Baldur’s Gate 3 Collector’s Edition: A Pricey Game of Speculation
Baldur’s Gate 3 is being hailed as the savior of modern gaming, right up there with bread, water, and the PS5 during a Christmas rush! Seriously, the Collector’s Edition that launched last year is like the holy grail for gamers—if the holy grail had a steep price tag of $269.99 and was now going for more than $3,000 on reseller sites like eBay. Talk about a markup! It’s like boarding a flight where someone’s charging you $1,000 for an economy seat with extra legroom. But this? This is collector’s capitalism in its finest, or as I like to call it, a “money-grabbing quest.”
And you’ll never guess who’s not laughing all the way to the bank—Michael Douse, the marketing director of Larian Studios. He’s venting like a seasoned stand-up comic about to perform at an open mic. “I hate resellers, man. I understand how commodities work, but this CE is not a commodity. It is designed to make someone happy, not to make them rich,” he proclaimed. Take a moment, folks. That’s like a kid at a birthday party saying he hates adults taking the cake before it’s cut!
This Collector’s Edition, mind you, was limited to just 25,000 units and sold out even before it officially hit the shelves in August 2023. It came packed with delightful goodies—a statue, a 20-sided die (D20 for that nostalgic dice-rolling magic), stickers, Magic: The Gathering-themed cards, and an art book. So, you could say they didn’t just throw in a puny USB stick—no, they really laid out the buffet. But now, it’s not just collectors who want it; it’s every Tom, Dick, and Harry looking to cash in!
All this leaves true fans in a right pickle, yearning to get their mitts on this coveted edition but thwarted by soaring prices. Fans are in despair, feeling like they’ve rolled a critical fail when it comes to acquiring collectibles. How’s that for a barometer of misfortune? Here’s a piece of advice for Larian Studios: hearing your fans’ cries is one thing—but actually supplying more editions? Well, that’s a different quest altogether! They’re holding onto exclusivity like the crown jewels because, let’s face it, scarcity has always been the name of the game.
Reseller Mayhem: The Video Game Circus
Let’s step back and marvel at the magic trick of video game resellers. This didn’t just happen with Baldur’s Gate 3; take a stroll down memory lane, and you’ll bump into the PS5 release fiasco. Oh yes, thousands of consoles snatched up, only to see them resold for double or even quadruple the original cost. Ain’t it grand? You thought you were shopping at a discount store, only to realize you’ve walked into a high-stakes auction house! The PS5 Pro 30th Anniversary Edition is now flirting with price tags over $10,000. I mean, with prices like that, it better come with a gold-plated controller and a lifetime supply of pizza!
But it seems the chaos doesn’t end there. Some crafty ne’er-do-wells have even attempted to sell non-limited standard editions as if they were the holy limited edition itself—classic! That’s akin to selling fake Rolexes at street corners, but in the gamer’s world. The reseller market has turned into a battlefield of speculation and misinformation, leaving loyal enthusiasts dodging these curveballs left and right.
A Bounty for Fans: The Deluxe Edition Still Stands
If you’re still dreaming of owning something from the coveted shelf of Baldur’s Gate, there’s hope! The Deluxe Edition is still available on the official Larian Studios website. While it might not come with the glitz and glamour of the Collector’s Edition, it does have some snazzy extras like a world map and a special game box. Mostly, it’s your lifeboat on this stormy sea of overpriced gaming swag, but hey, it’s the thought that counts, right?
Blizzard’s Rocky Road: From Excellence to Excess
As we shift gears, let’s pivot to another titan in the gaming world—Blizzard Entertainment. Remember when they used to be the shining knights of gaming? Well, that light flickered out faster than a gaming session gone wrong. Word on the street is they’ve traded excellence for revenue, all thanks to the behemoth success of World of Warcraft. Once a studio of legends, they’ve become more of a cautionary tale with a storyline steeped in corporate priorities.
According to journalism wizard Jason Schreier—who spoke to over 300 employees—WoW’s phenomenal success may have been the first nail in Blizzard’s coffin of creative integrity. That’s like winning the lottery but then realizing you’ve just rolled snake eyes in all the wrong areas of life!
In conclusion, while the gaming industry offers this rollercoaster of emotions, let’s not forget to enjoy the ride—whether you’re a buyer, a reseller, or just a casual observer shaking your head at the antics. As they say, “it’s as much about the journey as it is about the destination”… just don’t forget your wallet!
Baldur’s Gate 3 has been hailed as one of the best video games of recent times, and its Collector’s Edition with limited copies released a year ago, has now reached exorbitant levels. Although it was originally sold by $269.99 dollarssome resellers are offering it for more than $3,000 dollars on resale sites like eBay.
This situation has caused outrage among fans and the developers themselves, such as Michael Dousemarketing director of Larian Studioswho denounce the abuse of these inflated prices.
The Collector’s Edition of Baldur’s Gate 3 is one of the most coveted pieces by fans of the game. Released in a limited quantity of 25,000 units and sold out even before the official release date in August 2023this special edition included not only the game, but also exclusive content such as a statue, a 20-sided die (D20), stickers, Magic: The Gathering themed cards, and an art book.
However, what began as a collector’s item for enthusiasts has transformed into an opportunity for resellers take advantageselling it at prices that have reached up to $3,500 on some platforms. The Marketing Director of Larian Studios, Michael Douseexpressed his frustration publicly on platform stating: “I hate resellers, man. I understand how commodities work, but this CE is not a commodity, It is designed to make someone happy, not to make them rich.. If you buy it to trade, all you’re doing is making someone sad.”
The Douse reaction reflects the frustration that many fans share who, despite wanting to purchase the Collector’s Edition, are unable to do so due to these exorbitant prices. Some users have commented on social networks how heartbreaking it is to see how collectibles become products of speculation, instead of being enjoyed by true fans of the game and despite calls for Larian Studios to produce more limited editions, this is unlikely to happensince exclusivity is precisely one of the greatest attractions of these items.
It’s been quite a while now, The phenomenon of resellers has been a constant in the world of video gamesduring the launch of the PS5For example, thousands of consoles were purchased en masse by resellers who offered them at double or triple their original price. The same has happened with limited editions of anniversary games and consoles, such as the PS5 Pro 30th anniversary editionwhich has been quoted in more than $10,000 dollars on auction sites.
In the case of Baldur’s Gate 3, not only the Collector’s Edition has been a victim of resale. Some players have even tried to sell non-limited standard editions of the game as if they were specialdeceiving unsuspecting buyers, demonstrating how the reseller market has also become a mix of speculation and misinformation, affecting both enthusiasts and the industry itself.
For those who still want to get a physical version of the game without falling into the traps of inflated prices, the Deluxe Edition of Baldur’s Gate 3 still available in the official website of Larian Studios. Although it doesn’t include all the elements of the Collector’s Edition, it still offers some extras, such as a world map and a special game box.
The success of World of Warcraft marked the beginning of the decline of the “old Blizzard”, which began to prioritize revenue over excellence in the development of its games.
Blizzard Entertainmentonce seen as an unbreakable pillar of the video game industry, has undergone a significant transformation in thethe last decades. Known for creating polished and well-designed gaming experiences, the studio earned the trust of players since its first titles, however, according to journalist Jason Schreier, the company began to lose its direction precisely due to the massive success of World of Warcraft. (WoW), the MMORPG released in 2004.
After interviewing more than 300 employees and former Blizzard employees for his book “Play Nice – The Rise, Fall and Future of Blizzard Entertainment”Schreier suggests that WoW’s greatness was the first nail in the coffin of the studio’s original philosophy.
