These days, more often than not, when you go to buy a new game that is projected to be a medium to large release in the gaming calendar, you’ll find that you have a variety of options to choose from. Obviously you get the standard game on it’s own for about £40. However, you’ll also find a Special Edition and maybe even a Collectors Edition.

Over the past few years, this has become more popular when releasing a game with each time one of these Collector Editions being released, the item you get with it is yet more elaborate.

Halo 3 is one of the big releases that I always remember as they had a series of different ‘bundles’ you could buy. The most expensive of those bundles contained a model of a Spartan helmet. I personally thought this was quite impressive, the only problem was that it wasn’t large enough to put on, although it does fit a cat (not my personal experience).

The latest game in the Halo franchise, Halo Reach, which is set for release later this year also comes with a collectors edition. This time however the game comes alongside a statue of the main characters of the game. Once again, I see no problem with this, it’s a nice collectible to have on your shelf. However, some companies *cough*Activision*cough* have attendancy to over do it a little.

When Activision released Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, of course a collectors edition (or Prestige as they called it) was released alongside the game. With this game came something different and I believe, just a tad over the top, a working pair of night vision goggles. This is when collector editions really started getting out of hand. But despite the item you get with the game being pretty silly, many people forked out the cash for this expensive version of the game.

Well, yesterday Activision announced the bundles that would be released alongside their next big released, Call of Duty: Black Ops. As with their previous releases, you’ll have a choice of 3 bundles. The standard game, the Hardened Edition which contains the following:

• Steelbook case
• Black Ops medal + display case
• Four exclusive co-op maps
• Black Ops style Xbox/Playstation avatar clothing

Finally there is the $150 (ouch) Prestige Edition which contains all of the above from the Hardened Edition, but it also comes with a fully functional, remote control car. The car is modeled on the in-game car which can remote detonated in an attempt to kill your enemies, and to make it even more like the in-game car, the RC car is fitted with a camera and recording device allowing you to stream video and audio up to 200 feet away.

It may sound like a good bundle, however, this just shows another example of where you are no longer buying the game for the purpose of playing the game, you’re now buying the game for the cool toy that comes with it, similar to a Happy Meal.

So how much are people really willing to pay for these collectables that game publishers are throwing out there? I wouldn’t be surprised if in the next 10 years we saw Call of Duty 39 being released with a fully operational M4 Carbine rifle. Or maybe it will be the other way around, buy a M4 Carbine rifle and get a free copy of Call of Duty 39, we’ll just have to wait and see.

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