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Collector's edition is "soul'd" out all over.

Demon’s Souls was published in the U.S. by Atlus in 2009. The game was a smash hit for the company, who is known for doing small production runs of their more niche titles. It’s safe to say that Atlus was not prepared for how well the game would be received, both from critics and consumers, and the game was difficult to find not long after launch. Atlus would eventually do another print run, but the success of Demon’s Souls was something that the well-respected publisher underestimated.

Flash forward to 2011. Dark Souls, From Software’s follow up to their 2009 hit, is coming out tomorrow in North America. This time, however, the game is being published by Namco Bandai. Taking a cue from Atlus, there was a collector’s edition of the game offered for pre-order at no additional cost, which includes a soundtrack, art book, and mini strategy guide. That is, if you can find one.

The collector’s edition of Dark Souls is sold out online at all the major retailers. It is already going for over 100 dollars on Amazon and ebay, and even the regular edition is difficult to find.

Has Namco Bandai underestimated the consumer demand for Dark Souls, or is this part of a wicked PR move to drive up demand? Considering that the website for the game is called preparetodie.com, it would seem to fit into the marketing campaign that they have going.