PC strategy fans love them some Civilization, but do they love it enough to spend double retail price for the game plus collector swag?


For $49.99 come September, you'll be able to get your hands on the normal retail version of Sid Meier's Civilization V. What do you get for $99.99? Why, a plethora of Civilization related goodies that may or may not look good on your mantle, depending on the style, configuration, and existence of your mantle.

The bulk of that $50 likely goes to the five metal figurines from Reaper Miniatures, based on units from the game. Each highly-detailed lump of metal is guaranteed to take up space somewhere in your home.


Next comes the 176-page hardbound art book, which will look lovely on my book case and is the primary reason I will likely shell out the extra $50 myself. What? I like video game art books.

Rounding out the special edition is a pair of soundtrack CDs and a "Behind-the-Scenes at Firaxis on Civilization V" DVD. I don't think I've peeked at a behind-the-scenes DVD in the history of behind-the-scenes DVDs being packed in games, and I don't see myself bucking that trend any time soon.

So is $50 a fair price to pay for a handful of metal figures and an art book?