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[Neiteio]

A nice follow-up to my original thread.

KOTAKU: "Nintendo Switch Owners Really, Really Care About Game Icons."

But the Switch isn't lacking in game icon space. Of the current major game consoles, The Switch's game icons are the largest, taking up a substantial amount of screen real estate. Is a giant head the best use of that space, or is it, as NeoGAF user Neitieo puts it in an oft-referenced thread regarding Snake Pass' icon change, ”cheap and tacky, like a popup ad for those cheap shovelware games I have to x out whenever I use abload.de."

With each new ”bad" game icon showing up on the Switch dashboard, the voices of dissent get louder, and developers seem surprised by the powerful reactions.

”The reaction to the icon change has been interesting, and as this is our first self-published title, it's definitely a valid part of our learning experience," said a representative of Snake Pass developer Sumo Digital in a statement to Kotaku. ”It's also testament to the passion that players have for Nintendo and Switch that a detail like icons are part of the overall gaming experience and connection they have with the handheld."

As for Snake Pass, the game that made rallying against ugly Switch icons a thing? Sumo Digital has good news.

”We've definitely taken the feedback on board and will be changing the icon back with the next update which is due early next year. It'll mean the branding isn't unified but our focus is on our players and community so we're OK with that.​"

Really happy to see more devs taking this aspect of game presentation into account. Other recent and upcoming examples of devs fixing their icons in response to feedback include Kingdom New Lands, Lego Worlds and SteamWorld Dig 2. The new SteamWorld Dig 2 icon looks especially gorgeous:

 

[CharminUltra]

Spoiler

Happy they listened

 

[phanphare]

you did it Neiteio

 

[Deft Beck]

I think that the increased icon size and portable-console nature of the platform should result in lush home screen icons. Not mobile game style icons that are designed for four year olds to touch after they recognize it.

 

[Okami Haundo]

Yay! I really didn't understand what was happening with some of these icons. PS4/Xbox One games generally just use their box art for the icon. Glad to see this injustice is being addressed.

 

[purseowner]

It'll take until next year to upload a different jpeg? Seriously?

 

[NinjaCoachZ]

That will be the tits.

 

[SciencePilot]

Thank you Neiteio for starting this whole thing.

It's only a tiny detail but it's still nice to see this stuff improved. My Switch home menu will look a lot better after Steam World Dig 2 gets its new icon.

 

[Sir_Crocodile]

It'll take until next year to upload a different jpeg? Seriously?

They're packing it in with the next update, it's not worth the time to do it on its own.

 

[Xumbrega]

2017 is insane.

What a time to be alive

 

[Kanhir]

It'll take until next year to upload a different jpeg? Seriously?

It's a game update, it'll need to go through certification, etc. It's not just uploading a different jpeg.

 

[nick_b]

I just want the icons made smaller so more fit on the screen at once. I want the 3ds home screen layout not the 3ds eshop's.

 

[khaaan]

It'll take until next year to upload a different jpeg? Seriously?

I imagine it's not worth it to just put out a patch for the icon when they can bundle it in as part of a bigger update.

Edit: Seems a few people got to it before me

 

[TheMoon]

It'll take until next year to upload a different jpeg? Seriously?

No

will be changing the icon back with the next update which is due early next year.

WITH the next update. Meaning they have a general patch in the works (for who knows what) and are rolling that into it instead of just going through lotcheck for an icon.

 

[Malyse]

It'll take until next year to upload a different jpeg? Seriously?

Fuck.
I just got the pun of your username.

 

[Neiteio]

WITH the next update. Meaning they have a general patch in the works (for who knows what) and are rolling that into it instead of just going through lotcheck for an icon.

Yeah, I'm really curious what else might be in the Snake Pass update. It's a great game.

 

[Diprosalic]

great!
i refuse to play Steamworld Dig until they fix theirs (that's already announced)


(i am kidding but i hate the logo)

 

[Brazil]

The whole Switch game icon thing is easily the worst 2017 meme.

 

[Zedark]

2017 is insane.

What a time to be alive

.

 

[Axass]

Thank you Sumo and thank you Neiteio for making the thread (and anyone who posted in it, even the haters who bumped it costantly, lol).

 

[Oersted]

Sacrificed my first born for this.

Glad it paid off.

 

[patrickthehedgehog]

Glad devs are taking notice. Now we only have to wonder where the trend was coming from and why it only seems to be so obvious on Switch.

 

[purseowner]

Fuck.
I just got the pun of your username.

Congrats - it took you as long as it took Sumo to acknowledge the iOS-tier icon.

 

[JStein0222]

While it may be silly to care so much about a game's icon, some of these bad ones are so bad I wonder how the devs okay it in the first place.

The original Steamworld Dig 2 Icon is obviously awful

 

[RRockman]

Fuck.
I just got the pun of your username.

you and me both. it just 'clicked' right there.

 

[//ARCANUM]

WE CAN DO ANYTHING.

 

[DrWong]

Probably already done buuut...

Iconic console.

 

[JoeInky]

Nice, Sonic Mania next please.


It would be cool if they gave us an option to save all of your game icons to the SD card, which you could then just replace with your own images on your PC or something.

 

[Seik]

Neiteio, leading the people to freedom.

 

[TangoAlphaLima]

I for one hope that Neiteio will create a thread in OT complaining about a lack of world peace next.

 

[purseowner]

you and me both. it just 'clicked' right there.

I don't even own a purse.

 

[Sini]

What did the original Steamworld Dig 2 icon look like?

E: Found it

Bunch of terrible icons

 

[Shahadan]

ctrl+f "passionate" "interesting"

The usual PR code words for the crazies
I'm satisfied.

 

[CharminUltra]

Nice, Sonic Mania next please.


It would be cool if they gave us an option to save all of your game icons to the SD card, which you could then just replace with your own images on your PC or something.

zomg YES I wasn't a huge fan, but I want to give it a second chance down the line. The icon made me archive it for now tho.

 

[BiggNife]

What did the original Steamworld Dig 2 icon look like?

E: Found it
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DKBNhFjX0AAmhGH.jpg

It's supposed to be the desktop icon for Windows/Mac. The Kotaku article says they accidentally put in the wrong image during cert.

 

[marc^o^]

Since when do we have what we want on a Nintendo console?

I request Wave Race.

 

[Neiteio]

I for one hope that Neiteio will create a thread in OT complaining about a lack of world peace next.

I stay out of Off-Topic. But world peace would be totally rad!

 

[DoubleYou]

We did it GAF

 

[GoneRestorff]

I thought the first thread was a really good joke taken amazingly far by the community. Now I'm starting to think that it is real - people do really care about the icons? Even though they are all terribly ugly?

 

[BocoDragon]

I don't necessarily think turning all icons into YouTube-style title + image thumbnails is a good thing.

 

[maxcriden]

I don't even own a purse.

We've interacted via PM several times and I too only got this now. 😂

 

[Gestault]

I want them to deliberately make it worse

 

[Neiteio]

I thought the first thread was a really good joke taken amazingly far by the community. Now I'm starting to think that it is real - people do really care about the icons? Even though they are all terribly ugly?

I mean, you could read the original thread and see why people wanted this

 

[Demoskinos]

I still don't understand people that get upset about this incredibly trival thing.

 

[Piston Hyundai]

Congratulations on finally getting your bottle.

 

[sixteen-bit]

Congrats Neiteio

 

[Sini]

I don't necessarily think turning all icons into YouTube-style title + image thumbnails is a good thing.

These all look awful

If I had Switch I would campaign against such types of icons as well.

 

[SalvaPot]

Megaton.

 

[moltonasty]

Real world > GAF > Real world

Thanks Neiteio, you've saved us from the Switch Iconpocalypse

 

[Bronetta]

These all look awful

If I had Switch I would campaign against such types of icons as well.

At least one of them needs to shut their fucking mouths.