Special Editions: The Appeal to Eager Fans

Set to launch early next year, the BioShock 2 Special Edition packaged was announced today. Special Editions for videogames are not unpopular when it comes to franchises which have either done well in the past, or have a lot of positive buzz surrounding them. For a decent chunk of change on top of the regular price tag, Special Editions are a really positive way to give eager fans more of the merchandise they want.

The BioShock 2 Special Edition, for instance, supplies the player with tons of concept art, a soundtrack (in both CD and vinyl), and some posters modeled after the ones that hang on the desolate walls of Rapture: the in-game, underwater city. Special and Collector's Editions of games aren't new -- they date back to the Dreamcast and N64 era -- but they have become more fleshed out over the years. Now you can expect to find content ranging from the standard, mucho-glossy concept art book, to figurines and toys.

Wikipedia has a great list of all games which have had Collector's/Special Editions, along with what goodies they were packaged with.

The BioShock: Limited Edition Package