You remember Dead Island, right? The upcoming first-person zombie-slasher/action RPG being published by Deep Silver? Oh, of course you remember it. The CG trailer went freakin’ viral as hell last month.
Anywhozers, the ESRB has deemed the cover art for Dead Island inappropriate, stating that it isn’t compliant with industry advertising and marketing guidelines. Their primary concern is that a “much broader audience” than that of which will actually purchase the game will see the covert art, and their souls will be forever scarred and traumatized. I may have made that last part up.
The US cover art will be censored, but the in-game logo will remain unchanged.
Let’s take a look, shall we?
You know what? I prefer the censored logo. Here’s my personal opinion: if you’re going to market a game that focuses on zombie survival horror, a hint of zombie should be portrayed in the cover art, especially for a new IP such as Dead Island.
If I were browsing the game rack at my local GameStop and saw the uncensored cover art with the dude hanging from a tree, I would assume that this was a video game that takes place on a dangerous island with an ongoing string of murders, done by group of living, breathing, yet sick and twisted individuals, but not by zombies. On the other hand, the censored cover art clearly depicts a human figure as a brain-eating shambling pusbag, with the hunched shoulders, crooked neck and rigid arms. The title of Dead Island + zombie figure = OHAI. Interest piqued.
What do you think?
I’m with you there. The censored logo makes more sense.
I agree. The original is more somber, but apparently the game is going to be outrageous (unlike the trailer). So yeah, I’ll say the edited is better.
Agreed, not so much censorship as a better marketed logo.
Are you sure thats a zombie and he doesn’t just have a really bad crik in his neck? :P Yeah, censored version makes alot more sense…though now I’m curious if the uncensored one was hinting at a spoiler or something…
I like the censored one better because the first one was unrealistic. Those types of trees don’t have branches, and the leaves wouldn’t support a body.
Artistically speaking, I like the orginal logo better. From a marketing standpoint, however, I agree with you that the censored logo encapsulates what the game actually is, a Zombie Game.
Both logos are still great though.
The logo designers have obviously never tried to hang anything from a palm tree. Palm branches can barely hold their own weight, let alone 200lbs of dead guy!
It’s interesting that you guys mention how weak palm branches are. I never thought of that! Maybe he was uh hollowed out before he was hung…? Yeah, doesn’t make sense.
Second logo makes more sense, but the first one looks WAY cooler.
Ah man, I was just about to bring up the palm frauns. Oh well, thats what I get for being slow. I personally like the censored one. When I saw the original poster I thought it was just going to be about an island full of dead bodies.