rockstar's $400 collector's box doesn't even include the game

Saw this on Push Square. Rockstar just put up a new merch page for something called The Goodtime State - Vice City Collection. It's $399.99 in the US, £349.99 in the UK. Pre-orders are live now and they're saying limited quantities. And yeah, no game inside.

Push Square called it sort of like a Collector's Edition, which is a polite way to say it's a very expensive box. I get that collector's boxes are a thing, but $400 for a box that doesn't even have the game is wild. The Ultimate Edition with the game is $99.99. You could buy four Ultimate Editions for that price and still have change. Or just buy the game and a bunch of other merch.

I don't know what's actually in the box since the page doesn't list contents beyond the name, but at that price I'd expect something substantial. Maybe a statue or some kind of physical map. Rockstar hasn't shown what's inside yet from what I can tell, just the price and the limited quantity warning.

I'm probably not dropping $400 on a box with no game, but I know some collectors will. Rockstar knows their audience. Limited quantities will sell out anyway.

Source: Push Square · Curated content.

Four hundred for a box and no game. They're testing how far the brand stretches before launch. It'll sell out and they'll learn nothing.