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[Pringo]

So I thought it would be a cool thread idea to combine GAF’s boxart fetishism with a Photoshop thread (who doesn’t love these?). Partly inspired by AniHawk's magazine ad thread, I decided to make a thread about “The GAF Collection”, a theoretical series of video game releases for the more serious collectors (à la The Criterion Collection, hence the name). The Criterion Collection is known for its stunning boxarts just as much as it is for its high quality movie transfers and overall quality. I think it’d be cool to try this with video games, who have boxarts traditionally bombarded with way too many ugly labels, ratings, seals, and logos.

I think this idea’s probably been done before, but I haven’t seen any threads like this here before so why not go for it.

An Ode To Criterion Box Art: http://wellmedicated.com/inspiration/an-ode-to-criterion-box-art/
The Criterion Library: http://www.criterion.com/library/dvd

A quick template if you don’t feel like making your own: http://i43.tinypic.com/20h9eg2.png (Make sure to add the date the game was originally published!)

Templates for printable versions of the covers (for use in the actual game boxes): http://www.thecoverproject.net/forums/index.php?topic=1610.0

GrandTheftAero has made a nice high-res template complete with both covers, a spine, and a G logo: http://www.zshare.net/info.html?58757489-22af2139134491db809fb1daa80411ab
KilgoreTrout has made a modification of this template for PS3 boxes: http://www.zshare.net/download/58946799adce6455/

Image resources:
Fanart - http://www.deviantart.com/
Photos - http://www.flickr.com/, http://www.sxc.hu/index.html
Textures - http://cgtextures.com/, http://lostandtaken.com/

Font resources:
http://www.1001freefonts.com/
http://www.dafont.com/

Ready to be printed and used! You might have to alter the dimensions a bit for whatever case you're using, I haven't checked those out at all.

Batman: Arkham Asylum (1) (by KilgoreTrout)
Batman: Arkham Asylum (2) (by Leminnes)
The Beatles: Rock Band (1) (by DrAndonuts)
The Beatles: Rock Band (2) (by DrAndonuts)
BioShock (1) (by KilgoreTrout)
BioShock (2) (by KilgoreTrout)
BioShock (3) (by KilgoreTrout)
BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger (1) (by radiantdreamer)
BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger (2) (by radiantdreamer)
BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger (3) (by radiantdreamer)
BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger (4) (by radiantdreamer)
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (by KilgoreTrout)
Dead Space (1) (by KilgoreTrout)
Dead Space (2) (by KilgoreTrout)
Dead Space (3) (by DrAndonuts)
Demon's Souls (1) (by KilgoreTrout)
Demon's Souls (2) (by KilgoreTrout)
Demon's Souls (3) (by KilgoreTrout)
Halo 3: ODST (by UltimaPooh)
The House of the Dead: Overkill (by JohnnyPanda)
Killzone 2 (1) (by GrandTheftAero)
Killzone 2 (2) (by KilgoreTrout)
Katamari Damacy (by GrandTheftAero)
killer7 (by ShaunBRS)
Left 4 Dead (1) (by KilgoreTrout)
Left 4 Dead (2) (by KilgoreTrout)
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (by GrandTheftAero)
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (by KilgoreTrout)
LittleBigPlanet (by KilgoreTrout)
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (by KilgoreTrout)
Metroid Prime (by KilgoreTrout)
Metroid Prime 2: Echoes (by KilgoreTrout)
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (by KilgoreTrout)
No More Heroes (1) (by KilgoreTrout)
No More Heroes (2) (by DrAndonuts)
The Orange Box (1) (by KilgoreTrout)
The Orange Box (2) (by DrAndonuts)
Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction (by KilgoreTrout)
Resident Evil 4 (by KilgoreTrout)
Shadow of the Colossus (1) (by Leminnes)
Shadow of the Colossus (2) (by DrAndonuts)
Super Mario Bros. (by KevinCow)
Super Mario Bros. 2 (by KevinCow)
Super Mario Bros. 3 (by KevinCow)
Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels (by KevinCow)
Super Mario Galaxy (by KilgoreTrout)
Uncharted: Drake's Fortune (by KilgoreTrout)
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (1) (by KilgoreTrout)
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (2) (by KilgoreTrout)
We Love Katamari (by GrandTheftAero)

And although not really GAF Collection covers per se, these are some good alternative covers:
Excitebots: Trick Racing (1) (by KilgoreTrout)
Excitebots: Trick Racing (2) (by KilgoreTrout)
Mirror's Edge (PS3) (by Flek) (Based on McBacon's original design)
The Orange Box (by Pizza Luigi)

Hey artists, if you still have a high resolution version of your cover around it would be great if you could make a back cover and spine for it. There are a ton of people asking for printable versions of these covers to use as replacements for the originals. If you'd be willing to do that it'd be awesome. Just post it in the thread or PM a link to me and I'll add it to the OP.

Awesome work guys. It looks like we have some recognition across the internet.

61 Frames Per Second
Ars Technica
BuzzFeed
Capcom-Unity
Destructoid
DrikoLand
f13 Forums
Feli.pe
FFFFOUND!
Gamers with Jobs
GameSetWatch
Go Nintendo (edit the URL)
Inside-Games
InSolent
Joy Stiq (edit the URL)
Mac Justice
Medianator
MTV Multiplayer
Nicalis
The Outtake
Zootool
Reddit
ScrewAttack
ShowHype
Sore Eyes
StumbleUpon
Witchboy
Zootool

Digg it!

Also, GAF member and resident artist somnific is keeping an archive of all the covers over on his site @ www.palesky.com

Arc System Works of Europe was so impressed by this thread that they decided to give GAF a chance to design the official BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger boxart for its European release. They are looking for a box in The GAF Collection style and the best one will be made the official European boxart with runner-ups being featured in the manual. All winners will also have their name listed in the game's credits. As well, the winner will receive a copy of the game, a signed poster, t-shirts, and more. To enter the contest, post your submitions in this thread: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=371173

Good luck to everyone who enters.

Contest Results

 

[Pringo]

And here are a few quick ones I made:

 

[Captain Pants]

Those are sweet! I'm not so great with photoshop, but I might take a crack at something.

 

[Pringo]

Those are sweet! I'm not so great with photoshop, but I might take a crack at something.

Hey, it doesn't matter how good you are with Photoshop, anything would be great. Give it your best shot and see what happens.

 

[Captain Pants]

Here is a quick and dirty one for Demon's Souls:

I got the image from a crappy cellphone pic that I took. I wish I could find hi-res pictures of the art that they show during the credits for this game. The boss designs are incredible.

 

[Musashi Wins!]

I love the Fallout cover. That Demon Souls is pretty great too.

 

[andymcc]

the sfiv one actually looks like it could pass for one of criterion's samurai movie boxes.

 

[Captain Pants]

Here is a Shadow of the Colossus one:

This guy over at Deviantart did the awesome painting, I just stole it from google image search.

 

[alr1ght]

 

[Retro]

Wanted to go very simply. I think everyone will get it though.

Certified 100% Cycle Free!

Edit: Didn't realize there was a specific style going, guess I did that custom GAF Edition banner for nothing. Anyways, here's a link to the old one I originally posted;

http://i40.tinypic.com/sqgwma.jpg

 

[WORLDWIDEWII]

Here is a Shadow of the Colossus one:

This guy over at Deviantart did the awesome painting, I just stole it from google image search.

you are awesome, so is the OP.

Come on Gaffers, show me your talents. i'll post some later.

 

[VibratingDonkey]

These are pretty sweet, and the correct aspect ratio right? I might totally install my printer already. The original Fallout 3 cover is terrible.

 

[Pringo]

Great work guys! Especially yours Captain Pants, those are really good. I think I'll keep a list of all the covers in the OP.

These are pretty sweet, and the correct aspect ratio right? I might totally install my printer already. The original Fallout 3 cover is terrible.

These are the same aspect ratio as the Criterion boxes, but I dunno if that's the same as the aspect ratio for any games boxes. I think these would need to be a little higher res too, to work as decent covers. I agree that some of these would be pretty awesome to use as the real covers though.

 

[ShaunBRS]

 

[The Librarian]

Love the BioShock one.

 

[Boss Man]

Demon's Souls one is awesome. "Crappy cellphone pic" somehow makes it look very real.

 

[inner-G]

 

[sykoex]

Req: More covers sans titles like real Criterion covers.

 

[Defuser]

 

[Thai]

if someone wants to make one for The Orange Box, i'd be more than happy to print it out and use it instead of that fugly PS3 cover

 

[sixteen-bit]

May I have a high res version?

Seriously considering replacing the sleeve in my GCN copy. Excellent work.

 

[Pringo]

Again, awesome work guys. Some of these boxes are coming along great (especially that killer7 one, that is snazzy).

if someone wants to make one for The Orange Box, i'd be more than happy to print it out and use it instead of that fugly PS3 cover

I might have a go at it later on if I get any good ideas but if you're looking for something now SomethingAwful has a few good Valve covers done from their classic game covers thread. ...And it looks like my BioShock cover isn't as wholly original as I thought it was (I guess I'm not the only person who knows how to Google image search "art deco" ). Anyways, I suggest looking through their entries as there's some good stuff in there.

 

[neojubei]

Here is a Shadow of the Colossus one:

This guy over at Deviantart did the awesome painting, I just stole it from google image search.

I love this one.

 

[Link Man]

The size is probably off on this, but oh well.

Sorry that it doesn't have the label, but I don't have photo manipulation software on this computer. I did this in Windows Photo Gallery.

 

[ShaunBRS]

May I have a high res version?

2000x2815.

Glad you like it. My computer has run out of red circles now.

 

[Ledsen]

WOW @ Killer7

 

[Dascu]

Excellent.

 

[McBacon]

 

[Ninja Kn1ght]

Fuck yes, this is awesome.

 

[McBacon]

 

[McBacon]

Last one

 

[thaOwner]

Oh man, that Heavenly Sword once is ace. Its defintely up there with Shadow of Colossus and Fallout 3 ones. Kinda feeling the Mario version.


Good job guys and great OP dude.

 

[Shurs]

I like the minimalist versions rather than the busy ones that look like magazine ads. Good work, guys. The Shadow of the Colossus one is awesome. You've convinced me to make sleeves, front and back, for my own game collection.

 

[Bernbaum]

Not 100% happy with this, but I think I got halfway towards the effect I wanted.

Sorry to break ranks with the existing 'GAF Collection Template' I just felt that the lettering worked better for this design.

:\

Edit: and just to fit in with the other versions

 

[CiSTM]

Last one

<3

 

[McBacon]

Can't stop!

 

[Yes Boss!]

This one so far has best captured Criterion's sensibility. BRAVO!

 

[Bii]

Last one

Wow, I really like this one despite its simplicity. Good job!

You would probably want to change the year on the box art to reflect when the game was released.

 

[McBacon]

Wow, I really like this one despite its simplicity. Good job!

You would probably want to change the year on the box art to reflect when the game was released.

Thanks Fixed the date

 

[CiSTM]

McBacon keep 'em coming.

 

[Gomu Gomu]

2000x2815.

Glad you like it. My computer has run out of red circles now.

I'm gonna tweak this and make it my wallpaper, GOOD JOB

 

[bengraven]

Love them all so far, but Criterion titles are usually more subtle.

I'd like to see more courageous lack of the actual official game logo.

That...is really amazing.

 

[b.e.r.g]

Excellent stuff! I love covers that knows to keep it simple

Want to give it a try myself... hmm...

 

[El Papa]

The Killer7 and SotC are sweet.

 

[Rapping Granny]

This can't be quoted enough.

high res please.

 

[Pringo]

Awesome stuff McBacon. Those are some of the best ones yet. I particularly like the Half-Life 2 and Black & White boxes. We need some more of those, simple but elegant.

Keep 'em coming everybody. They're going great so far.

 

[{Mike}]

He already gave a link for HD

 

[Pringo]

This can't be quoted enough.

high res please.

ShaunBRS already posted it back in post #26.

Link

 

[McBacon]

I guess it could be used for any of 'em

 

[Cosmic Bus]