Quantic Dream's super-cinematic PS3 game Heavy Rain is about, among other things, a murderer known as "The Origami Killer," whose victims are all found with a little papercraft crane-looking thing on their person.
It's curious then, that the Japanese box art for Heavy Rain features no origami at all, opting instead to show off a dude's nose and mouth. You'd think that Japan, being the home of origami, would have some of it on the box. I wonder why that is?
An article in Variety magazine about how Hollywood movies are marketed abroad has some suggestions. Poster designs sent to Japan almost always have interpersonal relationships emphasized to capture the drama-lovin' Office Lady demographic.
The Japanese-dubbed trailer (which you can see below courtesy PlayScope) also seems to push the relationship angle too, seeing as the majority of footage concentrates on father-son interaction, the father also happening to be the sunken face seen on the box. Fancy that.
Incidentally, what do you think of Heavy Rain's Japanese dub? It seems quite well-done, to me.
Why do people care about box art? When I but I game, I put it away and only see it for a brief second when I take it out. It could have a bunch of penises all over for a Mario game and I wouldn't care, as ling as my game didn't change.
But this boxart is cooler tho.
The Japanese are probaly like
"OMG! I'm going to importthe US version as I only play games/watch movies with japaese subs! The Japanese voiceacting is terrible!"
Why do people care about box art? When I but I game, I put it away and only see it for a brief second when I take it out. It could have a bunch of penises all over for a Mario game and I wouldn't care, as ling as my game didn't change.
But this boxart is cooler tho.
The Japanese are probaly like
"OMG! I'm going to importthe US version as I only play games/watch movies with japaese subs! The Japanese voiceacting is terrible!"
WHAAA! My American boxart doesn't even look this good! WHAAA!
Grow up.
Now *pops Valium* that's pretty cool I must say. I have no idea how it's relevant but it's pretty cool. Actually it does make sense. The rain is causing flooding and the guy is drowning kind if like all that "Drowning in his own emotions," Cage was talking about. The dubbing is a'ight.
But seriously guys this boxart fiasco needs to stop. It's a box. They're giving you alternative boxart. Calm down. There's a game inside that box. Let's talk about that.
Possibly the Origami box art could be easily confused based entirely on the fact that Origami is famous in Japan for different reasons. Yeah I expect you're right in that a English horror game type cover wouldn't work so well there so they're pushing the Relationship angle. I like this cover but the *true* Origimai cover is undeniably the best.
I dunno about boxart with penises on it, but I have to agree with KalosBlue that this is my favorite boxart for the game thus far. In the end boxart doesn't do much for me, but I dig this one as I think it does more for the dark nature of the game.
Aside from LBP, R&C, and the 1st Uncharted, this will be the 4th addition to my PS3 library. I'm holding off on Darksiders for now, so after I grab ME2 and rip through it this is definitely next!
I like this one the most, though I think the font on all of them is awful. Not sure if I'll be able to afford the game anyways, though not a lot else is coming out I'm interested in.
I don't mind it, I didn't mind the US version either though. My one problem is that its completely different from the original. I get altering an image or scene to play more towards local audiences, but changing it altogether seems to be a little insulting to the original artist (I don't know if this was Quantic Dream's decision or Japanese distributer's to be fair.)
That's what I didn't like about ICO alt cover. It wasn't anything really like the original. Ico is worse though, as they changed it, and it was boring. This box art at least looks interesting, I wouldn't care if this was the original.
When I first heard of this, I didn't even think of the Japanese-Origami connection, interesting point.
I actually prefer it over the EU version, but that might be down to the muddy typeface we seem to have been landed with. The US version has that, at least.
I watched the Japanese trailer. It looks like it depicts the game nicely.
I cringe every time I see that guy sitting on the table with a knife while the radio tells him to cut himself... I really don't know what I'm going to do when I get to that part in the game.
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Contest:
10:30 PM on 01.20.2010 | 
But this boxart is cooler tho.
The Japanese are probaly like
"OMG! I'm going to importthe US version as I only play games/watch movies with japaese subs! The Japanese voiceacting is terrible!"
But this boxart is cooler tho.
The Japanese are probaly like
"OMG! I'm going to importthe US version as I only play games/watch movies with japaese subs! The Japanese voiceacting is terrible!"
Grow up.
Now *pops Valium* that's pretty cool I must say. I have no idea how it's relevant but it's pretty cool. Actually it does make sense. The rain is causing flooding and the guy is drowning kind if like all that "Drowning in his own emotions," Cage was talking about. The dubbing is a'ight.
But seriously guys this boxart fiasco needs to stop. It's a box. They're giving you alternative boxart. Calm down. There's a game inside that box. Let's talk about that.
Aside from LBP, R&C, and the 1st Uncharted, this will be the 4th addition to my PS3 library. I'm holding off on Darksiders for now, so after I grab ME2 and rip through it this is definitely next!
back to things that matter, there's a lot of stuff going on in that trailer that is far more interesting than differences in box art.
Believe me. Box art is cereal business.
Comment #22
Can you erase this?
That's what I didn't like about ICO alt cover. It wasn't anything really like the original. Ico is worse though, as they changed it, and it was boring. This box art at least looks interesting, I wouldn't care if this was the original.
When I first heard of this, I didn't even think of the Japanese-Origami connection, interesting point.
I cringe every time I see that guy sitting on the table with a knife while the radio tells him to cut himself... I really don't know what I'm going to do when I get to that part in the game.