Purchase based on cover art

[tippy2k2]

I was on Netflix a few days ago looking for something to watch when I stumbled across a show called Gunslinger Girl. I knew absolutely nothing about the show besides what was on the cover (a little girl firing a P90) and based on this information alone, I decided to give the show a try. I'm very glad I did for this is a fascinating show.

Spoiler: Cover Art

I used to purchase this way a lot more when I was a youngion but I had no reliable access to the internet a decade ago. Now that I have a smart phone and Google, it is rare that I make a purchase like this but sometimes I'll just take a risk and see what happens...

So I'm curious: In today's "information" age, does anyone ever purchase/invest time in a show, game, book, etc. with no other information besides what's on the box? What was it and did it work out or do you regret it? Do you make a habit of this?

 

[Zhukov]

No, I've never bought anything based on the cover.

Most cover art really, really, really sucks anyway.

 

[Sean Hollyman]

I bought this last month because I thought it looked feckin badass.

Which was good, because the book in fact was feckin badass.

 

[The Wykydtron]

I want to say Persona 4 (AKA best game ever) because I honestly don't remember looking at any reviews, material related to the game or anything to do with the game beforehand. I just looked to see if I had to play 3 to understand 4 then ordered it off Amazon for the low, low price of like £20

[sub]Buy now, beat the rush![/sub]

It's a pretty sick cover to be honest

Spoiler

 

[Ljs1121]

I've never specifically bought anything based off of cover art, but the primary reason I started watching Doctor Who was because I saw a picture of a Dalek and thought "That is the coolest looking mofo I've ever had the pleasure of laying eyes upon. I want to see more of it."

I eventually learned it was from Doctor Who and the rest, as they say, is history.

 

[BiggyShackleton]

Vanquish, simply because it looked shiny.

Spoiler

Luckily it was a pretty good game.

 

[neonsword13-ops]

When I was young, that was the only way I bought games.

I suppose my best purchase based on cover art was Ratchet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal.

Spoiler: The Game's Cover Art

Certainly my favorite game in the R&C series with A Crack in Time trailing right behind.

 

[Dags90]

I choose my pornography almost entirely based on the cover art.

 

[lovest harding]

MirrorMask comes to mind.
Less about the visuals (although they are intriguing) and more about what it says as it has Dave McKean, Neil Gaiman, and Jim Henson Company written in particularly large letters. Someone did recommend the movie to me beforehand, but the reason I pulled the trigger on buying it outright were those names. xD

Spoiler

Gamewise, The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind for original Xbox. I didn't understand what the game was supposed to be about at the time, I just liked the way the tiny screenshots looked on the back and I loved the minimalist cover (mostly because most console games in the U.S. get horrendously over-designed generic action movie covers). I'm so happy that Bethesda has continued to use that minimalist style in the covers of the Elder Scrolls games.

 

[Tanis]

Gitaroo Man

Very very fun game.

 

[NeutralDrow]

I did that for Tales of Symphonia and the Baten Kaitos games. Didn't regret it.

 

[Goofguy]

I've never chosen anything based on the cover art. A lot of the time, the cover art can be a poor reflection of the content. I'd rather look it up and see what it's about before making the purchase.

 

[Kae]

Last Thursday I was passing by a second hand store and I saw this:

Spoiler: Riviera: The Promised Land

Nothing too special but hey Atlus RPG, I just asked the guy if he would give it to me for 30 pesos [small](MXN and that's less than 3 USD)[/small] he said yes and I just finished the first dungeon yesterday and I'm liking it, it's pretty cool, I even made Ein my avatar, though the dating sim elements are a little odd, but it's fun, though the only thing that bothers me a little is the fact that most of the characters look like kids even though some of them are supposed to be adults, I just find it odd, it's almost like the story is being played out with plushies, but I'm getting used to it.

[sub]Also I've researched the game a little bit now and that "Only for" claim is bullshit, apparently it was originally for the Atari WonderSwan and was ported to the GBA, also there is now a PSP version, does anybody know what is the best version?
Because if it's the PSP I guess it wouldn't be much of a bother to get one of those things and the game for it, to be fair there are quite a few games that I want to play on the PSP, and I figure that now that the Vita exists the PSP can't be too expensive.[/sub]

 

[Jolly Co-operator]

Dragon Ball: Ultimate Tenkaichi.

I was looking for a new Dragon Ball Z game, and I was torn between Ultimate Tenkaichi and Raging Blast 2, as used copies of both games were cheap . I regretfully didn't do much research on the gameplay differences, and ended up choosing Ultimate Tenkaichi because of the awesome cover art. Unfortunately, I hated it. Thankfully, I was able to trade it in and buy Raging Blast 2, which I'm much happier with.

 

[Dangit2019]

I've never specifically bought anything based off of cover art, but the primary reason I started watching Doctor Who was because I saw a picture of a Dalek and thought "That is the coolest looking mofo I've ever had the pleasure of laying eyes upon. I want to see more of it."

I eventually learned it was from Doctor Who and the rest, as they say, is history.

Really? Because whenever I first saw a Dalek, my first thought was why there was a plunger protruding from it. It was only later that I would come to fear them...and then laugh at them again once I realized that they only kill minor characters.

 

[DanielBrown]

I always do some check up on games before I buy them these days.
I did pick up Singularity without knowing much about the game except for what was written on the back, and loved it, but it was rather due to the low price than the cover art.

 

[piinyouri]

I do this with music occasionally. Blind buys with music can sometimes lead you to really great discoveries.


Can't say I've bought a game solely on the cover though. I will say I've bought a game I had no idea about based solely on the game information on the back though.

 

[Nouw]

Supreme Commander, which wasn't the best investment I made. It looked like a pretty solid RTS so I picked it up; don't play it anymore.

 

[Eclipse Dragon]

SolatoRobo.

Wonderful game and I don't regret it.

 

[Tippy]

I choose my pornography almost entirely based on the cover art.

Bahaha, very much true, I'll admit I do the same