Posted June 27, 2014
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The first time I bought a retail package was from an online Canadian store named TheDragonDen (Great memories from this one), it didn't contain a pretty box but it had manual and stuff and was at the best price at the time. I knew buying a full product gives me a pretty box to put on the shelf, detailed pictured manual and some additional perks like a thick cardboard registration/giveaway/discount card, possibly a full picture game catalog, etc. There were also collector editions with additional perks such as a cloth (not paper!) map.
Over the years the boxes got slimmer and contained less and less perks, until it reached to the point of most only have a dvd box-set with cover pictures and a 4 page manual with installation and troubleshooting instructions. Even those that did contain a 10-40 page manual had the same in a digital file on board the attached media... while the ones that now only have just a download link with key completely defies the point of buying an actual copy in the first place.
By that point I felt buying digital is the only way of getting the real value of what you pay for without disappointment... Since in most cases (special* editions aside) there is no physical copy variant that I will feel worthy for my shelf space
* One of my most beloved purchases is Gabriel Knight Collector set that contains all games and an actual paper book. In recent years I hardly see anything of value in special editions other than some plastic figurine - and for the most part, in the turbulent world of online DLC, in order to have a truly complete product the only option is to go for a digital variant as no early special edition will ever contain future updates and publisher rarely bother with anthology box-sets.
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Anyhow, spreadsheet is up to date again.
Knock-Knock is now the biggest loser with only 4 appearances and hasn't been seen since Sunday...
Post edited June 27, 2014 by vulchor