Why is North American Box Art So Bad?

"Alright, thats a sweeping generalisation, but it’s also quite true. We all know that films, games and books all get different covers and treatment depending on the region they release in, but every time you can guarantee that the NA box art will feature characters on the front and someone will be angry. In fact, the vast majority of NA box art is as far from what anybody could call artistic, below are a selection of some of the best (and worst) offenders in the world of box art. "

[specialguest]

Cosmic Fantasy 2 box art for the TG16 CD is beyond bad. Back in those times, NEC NA feared that the anime art style would scare away gamers.

Here's the original Japanese box art:
http://timewarpgamer.com/im...

Their solution for NA:
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-u...

This was bad on so many levels from creepy looking faces to just plain lack of human figure drawing ability. It's like they hired some middle school kid to draw the box art for free.

[Clarence]

No imagination.

[Ocelot525]

nope , it's marketing strategy. Games with the protagonists on the cover sell better in the US while Europeans prefer the artsy approach

Same reason why coke tastes different in each country.

[gillri]

the worst offenders are the ICO and Heavy Rain NTSC box arts, the Resident evil 4 PAL boxart was awesome too compared to the NTSC one

its the stupid publishers fault I know many americans which absolutely detest the NTSC boxarts compared to the one we get over in the UK.

But the big wigs think that its need they need character, gun or women plastered over the cover with little or no artistic integrity

[specialguest]

When you compare the two, it's like night and day. The original ICO boxart looks like a piece of artwork made by some famous artist from the past. Its minimal style communicates back very well in artistic way about the game. For a game that some may say is the closes thing to art, this is beautifully fitting.

With the NA boxart, you get an imitation of a generic Hollywood movie poster. All I see is a kid with a viking helmet holding some sort of 2x4 who seems to be mad, and a faded female face.

[Rob946]

Here's a great example

Yakuza 3 Japanese Box Art- http://www.cheatmasters.com...

Yakuza 3 American Box Art- http://cdn4.spong.com/pack/...

[BubloZX]

ehh. some are good and the ones that suck suck equally bad for both. but NA box art isnt that bad

[Shmotz]

MGS4 is the worst for me.

http://www.blogcdn.com/www....

[Relientk77]

I pretty much dont like any box art that is like just someones face, so I agree. I think Killzone 2 is the only boxart that is just a face that I'm ok with

[Mikeyy]

In almost all those given examples i prefered the NA boxart. Spyro looks like he has down syndrom in the JPN cover..

[Relientk77]

Actually I think those are terrible examples

I liked pretty much all of those NA box arts better

[evilunklebud]

That is what I was thinking, but I'm North American.

Just goes to show opinion and fact are not interchangeable, I guess.

[Motorola]

Spyro looks better in NA box art...

[Relientk77]

Yea I really like that box art, the first PlayStation game I every played :-). A lot of memories with Spyro

[lifesanrpg]

Japanese box art tends to be more abstract...I feel like all the North American ones have the same format: Title, picture of main characters, small abstract image in the background

[bahabeast]

north america people only wana sell thier shiz to little giddy kids and hyped up college students, japan people enjoy artistic stuff and like LIFESANRPG said more abstract which i also perfer.

[Starfox811]

Ah the Spyro one was supposed to be an example of where NA and EU box art has it better, same with the Uncharted 2 one, but the vast majority of them are awful in comparison. The Ratchet and Clank games are another set that look better in NA than in JPN. I must say though, I cannot for the life of me understand why anybody would think the FF games look better with the NA box art, they all just look cheap.

[cochise313]

best NA box art is mega man for nes.

[ginsunuva]

Infamous 2.

[Pozzle]

Call me crazy, but I genuinely like the Uncharted 2 Japanese box art. It reminds me of an old-timey classic adventure movie poster from the 30s or 40s. I wouldn't mind having it as a poster on my wall.

Back on-topic though...I think a lot of American publishers/marketers are more focused on creating boxarts that will attract customers' attention, instead of creating boxarts that are genuinely pretty and artistic. Which makes sense, tbh. A new, non-hardcore gamer who is browsing the shelves for games would probably be more inclined to pick up a box with a 'badass' looking character on the front, rather than a box with a white background and black text saying "Final Fantasy" on the front or a plain black box with a rose on the front and the words "Amnesia: The Dark Descent".

[one2thr]

Because our American society has become more, and more softer.... Its true, people tend to find any reason to sue.. oh your breathing the wrong air, Im suing... Oh your video game has people dying and being murdered, but its not as convincing as how Hollywood does it, and little jimmy became a serial killer, Im suing... Oh my childs head is bigger than the main characters head, and I cant get his head as big as his, Im suing... Heres a good one... Oh your game is rated "M" for mature, but my 11 year old son has been having severe nightmares ever since he came across a scarey, violent monster and he's peeing himself at school... Oh you best believe I'm suing... My point is, they gotta soften stuff up so that they might not get in trouble, for producing their original work of art... It must sucks

[TheUnbiasedLion]

I love my ff box art (EU btw) so i was disgusted seeing the american one for ff x-iii :(

[Starfox811]

The incredible logo and artwork on FFXIII's EU box is incredible, and its just a complete disgrace it isn't even shown on the NA box art at all!

[TheUnbiasedLion]

Yeah only the special addition though my ff xiii is just the N/A what a combo breaker :(