In finishing my storyboards, I was expecting to go out and film. This had to be postponed as of whether conditions so I got to work on the game cover design.
I went thought many design ideas from just a simple showing of the main protagonist. But I scrapped this idea as I thought it to be slightly plain. So I then decided on a back to back shot of the protagonist and the main villein but again found it hard to find a spark.
So I finally decided on the image of the protagonist with his back to the viewer, looking over his shoulder with a fist in the air. In the background there is a group of goons with the main villein standing over them. This cover was one I felt strongest about, so I decided to go with this one.

Analysis of a game cover

This is the cover of the game, Castlevania Lords of Shadow. The title is placed in the centre and is in a medieval font. It has the chosen console in the left hand corner. It also has the online network that you can download content for the game or play the game online. It also has the age rating, this game is using the BBFC. There is also the PEGI rating, which is a better rating system. There is also the developers and the publishers. The developer is Mercurysteam and the publisher is Konami. It shows the main character who you play as. It also shows the kind of setting in which you will play in. the setting is in a Gothic time.

Upon finishing my research, I then started to design my trailer, magazine advertisement and front cover.I have had several different ideas for these. I have finished storyboarding for the first trailer. I have now got to find actors and to find a suitable location and clothing. My first trailer is going to be filled with action. This will require some choreography so that no ones hurt.

I also am doing a magazine advertisement for my game.
I have bought a couple of magazines and researched how they design the advertisement. Many magazine advertisements use the cover of there game, this is a good idea because then people will recognise your game more easily. They also have the game case on several different consoles to show the range when the game is closer to its release date. There are also advertisments that don't show the cover. these are more extravigate then the ones that use the cover. This is used to attract people to the game. Advertisments sometimes use screenshots of there game.

reseach for game covers

In my research for game covers, I found out different ways in which the company's design there covers. Game covers are there to attract you, if you see a awesome game cover most of the time you will buy said game. A game could be amazing but if it doesn't attract the attention it will go amiss.

Some just show the main protagonist with a blank background.












Notice how even thought the background is plain, its the plainness that makes the cover image stand out.

whilst others show just a logo:

The upside to having just your logo on the cover is that people recognize the game.

but some game covers do have backgrounds:

This shows the setting for the game. whither it be ancient Greece or a fictional city in America.

I have decided that i will have a background in my cover. I found that games covers that have a background attract more attention and that's is whats needed to attract attention.

research

I started doing my research today. I have done this by watching TV advertisements on video games.



The first thing I realised was that the genre of the video game is stated from the start. I noticed this when i watched the Halo:reach advert. This showed from the start it was a Sci-fi atmosphere where else the left 4 dead 2 advert had a horror vibe from the start. This is shown in the background colour which was a mouldy green colour and the font of the writing.



There is also the music, this is to show a number of things such as the genre and where the game is set. A good example of this is in the left 4 dead 2 advert where it has a Louisiana type music such as the banjo sound.


Dialogue is sometimes used in the advertisements to inform people of the game. this can be a voice over or from a character like in mass effect 2.

All these elements need to be put in to make this a success. dialogue is key to set the scene of the trailer.

starting out

This is the start of my new project. I am doing my portfolio based on games software. This will include making a promotion pack for a new computer/video game. This has to include two tv advertisements along with two of the following:
The cover of the game's package.
Two hyperlinked pages from the game's website.
A magazine advertisement for the game.
I have decided to do the cover of the game's package and the magazine advertisement for the game.
This blog will follow me as I design and produce the work.