PS3 box shot: Photoshop at its finest? [update 2]

by Ross Miller on Sep 18th 2006 3:55PM

Here's an image that made the rounds on the internet this weekend: a purported box shot of Sonic the Hedgehog for the PlayStation 3 "caught in the wild."

Take a close look at the upper-left corner: Zachary Hinchliffe has found the bottom portion of a GameFront watermark that was showing the Xbox 360 cover of Sonic.

The box might have actually been made by Sony, and is right now sitting on someone's desk at Sony HQ. The box may be indicative of the final packaging, but don't get too excited just yet. Clever fan art or fortunate leak? We're leaning toward the former, but we'll know soon enough.

Continue reading for more pictures of the box (thanks, "Blu ray owns your Soul").

The listed features include: 1-2 players, HDD Space - 60 MB, and Analog Control. UPC is 42000 06200. The pictures on the back (click on the image for the full screen) are all images we have seen before.

The instruction manual looks to be only one sheet -- does not its fake, but that it's either (a) at a funny angle or (b) temporary. The manual, however, is the exact same cover, logo placement and all, to the Xbox 360 box shown on GameStop.

The purpoted proof that the package is a pile of BS. Click on the image for a larger version.

[Update 1: As many of you have pointed out, Sonic was rated E10+ according to the latest trailer. Removed the following text:

One part of the packaging troubles us, however: the ESRB rating. Until there is an approved rating for a game, titles are given a Ratings Pending placeholder. According to the ESRB's website (keep the search field blank and select "PlayStation 3" in the drop-down menu), only eight PlayStation 3 titles have been approved; Sonic is not among that group. Besides, maybe the game will show some behind-the-scenes footage of Sonic doing lines on hooker's breasts. How else does he manage such speed?]

[Update 2: Added Hinchliffe's convincing evidence.]

Source

Tags: Microsoft, PS3, Sega, Sonic, Sonic-Team, Sonic-the-Hedgehog-2006, Xbox-360

Reader Comments (41)

The title on the spine looks like it's going against the traditional flow, too.

nice photoshop...

i do like the ps on the side again instead of up top

reminds me of segacd adn psone days

i dont think its a photoshop. if anything its a printed cover, slipped into a blu-ray case which u can buy at Best Buy these days.

Or, in other words, it should start at the top of the spine, and read to the bottom.

It's fake, but it's neat. ^_^

Eh... I've seen better box art for console games. PC games tend to have damn good box art.

http://img164.imageshack.us/img164/8540/sonicps3wt8.jpg

Not that I'm saying it's real or not, but does the ESRB really make that much of an effort to make sure their most recent ratings public?

For example, the MPAA doesn't always have the movies that will be coming out in a month or two on their site, even though they've been rated.

does this game not have a sub-title? Is it just straight up "Sonic The Hedgehog?"

Oh my god a fake box! drat, I lay in bed dreaming, DREAMING about the box that sonic will come in. Who cares about the game, I'm all about the box art baby!!!

Yup, that's the final design. I'm not sure if they will be going with the blue cases though. I'm hoping not since it might clash with some box art. They should keep the color neutral.

"does this game not have a sub-title? Is it just straight up 'Sonic The Hedgehog?'"

Yep, it's just straight up 'Sonic the Hedgehog'. They're talking like this game is the mascot's reinvention in 3D, which is why they went with the simplicity in name.

id guess fake...printed and put into a blu ray case...just because the picture seems to be in someones house. youd think if it was real itd be in a office or something. just my 2 cents.

Can't STAND the spider-man font. It will forever make me think of the Spider-man movies. Don't get me wrong, I like spider-man, but come on Sony, be more original.

"Yep, it's just straight up 'Sonic the Hedgehog'. They're talking like this game is the mascot's reinvention in 3D, which is why they went with the simplicity in name."

Except, most Sonic fans like myself don't want a "reinvention", we want classic Sonic gameplay like on the Genesis and GBA.

It has to be fake, in my eyes. Like previous comments havae said, the title is upside down on the spine. So if you were to stack it up with other game boxes, that title would be the only one in the opposite direction.

Also, the box is big. As if it were to have some strategy guide inside also.. hmm?

Almost clever enough to be real but if you look really close to the top right and left side of the image where to sonic image ends it is a little offset and you can see where they used a smudge or blur tool to make it look one with the case. Also on the bottom left edge it slightly over laps the side image.

also I don't think playstation will be using the spiderman font, http://www.1001fonts.com/font_details.html?font_id=901

Um... Doesn't the latest official Sonic trailer say it's rated E10? Sorry Joystiq, but it is rated.

http://www.gametrailers.com/gamepage.php?fs=1&id=2146

from the picture #5 posted this in no way looks photoshoped to me.

I just saw the official trailer on gametrailiers.com and in the begining it shows the E10+ RATING.....This might be real!!http://www.gametrailers.com/gamepage.php?id=2146
WATCH THE TRAILER NUFF SAID!!!

http://img382.imageshack.us/img382/7687/sonicps3nexttodvdcm3dm3.jpg

http://img382.imageshack.us/img382/1661/sonicps3backam0cr8.jpg

http://img162.imageshack.us/img162/1315/sonicps3insidelr6fz0.jpg

tp://img162.imageshack.us/img162/3710/sonicps3openboxtf4yy9.jpg

about the 100th time ive reuploaded these!

If those are fakes, they're really good fakes.

Must be some really good fakers out there. No way in hell this is the real thing

Forgot to mention, it IS fake, just not because it says E10+ on it.

Looks like the cases are actually smaller than the PS2 ones. I would like to see pics of the disc on both sides if it is the final Blu-ray.

lol @ sonic doing lines off of a hooker's breast.

i know i'm not the only sicko that found that funny.

Hmm, the blurb is exactly the same writing as is on the Sonic The Hedgehog website which is a bit strange. Also, the Manual and Disc isn't reflecting any light. I thought Blu-ray disks were blue?

It's obviously fake, those 3 last photos convienced me. Just look at the right side of the box in the last photo.

I didn't know Sonic was coming out for The BluRay! I'm going to pre-order a Sony BluRay today!

/sarcasm

Only one thing bothers me with this picture. The text on the side is going the wrong way. Look at your DVD collection, Look at the Blu-ray Disc boxes. All the text goes from top to bottom, not bottom to top. Of course, it still could be real, since this is a very small thing. But none of my dvd cases have the text written in that way. And none of the blue-ray box-art for movies does either.

Just something to ponder.

The videos ive seen from this, sonic hasnt looked better. I hope its as good as the 2d days. I did not like the 3d versions.

Post # 20 proves that these are authentic photographs.

The boxart origionally appeared on a Sonic fan message board named the SSMB. A certain user posted it claiming that his friend had orderd the game and it arrived. There was a link to a website where you could order it, of which I don't remember the link. What I do remember is that the site didn't look very safe to give money too anyway and that it said that the game would arrive in 2+ Weeks. Also, I thought the rating for the game was 12+ not 10+?

Rofl @ comment 26 too.

I knew it was a fake to begin with. #20's images just prove it.

You would've been better off just leaving us with the one picture.

PROOF THAT THIS IS FAKE
PROOF THAT THIS IS INDEED A FAKE

A site called GameFront released a hi-res version of the StH Xbox 360 boxart.

http://img334.imageshack.us/img334/9452/sonicpackhr0ph7.jpg

Look closely at the upper left hand corner of this. There's a watermark.

Now look at this: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v609/merufice/sonic_.gif

The watermark was left on the PS3 box.

Also, the fact that this hi-res box art has a european PEGI rating, and this PS3's box has the ESRB rating haphazardly slapped on (although E10+ is the confirmed rating) just further confirms the fakeness.

Thank you, have a good day.

Fake. Open any of the pictures with notepad and take a look.

Faked.

The terrible proportions of the box and its cover become even more apparent with those new pictures.

in the 2nd photo the angle of the side of the box is not even at all between the insert and the case itself.

Also, does anyone find it a bit extreme that this game would take 60MB for a save file? That's nuts!!! That's bigger than XBOX Live! arcade games are allowed to be...for a save? Hmmm...

Well, you know. Its got to save all that "TrueHD" save data. Not to mention the data for real time weapon changes.

/sarcasm

File this under... WHO CARES ABOUT PS3 BOXES??

I mean, really! Its a flippin' box!!

Hey Crono141, nobody could have guessed that was sarcasm if you hadn't written /sarcasm

/sarcasm

I must say it's quite a nice hoax, even if it's fake I wouldn't mind having a copy of that fake box it looks awesome.

PS3 box shot: Photoshop at its finest? [update 2]

Reader Comments (41)

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