Game Packaging Sucks

[Chris]

If we DO accept that games don't come with wacky crap that is too big to fit in a game box (and honestly, game boxes these days are hardly bigger than DVD cases except in depth), I'd much rather have a DVD case. They're more durable, they display on a shelf very well, and I don't have to worry about it being destroyed when it arrives in the mail.

[RLacey]

Games haven't become cheaper or pricey-er with the change of box format.

I'm no financial expert, but I suspect that game costs might be higher than they are presently if all new games came in huge boxes with a ton of junk.

What I'm arguing here is that the Game Experience used to go from looking at the extensive boxart, unwrapping the box, looking through the manuals and special booklets to installing and eventually playing the game. By using DVD covers you take away part of the Game Experience. There is no space for special box contents, your hands aren't filled with coverart; you need a spyglass to look at the screens on the back of the case for crying out loud.

Gameboxes enrich the Gaming Experience.

I've seen many games that come in special boxes to include extra stuff, or because things didn't fit into DVD cases - Neverwinter Nights, Civilization 3 and Sherlock Holmes: The Case of the Silver Earring[i/] spring immediately to mind. Personally - and feel free to disagree with me here - I like having a smaller piece of coverart and fewer screenshots because it forces designers to attempt to make what they have look striking; if you need a magnifying glass then the person responsible for designing the cover art has failed. That and I've seen some really ludicrous boxes.

Thinking about it, I always used to put the box somewhere after I looked at it, leaving me with just a tiny CD case to look at regularly. With DVD cases, the canvas is actually slightly bigger!

Stupidity, thy name is Lacey.

[RLacey]

(and honestly, game boxes these days are hardly bigger than DVD cases except in depth)

But how will US publishers cope without top, bottom and right flaps????

[netmonkey]

NOBODY CAN TAKE AWAY MY LEC ADVENTURE BOXES!!!!1

They're mine... ALL MINE.

[Chris]

But how will US publishers cope without top, bottom and right flaps????

I don't get it... Our console games all come in DVD boxes, so I guess they'll cope with it the same way they do on consoles? I still don't get what you mean, though...

[Chris]

Yeah, that's actually a really good point.

[Marek]

One of my favorites.

I also really like the box art of Another World, Outlaws, and others I can't remember right now

[Karimi]

A like the "accomplishment" feeling you get when you buy a game in a box, and the opening of gifts feeling as you break it and find the cd. Shame its gone really , but the Dvd isn't too bad its smaller, more durable, and in the long run i'd rather have my cds in a dvd case rather than the standard cd case.

[QueZTone]

i think any of the LEC game boxes are great examples of how to do box cover-art

at random thought i also like this one:

http://www.mobygames.com/images/covers/large/927866558-00.jpg

[lailoken]

yeah I think another reason why the boxes went (apart from the fact that standardisation was a BIG argument in terms of money and cooperation amongst publishers) was the shelfspace problem. Now with the general standard of dvd cases it is possible for more boxes to be on display, which leads to (possibly) better chances for lesser known games and (possibly) more variety.

But there can be no doubt that packaging has become very cheap! Standard DVD cases with a sheat of paper! you can't really go much cheaper than that! I personally liked the packaging of World of Warcraft, ...especially the special edition...

[Ryam BaCo]

nowadays box arts are pretty appropriate. there are one million games of ww2-ohama-beach-let's-kill-some-nazis-yeeeehhhaaa!, this-is-not-need-for-speed-underground-this-is-better-more-girls-more-cars-yeeeeehhhhaaaaa!!! or if-we-can't-sell-this-game-tiger-woods-will-yeeeehhhhaaaaa!!! around.

the lack of personality in games reflects perfect on the lack of personality on games.

[n0wak]

the lack of personality in games reflects perfect on the lack of personality on games.

This might be true, but the music industry manages to churn out really nice packaging and cover designs for soulless and mediocre albums about as often as it does for the good albums. The problem with the game industry, I think, is that there isn't enough appreciation for good design. This might be the legacy of a predominantly geek dominated industry.

[Chris]

This might be true, but the music industry manages to churn out really nice packaging and cover designs for soulless and mediocre albums about as often as it does for the good albums. The problem with the game industry, I think, is that there isn't enough appreciation for good design. This might be the legacy of a predominantly geek dominated industry.

However, in music most bands still have the control to pretty much do what they want with their albums. Aside from Top 40 bullshit, and especially with independent labels being such a major force in popular music today, bands have an amount of control a billion times higher than what game developers do, in terms of their content, packaging, etc. Games are even worse than mainstream movies these days in terms of being designed by committee and subject to endless rounds of approval. I guess the spectrum of creative control is something like books/visual art>theatre>music>movies>games, surely I'm forgetting stuff but probably approximately that.

[QueZTone]

to my surprise and joy Psychonauts DID come in a box for the PC, a dvd sized carton box! im full of joy!

[loonyboi]

If we're talking classic packaging, nobody did it better than Infocom:

http://infocom.elsewhere.org/gallery/suspended_mask/suspended-mask.html

Both in terms of box art and cool stuff inside.

[Roderick]

Why... is it looking at me?

[General Fuzzy McBitty]

id like to mention that I paid 60 dollars for HL2 in the store and got a bunch of cds in envelopes.

I HATE THE FUCKING ENVELOPES!

What happend to jewel cases?

[Roderick]

Back then, we would do all the packaging here in our offices in our warehouse. When Redguard finally went gold, the entire company all went down to the warehouse to start stuffing boxes so we could make our initial order. I don't remember how many boxes we built that day but we were down there well into the night. Redguard came with this cool map. But to add flavor, we decided to burn the maps. We took a torch, went outside and burned the edges off a batch of maps. They came out really, really well. Not every box got a burned map, but hopefully, if you bought Redguard, you got one of them.

http://www.elderscrolls.com/codex/team_tesmoments_02.htm

Bethesda loves games and gamers.

[Graeme]

I like Darwinia's cover art.

Graeme

[nsps]

http://www.elderscrolls.com/codex/team_tesmoments_02.htm

Bethesda loves games and gamers.

On G4's "Icons" recently, Tim Schafer told a similar story about everyone at LucasArts (LucasFilms Games) going to the warehouse to hand-pack the first Monkey Island game.

[Erwin_Br]

id like to mention that I paid 60 dollars for HL2 in the store and got a bunch of cds in envelopes.

I HATE THE FUCKING ENVELOPES!

What happend to jewel cases?

Who cares about jewel cases!? I just put all of my CD's in those case logic CD wallets. Much easier and efficient.

--Erwin

[Salka]

On G4's "Icons" recently, Tim Schafer told a similar story about everyone at LucasArts (LucasFilms Games) going to the warehouse to hand-pack the first Monkey Island game.

I love that story so much. I can't remember where I first heard it but yeah, I love it.