Editorial What’s in a face?

[Crooked Bee]

Whoa, torpid.

 

[Relay]

At the time I was buying anything that was either stamped Black Isle or Bioware, I didn't pay attention to the cover that much, it was an instant buy. (BG1 was my first cRPG and I really liked infinity engine games..)

It could have been using the worst marketing ever, the worst cover art, and I would've still bought it.

 

[Turjan]

For me, the box design is pretty interesting, but it is a massive failure as far as marketing goes. It is simply horrendous. A disaster.

Indeed. I think the cover is artistically excellent, but a marketing suicide. For game covers, you don't need good art, you need attractive art. There are different kinds of attraction (sex, power, thrill, etc.), but a repellent face staring at you isnt' one of them. It doesn't even look threatening. The expression is a bit too subtle for scoring in the "attraction at first look" department.