The latest shot has been fired in the world of console exclusivity, with THQ and Sony announcing that Smackdown vs. Raw 2009 will see a special collector’s edition released, but only for the PS3. The expanded version of the game will feature a Blu-ray disc packed with bonus features, as well as special packaging.

According to THQ, PS3 owners who purchase the collector’s edition will receive a bonus Blu-ray disc containing making-of content and two hours of footage from WWE matches over the past year. Also, North American owners will receive a special steel cage packaging, while consumers in Europe and Asia will get a miniature wrestling ring -- how cute. Unfortunately, the package doesn’t come with your own WWE Diva, in which case it would have been a day one purchase for me.

And now, a word from the suits on why you need this game:

“The WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009 collector’s edition for the PLAYSTATION 3 system is a tremendous opportunity for us to collaborate with our partners to produce a unique offering for our fans,” said Bob Aniello, senior vice president, worldwide marketing, THQ. “In addition to the great WWE video features, the videogame documentary will allow fans to see all of the work that goes into making their favorite fighting videogame franchise.”

“The WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009 collector’s edition is a must-have for the WWE aficionado,” said Nelo Lucich, senior vice president of interactive, JAKKS Pacific. “With innovative content and packaging that looks great on collectors’ shelves, and a host of Blu-ray content including a behind-the-scenes, this collection is certain to be enjoyed by WWE fans for years to come.”

It’s kind of weird that a console is now getting an exclusive edition of a multiplatform game, rather than the more standard exclusive DLC or special characters. The obvious reason behind this can only be one of two things. Either Sony paid THQ a king’s ransom to lock up the exclusivity rights, or the masked PS3 attacked Vince McMahon from behind with a steel chair, abducted him and tortured him until he signed over the rights. Of course, McMahon will have the last laugh, as he’s put the masked PS3 in a Triple Threat match against the Xbox 360 and the Wii, but with special guest referee Sega Dreamcast who knows how this will all turn out. It may also be a simple issue of the PS3 having the capacity to play HD discs via Blu-ray as opposed to the standard DVDs needed for the Xbox 360, thus making the extra conent both easier to distribute and slightly prettier, but that doesn’t fit very well into the typical wrestling storyline. Come on people, this is professional wrestling, Occam’s Razor doesn’t apply here.