Show of hands: Left 4 Dead box art gets a thumbs off

42 Comments by Randy Nelson Jul 21st 2008 5:50PM
Filed under: PC, Microsoft Xbox 360, First Person Shooters, Online

Valve's Doug Lombardi just shot us an email containing the final box art for ... wait, what was it again? Something about "Left" and "Dead." Ah, that's right! It's Left 4 Dead. Thanks, Mangled Hand! What would we have done without you? It's a shame you won't be able to grace the cover of the sequel, though. Perhaps your brother could ... unless he's let all that money he got from the Dead Space cover shoot go to his ~~head~~ thumb.

Tags: box-art, left-4-dead, valve, zombies

(Page 1) Reader Comments

Jacob: Jul 21st 2008; 5:56PM

Shame it's not a LEFT hand.

Mr. Cantu: Jul 21st 2008; 6:23PM

Thought the same thing. Also, it's funny that they both chose right hands.

Phinehas: Jul 21st 2008; 6:39PM

That's exactly what I thought. Surely someone in their marketing department considered making it a left hand. I wonder why they didn't.

Tom18230: Jul 21st 2008; 7:54PM

It should have been:
Left hand (left)
4 fingers (4)
Dead hand (dead)

:D!

Neuromancer: Jul 21st 2008; 5:58PM

Yes a left, 4 fingered, dead hand.

Both these covers are actually pretty bad ass, good job graphic designers at EA/Valve!

Alex: Jul 21st 2008; 6:08PM

I don't really like the Left 4 Dead box, but either way I can't wait for this game! Valve just can't make a good boxart, both OrangeBox and now this both had horrible boxes.

Flakundenga: Jul 21st 2008; 10:01PM

couldn't agree more. this is a mighty ugly box art. what's up with valve choosing the worst possible shade of a colour for the box art of their games?

Lone Starr: Jul 21st 2008; 6:09PM

The left picture looks suprisingly gruesome for box art.

Zootittles: Jul 22nd 2008; 9:27AM

I also like how it's labeled "rating pending." Gee, what do you think it'll rate?

Matthew: Jul 21st 2008; 6:11PM

The inevitable sequel should take off two more fingers. :)

-m.

Jose: Jul 21st 2008; 6:13PM

In the interest of what?

Metal?

Victory?

World Peace?

sinai: Jul 21st 2008; 6:18PM

needs more goatse

Phinehas: Jul 21st 2008; 6:35PM

Oh lookie. Someone learned a new word.

Jhongerkong: Jul 21st 2008; 6:35PM

You're one sick bastard

Saria the Cat: Jul 21st 2008; 6:44PM

Wow, that's so old, lame, and irrelevant. o_O

Mr.ESC: Jul 21st 2008; 7:25PM

Oh Slowpoke long time no see how are you buddy?

Tom18230: Jul 21st 2008; 7:54PM

I would buy both games if they featured goatse on the covers.

colin: Jul 21st 2008; 11:09PM

i didn't know what goatse was, i googled it.

Heh {XBL: P4nic 4tt4ck}: Jul 22nd 2008; 12:03AM

@Mr.ESC

late, as always.

Sam: Jul 21st 2008; 6:24PM

the dead space font annoys me, I rather like the Left 4 Dead box art, but I would have used a left hand to add to comedic awesomeness.

Jhongerkong: Jul 21st 2008; 6:36PM

Get it? 4 fingers? Left "4" Dead? Oh Valve, you so funny.

Neebs: Jul 21st 2008; 6:46PM

...

AHAHAHAHA

Haggard: Jul 21st 2008; 8:34PM

It might just be a reference, not necessarily a joke. I mean, the 4 part in the game's title is a reference in itself (to the number of survivors).

Donald: Jul 21st 2008; 6:45PM

The Left 4 Dead box art makes it seem like the zombie apocalypse occurs on St. Patrick's Day.

Xoviet chiK: Jul 21st 2008; 6:51PM

Gollums's Tricksie Christmas

http://www.tk421.net/lotr/film/fotr/img/fotr0275.jpg

"Shire!, Baggins!, Presentses!"
-----

Left 4 Dead has a great Art Direction, couldn't they have pulled something from the concept art? I think it looks ugly as hell, just mildly better than DayGlo Orange. Game looks brilliant though!

Superstar90: Jul 21st 2008; 6:53PM

A left hand would have multiplied it's effectiveness. Now it's not fully clever...

It's 4/5 clever... badum pish

xFenixKnightx: Jul 21st 2008; 7:26PM

I'm hyped for both of these but probably a little more for Dead Space. The no HUD look is so badass and even when you do press start for the menu they're these sweet ass hologram looking menus. EA's been getting their stuff together lately. I bet Peter Moore has something to do with it. Only sucky thing, is that Dead Space comes out only 2 weeks b4 the MEGATON...Gears of War 2. I guess thats enough time to enjoy it.

343 Guilty Fart: Jul 21st 2008; 7:37PM

OMG Left 4 Dead Space confirmeD!!

ice~: Jul 21st 2008; 7:39PM

must be awkward trying to pleasure yourself with a hand like that

The Rabbid: Jul 21st 2008; 8:49PM

Prediction: Left 4 Dead will be MUCH better than Dead Space.

xFenixKnightx: Jul 21st 2008; 9:07PM

Have you seen the recent hands on previews of Dead Space? It's getting Tony the Tiger 'GRRREAT' Previews! Even better than the RE5 previews. I personally can't wait for all 3 ResidentEvil5LeftforDeadSpace.

riggs: Jul 21st 2008; 11:45PM

haha....hands-on

Shawn: Jul 22nd 2008; 1:46AM

yeah, Dead Space might be great, but L4D has been done for over a year, and Valve has had an entire year to play with it and work on it to their hearts content. I can't think of another company that wouldn't release a game, just to make it more awesome. Of course, Valve is just the pinnacle of gaming company's, so my money's on them everytime.

Like Blizzard, they have a real problem making bad and mediocre games, what a problem to have

That being said, I think Dead Space is going to be a major sleeper this year, although I originally thought the same thing about Clive Barkers Jericho, which ended up being the worst game ever made in recent history.

Arturo: Jul 21st 2008; 9:59PM

When I think about it, I like the green because it gives me the sense of toxicity that zombies are synonymous with.

ebola!: Jul 21st 2008; 10:43PM

Looks cool, but I don't know if I like the green.

FSK405K: Jul 21st 2008; 10:45PM

Two of the best examples of why late 2000s box art isn't completely horrible.

riggs: Jul 21st 2008; 11:45PM

it looks like the left 4 dead hand likes scratching blackboards

Heh {XBL: P4nic 4tt4ck}: Jul 22nd 2008; 12:05AM

Both of these are day-one pick ups for me. Box-art just adds to the awesome-ness.

J: Jul 22nd 2008; 1:40AM

Anyone who thinks these designs are new and creative, do your homework:

http://www.impawards.com/2003/posters/identity.jpg

http://www.j-studio.ca/files/images/saw21.thumbnail.jpg

http://www.yourmoviestuff.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/the-ruins_movie-poster-with-hand.jpg

Yuccadude: Jul 22nd 2008; 2:11AM

Oh noes! Some other people used hands on their movie advertisements and now that means these aren't original.

Oh wait, they still are, because Left "4" Dead has a 4-fingered zombie hand on the cover, and Dead Space has a dismembered forearm on it, and the game features 'strategic dismemberment' as one of its selling points.

J: Jul 23rd 2008; 11:38AM

They're still ....hands, yeah?

I'd buy your argument about strategic dismemberment, except you're supposed to be dismembering your enemies, not yourself. XD

No need to get all huffy, I'm just saying these ideas aren't as unique as other commenters think. They're still sweet designs (though I wouldn't have chosen green).

Shawn: Jul 22nd 2008; 3:04AM

Here was the original boxart for Left4Dead:

http://content.vcommerce.com/products/fullsize/445/21524445.jpg

Changed the characters up, so I'm guessing they had to change it up a bit. I'm getting the STEAM version, box art is so 2004 :P

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