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Reader Comments (71)

Posted: Aug 19th 2008 2:33PM (Unverified) said

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No, because then it just becomes a question of 'who gets box credit'. The people with the fanciest titles and least involvement will get the biggest credits, while the people who actually made the game will be unknown (known as the Jade Raymond effect).
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Posted: Aug 19th 2008 2:40PM baby sea tuna said

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While scanning your comment, I misread the word "titles." Interestingly, it didn't change the intention of your post one bit...
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Posted: Aug 19th 2008 3:10PM DarknessBear said

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Why the hell is all that crap on the front of the box? MTV Multiplayer dudes are a bunch of morons. You'd put it on the back of the box. Like all normal DVD's do. Friggen idiots.
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Posted: Aug 19th 2008 3:23PM Vcize said

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Baby Sea Tuna, that is the freaking comment of the year right there. Well done sir.
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Posted: Aug 19th 2008 3:44PM Haggard said

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OOOOH!

Jade's gonna need some ointment for that burn!

+a million to you baby sea tuna
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Posted: Aug 19th 2008 5:03PM (Unverified) said

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that was pretty good bear
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Posted: Aug 19th 2008 2:33PM (Unverified) said

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just because names are on the box doesnt mean people will bother to read them
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Posted: Aug 19th 2008 4:19PM aristokrat said

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Agreed. I don't even look at the box art/info as it is. The disc comes out and goes into my Xbox while the case sits nearby, unused and unnoticed. Hell, they could put hardcore porn on the back insert and I wouldn't notice, as I'm more interested in the product and less on the packaging.

In fact, the nicer the packaging, the more I would be suspect of the internals, like Christmas. "Wow, what a nice wrapping job...on this piece of shit tie-straightener?!?!?!"
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Posted: Aug 19th 2008 2:34PM (Unverified) said

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I think it's awesome. But then again.. I'm an artist so I might be a little one sided..
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Posted: Aug 19th 2008 4:14PM Ghen said

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As a lover of art but in no ways an artist I prefer to have the box face clean of pretty much everything except the necessary ESRB rating and title of the game.

When the game is finished (single player) I always watch the credits anyway just in case there are easter eggs after the credit reel... so credits on the box front would be overkill.
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Posted: Aug 19th 2008 2:35PM WiredKnight said

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That's not what they would really look like anyway. That's what they would look like with poorly designed credits.
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Posted: Aug 19th 2008 2:36PM Erluti said

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Developers are already attaching their name to IPs... I don't think it's a huge deal. I guess I'd rather it be on the back like for movies, though.

But also the doctored box art is unfair, because a good graphic designer would anticipate the credits and not have it covering up half the art.
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Posted: Aug 19th 2008 2:37PM (Unverified) said

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I think they should put credits on the box, and this may be for a reason a lot of you haven't considered. Parents will realize that games are serious business, and would be a little more tempted to find out what the game is rated before buying it for their kids.
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Posted: Aug 19th 2008 2:40PM (Unverified) said

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Interesting. But how many ESRB-ignorant parents are observant enough to see credits?
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Posted: Aug 19th 2008 2:46PM (Unverified) said

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The same ones that rent movies and check to see if any famous actors will be in them. This could inspire them to check a little more of the box out if there's more than just a picture of a dude holding a sword like he's ready to kill somebody.
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Posted: Aug 20th 2008 9:40AM MagusDF said

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@drew
It wouldnt be the for the those parents or anyone else in the that demographic.
If i asked people to name some developers doubt even many hardcore games could name more than 1.(aside from Jaffe & Dyack just bcause theve been in headlines recently)

Now think of it in terms of ard directors, composers, and other major roles.
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Posted: Aug 19th 2008 2:37PM (Unverified) said

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They are already in the manual. And if this became the norm, games would be less about the artistic expression of a concept and more of a thirst of gratification from the public.
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Posted: Aug 19th 2008 2:45PM Vidikron said

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They're also shown at the end of the game. I don't see why we need to litter the box covers with them.
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Posted: Aug 19th 2008 2:39PM RyanLN said

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Why the hell not? Leave it to the people who make the game to decide who gets their name on the top or bottom of the box, how large the font is, and who is mentioned first- these people work really hard to give us diverting entertainment and it's nice to be recognized. To be sure, the box art wouldn't be nearly as pretty with a whole bunch of letters on it (as imagined in the above photo) but quite frankly I've never played box art and couldn't care less. I think the best solution would be to save the top half of the *back* of the box for credits and the lower half for the absolutely unnecessary description of the game, rating and number of controllers/acessories necessary that no one ever pays attention to. That way everyone wins.
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Posted: Aug 19th 2008 2:42PM (Unverified) said

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But without the description and useless crap, what will I oogle at on the ride home from the popular local games retailer?
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Posted: Aug 19th 2008 2:43PM Huey2k2 said

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MTV needs to stop trying to cover video games, seriously.
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Posted: Aug 19th 2008 2:55PM (Unverified) said

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Agreed.
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Posted: Aug 19th 2008 3:16PM baby sea tuna said

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Well, they've got to talk about something, and it's not like they know shit about music...
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Posted: Aug 19th 2008 8:06PM (Unverified) said

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Well MTV already kill music, they want to kill videogames too and that's why MTV is the root of all evil.
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Posted: Aug 19th 2008 2:44PM Obienator said

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Lol Assasins Creed would just have a giant sticker of Jade Raymond on it.
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Posted: Aug 19th 2008 3:06PM D3m0sthenes said

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I'd hit... uh buy it!
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Posted: Aug 19th 2008 2:46PM (Unverified) said

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Not many people actually read them.
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Posted: Aug 19th 2008 2:48PM xThePunisherx said

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I think it could work on the back of the box, but it would take up too much precious room in the front
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Posted: Aug 19th 2008 2:49PM samfish said

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I disagree with Jaffe's desire to put the director's name on the box, since games DO tend to be a team process...whereas movies are more often a unionized coming together of staff members.
When a Spielberg or a Cameron makes a movie, they basically contract out a lot of the work or bring in who they would feel is best for the job, depending on the position. The exception there tends to be 3D animated flicks.

But in games, you tend to work within your teams over time...Nintendo's EAD teams, Sonic Team, Clover/Platinum, etc...sure, you have those teams split up and working on multiple games, but for the most part, they're working as a unit.
So yeah. It's rather arrogant for Jaffe to want HIS name on a box as opposed to the studio's name.

As far as credits on boxes go...blech. They can get away with that on movie posters because they're huge and are mostly treated like an afterthought. Plus, like someone else mentioned, it'd unfair to just slap credits on the cover like that, since as designer worth his or her salt would take that into consideration before making the box.
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Posted: Aug 19th 2008 3:05PM Dale P said

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It would help us avoid the games made by pompous dicks, though.
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Posted: Aug 19th 2008 2:52PM baby sea tuna said

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I have mixed feelings about this. As a gamer, I know that Tim Schafer's name didn't help Psychonauts sell any better, nor did it keep Brutal Legend off of Blactivision's chopping block. Same with "Steven Speilberg presents: Boom Blox." On the opposite side, I specifically didn't buy Calling All Cars because I think David Jaffe is a twat. And seriously, who really gives a shit what American McGee (if that *is* your real name!) is up to these days?

As an artist, I personally like minimalism. I'm sure that there would be ways to subtly integrate the credits into the box art, but if you didn't keep them limited to the highest people on the totem pole, the workspace would get crowded pretty fast. The the question becomes: who decides who gets to be on there, and what problems is that going to cause?
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Posted: Aug 19th 2008 3:01PM atrimus said

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i'll have to see when i go home from work today, but i don't believe any of my DVD movies have gobs of credit-text plastered on the cover like the above God of War box. i can stomach box credit if it's done in a tasteful manner, but then they'll have to decide to deserves cover time: the producers/directors, or the scores of hard-working, scantly-paid programmers and such?
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Posted: Aug 19th 2008 2:56PM (Unverified) said

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...or the credits would be on the back of the box similar to how VHS had it.
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Posted: Aug 19th 2008 2:58PM samfish said

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whoaaaa! New comment field!
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Posted: Aug 19th 2008 2:59PM samfish said

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...and it doesn't obey the 'Remeber my password' option in FireFox!
Annoying!
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Posted: Aug 19th 2008 3:01PM (Unverified) said

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Yes it does!

At least for me it does.
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Posted: Aug 19th 2008 3:03PM Huey2k2 said

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Yea it's remembering just fine for me, just make sure you click on the "Returning" tab.
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Posted: Aug 19th 2008 3:04PM Huey2k2 said

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On a side note the new comment field hasn't done anything to fix the stupidly broken comment system on here. Oh well.
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Posted: Aug 19th 2008 3:17PM samfish said

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This is my AIM screen name.
Test test testy-test testicles test.
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Posted: Aug 19th 2008 3:19PM samfish said

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huh. that's weird. Does it somehow know my AIM screen is the same as my login here or something?
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Posted: Aug 19th 2008 3:01PM (Unverified) said

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New comment section FTW!!!!!!!!!!!!!

HIPHIP HOORAY!!!!! I knew the comments where working better. Aww, you guys! All is forgiven :P
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Posted: Aug 19th 2008 3:07PM (Unverified) said

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Still not as good as Bloodyelbow.com comments system,
=/ but its ok Joystiq.
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Posted: Aug 19th 2008 3:19PM baby sea tuna said

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Of course I just had to go to that site. What in the hell, dude? Well, at least I know where you get your taste in games from.

Something about unchecked agression...
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Posted: Aug 19th 2008 3:22PM Vcize said

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Sadly, it appears to have many of the same bugs as the old one.
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Posted: Aug 19th 2008 3:36PM (Unverified) said

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BabySeaTuna


MMA and UFC FTW baby!!! The comment section there is awesome. No refreshing needed and just so many better options for posting.
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Posted: Aug 19th 2008 3:03PM coil said

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If the rest look like this God of War cover, I don't think it's a fair representation of the idea. Compare it to movies -- the front of a DVD is not covered with credits; maybe just a few principle actors and the director, tastefully arranged.

The full mockup of credits, however, is seen on things like promotional posters in theaters, and I think that's perfectly appropriate - put the information on magazine ads and game store standees.

Meanwhile, I'll reiterate my comment on the last post on this subject: seldom (IMO) is there one person whose name should grace a box beyond all others. Rather, I believe the development team should be given more obvious credit, as in my experience that is one of the strongest determinants of a good game. Publishers are too eager to take credit for a game; unless it was an in-house title, they should be giving proper credit where it is due - to the developer.
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Posted: Aug 19th 2008 3:03PM (Unverified) said

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Yeah this new comment thing is gay.
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Posted: Aug 19th 2008 3:22PM baby sea tuna said

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I know! I heard that it owns a pocket-dog and totally tried to have sex with the bloodyelbow.com's comment system!
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Posted: Aug 20th 2008 1:52AM Scratchcard said

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Does it smoke really long cigarettes?
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