Just for giggles: Lich King vs Witch-King box art

by Alexander Sliwinski { Nov 3rd 2008 at 4:30PM }

Far removed from the totally serious THQ v. Activision Baja box art lawsuit, a WoW Insider reader tipped the site off to the box art and subtitle similarities between Blizzard's incoming mega-hit, Wrath of the Lich King, and EA's 2006 title, The Rise of the Witch-King. As for the inevitable "who copied whom," it's debatable until the ghouls come home.

Box art posing aside, the Overlord also wears a similar outfit as the Lich and Witch monarchs, with matching spiky sword guard. Of course, if the first Overlord had a subtitle, it would have been Attack of Glitch King ... or, if you liked the game, Niche King. As for the witchy-lichy trade dress (box art) creating a lawsuit between EA and Activision Blizzard, we're fairly certain the scourge of time has taken its toll on Witch-King's presence on retail shelves and any lawsuit relevance, but lawyers do get bored sometimes.

Tags: activision-blizzard, blizzard, ea, rise-of-the-witch-king, world-of-warcraft, wrath-of-the-lich-king

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Dirty @ Nov 3rd 2008 4:34PM

Now if we could only fit in a blue truck jumping in the background.

MuToiD_MaN @ Nov 3rd 2008 8:21PM

Idungeddit.

Titanium_Orchid @ Nov 3rd 2008 4:34PM

I'm really liking these box art comparisons

Dirty @ Nov 3rd 2008 4:44PM

Seriously. Its funny to me how horribly original they are.. I mean how many artist do you have working on your team, and you just let some Marketing a-hole screw your cover up like that.

Burnout Paradise had the best box art in recent memory.

Dirty @ Nov 3rd 2008 4:44PM

original should be unoriginal. Damn spell check.

Titanium_Orchid @ Nov 3rd 2008 4:54PM

yea, Burnout Paradise is a good example of nice box art.

I've never played the game but I think that Shaun White's Snowboarding bas good art to.

I also like the look of Fallout 3's art. Probably because the contrast is really high, and the colors seem really saturates and rich.

Army of Two was also pretty cool.

I know this is not really a fair comparison but:

http://www.gamestop.com/common/images/lbox/270274b.jpg
v.
http://www.gamestop.com/common/images/lbox/270115b.jpg

Titanium_Orchid @ Nov 3rd 2008 4:56PM

mmm, typos

Jack @ Nov 3rd 2008 6:25PM

You guys know Joystiq (ps3 fanboy)did an article about how Burnout's box looked like a rip off of someone's cd right?

Jack @ Nov 3rd 2008 6:27PM

Here it is: http://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/14/burnout-paradise-art-style-inspired-by-rock-album/

The big R down there posted it

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KingTorres @ Nov 3rd 2008 4:35PM

"but lawyers do get bored sometimes" Case in point: Jack Thompson.

Courtney @ Nov 3rd 2008 4:42PM

Ah yes, but now he's not-a-lawyer who's bored and looking for something to do.

Bigfoot @ Nov 3rd 2008 4:44PM

Last I heard, JT is pwnin noobs on CoD4.

DiL @ Nov 3rd 2008 7:17PM

last i heard, JT got pwned by florida of all places

idiot @ Nov 3rd 2008 4:37PM

i'm still wondering who's gonna get make bank for being the first to make an awful 80s/90s movie poster featuring the main character looking over his/her sunglasses and suing the pants off of the infringers

idiot @ Nov 3rd 2008 4:38PM

disregard 'get' plz

Shagittarius @ Nov 3rd 2008 4:43PM

Its really gonna get confusing when Sir Elton John releases his new interactive album, 'The Bitch King is back'.

MattBFD @ Nov 3rd 2008 5:02PM

Then there's that movie about the epileptic dictator, "Reign of the Twitch King."

Zertoss @ Nov 3rd 2008 5:30PM

Then there's that horrible shovelware title "Gulch of the Ditch King".

Haggard @ Nov 3rd 2008 6:03PM

How about a sub-aquatic adventure starring Lindsay Lohan - Bath of the Rich Thing

Shagittarius @ Nov 3rd 2008 6:16PM

I've heard of that one, watch out for the fire coral!

Fire Coral: Fire corals are colonial marine organisms that look rather like real coral. However they are technically not corals; they are actually more closely related to jellyfish and other stinging anemones.

Titanium_Orchid @ Nov 3rd 2008 6:20PM

When I read "colonial marines" I immediately thought of Aliens

MattBFD @ Nov 3rd 2008 6:25PM

There's a book I read as a young lad, a cautionary tale about crabs, "Bath for the Itch Queen."

Vekta @ Nov 3rd 2008 5:01PM

Dude, I make this joke over a year ago. I'm not going to call you a thief but I would greatly appreciate it if you, say, include it in an article? http://www.vgboxart.com/view/10023/world.of.warcraft.wrath.of.the.lich.king/?replies=15

KingTorres @ Nov 3rd 2008 5:05PM

In all fairness your original 'comparison' is complete shit.Maybe Joystiq should make a brand new article entitled 'worst mock-ups ever' just for you(They're nice that way :))

Gary Combs @ Nov 3rd 2008 5:07PM

Hmmm... Blizzard ripping people off? k, with lich king/witch king? Never Played WC3 Frozen Throne did you.

Mitsuo @ Nov 3rd 2008 5:13PM

@gary. Never read Lord of the Rings did you.

almost all fantasy novels/games/movies/etc take heavily from LotR and D&D.

Gary Combs @ Nov 3rd 2008 5:32PM

Oh, I read LOTR way before Warcraft, and not to say that a lot of fantasy worlds don't borrow/steal/homage others. But regarding the point here, box art, and I've seen plenty of Lich King drawings from way back when, which is why I think this is comical. hah.

Haggard @ Nov 3rd 2008 6:06PM

Warcraft's basic concept is actually stolen from Warhammer, not LOTRO

Dani Reader @ Nov 3rd 2008 6:12PM

I lol'd so hard at the ownage there. Clearly Tolkien ripped blizzard's character off with his design and desciption of the witch king. You say that the witch king in PJ's movie was ripped off frozen throne. Why would he do that? He has tolkien's own descriptions of the character from which to draw reference. Somehow i doubt peter jackson played frozen throne and went 'zomg lich king is teh win, ai muzt putt that in mai muvie'. what I find more likely, is that you thought you had a point, and then tried to protect it when the enormous flaw in it was pointed out. Badly.

343 Guilty Fart @ Nov 3rd 2008 5:13PM

Um, isn't Blizzard ripping off Witch King, since Sauron was created about 80 years ago??

Vekta @ Nov 3rd 2008 5:19PM

Are you an absolute moron, KingTorres? I'm betting you are. It's meant to look bad. It's a joke that Blizzard just grabbed the official LOTR:BFME ROTWK box and did a quick paint edit.

KingTorres @ Nov 3rd 2008 6:14PM

I was reffering more to the overuse of cliches i.e. satirical review quotes etc., It's quite clear what you're trying to do, but you fail because it's just not funny, and i think you kind of prove that yourself with a quick look at the comments section next to your page :) I'm not one for personal attacks and i admit in hindsight i was a bit harsh, but clearly Joystiq didnt steal this from your site.

R @ Nov 3rd 2008 5:40PM

Ruh oh http://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/14/burnout-paradise-art-style-inspired-by-rock-album/

Dirty @ Nov 3rd 2008 8:02PM

Thats a pretty slim comparison. I still think its damn purty.

theturtle363 @ Nov 3rd 2008 5:46PM

you could say the witch king stole it from WoW, since the Lich King first appeared in WC3 The Frozen Throne which was in July 03, vs the Witch King in Return of The King in December

mr mobius @ Nov 3rd 2008 6:20PM

and 80 years earlier as well...

theturtle363 @ Nov 3rd 2008 8:15PM

I don't think Return of the King was a picture book

randombullseye @ Nov 3rd 2008 6:00PM

Why wasn't the title "Which king is witch king?"

Misframed @ Nov 3rd 2008 6:18PM

Then there is that new Ubisoft DS sewing game: "The Rap of the Stitch King."

Phillip @ Nov 3rd 2008 6:32PM

Does the Doctor travel in either of these?

...

...you know. "Blue Box" and all that.

...Yeah. It sure seems like a Friday.

Magicalpoop @ Nov 3rd 2008 8:39PM

People are overreacting. Are there similarities? Yes.

Remove Arthas and the Witch king, and you have nothing.

And if I remember correctly, WC3 is a rip off of everything. From Lord of the Rings to some WarHammer. Using a lich/witch sorta revenant wrath thing is free domain. It's like how everyone can use orcs.