Elite / Frontier Forgotten art: Beefy 80s/early 90s space ships on game packages

[boringnick]

This thread:

http://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1571


Reminded me of a long forgotten art form: the beefy ship on a game package! With that I mean a hand drawn ship with a distinctive 80s/early 90s look. Today's game packs just don't look as cool. Some examples:

Know what I mean? Maybe we could start a collection of those in this thread.

 

[Geraldine]

You certainly have a point there, game packaging is mostly rubbish now ( a CD case, a cover and if you are lucky a very thin printed manual), compared to what you actually got when buying a game way back then.

 

[boringnick]

Another one with that style:

 

[potsmoke66]

but the content never matched the pic

 

[Callum Rowley]

but the content never matched the pic

That's the good thing about today's game covers, the artwork can reflect the content

 

[Geraldine]

That is true Liquilla, but its still a mostly empty box inside except for a game disc. Frontier Developments at least always included more content with their games, looking at Infestation, there is a 44 page manual included. Guess on disc manuals ect cut down production costs. I would include a scanned box shot of Infestation but don't know how to upload it onto the forum.

You are also correct potsmoke, those game covers of the past had to fire your imagination because the graphics were not up to the task. Still miss that wonderful artwork though.

 

[boringnick]

 

[Sir.Tj]

That's the good thing about today's game covers, the artwork can reflect the content

That is true Liquilla, but its still a mostly empty box inside except for a game disc. Frontier Developments at least always included more content with their games, looking at Infestation, there is a 44 page manual included. Guess on disc manuals ect cut down production costs. I would include a scanned box shot of Infestation but don't know how to upload it onto the forum.

You are also correct potsmoke, those game covers of the past had to fire your imagination because the graphics were not up to the task. Still miss that wonderful artwork though.

True, but like the dark wheel Some games had a bit more in the box,

HitchHikers Guide to the galaxy for example

 

[Sir.Tj]

Contunuing the HHGTTG

Peril Sensitive Sunglasses

 

[Geraldine]

Brilliant TJ!
If you look real close at your monitor I think............yes you can make out a battle-cruiser! On wait its a bit of cigarette ash Oh wait maybe its a DESTROYED battle-cruiser..........no its still just ash

 

[DraQ]

I don't mind modern cover art, especially when it isn't some generic SF artwork with little to no relation to the content, but lack of proper, thick manuals and all kinds of goodies saddens me.

As for spaceship design, this game did it the best, though Homeworld's ship design, and, by extension, it's cover art came close to old SF artwork and was awesome.

 

[turwhitt]

Possibly slightly off topic, but anyone else remember Time Gate?

This game was actualy 4D! Not even today's developers have managed to harness the fourth dimension in this way! ( )

 

[Sir.Tj]

Brilliant TJ!
If you look real close at your monitor I think............yes you can make out a battle-cruiser! On wait its a bit of cigarette ash Oh wait maybe its a DESTROYED battle-cruiser..........no its still just ash

Time to get the screen polish out, or you could pop on the peril sensitive sunglasses.

 

[Callum Rowley]

That is true Liquilla, but its still a mostly empty box inside except for a game disc. Frontier Developments at least always included more content with their games, looking at Infestation, there is a 44 page manual included. Guess on disc manuals ect cut down production costs. I would include a scanned box shot of Infestation but don't know how to upload it onto the forum.

So there are multiple reasons boxes have been stripped of extra goodies in today's games compared to old games. Firstly, acquiring shelf space is an essential part of games marketing. To get your game seen you need to conform to the games display cases (in height, width and depth) retailers use in their stores or risk it not being displayed at all. 10 years ago boxes were big cardboard things (for PC) so you could fit a great deal more in and it didn't affect the shelf display. So standard editions these days typically comprise of the game disc, a manual and any additional paper based goodies (activation keys etc.) to allow this.

Secondly, Publishers have realized they can make more money from adding extra goodies in special and collectors editions (which you can go wild with, because most likely they won't be sold in stores). By making these editions limited in supply it means cost of goods is lower and the purchasing price of the game can go right up.

 

[Sir.Tj]

So there are multiple reasons boxes have been stripped of extra goodies in today's games compared to old games. Firstly, acquiring shelf space is an essential part of games marketing. To get your game seen you need to conform to the games display cases (in height, width and depth) retailers use in their stores or risk it not being displayed at all. 10 years ago boxes were big cardboard things (for PC) so you could fit a great deal more in and it didn't affect the shelf display. So standard editions these days typically comprise of the game disc, a manual and any additional paper based goodies (activation keys etc.) to allow this.

Secondly, Publishers have realized they can make more money from adding extra goodies in special and collectors editions (which you can go wild with, because most likely they won't be sold in stores). By making these editions limited in supply it means cost of goods is lower and the purchasing price of the game can go right up.

Take's all the Bl**dy fun out of getting a new game home and seeing whats in the box.

 

[Callum Rowley]

Take's all the Bl**dy fun out of getting a new game home and seeing whats in the box.

Too right! Though I am glad the big cardboard boxes are no longer in existence... they were a nightmare to maintain!

Blame it on the standardization of games / DVDs, and petition for retail stores to have bigger shelves! - that's what I say

 

[Steve]

Too right! Though I am glad the big cardboard boxes are no longer in existence... they were a nightmare to maintain!

Blame it on the standardization of games / DVDs, and petition for retail stores to have bigger shelves! - that's what I say

I've ranted on other forums in the past about the demise of The Big Box, but in truth they were often virtually empty and a bit of a waste of shelf space.

Whenever Elite IV comes out, I'll stump up for the Collector's Edition, provided my pension covers it!

 

[Marcus]

Possibly slightly off topic, but anyone else remember Time Gate?
This game was actualy 4D! Not even today's developers have managed to harness the fourth dimension in this way! ( )

God, yes I do!

Was one of the first games I played on the Spectrum....ah the memories!

Oh and how about:

I loved those old games covers, they really fired the imagination...

 

[Jetblack]

That starflight box cover takes me back.

Starflight 1 was the first pc game i ever played in about mid-late 80s. It had me hooked.

Beleieve it or not, Mass Effect is supposedly heavily influenced by Starflight games.

Problem is Starflight was far deeper and more complex, even with the vga graphics It actually had an open universe, 2d mind you, but hey, that was the 80s.

 

[Sterlino]

When i saw this (in the 1983 inside an italian's magazine)
my mind literally EXPLODED ... and from that moment i wasn't able to stop to dream about the perfect space game simulator.


This thread is truly AWESOME.

please more.