EA Sports: NHL 12 (SteelBook Edition)

An empty SteelBook, a standard game, and a whole lot of collector appeal. The EA Sports NHL 12 SteelBook Edition on Playstation 3 pairs the standard disc with a separate steel case, and if you're a hockey fan who collects, you already know why this matters.

FutureShop in Canada was the exclusive retailer for this one, and that Canadian exclusivity for a hockey game feels almost poetically appropriate. The SteelBook shipped empty, designed as a display case rather than functional packaging, which means collectors got to choose how they used it. Some housed the disc inside, others kept it sealed and pristine on the shelf beside the standard case.

NHL SteelBooks from the PS3 era have become quietly sought after among sports game collectors, particularly the Canadian exclusives that tied into FutureShop's now-defunct retail presence. FutureShop closed its doors in 2015, and every exclusive they carried instantly became a piece of Canadian retail history as much as gaming history.

For PS3 sports collectors and SteelBook enthusiasts, this is one of those editions that checks multiple boxes at once. It's regional, it's format-specific, and it's tied to a retailer that no longer exists. That combination makes it far more collectible than its modest contents might suggest.