Ken Levine on BioShock Infinite's Bro-Tastic Cover Art

[The Wooster]

Ken Levine on BioShock Infinite's Bro-Tastic Cover Art

BioShock Infinite's generic cover is meant to appeal to the "uninformed."

Earlier this week, 2K Games revealed BioShock Infinite's cover, and art-lovers the world over gasped in mildly-overblown horror. Gone are the iconic Big Daddy and Little Sister. In their place is a rather generic white gentlemen posing for what appears to be the cover of Stubble, Guns and Random Sparks Magazine. It's not terrible artwork by any stretch of the imagination, but it does have the stench of the focus group about it. It's almost like a team of very talented artists decided to lump together as many clichés as possible to attract the dew-guzzling, frat-goblins who make up the bulk of the modern shooter audience. According to creative director, Ken Levine, that's exactly what happened.

"I wanted the uninformed, the person who doesn't read IGN... to pick up the box and say, okay, this looks kind of cool, let me turn it over. Oh, a flying city. Look at this girl, Elizabeth on the back. Look at that creature. And start to read about it, start to think about it," he explained in an interview with Wired.

"I looked at the cover art for BioShock 1, which I was heavily involved with and love, I adored," he continued. "And I tried to step back and say, if I'm just some guy, some frat guy, I love games but don't pay attention to them... if I saw the cover of that box, what would I think? And I would think, this is a game about a robot and a little girl. That's what I would think. I was trying to be honest with myself. Trust me, I was heavily involved with the creation of those characters and I love them."

Levine does have a point; Game packaging is meant to attract customers to the product, and the majority of people complaining about the box art were going to end up buying BioShock Infinite anyway. It's always disappointing to see crass commercialism triumph over Art! (capital A and exclamation mark included), but Levine argues that's the price we have to pay to get games like BioShock Infinite made in the first place.

"One, we need to be successful to make these types of games," he said, "and I think it's important, and I think the cover is a small price for the hardcore gamer to pay."

He did mention that 2K will be providing alternate covers that gamers can print off themselves. If you're a fan of beautiful cover art in general, I strongly suggest you get yourself some glossy paper and check out this NeoGaf thread [http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=442713].

Source: Wired [http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2012/12/bioshock-infinite-box-art/]

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[Porecomesis]

Is it not simply possible to do both? I mean, the original Bioshock's cover was interesting enough to attract such a large audience and make Bioshock Infinite possible in the first place. The original Bioshock's cover managed to convey what you were in for if you bought the game.

Also, is it just me or are devs beginning to use that "we need to be successful" reason as an excuse to slack off in the art department? It's a perfectly valid reason, don't get me wrong, but there's no reason why you can't make something appealing to the masses and artistic at the same time.

 

[IamLEAM1983]

Print two covers on a single sheet. Don't like Bro-oker DeWitt looking all forlorn and badass? Flip it over. There ya go: Elisabeth and Songbird or Columbia's majestic vistas or whatever else feels arbitrarily more evocative or artistically relevant.

Done. Also, /thread

 

[neonsword13-ops]

WHOA NOW. What's that on the bottom right-hand corner?

"INCLUDES THE ORIGINAL BIOSHOCK!"

So... If I get Infinite, it comes with a free copy of the original? Fuckin' A.

OT: I really wasn't bothered by the Box Art. So what if it's not like the original? If the game's good, it doesn't really matter.

 

[Knoopdog]

I keep hearing some developers and industry figureheads saying that box art often is the only factor some gamers make their purchasing decisions on. I've really got to question that line of thinking. The last (and possibly ONLY) time I ever did that was when I was ten years old and begging my parents for a birthday gift. Who really walks into a store, blind to any additional media of a game, and blows $60 in a heartbeat? I'd have convulsions if I saw someone doing that, even if it was a great game they were picking out. That seems like such a ballsy hypothetical move to pull if it really happens.

I really don't think we need to homogenize cover art to cast a wider net in this industry. Focus groups may get the job done, but it's just like those still frames of assorted 1st-person-shooters that all featured the same orange-tinted crosshairs. The industry can live through it's peaks and valleys, but a case of stagnation like this will only serve to push quality games farther away from the public in general.

 

[Sylveria]

As much as I want to condemn this decision... I can't. There's been more than a few times that the cover of a game has caught my eye because it was relevent to my interests and caused me to look at it. Conversely, as someone who couldn't be less interested in dude-bro shooters, this cover wouldn't warrant a second glance, let alone a closer inspection. But, this industry is ruled by the whims of the dude-bros, sadly. I miss the days when gaming was just for the nerds and artistic integrity wasn't so readily sacrificed to bring in "the main-stream."

 

[Sylveria]

I keep hearing some developers and industry figureheads saying that box art often is the only factor some gamers make their purchasing decisions on.

You've never missed hearing about a game and just happened to spot it on a store shelf? I know I have. Admittedly that was in the days before I really started following the medium, but that's sort of the point of this cover. They want the beer-chugging dude-bros to see this cover and go "Dude, check this out bro?! 'Merica as fuck bro!" Though I'd argue that the more interesting aspects of Bio-shock would be a huge turn-off to the frat-boy CoD crowd.

 

[jollybarracuda]

All he says about this is rendered null and void when you remember, if you would kindly, that Bioshock sold like crazy. The people who loved the first game will no doubt be eager to see what this one will be like, and the fact that Bioshock did sell so well, with a very unique and atmospheric box art, is proof that you dont need to have to win the Most Generic Coverart award to sell well to the uninformed. It's a sign of the times, i guess, where appealing to the lowest common denominator is the top priority, even if it only bumps up sales by a marginal amount.

 

[Knoopdog]

I keep hearing some developers and industry figureheads saying that box art often is the only factor some gamers make their purchasing decisions on.

You've never missed hearing about a game and just happened to spot it on a store shelf? I know I have. Admittedly that was in the days before I really started following the medium, but that's sort of the point of this cover. They want the beer-chugging dude-bros to see this cover and go "Dude, check this out bro?! 'Merica as fuck bro!" Though I'd argue that the more interesting aspects of Bio-shock would be a huge turn-off to the frat-boy CoD crowd.

Like I said, not since I was very young and didn't have the moral fortitude to consider my parent's finances. I did start following the game industry pretty heavily around fourteen years of age, so maybe I do have a head start on most, but it still seems implausible to me that people would be so casual about huge investments like these. A fool and his money, I suppose...

 

[RicoADF]

the funny thing is that this box art has lost me as a customer. I didn't recognise it as bioshock initially and once I realised it the design has failed to make me wanna buy it. seriously it looks like a far cry or jagged alliance rip off going by the artwork, yeah no sale.

 

[Korten12]

WHOA NOW. What's that on the bottom right-hand corner?

"INCLUDES THE ORIGINAL BIOSHOCK!"

So... If I get Infinite, it comes with a free copy of the original? Fuckin' A.

OT: I really wasn't bothered by the Box Art. So what if it's not like the original? If the game's good, it doesn't really matter.

Only if you get the PS3 version you get Bioshock 1.

 

[sammysoso]

It's a sad world when people are making purchasing decisions based on box art.

Oh well, at least Levine is being blunt and honest here. Can't really fault them.

 

[gigastar]

If thats the boxart its coming to Europe with then its a good thing i dont make my purchase decisions based off the cover.

 

[burningdragoon]

Print two covers on a single sheet. Don't like Bro-oker DeWitt looking all forlorn and badass? Flip it over. There ya go: Elisabeth and Songbird or Columbia's majestic vistas or whatever else feels arbitrarily more evocative or artistically relevant.

Done. Also, /thread

Came in the thread just to say this. Seriously. We even have a recent precedent with Mass Effect 3 giving both Sheps a cover.

 

[Scow2]

I keep hearing some developers and industry figureheads saying that box art often is the only factor some gamers make their purchasing decisions on.

You've never missed hearing about a game and just happened to spot it on a store shelf? I know I have. Admittedly that was in the days before I really started following the medium, but that's sort of the point of this cover. They want the beer-chugging dude-bros to see this cover and go "Dude, check this out bro?! 'Merica as fuck bro!" Though I'd argue that the more interesting aspects of Bio-shock would be a huge turn-off to the frat-boy CoD crowd.

Like I said, not since I was very young and didn't have the moral fortitude to consider my parent's finances. I did start following the game industry pretty heavily around fourteen years of age, so maybe I do have a head start on most, but it still seems implausible to me that people would be so casual about huge investments like these. A fool and his money, I suppose...

Where do you live that $60 is a "huge investment"? That's not even half a week's pay working a part time (20-hour week) minimum-wage McJob (A work schedule usually used by bill-free teenagers).

I know a lot of people (such as myself) who will come into the store look for a game that appeals to their interest and offers something new enough to be interesting without being so different as to be just plain weird (I've seen a lot of that on cover art), flip it over, and see what the game actually has to offer. If it perks their interest, they'll either buy it there if they have the cash to spend, or do a bit more research on it (Such as asking friends, or play a demo if one's offered)... or they look for it second hand/from a rental service/etc and check it out there before either buying it (if previously rented), or advertising to their other dudebros (if bought second-hand/bargain bin)

 

[Reaper195]

Why not be like a lot of PS3 games and have reversible covers? I fucking love some of those.

I can see where the guy is coming from, and I do agree with him. As uninteresting as the box-art is...you'll only be looking at it for about twenty minutes of your entire life.

 

[seditary]

Does he realize the things he's talking about aren't mutually exclusive?

 

[Owyn_Merrilin]

Am I the only one who looks at this and /doesn't/ see the stereotypical dudebro shooter cover? The guy is pretty clearly wearing period costume and holding a blunderbuss. That doesn't exactly scream modern combat to me.

 

[mad825]

Print two covers on a single sheet. Don't like Bro-oker DeWitt looking all forlorn and badass? Flip it over. There ya go: Elisabeth and Songbird or Columbia's majestic vistas or whatever else feels arbitrarily more evocative or artistically relevant.

Done. Also, /thread

Came in the thread just to say this. Seriously. We even have a recent precedent with Mass Effect 3 giving both Sheps a cover.

Only because Femshep BioWare Fanboys whined so much that it spammed their forums.

It's a big shame that 2K went with a generic art box but so what? Move on, you're buying to play the damn game not to stare at the bloody cover.

 

[ZeoAssassin]

I can certainly understand and sympathize with that line of reasoning i suppose, but i still kind of have an issue with this.

1. Was it so hard to have both elements? I mean couldn't they have had Booker's generic looking ass in the center then have Columbia and all the cool looking new enemies behind him with the song bird as a big ass looming shadow overhead? You would still have the generic one-dude standing with a gun prerequisite but at least it would be more interesting and you know...DIFFERENTIATE yourself?

2. This is a SEQUEL, (a 2nd one as well), of a well known franchise at this point. Brand recognition alone should pull just as if not MORE sales then a safe looking cover art to be familiar to the "average" shooter fan? I would think the vast majority of big shooter fans know what Bioshock is right? I could completely understand this reasoning for a new IP but you shouldn't really need it with this game.

3. Am I the only one who had this thought...That Ken Levine likes this cover cause Booker looks like him? This isn't some insult or anything, I generally like the dude as far as developers go. just a funny thought i had about it..."this covers perfect, people will see ME looking badd-ass as hell" lol