Let me tell you about the strangest product launch I've seen in a while. A collector's set for Grand Theft Auto 6 has been announced at $399.99, and it does not include a copy of the game. You read that right. Four hundred dollars, no game. As Gadget Review points out, it's really a merchandise bundle wearing a collector's-edition costume.

What you actually get, according to the listing, is a 6-inch Macca the Gator figure with a stash compartment, a pair of matte black GTAVI Oakley sunglasses with Prizm Sapphire lenses, and a New Era 9FORTY hat. A figure, some sunglasses and a hat. All perfectly fine if you're a superfan, sure. But "collector's edition" has meant something for decades now, and that something always included the actual product. I still remember when a collector's edition got you a fancy steelbook case with the disc tucked inside. The disc was the whole point...

Somewhere along the way, companies figured out they could sell the merchandise separately and let you buy the game twice if you wanted the full experience. And people will buy it, that's the sad part. GTA 6 is one of the biggest releases on the calendar, launching November 2026, so whoever is selling this box knows the demand is there no matter what's in it.

To be fair, there's a logistics explanation. Games are digital now, and shipping discs that might not even work on day one without a patch is its own headache. But if you're not including the game, call it what it is, a merch bundle. Price it like one too. Ask yourself: would you pay $400 for a figure, sunglasses and a hat? For most people I suspect the answer is no.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, technology should work for you, not the other way around. A product that banks on hype to sell you half of what the label implies is working against you. My granddaughter Jess is exactly the age group this set is aimed at, and you'd better believe I'm telling her the same thing I'd tell you. Buy the game. Enjoy the game. Skip the box that doesn't contain it.