Gaming collectables have come a long way…

Halo From Evolved to Reach.

by XboxOZ360:

©2010 Grant Smythe:

We all love a collection- well, those of us that can see some value in something that will eventually become desirable outside the immediate scope of current interest.

Update: • Our ‘huge’ multi-faceted Halo Reach review

Update: • Halo Reach Release Article Bungie’s Last Big Stand.

Collectables in gaming have been around for some time, but they weren’t always available to the general gamer as they are now, but were more for the gaming media as “game junket” as it was once called.

They were special packs put together specifically for the media by the publishers designed to ”sell” the upcoming game and have them think favourably of said game.

The latest Halo Reach collectable – The new X360 S Custom Cased Halo Reach Bundle available through leading retailers is just one more addition to the ever growing Halo collectibles across the globe.

It comes with a so-called ‘limited run’ of silver Halo Reach units, 2 matching controllers with their own special casings, and of course the game, all boxed in a unique retail pack.

Combined with other collectables, it could make a decent addition to any collector’s  showcase. Making these available will certainly help boost sales even further, as they have done for Collectables in the past, despite the extra cost for the pack (RRP  AUD$549).

It wasn’t odd for the privileged media few to have specially crafted books, maps, figurines, die-cast cars and extensive bundles (not including the game) exalting the brilliance of the upcoming title the publisher was pushing at the time. Editor’s desks would often have stacks of ‘junket’ awaiting their viewing each week as each publisher vied for their favourable attention.

Naturally this method did not always work well for many publishers who handled these items on behalf of the developer, as they still do today. And additionally, the publisher got very little, if anything back with regards to the high cost of making such items, especially when they were not retail items, but simply free ‘media junket’.

However with gaming growing and maturing, publishers began seeing the viability of making these ‘media junket’ items available for retail, and far less for the media.  What has started out as a more limited run of products has turned into a means to secure early pre-orders for specific titles well in advance, which consequently drives game desire up, and thus stock values right up the wall.

It has now also proved to be an excellent income generator, helping bolster flagging sales post release, given the new trends with the new Z-Gen Gamers of today.  Additionally there are certainly those who will ‘upgrade’ to any new and exciting console just to have the best available at the time.

Yet another Halo Reach set of collectables to get your pulse racing, if you’re a collector of course. The 3 different SKU’s for the game, starting at the huge Legendary 5.5kg mega monster that basically comes with everything, including the Limited Edition pack contents.

The Limited Edition with its unique packaging and contents, and finally the Standard Edition, where you get the basic game and a few in-box items.

Offerings like this allow all followers of a title to get what they need, not be forced into buying something they do not need nor want.

MightyApe Offer 'Unique Dog-Tags'

Those that complain about the higher costs, the contents etc, need not really bother, as there is a version for them which is the basic game . . . everyone wins.

Well it would seem so, but there will always be those who complain – for whatever reason. Where would we be without them . . . a lot happier in my book!

Mighty Ape Offer you Dog-Tags for Pre-orders on ‘Standard Editions‘ and still have some of the ‘Limited Editions’ available for Pre-Order, but no more Legendary Editions unfortunately – you had to be early to nab one of those.

• Check the full contents out in our previous Halo Reach Collectors News release.

All of this certainly helps in the area of gaining further financial support from stock investors as they see their stocks rise due to early sold-out sales figure prior to release.  Also the Limited Edition versions can be as much as double what some retailers are selling the game alone for, meaning more profit.  Some of these aren’t even that ‘limited’ at all though.

Halo has been one of the most sought after games on the planet outside the brilliant Blizzard’s PC hit, World Of Warcraft. Initially in the 1st-Gen Xbox Console phase of Xbox’s life, there was the Halo Figurines, Halo Force Elite Green transparent console, which lead to many other specially cast cases for a variety of other games.

Many of these meant extra sales of the consoles if publishers were willing to help front the costs of the promotion, which they were more than willing to do of course, with such items like the Kasumi-Blue 1st-Gen Xbox which sold out in no time – with only 5,000 of them made.

Some of those “Limited Edition Consoles’ now fetch remarkable sums on eBay and the like. The Kasumi Blue still attracts a high dollar value in excess of $US1000 – with some models commanding huge *$5000 figures, as there really was a genuine limited number produced.

Now that’s one hell of an investment right there, never mind if you like the look or not. There are a myriad of consoles out there that have become somewhat rarer than they originally were, and in time, so will many of the current ones. But do you have the patience to invest in something that you’ll have to sit on for several years?

Many  ‘Y’ and ‘Z’ Gen gamers certainly wouldn’t see the value in it, but some of the ‘X’ and most definitely the Baby Boomers do.

It’s like stocks and shares, you don’t make high dividends overnight, the result come on long term investments.  On the flip side of the coin, many ‘Y’ and ‘Z’ gamers are the ones who must have the ‘latest’ and ‘greatest’ at that moment, so will buy for that reason.

But Halo is the Xbox king of Limited Editions- just about every Halo release has seen a special console, as well as a huge raft of POS [point of sale] items and store-specific console/game bundles, not to mention actual limited and collectors editions hitting retail store shelves across the globe.

While some have had actual limited numbers or production runs, some are simply filling a void for retail chains like the so-called limited run Halo 3 Legendary Spartan Helmet Edition.

The helmet edition indeed did have a one off production run, with its own special factory set up for it, but the numbers made were far from “Limited’, that’s for sure.

While it has not gained any major increase in value, it did set the stage for hugeness with regards to what to expect from the Halo franchise. Hey, you can’t go backwards after that, so they had only one choice, go bigger, and better.

Halo Reach is certainly no exception to all of this, and is in fact perhaps one of the biggest Halo titles that is receiving its share of “Collectable” items as well as retail POS items. It’s main driving force of course is, that it is the very last 1st-party title carrying both the Bungie and Microsoft monikers, thus making it much more desirable and sought after.

Microsoft announced the other day at ComicCom the release of a special case pressed Halo Reach X360 ‘S’, which will come with two matched controllers that sport specially pressed casings,  as well as the game in a well presented boxed set.

This does not include the barrage of collectables and so-called ‘Official’ and ‘Unofficial’ Limited Editions hitting retailers across the globe.  Or for that matter all the dvds and toys that you can find from Mega Bloks Halo Wars items to Master Chief USB memory sticks.

Some are specific to certain regions, and not others, but all are designed to drive that consumer dollar into their revenue basket, and fill the coffers to maintain a positive balance sheet. And good luck to them I say, as the whole industry needs it in such hard times, with franchise stores like GAME seeing huge loses over the last 18 – 24 months, forcing closure of over 130 stores world-wide.

For the ‘collector’ the plethora of Limited Editions posses a huge dilemma: what to get, and how much to invest, especially given the higher number of games being delivered, most with their own Limited or Collector Editions.

Now many gamers often can not see the reason for buying something that sits on a shelf. However, the true collector sees the value in having something that over time might well gain in value. It’s a gamble, but one that is worth investing in, for them.

Then there is simply the joy of acquiring items that appeal from a favourite franchise.  Have a look at our editor’s Assassin’s Creed collection, for example.

Even some of the gaming software pirates may be tempted to actually pay for their game to get the extra goodies that appeal.

We need publishers and console makers to thrive any way they can, as if not we lose out with regards to games and game consoles having the funding to be made.

We need special editions also to keep the demand for hard copy games high via retail outlets, which are showing signs of struggling, as more and more publishers push their developer’s products to digital distribution. You own nothing but some software code on your hard-drive – and often for the same money as the full retail version – which is just wrong in my book.

From being just for the elite press to now being a commercial strategy, Limited Edition game products expand the interest in the product, and that’s a good thing.

• Tell us what you think below.  If you have a collection, why not send a photo and brief story about it to our email address: oxcgn_info@yahoo.com.au

An example of one collector’s 1st & 2nd-Gen Xbox Console Collection, now this is extreme!

More Halo Gear Coming Soon…

Here is a non-definitive list of items that are available from some retailers for the upcoming release of the last in the series for Bungie and Microsoft’s franchise, Halo Reach.

They are the last of a line of items that will have been produced by the cooperative forces of Microsoft and Bungie, making their future value and ownership somewhat more viable than many of their earlier attempts.

X360 S Halo Reach Limited Edition Console

The new X360 S console bundle is certainly a ‘looker’ and will be on my ‘must-have-list’.

Making special cases is something that really drives purchase desire up, rather than a simple repackaging of a standard shelled unit with a few game like so many ‘bundles’ have been in the past.

The recasings worked extremely well for the 1st-Gen Xbox, and has sold out all previous 360s when done that way, so this will be no exception. Some are now so rare, that huge sums are offered just to have them in collections.

Three Versions of the Halo Reach Game

We have the 3 “official versions” of the Halo Reach game, starting with the huge, 5lb table weight Legendary Edition. The bonus with this one is of course that it includes a Noble Team Statue expertly crafted by the artisans at McFarlane Toys.

In addition to this, the statute is placed in UNSC-themed custom packaging exclusive and the game and includes an exclusive, multiplayer Spartan armor effect – a flaming helmet. It also includes the full Limited Editon ONI ‘Black Box’ which is found in the next version down.

This is then followed up with the stand-alone Limited Edition comprising some very neat items any Halo fan would love to have, including the game disc housed in recovered ONI “black box,” an exclusive Elite armor set for use in multiplayer modes and an artifact bag containing Dr. Halsey’s personal journal and other classified documents and effects that unravel long held secrets from the Halo universe.

Finally there is the Standard Edition release which simply includes the game, basic in-box manual with possibly some special in-game code, yet to be announced.

Retailer Specials

Some retailers have their own Limited pre-order editions and offered some of which are as follows.

• OXCGN Recommendation; We highly recommend trying Mighty Ape for some collectables, as their dollar is currently in a great place for both Australian and overseas buyers. Their delivery is promt and secure, and deliver costs are minimal.

• Halo Reach X360 Bundle

GAME – $AU549 on-line price only

EB Games – $AU549 in-store and on-line prices

JB Hi-Fi – $AUTBA

Mighty Ape – $NZ579.99 ($AU462.00 + Del ) on-line price

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• Halo Reach Legendary Edition:

GAME – ‘Sold out‘

EB Games ‘Sold Out‘

JB Hi-Fi ‘Sold Out‘

Mighty Ape ‘Sold Out‘

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• Halo Reach Limited Edition

GAME – Pre-Order avail – $AU124 on-line price only

EB Games – Pre-Order avail – $AU128 on-line prices

JB Hi-Fi – Pre-Order Avail – $AU129 on-line price incl Halo Reach Tee

Mighty Ape Pre-Orders avail – $NZ124.99 ($AU99.37 + del) on-line only

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• Halo Reach Standard Edition

GAME – Pre-Order avail – $AU99 on-line price only

EB Games – Pre-Order avail – $AU119 In-stores

JB Hi-Fi – Pre-Order Avail – $AU119  -on line price incl Halo React Tee

Mighty Ape Pre-Orders avail – $NZ109.99 ($AU87.45 + del) on-line only

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These prices and availability were accurate at the time of publication, however, they may change at any time as will availability as release time approaches. We do recommend you check out Mighty Ape, both here in Australia and in New Zealand, for any of their other Collector and Limited Edition of games for any pre-orders.

©2010 Grant Smythe:

* White 50 Cent Edition signed by 50 Cent and only available via competition current estimated value $US5,000.

Filed under: 1st Party Titles, Console gaming, Editorial, Microsoft Games, New Game Information, New Xbox 360 Games, Polls, Xbox 360, Xbox 360 News Tagged: | "Halo 3 collectors edition", bungie, Halo, Halo 3, Halo 3 limited edition, Halo Collectors editions, Halo consoles, HaLo reach cases, Halo Reach Collectors Edition, halo reach items, Halo Reach Limited Edition, halo reach special edition, halo reach special editions, Halo: Reach, Katsumi Blue Xbox, special halo reach consoles