know they are looking even more closely at the idea of more frequent PC releases.

And like S2 says, console people love consoles so, again, they really have nothing to lose and everything to gain by putting their games on PC as well as console. Like i siad, there will always be a console market to sell to... why not take advantage of the PC market in addition to that. Nobody can come up with a proper way to refute this. And this is why Sony is eyeballing PC more and more.

badz1497d ago

@darthv72

the one that makes real money from the sales of Helldivers 2 on PC is Valve! that sweet nectar of 30% cut while doing nothing is so addictive for Gaben. sorry to burst your bubble but Sony makes more money selling the game on PSN than on Steam

+ Show (4) more repliesLast reply 7d ago
Redemption-647d ago

Will not happen. Some games do better on consoles and some extra money 2+ years later and I expect companies such as Sony and Rockstar will keep doing that

CrimsonWing697d ago

Didn’t this sell way better on PC by a large margin? Why would you, in the position of a business making money, want to limit yourself to possible poor sales on a single platform instead of releasing on more while the hype iron’s hot?

This whole console vs PC fanboyism isn’t making Sony money. Look at Square straight up pulling away from exclusivity and now going for an aggressive multiplatform release campaign. I’m pretty sure Day 1 on console and PC is happening.

Redemption-647d ago

@CrimsonWing69

You would be right if we all pretend Helldivers is the only game Sony has. As a business man, you look at history, not just one example. There is a reason Rockstar can release their games on consoles only, sell 10s of millions, then release them on PC later. Xbox has been doing day 1 and tell me, how high has their sales been? It's understandable for a live service game, but for single player games, Sony is better off doing what they planned. Release exclusively on PS, then wait 2-3 years, then re-release at full price again.

And no, it didn't sell better on PC by a large margin. It was initially 50/50, as stater by the director, but was later giving more information from NPD (Circana) as PC 60, PS 40, but that was in North America.
Absolutely no one thought Helldivers 2 was going to sell this much, not even the studio and I don't expect all live service games from Sony to sell that much.

Chevalier7d ago

"Didn’t this sell way better on PC by a large margin? "

60/40 is hardly a larger margin

Tedakin7d ago

All the games Sony is releasing on PC 2 years later aren't performing well. If they had put Spider-Man 2 day one on PC it would have sold millions on there.

Redemption-646d ago

@Tedakin

That might work for some games, but not most. I mean people were claiming Xbox games were going to sell more with day on PC. Tell me, how is that going? Also, keeping single player games exclusive is far more valuable than day 1 on PC. A new user's who buys a new Playstation for Spider-Man 2, GOWR or the Last of us 2 has far more value to Sony than a PC gamer.

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 6d ago
Cacabunga7d ago

I would stop supporting Sony hardware.. especially now that trophies are also on PC.

For their own sake they better keep making console exclusives and keep an eye on what big of a joke xbox has become

Profchaos7d ago (Edited 7d ago )

That worked out well for Xbox right I think a two year gap is actually extremely generous as a PC player and a console player if the game is first party comes to PC day and date it does devalue the purpose of console hardware and exclusives.

@darth Sony make no money on console hardware always has been the case give away the shaver and sell the razor model

They make 30 percent on everything sold first second or third party on the system.

If they did r sell hardware at a loss we would be seeing console proces spike as much as 50 percent

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 6d ago
Tzuno7d ago

sony eats their nails in stress because they didn't make this a ps5 only game

DarXyde7d ago

Doubt it.

Anyone with a PS5 that wanted Helldivers 2 probably has Helldivers 2 on PS5.

Otherwise, I don't see very many people buying a PS5 just to play this game.

WelkinCole7d ago

Yeah also its really for the PC/Online gamers. I doubt it would have made as much just being on the PS5. Also as you said its not a game that would get people to go out and buy a 400 plus dollar console just to play it.

DarXyde7d ago

WelkinCole,

Right.

That would just be cavalier, if we're keeping it real. Typically, people buy into an ecosystem for the breadth of the games portfolio. Buying a PS5 for one game is just unrealistic.

Stripping away any of the convoluted reasons for buying a console, it's pretty simple:

1. You buy it knowing it'll eventually have the games you want (early adopters).

2. You buy it because it has the games you want now (enough of a portfolio).

3. Because it has the best version or one that your social circle bought into.

4. Because you can't play the games anywhere else (the caveat being that there are ENOUGH games to warrant the investment as an exclusives machine).

With the rise of PC ports of PlayStation titles however, there's another dimension here...

5. Immediacy.

Buying one just for what was once a niche franchise is absolutely an outlier.

neutralgamer19927d ago (Edited 7d ago )

The gaming business has evolved, and PC is now seen as just another platform to release games on rather than direct competition for the same market share. Most PC gamers don't own consoles. Personally, I was a console gamer until last year. I grew frustrated with the constant greed in the console market and the lack of unity among console gamers to demand change.

Take Helldivers 2 as an example—Sony tried to push their PSN policies, but PC gamers pushed back effectively. On consoles, though, there's a persistent defense of corporate practices. Look at the differing narratives around Microsoft's and Sony's actions among gamers and journalists. I don't miss consoles at all, and the PC community has been incredibly supportive for a newcomer like me.

On PC, I can enjoy games without spending on microtransactions thanks to mods. Cheat codes, which were fantastic back in the day, are still accessible on PC, whereas on consoles, they are monetized through things like XP boosters.

shinoff21837d ago

I still believe some console gamers just don't wanna deal with pc. Tye only thing pc has that I'd be interested in is mods other then that I'd rather not deal with it. Someday I'm sure I'll jump in but just not in a rush

StoneTitan7d ago

Yeah and pc is also the plaform with most cheaters. Its a great platform but after a day of work on pc I just like to relax with my console and not think about anythink else.

Deeeeznuuuts7d ago

I'm in a Helldivers group on Facebook and the amount of people who got the Spiderman bundle with Helldivers 2 was crazy 😂

Crows907d ago

Sony has a successful multiplayer title...who coulda guessed.

Arrowhead seems to be doing a great job with updates as well. Kudos!

WelkinCole7d ago

Yeah never saw it coming as well.

DivineHand1257d ago (Edited 7d ago )

I really hope the situation with Helldivers 2 on PC can clear up soon. Since the whole PSN account mandate, the player population has dropped significantly compared to what it was a few weeks ago.

It now takes much longer than normal to clear a major order. I remember when they released the order to kill the terminids and that got cleared the same day. Now we are struggling to do the same with the automatons.

P_Bomb7d ago

Could be some ppl are naturally moving on. I haven’t played since platinum.

DivineHand1257d ago

Nope. Players from over 170 countries are unable to play the game because it was delisted from Steam.

This whole PSN issue has done significant damage to the community.

https://readwrite.com/helld...

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