Former industry exec believes special editions are the future of boxed titles

Marko Hein, COO of Port Plexus which designs special retail editions, believes this form of packaging will become the standard offer at retail in the future.

Speaking with GI.biz, Hein said that with the inherent need for a product to standout amongst online and digital titles becoming necessary, special editions are not only more distinguishable at retail, but also offer additional value for the costumer's dollar.

"I think the Special or Collector's Editions of today could become the standard editions of tomorrow, because you have to differentiate your physical product from the digital download or online game," he said.

"There's a certain need to provide more additional value to your goods, to stand out against digital distribution in the future.

"Saying this, the boxed product has a problem, which is that it doesn't necessarily provide additional value to what you get when you download a game. That means that if your company is in the boxed product business, you need to think how you can provide additional value that doesn't exist in the digital download.

"Otherwise, when you can download the product for €10 or €20, there's no need for the consumer to pay exactly the same price for the box."

Hein goes on to say that special editions could also be a gateway to newcomers to a particular series, using The Sims and Anno as an example, by offering an "introductory edition" that would be less intimidating to a consumer wanting to try a longstanding heritage.

Hein was formerly a senior executive at Bigpoint, Nintendo, and THQ.

Get the fill interview through here.