Limited Special Collectors' Ultimate Edition: Difference between revisions

[[File:9-24-07-joystiqhalogiveaway 4451.jpg|link=Halo|frame|[https://web.archive.org/web/20141014112452/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/25/joyswag-joystiqs-legendary-halo-3-giveaway/ Joystiq] [[Up to Eleven|elevates]] [http://www.ataristoteles.com/page_data/images/xbox360/b/halo3le.jpg this] [[Serial Escalation|past eleven]]!]]

 

 

Films and video games are commonly being released in two versions: the [[Vanilla Edition]], and a better, souped-up edition with exclusive [[Bonus Material]]. With movies, you can expect deleted scenes, filmmaker interviews, [[Unrated Edition|never-before-seen footage]], commentary tracks and so forth. Video games tend to offer a shiny metal case, developer artwork, bonus characters or the [[Strategy Guide]]. Concept art, a "making-of" featurette, background story information, character biographies, [[Multiple Endings|alternate endings]] and [[Feelies|trinkets]] are common with both media.

 

'''''Specific titles:'''''

* Each disc of the US release of ''[[Haruhi Suzumiya|The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya]]'' came out in both a [[Vanilla Edition]] and a Limited Special Collectors' Ultimate Edition, with the latter version including soundtrack CDs and bonus DVDs featuring the episodes presented in original broadcast order.

** This was also done with the US release of ''[[Lucky Star]]'' (except for the last volume). Turned out it was almost a money black hole for the producer.

* AnimEigo has been doing the "preorder" version of this with their Blu-Ray re-releases of their back catalog (so far, ''[[Bubblegum Crisis]]'', ''[[Otaku no Video]]'', and ''[[Riding Bean]]'') having bonus items that will not be available with the regular Blu-Ray releases.

 

* DC Comics with their "Absolute" line of comic releases, which gives the deluxe treatment to well-known classic series like ''[[Watchmen]]'', ''Batman: The Long Halloween'', ''Kingdom Come'', ''[[The Sandman]]'' - who just might be the only comic-book series to be given this treatment for its entire range in four volumes, and many more. These releases are often housed in a hardcover case and include original scripts, alternate cover treatments, introductions and commentary by the creators of the various series and much more. They're also printed at a larger size than normal, giving the artwork more room to be appreciated. Of course, they come at a premium (most sets cost between $150 and $175).

* Dark Horse Comics released [[Sin City]] in an "Archival Edition", putting all the various series in their own hardcover book (plus a special making-of book), and subsequently housing them in two dustproof hardcover cases. Ponying up the money for the two "Archival" releases will set you back to the tune of $400.

 

== Film ==

* Anchor Bay is infamous for this. The sheer amount of Limited Editions they've released for the ''[[Evil Dead]]'' and ''[[Halloween (film)|Halloween]]'' movies is mind-boggling.

** The Evil Dead films are likely the best example of this trope. Excluding the VHS/DVD releases from Elite Entertainment (who owned the rights to the films before Anchor Bay), Evil Dead and its sequel were released four separate times for DVD, and will be released in 2010 as a deluxe Blu-Ray set. Every DVD release has had features that are unique, plus special packaging for each.

** And then of course you have the various "anniversary" collector's editions, each with their own artwork. The 35th anniversary edition was famous for being illustrated by then-unknown Alan Lee.

** Tolkien also re-released ''[[The Hobbit]]'' with revised and extended description of Gollum's cave, since Bilbo [[Orwellian Retcon|"lied"]] about how he came to possess the ring; the original version actually contradicts the premise of LOTR, since Gollum simply gives the Ring to Bilbo and leads him out of the cave.

* ''[[His Dark Materials]]'' was re-released for the film in a complete collection with new material detailing what Will and Lyra did, will do, or might do, depending on how canon you take it.

* The Easton Press produces fine leather-bound collector editions of books. These are specially made for book collectors and come in landmark series like ''The 100 Greatest Books Ever Written'', ''Library of the Presidents'' and ''Great Books of the 20th Century''

 

 

 

* For the DVD releases of the new ''[[Doctor Who]]'' series, three or four episodes at a time are released on '[[Vanilla Edition|vanilla]]' DVDs with no extras just a month or so after broadcast, with full series DVDs with lots of extras being saved for later.

* [[Working Designs]] used to make a living doing this. ''[[Lunar 2 Eternal Blue Complete|Lunar 2: Eternal Blue Complete]]'' for instance, was not strictly a special edition since there was no [[Vanilla Edition]], but it came with a soundtrack, little character stands, a cloth map of the game's world, and even a wearable replica of the game's endgame [[MacGuffin]]. Those who pre-ordered the game also got a Ghaleon punching puppet.

** Another deluxe game set from [[Working Designs]], ''Growlanser Generations'', came with a keychain, a wearable replica of the two game's jewelry-based weapon system, and a steel men's watch. They never skimped on quality.

* The ''[[Baldur's Gate]] 2'' Collector's Edition was released with an extra, bonus merchant available in game, with a second bonus merchant available to those who pre-ordered from the Interplay store or certain retailers. Files enabling both merchants for all players soon became available on the internet, and were eventually included in a patch.

* ''[[BioShock (series)]]'' has a special "Collector's Edition" which includes a special case, a "making of" DVD and a Big Daddy figurine. Interestingly both the decision of having a Collector's Edition in the first place as well as what it contained, was decided by fan feedback.

* [[Subverted Trope|Subverted]] with [[The Witcher]] 2. The Premium Edition includes a Making Of DVD, soundtrack CD, a game guide, a map of the game world, two pieces of papercraft and a physical version of an in-game pamphlet and a coin. The catch? That's the base version for your standard 50 bucks, and there's no plans for a [[Vanilla Edition]]. The digitally distributed version also has a digital version of all the above minus the coin (and there's no digital vanilla edition yet). Played straight with the Collector's Edition, which throws in a 200 page art book, a set of five dice with a bag, a guide to cheating in dice and card games, a special set of playing cards, another coin, another bit of papercraft, a set of stickers and marble imitation sculpture of Geralt's head on top of the Premium Edition.

** The [[Updated Rerelease|Enhanced Edition]] carries on the tradition of giving you free stuff for the base price: all copies of the game, regardless of whether it's for PC or 360, includes a soundtrack CD, game guide and a world map, on top of a bunch of gameplay improvements (with is a free patch for all non-Enhanced PC copies of the game). The Dark Edition, the limited edition this time round, throws in the making-of DVD, three stickers, an art book, and a medallion of the wolf logo on top of the standard Enhanced Edition contents.

* The [https://web.archive.org/web/20110614171855/http://nintendoeverything.com/67054/ boxart] for ''[[Bit.Trip]] COMPLETE'' claims that it "includes limited edition soundtrack CD with 18 full songs".

* ''[[Batman: Arkham Asylum]]'' had a special edition which came with a "Making of" DVD, special digipak packaging for the game, Crime Alley DLC, and a replica of the game's Batarang.

* The ''[[X (video game)|X]]-Superbox'', which came out about a year after ''X3 Terran Conflict''. The Superbox contains every single ''[[X (video game)|X]]-Universe'' game made up until that point (and when ''Terran Conflict'''s expansion pack came out a few months after the Superbox came out, Superbox owners got the normally $9.99 expansion pack for free), has a CD full of ship and space station concept art, the [[All There in the Manual|X-Encyclopedia]] which explains some of the technology and the history of the ''X-Universe'', very high-quality versions of the game's soundtrack, and three fan made soundtracks. Free content that anyone can get is also put in the package as well, for convenience - script packages to make your life easier in the game, and PDF versions of fan fiction from the game's forums.

* [[Resident Evil 6]] reportedly has a [http://www.siliconera.com/2012/04/10/get-leons-leather-jacket-with-1300-resident-evil-6-premium-edition/ $1300 Premium Edition], with the main draw being [[And Your Reward Is Clothes|Leon's leather jacket]].

 

== Web Comics ==

 

* ''[[Shadowgirls]]'' [[The Merch|Season 1]] has two hardcover versions [https://web.archive.org/web/20111223213018/http://th3rdworld.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=29&products_id=199 available]: Regular and Artist Edition. The latter comes with a sketch card and a page of original artwork.

 

== Western Animation ==

 

* Within a span of several years, Warner Bros. released the ''[[Looney Tunes]] Golden Collection'' series, spread across six volumes and covering over ''400'' classic cartoons, hours upon hours upon hours worth of commentaries, documentaries, interviews and historical bonus content in general. However, for the kiddies, a [[Vanilla Edition]] series of these DVDs were released called ''Looney Tunes Spotlight Collection'', which were essentially bare bone collections featuring the more well known, family friendly Looney Tunes shorts.

* Both of Shout! Factory's releases of the [[Sunbow Entertainment|Sunbow]] series of both ''[[G.I. Joe]]'' and ''[[Transformers Generation 1]]'' have this. There's the season sets which come with the episodes and some extras. Then, there's the complete series collection which comes with all the episodes, the extras included in the season sets, and extra extras that are exclusive only to the complete series collection.

** [[Transformers: The Movie]] has a particularly annoying take on this, with the ''menu'' of the single-disc edition constantly advertising the two-disc special edition.