EA released the box art for Brutal Legend late last night and the top billing for Tim Schafer caught my attention. Sure, all of us here have heard of the man, but what about the general public? I have a feeling most people are going to walk into a store and see his name on the box and say “Who the fuck is Tim Schafer?” EA may have been better served by putting Jack Black’s name on the cover, since he has a much more broad appeal.
I’m in no means saying Tim Schafer doesn’t deserve it; he’s a damn good game designer. However, he’s no Steven Spielberg. This type of display on the cover requires someone with a greater mass appeal to sell more copies. Sure, he deserves the credit, but putting Jack Black’s name there would have most likely moved a few more units and boosted the bottom line.
To see the full box art in all its glory, hit the jump.
Well how is Tim ever going to get the recognition he deserves if no one puts his name on the cover?
If you’re at it, why not ask why Sid Meyers has his name on the Civilization boxes?
You’re confusing Hollywood celebrity with recognition gained within a specific industry.
@ Snake:
Tim will get recognition if the game sells well and receives good reviews. You don’t see Ken Levine’s name plastered all over the cover of Bioshock do you? We all know how good Bioshock was.
I don’t think it really matters whos name is in it. Only gamers are buying this, and I don’t think a guy with no ps3 are xbox is going to buy this just because Jack Black’s name is on it.
But I think Tim’s name should be on the box, wait, no. There should be a picture of him ON the box.
If they can put Mark Ecko’s name on a game, then yes I think this might be ok. I’m happy to see it anyway. Also I just cannot imagine the phrase “A Ken Levine game” as meaning anything. But you tell me “A Tim Schafer game” – and yes that DOES mean something to me. It’s a very minor conceit in the context of his place in the industry.
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It should say ‘Jack Black’, not ‘Time Schafer’.
Sid Meier got to drop his name because he created one of the best, most innovative, bestnovative games evar: Civilization. And then, just because he felt like chiseling his name into gaming lore AGAIN, he made Pirates!
I’m sure Brutal Legend will be a fun game, but it’s never gonna do for the indusrty what Civ and Priates! managed to do way back when.
tom clancy anyone? who cares who’s name is on a box. to be honest, when i see the tom clancy games I think “that dudes an author, he don’t know shit about gaming, i bet that game sucks” That is probably not even true, but that is what happens when you put a celebrities name on a product. celebrities like vin diesel and 50 cent have proven that just because some famous asshat is listed in relation to a game doesnt mean it will be successful. the fact jack black is associated with brutal legend has been advertised like a mother effer. it doesn’t need to be plastered on the box as well. tim made a rad game by the looks of it. let his name be wherever he wants it to be.
@Bones –
Tim Schafer has been making the best adventure games around. He was behind almost all of the Lucas Arts adventure games but received little or no credit for them. I think Tim’s well within his rights to throw his name up there.
Fark, I loved the ballz off Full Throttle. I had no idea that Schafer was involved.
Best adventure game of the latter days of Lucasarts.
SnakeOiler is right, you gotta get the name out to get the recognition. It is also true that only gamers are going to buy it but that’s the market that Tim works for with such attention to detail. Give the man credit, he desrves it.