The CE-store gives access to some more individualization and this is allways welcome, especially in MMOs, where people usually are clones running around. I'd wish more MMOs would go the way of RoM, where you can move the stats form an epic to a LvL 1 item. The rest of the ingame-stuff... well... it's not really that interesting.

The biggest reason for the CE might actually be the seurity-key, as this offers some additional account-security ontop of what you can do yourself to protect against keyloggers etc.

I bought a 5 euro pre-order standard edition box from HMV initially. I entered the pre-order code and was all set for the early access. Then, because of a credit card re-fund I recieved for pc parts I ordered, it turned out I had exactly enough to buy the Collector's Edition of the game and get the same day postage from Gamestop. After enquiring on the SWTOR forums to ensure I'll get all the C.E. items once I enter the C.E retail code on the 20th of December, I decided to "just do it" and bought myself the C.E.

Why? Well aside from the exact money being refunded to me on my credit card being a sure fire sign from the powers that be to buy the C.E, I also wanted to once again be there at the start  for a big game launch, like I was in SWG. I even have the big cardboard box that game came in. It's just cool.

If they offered a life-time sub, I would most likely buy one too. (I never bought a lifetime sub for any game before). I just can see myself being very dedicated to this game for the long term, so the C.E makes sense for me to buy. Let's hope the game doesnt tank come release!

Edit: And as someone who had their WoW account hacked before I got one,  the authenticator that comes with it is priceless in my opinion!

I'll save my money and buy three games instead of the one price of the collector's edition.

Unless a game offers me something extremely beneficial in-game (I'm not a collector and can't stand all of the clutter from items on my desk), such as a mount from level one (Rift got me on this one), I'm out. A "shop" of exclusives is an extremely obnoxious concept as the ambiguity of what it might contain, at launch and in the future, is actually a mental game with the playerbase.

I pre-ordered the regular edition and am still quite excited, but I've no interest personally in the C.E. To those who feel they are getting their money's worth, I see no problem and hope they enjoy it.

Nah, ill stick with the standard version.  I can easily afford the CE, but I was not interested in anything they were offering, save the store and that was not enough.  

I made the mistake of buying a CE edition of a game once (WAR)....it is still collecting dust in my tech graveyard.

One cool thing the game has (CE) in one of the main cities, there is an area that only the ce people get access to...nothing to do there persay...just kind of cool I guess.  At least thats what they said at comicon

I was originally going to buy the CE, but once i seen what it offered i backed off. I felt the items provided were not worthy of the price, so i preordered the regular copy instead. The best thing i liked from the whole deal was the unique color crystal. But that comes with a regular copy as well so i got what i wanted for a very low price. That being said, even the color crystal will be pointless within a few days of the games release. The flare gun, training droid, holodancer, holocam, mouse droid, all pointless items. Sure they might be fun to have for some, for awhile, but in the end, pointless items. Same with the STAP speeder, sure, you get a free one and save yourself the cost (wont say the cost of it in game), but all this does is exactly that, saves you credits.

From the looks of it, you still got to wait for the required level to use it anyways, so you basically got a free speeder sitting in your inventory till you reach the required level to use it. The Malgus statue will be something people want to most likely sell on ebay or amazon at a later time to the nerds who desperately want one for their personal collection. As for the store, it will just offer different looks for social items and companion appearances. Nothing game breaking, you can still get both those in game, just wont have those specific one's.

So yeah, nothing really worthy of my $150, i chose to go with the ME3 collectors edition instead, felt it had better stuff and was way cheaper. So even if i felt later on it wasn't worth the price, i can still feel good about not paying $150 for it. But despite my feeling on the CE, a lot of people still have to have it and honestly, more power to them. I'm a firm believer that if you want it, buy it and in this case for me, i just didn't want it.

Originally posted by precious328

Most people buy these Collector's Editions to stand out. It's almost like some virtual form of elitism - knowing that they have something that most player will never have.

 

That is why I bought the CE !

Simple answer: Because they want to.

Originally posted by precious328

Most people buy these Collector's Editions to stand out. It's almost like some virtual form of elitism - knowing that they have something that most player will never have.

 

Or maybe it's because some people like to....you know....collect unique things?

I am deciding currently to go normal version, or digital deluxe for the mounts....No idea how hard it is to obtain a mount in game, if it will be a big boon for the toon...Guess I could ask, don't know if a yes/no answer with no explaination would really be breaking the nda heh.

I didn't buy the CE as there wasn't anything I really wanted.   I very rarely see things in a CE that I do need/want, but generally buy the next step up from the basic if it includes a mount, etc. (such as Trion did).

Honestly though if a Collector's Edition is just that it should be limited I would think in availability.  Maybe not a full Limited Edition but a Collector's implies something to collect which shouldn't be common.  So people that want to pay for the extras have the right to get them and flaunt them if they want.  Their choice their $$.

I bought it (when pre-orders were announced) for the physical items. I've had CEs for games before and I know the in-game "exclusive" stuff amounts to little more than a bunch of novelty items. Even with the store and the "VIP" lounge, I can't see this being any different.

I wanted the Malgus statue (yes, they are addictive!), authenticator and soundtrack, so I went for the CE, the in-game stuff doesn't matter to me at all really. But it would seem from some discussions that people are forking out the extra $s just for the in-game stuff.

That I just don't understand.

I preordered the CE relatively soon after it was possible. It was a VERY hard deicison. 150 Euro is A LOT of money (214 Dollar at the time!) and I found the price obscene and hilarious. But these were my reasons:

I WANT the soundtrack and I WANT the item shop, because I want to have some gear where I look a tad different. That chance is really what I enjoyed.

Now I totally do not want the figurine (UGLY) and I plan to sell it, hopefully. And I want a game as box, I only buy digital games when the game matters not at all to me. I want a box, a manual... something tangible, so the digital version was out of the question and the normal too. It was really a hard decision, and I wished Bioware would have had one around 100 bucks without the fugly Darth Malgus figure. If it were a COOL character, Vader, heck even Revan or what... but Malgus? Bah.

I originally ordered the CE edition for the reason Michael stated.... the statue :-(

Wait... A P2P game is going to have an item shop?

Is that like a cash shop in F2P games where you have to spend real money on cosmetic stuff to buy it?

Maybe I'm misreading but if that's what it is that's just ridiculous.

I would never P2P a game that also has an item/cash shop.

You're already paying $15.00 a month to play the game and if you want to look good you also have to fork over probably an extra $15.00-$20.00?

Maybe that's not the case, but if it is that's super greedy on Bioware's part.

Of course it's probably EA's doing as all their games have item/cash shops... even their P2P games.

I just don't see how how that's fair to the players, but if they dont' mind then I guess it doesn't matter.

Originally posted by Razeekster

Wait... A P2P game is going to have an item shop?

Is that like a cash shop in F2P games where you have to spend real money on cosmetic stuff to buy it?

Maybe I'm misreading but if that's what it is that's just ridiculous.

I would never P2P a game that also has an item/cash shop.

You're already paying $15.00 a month to play the game and if you want to look good you also have to fork over probably an extra $15.00-$20.00?

Maybe that's not the case, but if it is that's super greedy on Bioware's part.

Of course it's probably EA's doing as all their games have item/cash shops... even their P2P games.

I just don't see how how that's fair to the players, but if they dont' mind then I guess it doesn't matter.

 

This CE-only item store doesnt have a single item for sale for real money, its simply a vendor for (cosmetic) items in-game that only the CE people can access.

I just don't see the need to even preorder much less buy a $150 version.  Typically there's nothing I need in a collectors edition.  Action figure/sculpture?  I have 50 or so collectible action figures now...in my garage.  Map?  Eh, better maps with poi's will be online soon.  A book with 'exclusive' artwork?  Naaa, again, those pictures and more will find there way onto the internet.  Some exclusive virtual items?  Meh...I don't even know if I like the game yet.

The only thing that remotely stirs my interest is the store where you can buy stuff to customize your companions, but I don't like it enough as a single selling point.

If I was going to drop $150, I'd rather buy two copies of the regular game and my wife and I could play together.

The reason is because as time gets closer the more drunk they get.

Drunk on love for SWTOR, and When your as shitfaced Drunk as I am any girl looks pretty.

But Seriously, as the last few months have passed more info has been released about the game, it has an actual date now, and some of the terrible screenshots or videos that made the games graphics look bad have been replaced with proper media. The game looks a ton better than most MMOs out.

Along with the announcement that there will be more than one Operation (Raid), there is Tons Of PVP, and the simple fact that there is 200 hours of unique story gameplay per class. Pays for the game itself "almost". 

On top of that Blizzard announced their new xpac which has a ton of people very upset. Other mmos going free to play which opens up funds as well, plus getting closed to hollidays when means presents .