Bioshock Infinite

[Damien_Azreal]

Yeah, it's not the worst box art I've ever seen... but it is pretty fecking terrible.
For me, it was the final nail in the "have zero interest in this game" coffin.

And once again, 2K surprise me. They can manage amazing looking boxart like The Darkness II, PREY or BioShock... and then have crap like this and DNFs.

[Nihilanth]

BioShock got delayed by another month, to March 26th. There's also a new, short, low res trailer circulating. I kind of regret watching it because it shows a part of the first meeting with Elizabeth. Though it looks pretty cool!

[Kit]

Not a fan of the boxart either. Looks very by the numbers which for a Bioshock game shouldn't be the case. Hope this isn't an indication of more dumbing down to appeal to the masses.

[KO Gilligan]

Mainstream news even has spoilers on this. Looks Bioshockey enough to me ... But I'm not paying any more interest with any news or media releases. This is a good game to just wait and see how the metascore comes in, then try it for myself spoiler free. I'm thinking this will be a great game.

[Nihilanth]

Agreed, I'm also staying away from previews and media. But I don't really care what the reception will be, I'm getting it anyway.

[December Man]

The cover can't be more generic than that.

[KO Gilligan]

Originally Posted by December Man

The cover can't be more generic than that.

There's a lot of emphasis on the name. It looks OK to me. Seems most gamers expect the cover to express things about the game, and maybe even include things - like the baddies, or the shootouts. I like the traditional Quake covers where it's just simply iconic.

I guess it just needs to catch your eye. I really don't want to bring that other unrelated game into this, but once I was exposed to a really bad cover design, they all look good to me now.

[X-Vector]

[KO Gilligan]

I see similarities with the retro Indy Jones look, kinda rought and thin and from the plains... but the thing that is most notable for me is the Uncharted 3 cover is much better.

[Kit]

I'll be honest I absolutely hate American box art. It's always the main character standing with a gun in his hand. Look at the EU/Japanese box art for Resi 4 then look at the US version - horrific!

[X-Vector]

I have to say I'm glad that current day game heroes aren't afraid to show off their inner Beckham with those fabulous scarves.

[KO Gilligan]

Agreed
and the big wooley man scarf in Uncharted is very dashing

[dan2091]

Let's add some drama...

A Message from Ken Levine (game cover related).

---

I don't know. If anything, design #4 and #6 look good to me, but they don't fit with the game title. If they at least allow themselves a not-so-drastic change to the cover, I'd rather have #3 as the official one at least.

[X-Vector]

I haven't followed this game so I don't know how representative these covers are of BI's content, but from an aesthetical point of view I'd choose nr. 6.
Covers 2 and 4 are nice as well (the latter is perhaps more art exhibition poster than gamebox cover), nr. 1 is too barren and nrs. 3 and 5 are generic artwork for Twilight Infinite.

[Morbid]

All of them look shit to me to be honest. I 'd prefer the one posted here than anything from that list.

[Thief]

The box art was clearly chosen from a business point of view.
Most fans of the series will be buying this game no matter what, and they're the ones who want more distinct cover art. Fans unfamiliar with the series will see the box art and say, "Man with gun. Shooting! Killing! Action! ...and Bioshock Infinite sounds like a cool name. I think I'll buy it." Arts #1, 2, 5 and 6...even 4, will leave the unfamiliars perplexed as to what kind of game might be on the disc, inevitably causing less sales. They're the lucky ones though. They're in for much more than what the box art hints at.

[KO Gilligan]

Originally Posted by Thief

The box art was clearly chosen from a business point of view.
Most fans of the series will be buying this game no matter what, and they're the ones who want more distinct cover art. Fans unfamiliar with the series will see the box art and say, "Man with gun. Shooting! Killing! Action! ...and Bioshock Infinite sounds like a cool name. I think I'll buy it." Arts #1, 2, 5 and 6...even 4, will leave the unfamiliars perplexed as to what kind of game might be on the disc, inevitably causing less sales. They're the lucky ones though. They're in for much more than what the box art hints at.

yes

I figure it like this... If they are fans, they'll but it regarless.

For everyone else, they research and ponder for whatever will get somebody to actually, physically, take it off the shelf to look at it.

I'm waiting fo the day that the front of the box will be plain, but will say
BECOME INSTANTLY LARGER or $100 GIFT CARD ENCLOSED

You ever notice they make those springs really strong so it's hard to put the box back?

[Damien_Azreal]

If I ever get it, it'll be on Steam... on sale. So, no boxart.

[Kalki]

Liked covers #2 & #6

[Kit]

Four's my favourite though that's got to be the least likely they'll choose. Realistically I reckon we'll see three be the final cover.

[Nihilanth]

#1: Horrible. Bland and ugly. Elizabeth is awesome but she will not magically make the cover great.

#2: Looks more like an ingame poster, not a cover art.

#3: A slight improvement. They should use this as the "official" cover, not an alternate one.

#4: This one looks like a book cover. Probably my second favourite.

#5: No, just no.

#6: Not the awesome, but I'd say it's the best of this batch.

[dan2091]

Design #4 won, nice .

[Damien_Azreal]

Nice.
So now you have two crappy boxarts to pick from.

[Kit]

Don't listen to Damien, it's lovely.

[KO Gilligan]

I still think the one they had was good.

[dan2091]

lol . Well, in all honesty, I don't think it fits the roll of a box art, but I love it, anyway.

[Damien_Azreal]

Originally Posted by Kit

Don't listen to Damien, it's lovely.

I thought they all were really bad.

[Nihilanth]

They picked my second favourite but I have to agree none of those were remarkably good. Still, like I said, this is more like a book cover and not very fitting.

[Nihilanth]

System Reqs and PC features. It doesn't seem like any PC option is missing.

MINIMUM

OS: Windows Vista Service Pack 2 32-bit
Processor: Intel Core 2 DUO 2.4 GHz / AMD Athlon X2 2.7 GHz
Memory: 2 GB
Hard Drive: 20 GB free
Video Card: DirectX10 Compatible ATI Radeon HD 3870 / NVIDIA 8800 GT / Intel HD 3000 Integrated Graphics
Video Card Memory: 512 MB
Sound Card: DirectX Compatible

RECOMMENDED

OS: Windows 7 Service Pack 1 64-bit
Processor: Quad Core Processor
Memory: 4 GB
Hard Drive: 30 GB free
Video Card: DirectX11 Compatible, AMD Radeon HD 6950 / NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560
Video Card Memory: 1024 MB
Sound Card: DirectX Compatible

[KO Gilligan]

em/ VulcanEyebrowRaise

Those "recommended" specs are pretty hefty. I just wonder if the game will efficiently use that much power and look beautiful. It's just the difference from integrated HD3000 /3870/8800GT and a powerhouse like the GTX 560 is like light years.

Those recommended specs will be no more than disingenuous marketing hype if it's bloated graphical requirements that only look marginally better. Wouldn't be the first time they sold unoptimized bloated power sucking mediocrity and then claimed it was state of the art graphics. There are several great games out now that barely push on a 560's capabilities. The resolution is higher, and the lighting is better on these big cards, but the graphical look and feel just isn't anything breathtaking compared to a generation earlier.

[Damien_Azreal]

Yeah, I'm not buying that it needs that much power to run.
Nothing I've seen from that game makes it look any better then... really... most of the shooters that came out in 2012.

And running on UE3, I really doubt it'll need a lot to push it.

[Morbid]

Originally Posted by Damien_Azreal

Yeah, I'm not buying that it needs that much power to run.
Nothing I've seen from that game makes it look any better then... really... most of the shooters that came out in 2012.

And running on UE3, I really doubt it'll need a lot to push it.

but still... how many games on UE3 are using DX11? all of them are DX9 iirc.

[Damien_Azreal]

Batman: Arkham City uses DX11.

Really, the majority of games using DX11 are being made on engines that have been built for DX11, or overhauled and updated to make use of it.
DX11 hasn't really made the plash people were expecting it to make. With early showing in AvP 2010, a half ass patch to Crysis 2... it's been hit and miss.

DX9 still stands as the most widely accepted and used version of DirectX. And it'll be a while before people move away from it.

[Kit]

Seem pretty steep.

I read the other day that dx12 (or was it dx11.1?) will be Windows 8 only. To which I say brilliant Microsoft, that same tactic didn't backfire at all when you launched vista with dx10.

[KO Gilligan]

Windows 8 is already backfiring for lack of compatibility. I've been tinkering with it a lot and still can't find things - and my 64bit version just doesn't run many programs. I tried to be an optimist but I feel like ranting it up in my Windows 8 thread.

If they are trying to limit the average user to a selection of apps from their app store, Ubuntu Linux kicks their ass in every way except having the big software publishers on-board - it's super easy to use, it's fast and efficient and there's a boatload of totally free stuff on their app site that installs effortlessly like Android marketplace. Back in the day, the digital graphics industry was stuck using Mac for the best workspace - those days are over, and if more software makers ever offer the mainstream games and programs on Linux, Microsoft won't be able to keep people interested with them either.

[Nihilanth]

A new, historical trailer called Columbia: A Modern Day Icarus?

[Nihilanth]

Infinite is GOLD. No more delays. There's also a new trailer but I'm not watching it to avoid spoilers.

[KO Gilligan]

Snatched this fan art off of the Irrational forum - credit to redfrog

[Nihilanth]

What... a load... of bullshit...

Originally Posted by Nihilanth

What... a load... of bullshit...

What about it? Seems like standard practice nowadays. And while I personally don't see the point in paying for something without knowing what it is going to be or if it'll worth it, I really don't see the problem in producing additional content after the game is done and awaiting certification.

Unless they pull a Capcom / Bioware stunt selling DLC that should by all means have been part of the main game.......