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Does quality of game cover art influence your game purchase?

W

Wario64

works for Gamestop (lol)
Does it?

If a game has a crappy box art, would you pass it?

If a game had a collector's edition and the contents of the CE doesn't interest you BUT the cover art for the CE looks tons better than the normal edition, would you purchase the CE just because of the cover art?
 
If I'm cruising through the used game section and I see a game I've never heard of with interesting cover art, I'm more inclined to pick it up and look at it. In this way my purchase of Ring of Red was influenced, because the cover made me pick it up, which lead to me reading the backcover, which gave me an Advance Wars vibe, which lead to the purchase. Have I ever made a purchase solely on cover art? No. But, yes, I have been influenced by cover art.
 
It certainly makes for more impulse buys, though. I'm sure people picked up Nintendogs because there was a cute puppy as its cover saying 'take me home!'. If Nintendo had changed the cover art to something like the Dogz games I don't think as many people would have picked that up.

Edit: Of course, I've seen the contrary on this forum: 'The US/NA/PAL boxart for this game sux!! Worse than JP version, no sale!' So, there.
 
It used to, back when every console game was a 2D side-scroller and I knew that if the mascot/concept interested me, I would probably like it. Then the advent of 3D came along and types of games sprouted up that I didn't like and couldn't play well, and I had to start looking past the cover art.
 
gutter_trash said:
this thread nees pictures
Click to expand...

ps2ringofredox8.jpg


Here is the cover that lead to me coughing-up a whopping $4.99.
 
I don't think I have ever purchased a video game on my own without researching it beforehand. So, no the boxart does not influence my purchase at all.

I'm sure it matters to most people, because game makers pour tons of money into making a box look appealing.
 
It helps.

It's not stopping me from getting games I want.

But it helps selling me games I would normally not buy.
 
Wario64 said:
Does it?

If a game has a crappy box art, would you pass it?

If a game had a collector's edition and the contents of the CE doesn't interest you BUT the cover art for the CE looks tons better than the normal edition, would you purchase the CE just because of the cover art?
Click to expand...

no i typically know enough about the games I'm buying to the point where it makes no difference at all
 
I can say that it influences me without saying that it's the sole determining factor; it's probably the weakest of all factors, actually, since I nearly always research games before I buy them. The sole exception is when I see a game on sale that I wouldn't have ordinarily picked up, and get it on a whim, e.g. $15 F-Zero GP Legend (meh) or $5 Ice Climber (well, not an example of good box art, but still) or $16 Advance Wars 2 (best impulse buy ever). And SNES Yoshi's Island at full price, when I was 11.
 
Usually, it doesn't influence me but I can admit I bought Dungeon Siege because of the girl's look on the cover.
 
Before game previews/reviews became readily available on the internet, yes. Horrible cover art made me pass on great games like the first Megaman game. Now that I can easily research the quality of the game, it's not really a factor. But if the case and cover art of a collector's edition is superb, I will spring the extra 10 bucks for it.
 
If it did when I was younger I would have missed out on A LOT of SMS games =/

Maybe all SMS games =(

Nowadays, i will take a look at games with interesting box art, but I probably won't buy it until I go home to do some research and see how the game sounds (back of the box PR doesn't do it for me). I had not heard of Megaman ZX until I saw the box art. Having come back home and done some research it is now on my to buy list... SO yeah, I guess box art sometimes catches my attention for games I have never heard of before. But I rarely buy on impulse (unless it was dirt cheap).
 
Wario64 said:
Does it?

If a game has a crappy box art, would you pass it?

If a game had a collector's edition and the contents of the CE doesn't interest you BUT the cover art for the CE looks tons better than the normal edition, would you purchase the CE just because of the cover art?
Click to expand...

I won't pass on a game just because it has shit boxart. I would easily pay extra for a boxart I like more though(CE).

Many of my best purchases have been based solely on boxart(when I was younger).
 
Not at all. If I've never heard of the game I might stop and give it a second look but it doesn't encourage me to buy unless maybe it's a used game under $10. If I were to buy a game without knowing much about it then it would be the back of the box that encouraged it.
 
As an aside, does anyone else think it is amazing that FF12 CE is still available new at EB/Gamestop three months after release?

Did the game not sell that well or was there just a shit load of CE printings?
 
angelfly said:
Not at all. If I've never heard of the game I might stop and give it a second look but it doesn't encourage me to buy unless maybe it's a used game under $10. If I were to buy a game without knowing much about it then it would be the back of the box that encouraged it.
Click to expand...

But the fact that the art made you give it a look means you were influenced by it (if you end up purchasing it). See my post at the top.
 
It probably influenced me more when I was younger than it does now. I usually know about the games I purchase before I walk into a game store nowadays. However, when I'm just browsing, box art will definitely determine whether I'll pick the box up and look at it.

2 games that I can remember stopping and looking at were Every Extend Extra, and Exit. They both have very striking artwork for me. Especially EEE. I almost want to purchase that game for the cover art alone...

...and I don't own a PSP.
 
No, otherwise I would have never played the first few Megaman games. Today's installments have much better cover art and are not nearly as much fun.
 
No, of course not.

You're asking the wrong crowd. Most of us are informed enough to make game purchasing decisions based on what we've read of the product before even getting a first glimpse of the box art.
 
Wait, are you people saying, if you never heard ANYTHING about ICO previously, and you saw it in a shop you would still pick it up and buy it? 'Cuz I have a hard time believing that.
 
colinp said:
Wait, are you people saying, if you never heard ANYTHING about ICO previously, and you saw it in a shop you would still pick it up and buy it? 'Cuz I have a hard time believing that.
Click to expand...

I'd buy a phoenix game based on the cover...
 
2Dcube said:
I REALLY like the Hotel Dusk boxart... what's so bad about it? Enlighten me....
Click to expand...

Mainly the font IMO. It's a shame because people who are don't reading gaming news wouldn't probably not give this game a chance because of the boxart. I wouldn't expect anyone at gaf to not purchase a game because of the boxart, but many might chose to import or get limited editions because of it.

but you know, if a game has an amazing boxart and I've never heard of it, I'd probably be interested enough to look it up. If a publisher put so much effort on the packaging, it sort of implies the same for the game.
 
It's never made me buy a game, but box art does sometimes catch my eye and read about it. Then, if I like the idea, I'll buy it. ;)
 
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