your thoughts on limited run/limited releases

[pook99]

I used to be very against these companies for creating an artificial demand for games. Limited run has changed their business model a bit. They used to release games in very limited quantities and as soon as they went on sale they were sold out in seconds, this was literally a scalpers market as there is no limit per customer on the number of items per transaction.

Now, they have open pre-orders, they advertise their games a week or 2 in advance and then the window to pre-order it is about a month, you can still buy as many copies as you like, but the quantities are not limited so if you want a copy you can get a copy.

Once the order window closes, then it is closed forever, which certainly does kind of suck, but on the flip side they are giving us physical editions of games we would never get otherwise and as someone who would always rather have physical I have come to appreciate the service they provide.

What is everyones thought on them? and the future of physical gaming in general??

[BoneSnapDeez]

Not a fan of any of this stuff, so I simply vote with my wallet and don't buy any of it.

[stickem]

I say fuck 'em.

X2

[prfsnl_gmr]

I’ve purchased a few releases. I do think, however, they’ve taken the fun out of collecting for modern systems. Accordingly, and while I’ll still buy games I want in a physical format, my desire to collect ended with the last generation of consoles and handhelds.

[isiolia]

While I like the idea of having premium physical editions of games available for those that value them, I'm not a fan of the manipulative tactics employed, so I pretty much ignore them.

[racketboy]

I REALLY like the aspect of getting physical releases of games/ports that otherwise would be digital only. There's plenty others that I'd love to see them tackle.

I'm not much for collectors editions and such -- unless they did some Sega ones like the PS3/360 ports of Jet Set Radio, Daytona, Afterburner Climax. Those I would consider getting collectors editions

And I think Limited Run does an ok job of balancing the fulling limited and the pre-order. For bigger name ones, I think the open-ended pre-orders are ideal. Don't create frustration for the many fans that want to jump on it. But it makes sense to get your production numbers, print enough copies, and then don't print again. It's practical from a business standpoint, but also fair for collectors.

I know LRG irritates some people, but for the few releases I've participated on, I've had good experiences.

[Syndicate]

...I like them, but try to be pretty selective about what I buy. The open pre-order model is something that's worked out well for me. I usually only go for the regular editions though, unless it's something special/cool like Streets of Rage 4 or Bubble Bobble 4 Friends collector's editions. Waiting forever a game to ship sucks though, so that's the downside. Also, some limited releases get small batch runs sold through Best Buy as well. When that happens I usually hold off and go that route, no shipping charges or being able to walk right in and find a rare game on the shelf is nice. I have to admit though, scalpers suck...there are really only two limited games I'd like to get my hands on and both are now out of a reasonable price range.

[Note]

I'm mixed on it -- my original opinion of Limited Run and limited releases in general was not good, as it sucks to have resellers buy up newly released product, which is something that has plagued other hobbies such as streetwear and sneakers for years, and that same thing is now sometimes happening with video games. However, I think the practice of having an open pre-order window is much fairer, as it gives everyone who is aware of a release and wants it a much better chance of attaining it.

I do like to have physical copies of games that may otherwise only be digital, so I'm glad there are still a few companies left that cater to that audience. But I do not purchase many new games to begin with, nor am I collecting for any modern consoles.

My partner pre-ordered SOR4, which was our only experience ordering directly from the company. The game took a really long time to ship, but other than that the experience was fine.

Moving forward, I hope companies continue to have an open pre-order window as I think it's a deterrent for resellers and bots.

[marurun]

I think their move to an open pre-order window has only come about as a result of wider exposure for their company and some of the titles they pick up. And having a store like Best Buy pick up some titles for retail also probably helps keep them from having to retain excess inventory. As frustrating as the early numbered limited runs were, I understand why they did it. When you’re the little guy you ha e to be sure you’re going to sell out. That’s probably the only reason they survived this long.

[Nemoide]

I think they do good stuff, they put out a lot of quality releases for things that wouldn't otherwise be put out and now they're also re-releasing certain games for older hardware (I'm really looking forward to playing the original Shantae on an actual Game Boy Color). I do think a good number of their releases are aimed exclusively at absolute maniacs: some of the games they put out look like hot garbage and some of their re-releases are strange choices (did Shadows of the Empire really need a new cartridge?)

I hope it isn't the future of physical games, but with Xbox and Playstation both pushing a version of their consoles that don't even have disc drives, it's hard to see that not being the case. Now that things generally go up for preorder with plenty of availability and notice, I don't think they're doing anything that frustrates me. If they put out something I don't want, I don't buy it. But if they put out something I do want, I'm thankful they're there to do that!