Risen 2 - Too Much Blood On the Cover

What I fail to understand about that Dead Island cover is how a Hanged Man can be related to Zombies ???

I mean, as far as I have understood it, Dead Island is (or was) about Zombies - it should hae a Zombie on the cover for that.

A hanged man is just -> "killing, violence".

If I'd want a Zombie-themed game, then I wouldn't connect a hanged man to a zombie. In the original cover, he is just dead. Full point.

It could be a game about Pirates, too. Because, as ewveryone knows, the cliché of Pirates is that they are very "trigger-happy" on hanging people …

In the second cover, one at least get's an idea that it is about Zombies.

So, in my opinion, using a hanged man in the original cover is just a failure of marketing - a full failure of communicating towards the potential buyer what this game is *really* about.

Originally Posted by Alrik Fassbauer
What I fail to understand about that Dead Island cover is how a Hanged Man can be related to Zombies ???

I mean, as far as I have understood it, Dead Island is (or was) about Zombies - it should hae a Zombie on the cover for that.

A hanged man is just -> "killing, violence".

If I'd want a Zombie-themed game, then I wouldn't connect a hanged man to a zombie. In the original cover, he is just dead. Full point.

It could be a game about Pirates, too. Because, as ewveryone knows, the cliché of Pirates is that they are very "trigger-happy" on hanging people …

In the second cover, one at least get's an idea that it is about Zombies.

So, in my opinion, using a hanged man in the original cover is just a failure of marketing - a full failure of communicating towards the potential buyer what this game is *really* about.

Well it can relate to the hopelessness of the setting. Zombie apocalypse can certainly make people lose hope and rather than be eaten by zombies, they opt to take their own life.

Ah, okay, I didn't see it that way yet.

But on the other hand, I still don't see too much of a connection there.

Are we actually sure that that blueish thing is really the new boxart? Looks so… amateurish, just someone playing 5 minutes with photoshop…

Most game box art is stupid. It either shows some anatomically incorrect chick in "armor" that protects her (and covers her) about as much as a string bikini or it shows some anatomically incorrect super dood with an impossibly large weapon often mowing down foes. Or possibly both.

Originally Posted by BillSeurer
Most game box art is stupid. It either shows some anatomically incorrect chick in "armor" that protects her (and covers her) about as much as a string bikini or it shows some anatomically incorrect super dood with an impossibly large weapon often mowing down foes. Or possibly both.

For example…

Originally Posted by lumiapina
For example…

Now that was good game!

A stupid ESRB decision about an already bad, clumsy cover. It just looks like they are simply looking for something, anything to complain about so that people will respect their authoritah.

A good solution for graphic designers is to simply add a piece of blatantly obscene imagery on a finished piece especially so it can be the one to get cut so they can have the intended artwork intact. Yeah, people do do that.

But in any case, seeing covers like that I can only conclude that digital distribution has improved the aesthetics of games considerably.

Originally Posted by Edgarstrong
By the way, most people I know will be getting a digital copies. Since it's a Steamworks title you can buy it on Amazon and just activate on Steam, so I wonder how many people will actually see the cover.

You might have a group of friends who are fans of PB games and already planning to buy it regardless of how the cover looks.

However, the quality of key art does influence purchase decisions, even for digital downloads.

Originally Posted by lumiapina
For example…

AWESOME!!! Someone should mod this into Skyrim.

I'm probably going to get even more unpopular here with my view on this but here goes.

I'm a gamer. Been a gamer all my life and it's truly a miricle I ever got married. That said, I'm a dad now and I also see gaming as part of the media at large.

Originally Posted by sakichop
Thank god they are here to protect my kids. Video games are the devil.

As a dad I'm glad we have rating agencies. I don't really need them for gaming, because I'm a gamer and as a gamer I keep my boys away from games like GTA or excessively bloody games like Dead Island.

But I rely on ratings for other forms of media that I'm less in tune with. Particularly contemporary movies and music as I have little interest in those forms of media now that I'm a curmudgeon (I learned that word right here at RPGwatch this place is highly educational).

Originally Posted by darkling
It's a good thing the ESRB does the important work it does.

You should be glad for independent rating agencies. The alternative is a government based regulatory agency which is what we'd have if it weren't for the successful implementation of the ESRB.

I can still see senator Joseph Lieberman waggling his disapproving finger in our collective faces (as gamers) during the years he pushed for all kinds of bans and censorship on vidoegames.

I laugh a lot at how inconsistent the ESRB has shown themselves to be at times. I've also found myself stroking my chin with conspiratorial suspsicion that pay-offs are going on with inappropriate ratings they've sometimes given.

But when I think of the alternative - government regulation - I'll take the ESRB any day of the week.

I don't think it was such a bad request by them, so couldn't Deep Silver just removed it instead of making it green?

And when does the ESRB decide that games are no longer to have guns on boxes sold in retail stores? I mean, ME2 featured two or three weapons on the front cover….

Originally Posted by aries100
And when does the ESRB decide that games are no longer to have guns on boxes sold in retail stores? I mean, ME2 featured two or three weapons on the front cover….

I always thought it was the parents job to decide what your kids do and play with. Unfortunately many are ignorant and buy the game then blame the store and developer.

You can never have too much blood on the cover - prudes.

Sadly most US parents are overwhelmed nowadays, and want the government or someone else to educate and police their children…

Censors of all kinds need to get a better job. Seriously.

Originally Posted by Thrasher
Sadly most US parents are overwhelmed nowadays, and want the government or someone else to educate and police their children…

Well they want a nanny state with the government making all the decisions. Its so hard to make our own decisions you know.

Originally Posted by aries100
And when does the ESRB decide that games are no longer to have guns on boxes sold in retail stores? I mean, ME2 featured two or three weapons on the front cover….

not a bad idea - considering the Zimmerman affair right now

Originally Posted by Thrasher
Sadly most US parents are overwhelmed nowadays, and want the government or someone else to educate and police their children…

parent takes child into video game shop, get's bombarded with violent imagery they can't control except if they never buy video games from that store again. child wants that violent game even more.

the real issue is this is a consequence of the free market system. At the turn of the 20th Century allowed a lot of snake oil companies make a lot of spurious claims (Pepsi, Dr Pepper, Coca Cola, were all sold as medicine). I heard a Melleluca guy once even say it could cure cancer. This is very similar to the same idea.

The point is, give an inch and they'll take a mile. Pretty soon its not enough and you have to push further. What then is the limit then if someone or an organization can't police themself.

I seem to recall video stores had a back room for this sort of thing.

Originally Posted by Edgarstrong
It still looks ugly and unsinpired. Looks like a 12 year old designed it.

By the way, most people I know will be getting a digital copies. Since it's a Steamworks title you can buy it on Amazon and just activate on Steam, so I wonder how many people will actually see the cover.

Because retail still wipes the floor with digital sales? I can't believe anyone is still fooled by this DD is the future nonsense

EDIT: See my posting here http://www.rpgwatch.com/forums/showt…post1061128474