Packaging variations

Video game theme

When the packaging, label, instructions, parts, or cartridge of a game came in more than one version for the same sales region by the same company.

4
games
1
platform
This is not for a game released in multiple countries. It is assumed that the packaging will always be different per sales region and there is not need to tag in these cases. This is not for a game published by multiple companies. It is obvious that if a game is republished by a different company, the packaging will be different. This is not for PC games, PC games are commonly repackaged (with a few exceptions, see below). This is not for companies that varied packaging for most if not all of their games, such as Atari (but same exceptions as the PC games, see below).
This is for cases when a single company changes something about the package of a game they have previously sold.
Examples:
The game initially had a contest associated with it and said so on the box. Copies manufactured after the contest expired did not say anything about the contest. And the publishing company did not change.
The game was renamed, but the publisher did not change.
Finances caused a manufacture to change the packaging to reduce costs. For instance, full color labels, boxes, and/or instructions were changed to use less colors or were printed in black and white.
A game was originally housed in a custom cartridge but later changed to a standard cartridge.
A game was republished as a 'player's choice' or 'classics collection' type marketing gimmick.
From the first publishing, package variations were purposefully created for marketing purposes. This is a PC exception. For instance, Star Wars Racer came in a box with Subulba staring in the foldout artwork and came in a box with Anakin staring in the foldout artwork. When the unfolded covers were placed adjacently, they formed on continuous scene. SWR was marketed this way because networked games required one full retail copy of the game per player and having multiple packages was further encouragement to buy multiple copies instead of illegally copying one. This is also an exception for companies that create multiple packages by default.
From the first publishing, package variations were purposefully created for collecting purposes. This is a PC exception. For instance, most Ultima games came in normal and special editions from their first publishing date. If the other edition(s) came at a later date, discernment must be used to decide if the repackaging is truly for collection value and not just a cost reduced republishing. This is also an exception for companies that create multiple packages by default.

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Games by year

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The first Packaging variations video game was released on August 13, 1985.

Platforms

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