Package design isn’t always based on pure ergonomics, it’s also closely related to marketing. One of the core concepts of marketing is to know your audience. But when it comes to advertising a global brand, there is always a fine line to walk between preserving the brand and adjusting to suit individual market needs. On the packaging level, the easiest way out is to use different creative from country to country, whatever speaks best to a particular culture. Usually this is imperative, as many disasters have sprouted out of the fact that little to no care has been taken to localize a brand. However, sometimes my own personal sensibilities overcome any marketing logic and I wish that some things weren’t tampered with.
For instance, take a look at the different covers used for a video game called ICO:
On the left is the original cover released in Japan (and subsequently released for the European market). According to game creator Fumito Ueda, there was a definite homage to Greek-Italian artist Chirico, with the idea to convey the feeling of game partly inspired by those paintings.
When ICO was released in the United States, the art was replaced with a much more action-packed shot of the protagonist (above right). I suppose this was done along the lines of thinking that Americans won’t respond to a somewhat abstract cover of two shadows racing along a wide expanse of space, but can relate to a hero archetype getting down to sword-swinging business.
While I fully understand the importance of packaging a product so that it can be in the best position to sell loads, having played ICO I strongly prefer the original cover which is much more evocative of the beautiful, almost lyrical game. And I wonder, since there are so many games along the lines of “you are the hero, you must save the world”, if the original cover might actually have stood out more. It certainly would have turned my head.
What do you think?
Filed under: art, entertainment, video games | Tagged: chirico, fumito ueda, ico, video games
