COMPLETED COVERSUPDATED: June 7th 2013
Super Nintendo Entertainment System:Nintendo 64:
Okay, so here it is! The new cover style I've been working on in my spare time! Well... It's not quite finished yet (specifically the back/bottom), but I'm itching for feedback on what I've got done already, as well as the remaining bit
So, without further ado, here's some examples!
(Please ignore the blatant wallpaper image and filler title/description text. Any actual covers I make in this style will have much more work and thought put into them)
(Also please ignore the big empty space on the back bottom, I'll discuss it at the end)
I decided to design the cover style for the NES first, even though I'm not planning to case up any NES games any time soon. My first attempt was based heavily on the look of the system itself:
I even did an alternate version of that, with more of the gray motif:
But then I thought it might be best to go with a design based on what was actually used on late-era NES boxes... The red bar:
AND I did an alternate version of that with white text, after noticing that The Incredible Crash Test Dummies used a bar of this style. Not sure if anything else did, though:
... Finally, I thought I'd make an alternate spine style based on the currently widespread shenske-style covers:
Next up was the SNES:
Then an alternate with a gray dividing bar:
A white divider, to match the current vertical SNES covers:
And, of course, an "ONLY FOR" option (which can be applied onto any of them):
Then, finally, N64, which I didn't make any alternates for (though I did set up my PSD file to easily make the back or spine any of the four N64 colors.. or no colorization like the other systems):
AND the "ONLY FOR" option:
Naturally, these all line up:
Now that I've posted all of those, I trust you can see what I'm going for. UGC covers in the general style of modern retail covers for DVD games. They've all mostly used the same layout: PS2, XBox, XBox 360, newer PS3 (after they moved the front banner), Gamecube (except the odd banner shape and having the system logo on the bottom of the spine here in America), and Wii (...except the odd banner shape and solid, usually white, spine).
The back bottom, though... That's not as standardized, which is why I haven't finalized it yet. Not only does the exact legalese change from game to game, the layout of the legalese, barcode, ESRB descriptors, and other information changes a lot from system to system. Heck, I've found at least three different layouts just on PS2 cases!
So, here's what I'm thinking about...
Barcode: At first, I wasn't sure if I wanted to bother including this... but in the end, the covers just wouldn't look right without it. The placement (and size/shape) in the example images above is based on PS2/PS3/PSP style... But I'm not sure if that's what I'll end up using. Gamecube, Wii, and 360 games have the barcode in the lower right instead. Original XBox, oddly, had the barcodes in the upper right.
ESRB Descriptor Box: The one in the examples above is also from one of the PS2 cases (you can probably guess which, since I didn't change the descriptor texts), but some PS2 games instead had this on the left, immediately above the barcode... Gamecube games usually have it on the right (above their barcode), but I've got some with it on the left and some that don't have it at all! PS3, PSP, and XBox Original games have it basically where I've got it in the examples... Wii has it on the bottom left. 360 has it immediately above (and equal width) with the barcode.
Number of players, peripheral support, etc: This is a little more straightforward. Nintendo's had this on the top of their case-backs (left on Gamecube, right on Wii) using nice picture icons (with descriptive text below them on the Gamecube). Microsoft and Sony have had it just above the other legalese stuff at the bottom, with either [text in rectangles] or [
text in rectangles with an icon on the left]. I'm thinking I'll use Sony and Microsoft's placement, but Nintendo's icon stylings (with the text below).
Seizure warning: ... Why? If you're epileptic, you already know to be careful. I don't need this on every single game. I've watched Electric Soldier Porygon in a dark room less than a foot away from the screen. I'm good.
Copyright: I'm thinking something simple like...
Developed by:
[DEVELOPER LOGO]
(C) 20XX Publisher
This way, if the game was developed by one company or studio and published by another, they all get credit. The publisher's logo is on the front, so no need to duplicate it. ... Although games like Tiger-Heli would complicate that plan. The original arcade game was developed by Toaplan and published by Taito (who get the credit on the NES cart's top), then the NES port was done by Micronics and published state-side by Acclaim (Pony Inc. published the Famicom version). So then it'd be...
Original Developed by:
[TOAPLAN]
NES Port by:
[MICRONICS]
(C) 1985 Taito, 1987 Acclaim
... With both Taito and Acclaim's logos on the front? ... Oh, and Micronics never had a logo as far as I can tell. Fun.
I could put it between the barcode and ESRB box if I keep them where they are (or switch them around)...
Other legal text: No.
Other non-legal informative text: No! I don't want a wall of text on the back of my games! I mean, I'll have the normal game descriptions and screen shots, but not the fine print crap. I don't need to be told the game is only for use in America, or it only works on NTSC machines, or that the logos are trademarked, or that pirating the game is a crime, or that the plastic case is made of recycled cardboard (wut?), or that the cartridge design is patented, or that I can call the hotline for help, or that the publisher is located at 2400 South Highway 75 Corsicana TX 75110, or ANYTHING!
Game ID code: This I might include, but on the bottom of the spine. Might put the [NTSC] box below it, as well. I actually forgot that for the preview images.
Anything else I might want to put on the back: Nothing I can think of right now. I'm open to suggestions, though.
So.... Thoughts? Suggestions? Constructive creative criticism?[/list][/list]
