Loading ...Community Voice #9: Do You Nerdgasm Over Gaming Merch?
Just the other day while I was checking out the Jones Soda website, I noticed they were selling Dungeons and Dragons Spellcasting soda. There was nothing unique about this soda other than the labels they used on the bottles, which depicted different scenes from the popular tabletop role playing game. The geek in me wanted them badly, but my logical side eventually won out after seeing the price for shipping ($55 in total for six bottles of soda to Canada, yikes).
When Halo 3 was coupled with Mountain Dew Game Fuel, I rushed to the nearest 7-11 and bought my weight in Mountain Dew. My body was not pleased with me, but I satisfied my gamer urges…even though I don’t like Halo. Also, I almost never drink Mountain Dew. Some of us go nuts over every bit of game merchandise we can find. Others only choose to collect certain things, such as t-shirts or figurines. Some may avoid gaming merchandise altogether, preferring to stick to buying games and nothing else. So, are you the type of person who completely geeks out when they find some gamer merchandise, or are the complete opposite? Let us know in this week’s Community Voice!
What is Community Voice? Community Voice is your chance to make yourself heard on Spawn Kill. Yes, you can leave comments on any post that we have, but The Community Voice is a feature that is notorious for encouraging discussion and fostering a sense of, yes, community. We want to hear from readers of the site, so let us know your opinions on the topics each week and let’s get something lively going!
I've just recently started getting in to game merch. Once I have a steady income, I do plan on buying up just about anything that has been branded with my favorite games name/logo/etc.
My question to everyone is, how much is “too much” merch? Or, what sort of items aren't good gaming merch ideas?
I'm not really a gaming merch gal. Partially because I just don't have space to put anything if I did, lol. However, I can see how people could go for some gaming merch (i.e., collectibles). Other things (i.e., underwear? pillow sleeves?) Not sure if I understand.
I really, really, really want these DnD Jones sodas. I don't even know if I'd even drink them because they're… pretty. I bought those damned Halo 3 Game Fuel in bottle, can and whatever bodily shape I could find them in, too.
I'm gross with collecting useless things like this because it's addicting for me - but I'm trying to break down the ones I don't need as much and sell/get rid of them soon like the Resident Evil 5 Collector's Edition items - I don't like a single thing in there (granted I won those items in a contest, at least) - it's a hideously unsupportive messanger bag, an embarrassingly ugly Chris figure, a necklace and pendant of made-up-country Kijuju in Africa (also hideous), a patch and some other ultimately unattractive items.
There gets a point where too much is too much and I want to weed out the crap I have so I feel less guilty about adding to it in the future… So yeah, those Jones sodas. Extremely tempted…
I'm a sucker for gaming and geek-esque collectibles, anything from energy drinks cleverly designed to look like manna potions, random themed Mountain Dew bottles/cans (WoW, Halo, Star Wars: Episode 1, etc), figures, posters, and any number of other gaming related goodies. My BIGGEST (literally and figuratively) nerdgasmic score, for the record, is one of those limited edition Eddie Riggs statues EA and Double Fine were raffling off over the holiday season last year, that I had won as part of their “worst wrapped gift” promo.
That said, Spawn Kill denizens - what is your favorite gaming collectible you have (either won, or purchased), and why?
My favorite is one I have neither bought nor won - but that I lament and wish I had: the collectible Ezio statue that came with the Assassin's Creed II Collector's Edition!
I think this is really something for you to decide for yourself! I don't think there can be “too much” gaming merch unless it is literally spilling out of rooms, and you have no place to put anything anywhere. I keep all of my gaming merch confined to one room and out of the living room sans video game magazines.
Underwear and pillow sleeves definitely strikes me as something that 5 years can get into comfortably, but not 25 year olds. But then again, that's just me.
I know! Well if it makes you feel any better, when I calculated the shipping for the sodas to the US, it was only $35 instead of the whopping $55. You could get a 12-pack and drink six of them, and then leave the other set alone. They are really awesome though…the artwork is really nice.
That is such a tough question. I'll list three off: 1) My WoW priest figurine that my husband got me. It has a lot of nice detail in it, moreso than the other figures. 2) My Final Fantasy XIII soundtrack that I bought from the Square-Enix store. The packaging was really pretty. 3) My Halo 3 slurpee cup…just because it reminds me of the adventures I had to go through just to get it.
I don't have one, because I don't play WOW, but I have to confess that if I did I would probably want one of those customized statues made to look like your avatar. I think that would be some gaming merch I would splurge on lol. I honestly don't really have any gaming collectibles outside of soundtracks, artbooks, strategy guides, and games themselves, really. As I said before, I've been trying to do with less, especially since I don't have any where to display anything right now
. I do have a soft spot for strategy guides though, especially for older games.
@Cuarto - I often find myself with that same problem. I mean, I LOVE gaming swag, but I have to be selective as far as what I keep and what I give away. Sure, I like that Conduit stress ball or the Naruto Shippuden set of chopsticks as much as the next guy, but I only have room for so much stuff!
@Dana - Some very cool gaming goodies you've got there. When was 7-11 giving out halo reach slurpee cups? Had I known, I'd've gladly plopped down the $2.79 for one… (Oh well, here's hoping they'll do a similar promo for Reach next month)
@Tigresa - You mean the big one, that comes with the AC2 Master Assassin's Edition? It's pretty damn awesome
That said, check your local Gamestop - many of them still have them in stock!
I know the Best Buy near me has several limited editions on clearance right now, including the Batman Arkham Asylum and MW2 Prestige (that was the one with the goggles, right?) LEs.
I have a lot of random stuff, mostly toys, figures, shirts, and some of the collector's editions of titles. A lot of that stuff is just lying around, like the Mario hat and Hanafuda cards I got from Club Nintendo, but they're still neat. I will often preorder games at Gamestop just because they come with some sort of trinket.
I have Mario boxers. What are you saying? HUH?!
I guess Mario boxers are OK, but it can get a little out of hand. I'm sure you can get plenty of Dragon Quest underwear in Japan…. but then, what can't you get that has a slime on it in Japan??