I also love the physical media and find the 'experimenting' with packaging and extra features (particularly booklets) a little strange because for those who, like me, want their DVD and Blu-ray cases to line up in a consistent and aesthetically pleasing way, having the packaging which makes that possible as an afterthought is, as I said, peculiar.
As you said, it does seem that Arrow are working out the best business model for titles on an ad hoc basis, working it out as they go along, which is a little grating. However, it is understandable because printing three versions of the same title at the same time does not make good financial sense.
I can live without the limited edition slip cases – why Contamination, Thief and Blood Rage (an odd mix of titles) and not other releases is puzzling – and I'm even growing tired of steelbooks because they have lost the novelty/collectable value they had a few years ago and don't look particularly good when lined up on a shelf. When it comes to collections needing to be displayed, Shameless, 88 Films' Slasher Classics & Italian Collection, the Arrow Video keep cases, Redemption's numbered spines and even the ArrowDrome ones take some beating. I'd love to have the room and money to display the entire Masters of Cinema and Criterion Collections, but that will never happen!
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