Steelbook mini

[damar]

Scanavo, the parent company that is manufacturing, licensing and producing steelbooks, is offering a new type of steelbooks. The steelbook mini.
The company claims that this is the missing solution between an industry going all digital these days and gamers who are collectors or like to have physical media on their hands.
One of the selling points of the mini steelbooks is that it can be used to distribute digital downloads, season passes and DLCs. That's because it has the advantage of shelf-appeal, is attractive to impulse buyers, highly collectible and elevates brand value through promotions.

http://i.imgur.com/nNjiePn.png

[Letrico]

Looks like a 3ds game steel book that has been appearing recently with Pokemon and zelda.

[Gadgetron]

Looks like a make up box

[Funnnkyyy]

I'm not a huge fan of steelbooks but if this is the way it ends up, I don't think I'd be too impressed!

[Seesternmann]

Naaah, still like our 'old' G1 and G2 steels. Never been a big fan of offering downloadable content in a collectors case. I mean collecting is all about physical things. Why should I buy collectors cases when there's nothing to put into them ??

[felling]

i need G2

[Twisted]

we won't see these in the US...we NEVER saw the 3DS ones, and we NEVER see G1 anymore either.

[gurpswoo1]

I can see there logic in this, with more games going digital they need to start doing something to stay relevant.

Agree with others this looks like a shrunken DS game case, you could use it as a Mini CD holder for say soundtracks in Collector's editions. Not likely though.

Wonder if it will turn like the normal size one and get a sticker book release, you know it will be bad once that happens.

[Life Is Prime]

Hurm...

I truly sympathize with what they're trying to achieve here. The existence of digital has made the gaming industry a much more approachable and creative space, and if you look around, you are sure to find a new studio and/or game that strikes your fancy.

If one is a critical hit, like Journey (last generation) and Shovel Knight (current generation), a physical edition may surface, but that isn't always the case. Digital is just much more cost-effective and a safer route to take for both a publisher and developer unless there is strong community support for such a product. Ori and the Blind Forest is getting a Definitive Edition, so it could get a disc in the near-future. Or maybe it will get a SteelBook Mini featuring special art and a download code (no scratching required if sealed).

I see this concept more fitting for games that are exclusively digital, and not DLC or season passes that a few months down the road may wind up in a Game of the Year edition (as long as the additional content is on the disc).

Personally, I don't know if this will become a hit or not. comiXology is a digital comics platform that offers digital variant covers, and as much as I would rather have a variant cover as a physical copy, it seems there is a market for digital versions.

The Behemoth had a neat idea where they made numbered Castle Crashers medallions that came with a digital code for the game. Although I don't have one (curses!), it is a cool bit of swag.

[KnightOfTruth]

we won't see these in the US...we NEVER saw the 3DS ones, and we NEVER see G1 anymore either.

Except for the ESO:TU Imperial Edition... yup, even though it came out for "current gen" (PS4/X1) it came with G1 steelbooks :( :banghead:

[damar]

I see this concept more fitting for games that are exclusively digital, and not DLC or season passes that a few months down the road may wind up in a Game of the Year edition (as long as the additional content is on the disc).


My thoughts exactly. IMO I think getting "something" is better than buying a digital "license" for a game that can go down anytime the developer, publisher or the platform owner decide it's time to go offline "remember P.T.?". Let alone the collecting aspect of physical games.
I understand that going digital is more efficient and practical in the game industry nowadays and I think that this generation is the last one that gamers will get physical games ever. However, there must be other solutions for people who like to "touch" their games.