213
It seems some gamers will spend almost any amount of money for a game they love.
It seems some gamers will spend almost any amount of money for a game they love. Whether it’s a special or limited edition releaseof a major title, or a rare cartridge of a vintage game, there are some gamers that just have to own it.
It’s one thing to shell out a hundred dollars for a hard-to-find NES game to add to a collection, or for a special edition copy of a recently released title that includes a few fun trinkets. It’s another thing entirely to spend a hundred thousand dollars or more for a video game. That not only takes dedication, it takes a really good job or a healthy trust fund.
It’s hard not to view these special edition games that cost a ridiculous amount of money – like one million dollars in one instance – as anything more than publicity stuntsby the game’s developer and publisher, but it seems there’s always at least one gamer out there willing to make the purchase. And let’s be honest, whenever a new special or limited edition is released with an impressive list of extra gifts to accompany the game, we each wish we had a little (or a whole lot) of extra cash set aside for such a purpose.
Not All Special Editions are Equal
We’d like to note that most new AAA title games come with some kind of special or limited edition option. This often includes the base game and a season pass or extra DLC. But every once in a while, a developer or publisher decides to go above and beyond and offers a limited-run option that includes extra trinkets, booklets, statues and other goodies. For instance, the upcoming Borderlands: The Handsome Collection limited edition package comes with a working Claptrap robot and retails for $399. Not every gamer will pick that up, but there are definitely a handful out there that will shell out the cash to get it.
However, the cost of the Borderlands limited edition is chump change compared to the three most expensive special edition games to hit the market. These games limited release copies are so far-fetched in their price and offerings that they almost can’t even be considered just special or limited editions. They are in their own league, but that didn’t stop their creators from dreaming them up and making them available. Here’s the three games, in order of least expensive to most expensive.
Grid 2 – $188,718.75
In 2013, developer Codemastersimpressed gamers and supercar enthusiasts alike when it announced the GRID 2: Mono Edition for its newest racing game. While the game cost $60 by itself, the Mono Edition rang in at £125,000, or roughly $188, 718.
What made the Mono Edition so special? Well, the special edition came with a copy of GRID 2 for PlayStation 3, a GRID 2: Mono Edition branded racing helmet, a race suit complete with boots and gloves, and a PlayStation 3. Oh yeah, and a race car.
That’s right, the GRID 2: Mono Edition included a working, street legal BAC Mono supercar. The sleek little vehicle topped out at 170 MPH and could sling drivers from 0-60 in a mere 2.8 seconds.
At the time it released, the GRID 2: Mono Edition was the most expensive special edition ever available for a game. And while it no longer holds that title, it’s still one of the most impressive offerings to date. We’ll admit, though, that it’s probably hard to imagine getting a lot of enjoyment from driving the Mono in the game when you could simply go outside and physically drive the real thing. However, it’s probably safer to do the racing in the PlayStation 3 and keep the real BAC Mono within the speed limit.
For those who are curious, the Mono Edition was purchased by Deadmau5. Turns out the music producer and performer is quite the avid gamer and automobile enthusiast.
Dying Light – $386,000
Next up is the recently released Dying Light Special Edition , dubbed the My Apocalypse Edition , which clocked in at an impressive $386,000. Developer Techlandcrammed a lot of goodies into this package, including a custom built Dying Light zombie house, parkour lessons, an opportunity to play Dying Light ‘Be The Zombie’ with the game’s devs, a trip to Techland in Wroclaw Poland, the winner’s face skinned onto a Night Hunter character model, and a handful of other extras.
While this special edition didn’t include a race car, it’s still an impressive list of bonuses. The custom built house, for example, is quite the reward. And this isn’t just a small shanty that you and your friends could throw together in a weekend; it’s a full-blown zombie shelter, with multiple stories and rooms. So basically, you’re buying a house.
Given the fact that this special edition was announced after the game released, it’s hard not to feel like it was simply a publicity stunt in an effort to sell more copies of the game. Despite that, it’s still an envy-inducing bundle, and one that we definitely drooled over when it was first announced.
If you think this is something you want (and can afford), there’s still a chance for you to snatch it up. As of this writing, the Dying Light Special Edition is still available on GAME.com.
Saints Row IV – $1,000,000
Leave it to Saints Row IV , a game known for being over-the-top, to truly go above and beyond to beat out every other Special Edition with its ‘Super Dangerous Wad Wad’ Edition . The cost? One. Million. Dollars.
Yes, you read that correctly. The folks over at Deep Silvercooked up quite a reward for anyone willing to shell out the dough to get this ridiculous package. Among the many extreme rewards were a Lamborghini Gallardo, a Toyota Prius (in case you don’t want to drive the Lamborghini around every day), a full-size replica of the Dub-Step gun, hostage rescue experience, a spy training day, a trip to Dubai and Washington DC, plastic surgery and a ticket for the Virgil Galactic space flight.
It’s hard to not just sit back and chuckle at how incredibly extravagant this was. And from what we can tell, no one made the purchase. Turns out that was probably a good call, since it turns out the total cost of purchasing everything on the list individually came out to just over $600,000. So, if someone really did want everything on this list, they could buy it all individually, and still have enough money to pick up the Dying Light Special Edition . Who wouldn’t want to park their Lamborghini (and Prius) at their custom-built zombie house? However, overpricing the Wad Wad Edition was probably intentional, as it kept anyone from buying the package while still pulling in plenty of attention.
More to Come?
The success of these three special editions is sure to spark many more in the future, though we don’t anticipate every major title to tackle a deal of this magnitude. The teams that concoct these creations probably have a lot of fun doing so, and we definitely have a lot of fun reading about them, but in the end,most of us can only dream about such a purchase. So we’ll stick with our normal game purchases and enjoy taking down zombies, racing our friends and visiting space form the comfort of our living rooms.
What are your thoughts about these special editions? What games would you like to see create such a special edition in the future?
Source: GAME