Box Art (Merged Threads)

[Hyperion2010]

Yes, I have to say hands down the one with the soldier raising the banner on the Reichstag is the best.


The dark nature of it really stirs up the pathos

It does an excellent job of showing the grim reality of the Ostfront, as well as the utter hopelessness of war, i.e. the shattered remains of Berlin in the picture are the only testament to Hitler's plans, while, as Pycckuu says, the Soviet banner being raised forbodes the ushering in of the new Cold War occupation. So all in all, definitely not something that makes you smile or feel happy inside.

Do you realize that that just sent shivers down my spine and cause a large ammount of adrenaline to be released into my bloodstream? That picture is absolutely fascinating (in the sort of bad sense) it really draws attention in a way few pictures do.



EDIT: BTW apple yard, I like those alot, I just like that picture more .

 

[Xiao]

Wow, Appleyard, that first one is awesome.

The second one in the vote, though, is so immensly better. I was talking to 4 of my friends on skype, and we all agreed that if we saw that boxart in a store and didn't know what the game was, we wouldn't even pick it up, and we would probably think it belongs in the Crappy bargain bin. However if we saw the second boxart, we would pick it up quickly and look at the back. Realizing it's only 25 bucks we would most likely buy it.

People don't know how important box art is. Take ICO for instance. That game was brilliant, but failed horribly because of the terrible boxart. The RO boxart just looks cheesy and sloppy. Also most people go in a game store without a specific game in mind. They only pick up the games that the boxart attracts them to. Also, this may sound dumb but it's very true, if someone was thinking about buying a game, and then they see the terrible boxart in comparison to the great boxart of that game over there, they're EXTREMELY likely to reconsider. They'll pick up the boxart of the other game and look at the back much before they pick up the other one. I know that if I ever saw RO and didn't know much about the game, I would laugh and not even look at it again.

Sorry to be rough. That's just the way it is. The game has, in most user's opinions, unfitting, cheesy and terrible boxart. Also, what better way of telling what would sell the game the best then having the community make the boxart? Go with the second one. It utterly blows it away. You may say "Well, we aren't going to listen to the community on this one", and you have said that, but when your boxart has been blown completely away on the poll by someone's photoshop boxart, you should indeed consider.

Who better to decide the cover representation of the game then those who are buying it? You're not listening to the community? Sorry, isn't the community the people who are actually buying your game? You should listen to them once in a while. And in this poll, the second cover has just blown away the first completely and utterly with no doubt.

I would go with the second if you ever want to make a RO3... or if you ever want to get the money you deserve for such a great game.

 

[Hyperion2010]

I mean, we could always be subersive and run around to our local best buy's and tape that cover on .

 

[Wolfsglen]

Who better to decide the cover representation of the game then those who are buying it? You're not listening to the community? Sorry, isn't the community the people who are actually buying your game? You should listen to them once in a while.

If that was the case, we would have added crosshairs and americans back in Beta 1.2 when everyone suggested them 300 times a week

And seriously, though i definitely prefer a lot of the custom artwork thats popped up in this thread to the "actual" box, which are you going to be looking at most? The Game...Or the Box on the shelf? If the box art is really so important, print out some of these pics and glue it over the box.

Damned if i care about the wrapping when i buy DVDs, i want to watch the movie not the case

 

[Nyu]

sorry, i'm not buying ro. The box isn't pretty enough.

 

[Zoring]

Espescially when you combine the (assumable) low price with the box-art its just a little too "value-soft" i mean for example

http://imageshack.us

 

[Xiao]

I agree with zoring.

If that was the case, we would have added crosshairs and americans back in Beta 1.2 when everyone suggested them 300 times a week

And seriously, though i definitely prefer a lot of the custom artwork thats popped up in this thread to the "actual" box, which are you going to be looking at most? The Game...Or the Box on the shelf? If the box art is really so important, print out some of these pics and glue it over the box.

Damned if i care about the wrapping when i buy DVDs, i want to watch the movie not the case

My point was people who do NOT know what RO is will most likely not pick it up at the store due to the poor box art. If you're just browsing, you pick the game with the impressive box art.

 

[Legovski]

For everyone bitching about the poll, I can't edit it anymore and my 1st post in this thread included a smaller version of the custom box art.

 

[Denwad]

I was at Walmart today and the one game that really jumped at me were DOD:S retail box

 

[Xiao]

Agreed. DOD had awesome box art. Now if you didn't know what either one was, and you saw them both, what 20 dollar online WWII FPS game would you buy? DOD or RO? DOD obviously. However, if RO had the custom boxart, I would without a doubt go with RO.

 

[EvilHobo]

For everyone bitching about the poll, I can't edit it anymore and my 1st post in this thread included a smaller version of the custom box art.

I'll just host the same boxart with the same image name but resized. That should put them on equal footing.

Edit: there, it looks good now. If anyone has the enlarged one its because I suppose its cached in their temporary files as the larger res.

 

[Polygon]

The problem with using photographs as seen in some of the designs is that they have already been mass produced in various books and transmitted all over the world via the internet. From my perspective, this cheapens the box art tremendously. On the other hand, using an original illustration is far more authentic and original depending on the quality.

 

[Hyperion2010]

A fair argument poly. I feel that there is a psycological "draw" to that picture that will just get people to pick the box up, maybe thats me though, and I'm not exactly "normal."

 

[Polygon]

I agree, that image is a very compelling, but I really don't see it as a substitute for a truly unique illustration. The photograph itself has been seen so many times since the end of World War Two that it minimizes whatever visual impact it might have had. Take a look at Edward Munch's "Scream" for example and how we as a society have dilouted its significance through commercialization.

 

[EvilHobo]

I agree, that image is a very compelling, but I really don't see it as a substitute for a truly unique illustration. The photograph itself has been seen so many times since the end of World War Two that it minimizes whatever visual impact it might have had. Take a look at Edward Munch's "Scream" for example and how we as a society have dilouted its significance through commercialization.

Well, make another unique illustration.
There's obviously talent there, but poor execution.

What would you do differently, Polygon?

 

[Legovski]

I'll just host the same boxart with the same image name but resized. That should put them on equal footing.

Edit: there, it looks good now. If anyone has the enlarged one its because I suppose its cached in their temporary files as the larger res.

<3 gj

 

[Mad Max]

Just so this is perfectly clear, the box art will not change.

Glad im buying the game off steam.

 

[Felix Ostheim]

I don't understand the complaining...art is art, why would you want a poorly recolored photograph barely visible on a boring black box. I like the official box more than anything.

 

[EvilHobo]

Blame the Russians for poor color film then:
WWII In Color; Soviet Military

There it is, first one. I didn't do any recoloring, simply an altered blend and an opacity adjust.

If you like the official art, then like it. But the majority prefer a darker approach.

 

[Legovski]

I don't understand the complaining...art is art, why would you want a poorly recolored photograph barely visible on a boring black box. I like the official box more than anything.

i guess youre in the extreme minority then