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News > Dear ArenaNet; A Collector’s Dream

Zosimus

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Over at GuildWars2Live.com, LeakingBlood posted an article written by Peter Chan concerning purchasing the Guild Wars 2 Collector's Edition is a very interesting topic to say the least.

In my opinion, I just want the GW2 game. I have bought some collectors editions here and there of other games Most of those items from those collector's editions have either gathered dust, or thrown away. I just want to have the feel, and the flavor of the content and pixels on my computer. That would make me happy over all.

Have I considered buying the Guild Wars 2 Collector's Edition? Yes, certainly I have. I guess at this time I'm just excited with the game coming close to release in the next few months. I know many friends are in the same boat as me on that.

Guild Wars 2 Collectors' Edition or no Guild Wars 2 Collector's Edition I'll be fine either way.

Please check out the article at GuildWars2Live.com | Dear ArenaNet; A Collector’s Dream


Our staff here at Guild Wars 2 Stratics would like to thank GuildWars2Live.com | Guild Wars Fan Broadcast ,LeakingBlood, and Peter Chan for keeping the Guild Wars 2 Player Nation informed and we appreciate what you do.


For the click link impaired:



News > Dear ArenaNet; A Collector’s Dream
Posted by LeakingBlood on Feb 11, 2012



I hate collection quests, but I do have a quest to grab the collector's edition of Guild Wars 2 when it comes out. In fact I've sworn to buy everything that says Guild Wars 2 on it, including magazines with a few pages of Guild Wars 2 content. Those of us who often pre-order games and buy collector's editions of games have a pretty good idea of what to expect. The usual. I mean personally, I think the collector's edition of any game is usually only unique from the regular box variant. Today I want to share some of my ideas for a unique collector's edition from ArenaNet.

First let's cover what you might receive for simply the act of pre-ordering Guild Wars 2. Access to beta weekends. Remember those from Guild Wars 1? That was truly a magical time 6 years ago. ArenaNet was quite generous with the content as far as I remember. Reaching level 20 (the level cap) within 3 days felt like quite a feat. Back then, Prophecies (the first chapter in Guild Wars as we know it now) was pretty damn hard. It was important to communicate with party members to get missions done. Guild Wars 2 isn't as mission based, but the way its been designed is definitely going to make you look at other players and compel you to say, "Hey! Lets stick together!". I can see that happening at every dynamic event, which it a lot more frequent than going from mission to mission in Guild Wars 1.

Perhaps there will also be early access to split the initial login rush, but that is as far as pre-ordering Guild Wars 2 should go in my opinion. Some are suggesting there should be a miniature pet given, but I've always seen those as birthday gifts. They come as pleasant surprises and the pet you receive is random. If a miniature pet were to come with the pre-order, it would have to be fair for all, therefore the same pet for everyone. I mean, it wouldn't be fair if some players randomly received a highly sought after pet to sell early on. Additionally, if everyone had the same miniature, it would be a sore sight to see on day one of Guild Wars 2.

So what about that collector's edition? Obviously we'll need a shiny CD of Guild Wars 2 music for sure. Please put in one or two of Guild Wars 1's best scores as bonus too! I don't know anyone that doesn't enjoy Jeremy Soule's music. Meanwhile, if I invested in the collector's edition, an additional character slot would be very nice gesture! Many people would like to see an art book even though ArenaNet has already released one. If I wanted an art book, then it had better be a nice book! However, I don't want to see the book I already paid good money for to become something of less value in any way. If there was enough new art to put a second art book into the Penny Arcade Store, then I'm all for it! Otherwise, I've got another idea in mind.

I want the most beautiful instruction booklet ever made. I've always been a fan of colourful video game instructions. I would even take them with me to the washroom because obviously I'm not sleeping for the next 48 hours following the game's release. Is that too much information for one article? Think of it as a booklet breed from a manual and an art book. More or less every other page of this instruction booklet should display an art piece and a bit of caption to explain what you are looking at. The original art book was lacking this, but it would work here without the booklet coming off as promotion. Not only are you absorbing the little gameplay tips, but the booklet will also immerse you into the Guild Wars 2 world. This would help me greatly because I still feel the need to get a crash course in the latest lore after reading the ArenaNet blog.

Give us a poster of Lion's Arch with a view stretching from the sea up to the sky. I choose Lion's Arch because it said to be where all the races first come together. While one poster cannot capture the beauty of all the races, I believe Lion's Arch would symbolize the diversity of Guild Wars 2's universe in terms of races and environmental scope. Some other folks want a map, but can't you easily see that in-game? Is it not cooler to view the new Lion's Arch from an angle you can't normally see? You can disagree with my choice, but there is one other thing I think we may agree on. This is where I get really demanding. I think posters in game boxes have always been done wrong. Unless Guild Wars 2 was packaged in a long tube, I don't want a folded poster. Give us a poster cut into thin cardboard squares. We'll piece it back together on our wall with tape on the back and not worry about paper curling or seeing paper creases. Naturally, by asking for this, I am saying I want a significantly large image spread across my wall!

Lastly, we need a plastic object to complete this collector's edition. Night vision goggles and a dragon figure have been done. I do not want another USB flash drive modeled after Logan Thackeray's war-hammer either. Jokes aside, I honestly have no idea what I would like to see. It's hard to please everyone that's for sure. How about an authenticator? That doesn't really fit in with this category does it? If you're unfamiliar with authenticators for MMORPGs, it is a device which provides a unique key each time you want to log in to your account. It adds an extra layer of security, but it can also be a hassle if it doesn't function optimally, or if you lose it. An authenticator for logging into the game is unlikely to happen given that Guild Wars 2 doesn't have a monthly subscription fee, but if it did it could be modelled after something. Perhaps the authenticator can be modeled after an aetheric energy modulator (used to tune an Asuran gate). Not that I have any idea what that looks like, though it seems fitting for logging into Guild Wars 2. At least it isn't another awkwardly shaped USB flash drive! Whatever you decide ArenaNet, remember I still want to invite friends over to show them your game.

You may have realized by now that I have not mentioned anything about virtual costumes or bonus weapons. I suppose I'm not a fan, though I could care less whether or not such items are included. The more the merrier of course! I can always use a new mouse pad or a bookmark just for the Guild Wars novels. It's not so much about getting something cool related to Guild Wars 2, as it is for me to show my unwavering support to ArenaNet. In fact, I'll probably be buying one collector's edition and another regular copy via digital download when that is available. Like I said earlier, I've sworn to buy one of everything with Guild Wars 2 on it! Besides, I just know I will need all the character slots and inventory I can get. I'm sure that I'll be happy with whatever comes packaged in the collector's edition. Why did I even bother to write all of this? Guild Wars 2 has already exceeded my expectations. Alas, I've convinced myself to leave these collector's ideas for the experts to decide.

----
Written by @peter_chan
Much thanks to @Loremasterkaae for proof reading.

[Update] @bookahnerk tells me that cloths can be pretty detailed too. Perhaps not to the level of detail I first imagined to see Lion's Arch in, but I'd be cool with a big painterly image!
 
S

Scarsdale Punk

Guest
GW2 is the first game I've really considered buying a collector's edition for. But I'm not the sort to want a statue, mousepad, or cloth map. Y'know, the physical things. I prefer in-game stuff. Mini-pets, special effects, maybe a unique set of town clothes or something.
 

Zosimus

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I want to say welcome to GW2 Stratics Scarsdale Punk . :)


Now the unique town clothing idea would be cool and the mini pets I could go for.

It's been a while, but I got that gold asura mini pet for GW1 from a magazine that was promoting the code special if you bought that issue. Wish I could remember the magazine but man it was hard to find 3 of them they went pretty fast.

Have any idea what you think the Collector's Edition may cost?
 
S

Scarsdale Punk

Guest
I think it depends on how much stuff they pack in the box. Is it Tera that's offering two different kinds of collector's addition? And I think they're both under $100. I'd like to think that Arenanet will CE cost on the practical side. But if they include the standard extras like mouse pads, figurines, maps, and behind the scenes DVDs I'd imagine they could exceed $100 easily.

And thanks for the warm welcome!
 

Zosimus

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Tera CE is $80.00 if I recall.. Not sure if they had the two different CE's though. I could understand a Europe and US CE's that would be different but I am just speculating.

Was the GW2 art book mentioned or am I dreaming that some people were debating it would be added to the CE?
 
S

Scarsdale Punk

Guest
The game I'm thinking of had a digital Collector's Edition and a... I forget, an exclusive Collector's Edition or something. The exclusive cost more, but had more physical items in the box. The digital one was just downloadable stuff.

The art book was mentioned on Guildcast when they were talking about CE items. I actually would like one of those... I know I'm in the minority. Lots of people would pony up for the typical CE.
 

Zosimus

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You are not alone. I would like to get my hands on that art book myself.

If they offered something I would feel like I needed I would probably get the CE.

I did pre-order the Warhammer Online CE from gamestop when that was released and I tell you that was a nightmare. I didn't get my codes and then they said they had ran out so not all players got them.

Then 2 days later I get an email from them apologizing and gave me the codes with the pre-order. Only reason why I recieved them and I still think this today, at that time I said I would never buy another thing from them again and I had been a loyal customer for years to them always buying from them.
 
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