The Saints Row franchise has always been synonymous with tongue-in-cheek, larger-than-life characters and referential comedy. When it came to advertising Saints Row IV, the fourth edition, publisher Deep Silver took aim at the world of collectible editions of videogames, and created the Super Dangerous Wad Wad Edition, priced at $1,000,000. Yes, that’s one million US dollars.
Introducing the one-of-a-kind @SaintsRow IV #WadWad Edition, yours for $1,000,000! Exclusive to @GAMEdigital - http://t.co/yfxvfDAozC
— Deep Silver UK (@DeepSilverUK) August 9, 2013
This million dollar package included the game of course, but also a ludicrous suite of special bonuses, including a Virgin Galactic space flight, a life-sized replica dubstep gun, a Lamborghini Gallardo and unspecified “plastic surgery”, supposedly to help players live their best life.
The pack also claimed to include the following rewards:
- A hostage rescue experience
- A spy training day
- A personal shopper
- A capsule wardrobe
- A week for two at the Jefferson Hotel in Washington DC (and a first class flight to get there)
- 7 nights at the Top Royal Suite at the Burj Al-Arab, in Dubai (again, with a first class flight to get there)
- A Toyota Prius (for when the Lamborghini just isn't practical), including one-year's insurance
- Supercar club membership (for when the Lamborghini just isn't enough)
Suffice to say, this edition of the game is expensive, wacky, and impractical for the publisher to actually sell. It was limited, in theory, to 1 purchaser. A pre-order page did appear on GAME’s UK website, but to begin the process of buying it, fans were encouraged to email makemeasaint@deepsilver.com. As far as we know, nobody took them up on the offer. But the existence of the package, even as a concept, created strong PR around the new Saints Row product and is a fantastic example of the spirit and tone of a game being reflected in marketing content.
The Saints Row franchise continues to enjoy a beloved reputation in the gaming industry, with 2020 seeing a remastered version of Saints Row: The Third released on Xbox One, PS4 and PC.
