Complete Edition finally announced, but that box art...

[Burialblade]

Complete Edition finally announced, but that box art...

...is pretty bad. Is this final? It's literally the same as before with an ugly yellow banner on it.

1. I think most people are smart enough to read "Complete Edition" without the need for an ugly loud yellow banner across the box. Was this really necessary? The hair even overlaps the yellow but then the words overlap the hair? Looks like a really weird design choice and amateurish.
2. Did it have to be the same box art, which many people didn't like before, and still don't especially now?

 

[FieryPhoenix7]

To be fair, I never expected them to bother making a new box art (although I do think they should've).

 

[Mezziaz]

Yeah they took a cover art that wasn't really all that spectacular to begin with and made it even worse. :/

At least I got that steel case from the collector's edition to drool at.

 

[Pawel1995]

Yeah, from such developers with so many talents, I also exptected sth. more.. special?!

Like a Steelbox with Geralt and Ciri, or just another "fresh" art, or some shiny fancy stuff, like we got from TW2 Enchanced Edition cover: It was nothing big, but looked cooler with the reflection and made it look "more expensive".

Letting the GOTY edition aside, I didn't even like the white background on TW3 cover at all, when I compare them to the dark Witcher 1 and Witcher 2 covers

 

[Guest 3847602]

Still better than Arkham City's

Spoiler

:geraltaha:

 

[jjavier]

Still better than Arkham City's

Wow !

That's a little load, isn't it?

 

[Burialblade]

Yeah they took a cover art that wasn't really all that spectacular to begin with and made it even worse. :/

At least I got that steel case from the collector's edition to drool at.

The Witcher has some of the best art I've ever seen so it's always disappointing when a bad cover art is made for a game with amazing art direction.

Yeah, from such developers with so many talents, I also exptected sth. more.. special?!

Like a Steelbox with Geralt and Ciri, or just another "fresh" art, or some shiny fancy stuff, like we got from TW2 Enchanced Edition cover: It was nothing big, but looked cooler with the reflection and made it look "more expensive".

Letting the GOTY edition aside, I didn't even like the white background on TW3 cover at all, when I compare them to the dark Witcher 1 and Witcher 2 covers

Agreed, I think the white looks lazy, especially considering The Witcher's always-gorgeous scenery.

Still better than Arkham City's

Spoiler

:geraltaha:

Always makes me laugh.

 

[RezoInverse]

They really should have changed the white background, at least. I can understand not having more content but..., the same (ugly) background... That is dissapointing. :/

 

[cyberpunkforever]

it's the same game, there is nohing new, so why would there be a new cover?

 

[MrBroche]

It's just a cover. Most of my favorite games don't have the greatest covers.

 

[essenthy]

probably some weird marketing studies behind it for demographic and how to " stick out " in the shelve and shit, but yeah its bad

 

[Burialblade]

it's the same game, there is nohing new, so why would there be a new cover?

Because it's a different edition of the game, as clearly stated by the atrocious yellow banner? It's a new release.

It's just a cover. Most of my favorite games don't have the greatest covers.

That's no excuse to have the same bad cover again though. Obviously I don't play covers, but would it have hurt them to go with any other piece of beautiful Witcher 3 art over this?

probably some weird marketing studies behind it for demographic and how to " stick out " in the shelve and shit, but yeah its bad

You're probably right, similar to how blue and orange color scheme for some gets a lot of attention, I guess, but I can't imagine who would find this box art appealing. It's as bland as can be.

 

[Mezziaz]

as clearly stated by the atrocious yellow banner?

I'm beginning to feel yellow is the new favourite colour over at CDPR

 

[Burialblade]

I'm beginning to feel yellow is the new favourite colour over at CDPR

I don't even mind yellow too much, that's what's sad. It just looks pretty bad here.

For those of you asking why should it get a new box art, it usually does happen with a newer edition. Arkham Knight more recently has a different cover for the GOTY Edition, for example.

 

[StormKorp]

Well it's an edition for those who haven't purchased the game yet so there was no need to change the cover art.
I do agree though that the original cover isn't great. I'd love it more if it were a black background with Geralt medallion on the cover and the letter of the title "The Witcher 3" written in silver color and using a font that slightly resemble the Northern Realm alphabet.

 

[HexerDa]

I don't really care that much about box art but something like the Game of the Year Edition of Bloodborne would be great, including images from the Blood and Wine & Heats of Stone, similar to this View attachment 64911

 

[minicrom]

To me it's a marketing mistake here if it's final. People are going to confuse both boxes in the hurry to get the game. Don't underestimate mankind ability too rush purchases lol.

 

[Burialblade]

Well it's an edition for those who haven't purchased the game yet so there was no need to change the cover art.
I do agree though that the original cover isn't great. I'd love it more if it were a black background with Geralt medallion on the cover and the letter of the title "The Witcher 3" written in silver color and using a font that slightly resemble the Northern Realm alphabet.

Yeah, that's already one idea better than what we currently have.

I don't really care that much for box art but something like the Game of the Year Edition of Bloodborne would be great, including images from the Blood and Wine & Heats of Stone, similar to this View attachment 64911

This too, and it's very simple as well. Won't take away from anything.

 

[RepHope]

I would've chosen something like that Geralt and Ciri wallpaper. As it is it's pretty much exactly the same as the normal W3 cover.

 

[Pug.]

I don't know why, but the Witcher 3's cover has always reminded me of Bioshock Infinite's.

Spoiler

I remember when that game first released, the community was really angry because the box art was ... uninspired to say the least? Ken Levine openly admitted that the marketing was targeted towards "frat boys" who weren't familiar with the franchise: http://www.wired.com/2012/12/bioshock-infinite-box-art/

I get the feeling something similar is going on here. It's a shame companies never experiment with less traditional covers, maybe even something as crazy as the film noire illustrations which Astor came up with:

Spoiler