Budget prices colored yellow in Japan

by Andrew Yoon { Feb 5th 2008 at 5:00PM }

The biggest problem with "Greatest Hits" line-ups is their insistence on marring perfectly good box art in horrible ways. In the US, a red banner went on top of PS2 boxes, obnoxiously highlighting their budget status. Could Japan's upcoming PS3 budget line be an aesthetic indicator for the rest of the world? We hope not, because these boxes are ugly.

As seen by FolksSoul (Folklore in the US), the packaging will feature a gaudy yellow banner on the left. This is actually similar to the way PSP budget games are managed -- and neither platforms seem to benefit. We're hoping the rest of the world will get something classier. A sticker perhaps? A paper sleeve? Anything that doesn't obnoxiously reveal how cheap we are.

Tags: box-art, budget, japan, ps3

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Hyams @ Feb 5th 2008 5:19PM

I like how it's done in the UK. Platinum > Greatest Hits

Plake0815 @ Feb 5th 2008 5:29PM

same for the rest in europe (NL) ... but they still can see, we don't have money ^^

duncan macleod @ Feb 5th 2008 5:23PM

i dont mind the ps2 ones but yeah, the ps3 ones do suck. i hope they update that and make it, well, not suck in the US and even for you europe guys.

carl @ Feb 5th 2008 5:30PM

The punishment of the downtrodden poor! vile boxart to stigmatize and shame the late buyer. If games where decently priced in the first place especially in PAL land I would buy more in the first place...The feeling of disgust when you go into a game shop and see a piece of shite like "LAIR" being flogged for £49.99 ($100.00) is overwhelming.

matthew_neitzer @ Feb 5th 2008 5:32PM

How about just a little banner across the corner? I would be fine with that. Just please keep the cover art the full size, please.

MCX @ Feb 5th 2008 5:37PM

I been looking for RidgeRacer7.

doom saber @ Feb 5th 2008 5:42PM

I don't think the japanese "The best" layout for the ps3 is that bad if you compare it to Konami's Best layout for their American Nintendo ds games.

Aaron @ Feb 5th 2008 5:50PM

Wow people complaining about box art. Get over it people and be glad Sony is releasing a budget line. They don't have to do this you know.

upz @ Feb 5th 2008 5:56PM

That looks exactly like the PS2 and PSP "The Best" lineups, except PS3-ified. I'd assume the US boxes would be in line with the US "Greatest Hits" design. Let's just hope it's a classy color like last generation's maroon, as opposed to the gaudy highlighter green of two generations prior. Though seeing as maroon has been seemingly taken by the HD DVD camp, I'd bet that we get the cheap looking Blu-ray blue.

doc j @ Feb 5th 2008 5:56PM

I would imagine they put those big banners on there to draw attention of buyers at the store - so why not let us have the best of both worlds and put a cardboard sleeve with a big yellow/red/platinum banner over the top of the normal box artwork.

Please?

Either way, yay for saving money.

MrEverdred01 @ Feb 5th 2008 5:57PM

Maybe they intentionally make it ugly so that people will buy the games for full price when they're new. I'm sure in the long run they've made a few thousand extra dollars just by doing that.

jg274105 @ Feb 5th 2008 6:00PM

I wouldn't mind a red side banner, the yellow one just hurts the eyes a bit on that box art, especially since the background is white. It might not be so bad if the background was black, but white and yellow is just way too bright.

I personally hope they stick with a red/black color scheme, it worked well with the PS2 games. However I don't like that intrusive banner they put on them, As mentioned above I would just prefer some small emblem somewhere on the cover.

Jason @ Feb 5th 2008 6:39PM

I could give less of a crap. I like cheap games and I'm not ashamed that I handle my money well enough not to spend $60 on every game I buy. I don't think anyone should be embarrassed that they got a good deal. Good Lord...

Warukyure @ Feb 5th 2008 6:45PM

I don't see what the problem is... This is for Japan not north America or EU states.

In Japan, their PS2 Greatest hits (or as they call it "The Best" series) are just in silver coloured DVD cases with the yellow bordered cover slip like you see above. Unless you're gonna go to Play-Asia or YesAsia to order them, this will not affect you.

B1gC72 - PSN: KillaKornbread @ Feb 5th 2008 6:49PM

ewww, that is hideous. hopefully it looks a little different over here. i liked the way they did it with all the other Playstations, it's easily noticeable vs the other games but still about the same.

but at the same time, they could tape dog shit too it if they're cuttin like $30 off the price and i will wash it off.

The Sound @ Feb 5th 2008 6:50PM

Have it in a blu container like they have Blu-ray movies? and instead of having Blu-ray on the top, with Playstation 3 written, have it say in (maybe) black metallic lettering "Platinum""Greatest Hits" "*insert name for budget game here*".

It catches your attention, especially if it's in the video game section, because the color is different.

JerJerBinks @ Feb 5th 2008 7:06PM

How about red cases? That would not only differentiate the games, but also not make them look dorky.

So, I am fairly perplexed by this. Why would you include Folklore as part of the Platinum, Greatest Hits, or The Best series? Shouldnt this be reserved for the games that rated high and sold well?

scratch @ Feb 5th 2008 7:24PM

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that FolksSoul sold quite well in Japan.

yomama07024 @ Feb 5th 2008 8:44PM

I wish they would come out with a blue banner instead of the yellow. THAT would look cool. Anyone agree?

Joe @ Feb 5th 2008 10:22PM

I guess that they...stand out? It's not a huge deal for me, it's the game that counts.
Ridge Racer here I come. When it comes to the US.

Blindelf @ Feb 5th 2008 11:40PM

Thank the gods I found a $30 copy of Ridge Racer 7 today at Circuit City...its like a game in and of itself, waiting until the price drops and then finding a copy in the original non-budget packaging...

I love how people comment "who cares what the box looks like" on articles about what the box looks like...obviously some of us do care, thats why we're discussing it.

Iain @ Feb 6th 2008 12:22AM

Why not just put a sticker on the wrapping.. why change the box at all?

I like the original boxes better for some reason.

xrich @ Feb 6th 2008 12:49AM

Why don't they just keep the same packaging and reduce the price?

OAKside @ Feb 5th 2008 8:50PM

There must be a penalty for late adopters? (I couldn't agree with you more, for the record.)

Consolcwby @ Feb 6th 2008 2:12AM

For the Asian markets, I'm not surprised by the yellow packaging - stands out from the crowd and is supposed to be eye-pleasing and nonviolent. That being said, I remember in NA that the PS1 had green banner boxes and the PS2 had red banner boxes. I hope Sony goes with the next 'cool' color for ours: Midnight Black. That's right, black banners with white text would stand out and bring the boxes in line with the original PS3 design. But, I suppose as long as it's not hot pink, what does it matter? =D

ryan @ Feb 6th 2008 12:59PM

eww.

Snutz @ Feb 6th 2008 4:28PM

Personally, I'd be proud that I was able to get the same game for $30 that other people shelled out 60 for. That's called smart, not cheap.

ACSeraph @ Feb 6th 2008 9:21PM

The reason this is done is to reward those people who spend the extra money to buy a game when it is new. In the collectors market original versions of games always sell higher than greatest hits copies if the game ever manages to become sought after, kind of like Final Fantasy 7 black label versus Final Fantasy 7 GH. For game collectors this is a great policy. Most collectors who own an original black label copy os Shin Megami Tensei Nocturne for example would be pissed at atlus is they rereleased the game under the black label again. In Japan it makes an even bigger difference with the GH copies often being utterly worthless while their original print counterparts fetch significantly higher prices. I fully support this system, after all its not as if budget gamers are getting any less of a gameplay experience. Looking at how crappy the cases look at gamestop (if they are present at all) it doesnt seem like most American gamers give a damn about the cases anyhow. I say if you care, then seek out a copy of an original case. Usually if you look for a copy right when the GH version comes out you can get a black label at the same price and maintain collectors value.