There won't be a retail version of the game anymore. This is because it's really hard to make any profit from retail nowadays (compared to digital downloads). I'm sorry to say, mate.

We are working on a Collector's Edition for Rebellion that will be available direct only. Too soon to provide details or cost info on this yet.

Just saying, but I would kill for a pewter Kol.

Cool! Can we upgrade from our pre-ordered version? Or does "direct" mean we have to buy it separate?

I also second the pewter Kol

I hope the collector's edition will have an awesome box (preferably made of paperboard or metal) with cool screen shots on the back or inside and maybe a great manual inside with little pictures of the ships (in color) and that tell a little bit about them (just like the original Sins of a Solar Empire manual, I loved that thing even though it was still in black and white).

But what I would really really love in a collector's edition would be a soundtrack CD. I bought the Game of the Year edition just to get the soundtrack CD, and with the new additions made by Rebellion and Entrenchment I think that it is time to make a new CD with all of the music from Sins of A Solar Empire and all of its expansions. And please, whatever you do, do not shorten or cut out tracks from the collector's edition. I would pay more to get all the music, because often when I get home from school and sit down to study I need some good music to listen to, and I've listened to the original CD hundreds of times.

Throw in some cool item like a pewter sculpture of the Kol or another memorable ship (maybe a titan, because this is Rebellion), and I would gladly shell out whatever it takes to grab one of these.

"Direct" does mean it comes in a box and is shipped from Stardock, right?

I am really excited that they are doing a collector's edition for this game, this is exactly the news I was hoping for from Rebellion.

Oh. That's a downer.

Yeah that sucks, a retail version of Rebellion would look so sexy plus we'd probably get a cool tangible iitem. I want that pewter Kol.

That does bring up the question, though.

What would be in a Deluxe Digital Download version of Rebellion?

A print it yourself cut out Kol?

retail buys are usually impulse buys, same way i bought soase trinity. i bought it while i was looking for another game lol

i'd rather have a pewter marza though

That used to be the case for me but now it's cheap downloadable games. For instance I look for a game on Impulse or Steam and then usually have a peek at the budget titles. I see a game I recognise and since it's dirt cheap I can't resist the temptation so now I have tons of games I haven't even tested if they work.

Then there are sites like Good Old Games with crazy cheap games during their frequent sales.

What I'm getting at is that when I buy a retail game I do it with games I really want and have looked forward to.

got a point there, i'd still like retail so you can actually hold the case and CD. i'm not all too positive over having your serials stored in a file somewhere on the internet. it makes you dependant

I agree. Getting a box with a gigantic manual is awesome and something I gladly pay extra for.

Steam, Impulse, GamersGate and others like that should be sued to hell and forced to play by the same rules as every one else by governments. I mean they are the only business models I know of where if you buy something you don't actually own what you buy.

The only reasons I use them are that I have no choice and they sell games ridiculously cheap.

Even if they do not release a boxed collector's edition (in my mind, it's not a collector's edition at that point, just a scam) is it possible that a CD soundtrack could be released for Sins Rebellion containing all of the music from Sins and its expansions? I would buy this in a heartbeat.

Still, I wish that they were releasing a boxed collector's edition. I would buy this in half a heartbeat, and I would put this up in my room on display and stare at it and love it. I have wished ever since I got Sins of a Solar Empire that Stardock would make a great collector's edition for it that I could look at and think how awesome the game was. I didn't think that the Sins of a Solar Empire Collector's Edition was fully there, even though it did come with a soundtrack CD.

I thought Rebellion would be Stardock's chance for redemption. Unfortunately, if they are really are only going to do a digital download collector's edition, I guess it will not turn out that way.

I concur with Ravagus and Damien that I like having a case and a disk to hold and a nice manual to flip through excitedly when the game is installing to learn about the new ships. Oh well...