To make up for the long wait, Sony has announced some exclusive new features for the PAL release of Shadow of Colossus, due this month. The eagerly awaited spiritual successor to Ico, arriving here four months after hitting the shelves in Japan and the US, will get, "special cardboard packaging containing four unique postcards depicting magical moments from the game".
Obviously, that's not all! The press release (which makes admirable use of the phrase 'Colossal Package' in its header) also goes on to mention some extra behind-the-scenes content:
"Filmed in Japan, the PAL release comes with exclusive to camera interviews with artistic partners and creative directors Ueda and Kaido-san. Three and a half years in production, the interviews offer fans the chance to understand the heritage of Shadow of the Colossus and to see how this massive production was brought together. In addition the disc comes packed with a full image gallery including unseen concept sketches, in game stills and the original game trailer to cult-classic ICO."
There's also a new website here but I couldn't look at it because I don't have Flash 8 on this Mac.
Do you tend to look at these bonus elements? They're becoming more common - and not just with publishers who feel guilty about their tardiness. There's a Collector's Edition of Elder Scrolls Oblivion that comes with a 'making of' feature as well as renders and sketches. The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II Collector's Edition also has a disc stuffed with music and documentary goodies. I know from my movie DVDs that I rarely watch this stuff, but I like to know it's there...
Of course, one element videogame extras will probably never be able to offer is a director's commentary* - although it would be fascinating to have a game's producer shouting at you as you play. "This is the dockside scene, based around historical photographs of Liverpool, and... Wait, you've missed a health pick-up! No over there by the crates... Watch out there's an enemy guard! Use your M16! Strafe! STRAFE!"
*UPDATESome readers have kindly pointed out that a few games do feature limited commentaries, including Half-Life 2 and Rogue Squadron. Well, I told you I hardly ever look at special features...
