TomWest said:
Of course, most of these replies ignore the possibility that the ugly box art really *does* appeal to more of the target audience, who after all, are generally young men with little aesthetic appreciation for "quiet desolation".
I have no problem believing that graphic artists and companies elsewhere in world would either knowing or unknowingly sacrifice sales to artistic ego. God knows that Europeans had years to emulate McDonald's, but instead waited until the Americans came over and proved that Europeans (and the rest of the world) have the same taste preferences (or lack thereof) as the Americans. It was simply that the natives couldn't bring themselves to descend to that level.
In most of the world, there is a shame in making money by catering to the "lowbrow" market. In America, the only shame is not to make money.
[Note for the pedantic: the above is a massive generalization not to be taken too seriously.]
Said perfectly. Obviously generalized but couldn't have said it better.
The only thing I'll add is that American advertising is encouraged to cater to the "lowbrow" market. I remember being told repeatedly through out my short lived career in it to aim at a third grade reading/comprehension level.
Why do you think the latest trend in commercials is to be ridiculously silly (I.e. Skittles commercials) and have nothing to do with the product? Those are often but not always intelligently designed commercials but at the same time have no chance of confusing the viewer. "We made you laugh, buy this product." So unless you have no sense of humor, point is made.
This same thing plays into Box Art design. Chances you know something about the game already while your at the store so the cover arts job is to just get your attention.
- "LOOK! This has a white male protagonist! There's some kind of octopus monster in here! TECHNOLOGY! Also, bewbs."
Also, don't forget that only recently are people starting to realize games aren't just for white 12 year old boys.
ghostchild55 said:
Varrdy said:
newfoundsky said:
Obviously, you've never been to America. Or if you have, you thought you were in Montgomery the whole time. And if you live here, move. Not out of the country, mind you, but somewhere were you aren't surrounded by the ignorant stereotype of American. Like, say, Utah. I love Utah.
Actually I've been to America twice and am a few hours away from booking my flight for this year's jaunt to the States. Ohio this time, for the record.
Actually you are right in calling me out but that's the general opinion I get sometimes. Americans try to remake our stuff and generally cock it up (Red Dwarf springs to mind), which is a shame because when they actually come up with their own stuff, it can be pretty funny. Two and a Half Men, for example. Plus a lot of Amercian stand-up comedians could make me laugh at my own mother's funeral (not that she's dead, I was just being hypothetical!).
I think they just like to think they can do things better. I had to post a copy of a book to a friend in Florida once. It was a European novel that couldn't get published in the USA because the authour refused to re-write the book to make the hero American.
Wardy
I completely agree with America being stuck on the concept of constant re-making of everything. It's upsetting to see my younger sister loving that crap re-make Let Me In, yet won't watch the original version cause she doesn't want to read through the subtitles, which is understandable, she's ten. I don't see why they wouldn't publish the novel, the Men Who Hate Women series was released here, albeit with a different title but the story remained the same. Everything took place in Sweden and the main character was Swedish. Whatever company the author was trying to get published through is a bunch of idiots.
But it's mostly just the mainstream Hollywood, they learned through the re-makes of The Ring and The Grudge that audiences would keep paying for it, so they started to re-make everything. As an aspiring film maker I find this trend depressing. Everything even old American films are getting re-made. I don't see why Hollywood won't get some creative juices flowing, but everything's about the dollar so they make the movies that garner the most money. The thing that's got me the most though is the use of 3-D, the technology has been around for ages and was only used for kids films and cheap slasher flicks, and now everyone's acting like it's some great stuff. It takes away the art of the film, and is only there to add a few extra dollars to the ticket.
I'm ranting now so I'll shut up.
There's the addition that most every show I watch from over-seas (Specifically BBC) tends to have lower production values or at least the appearance of such. Look at both versions of The Office. Both hilarious but most American viewers would be turned off by it's appearance. So thinking they can do the same thing with better production values the American version often loses a lot of the originals charm.
Stuff just gets lost in translation.
love it.Go Go Defensive Rangers
