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 Posted: Wed, 21st Mar 2007 02:38 Post subject: The golden age of computer game packaging |
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Today's computer game boxes are boring and utilitarian. In the "old days", the design and contents of the computer game box were sometimes just as important as the game itself. Remember when games used to come with a fat manual and cool extras? Here are some pics of some classic games and their box contents.
http://fraudwasteabuse.wordpress.com/2007/03/19/the-golden-age-of-computer-game-packaging/
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| Posted: Wed, 21st Mar 2007 02:46 Post subject: |
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I was never about manuals to be honest. It was all about the software for me, but I guess it's a nice feeling to have something to take to school and show your buddies. Metal runes, heh.
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| Posted: Wed, 21st Mar 2007 03:13 Post subject: |
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| PoorLeno wrote: | | I was never about manuals to be honest. It was all about the software for me, but I guess it's a nice feeling to have something to take to school and show your buddies. Metal runes, heh. |
I liked boxes back then, huge pieces of cardboard with fancy gfx n what not., then woosh, that front cover of the box that swung open to reveal what you were about to indulge in. Now it's just a dvd case with the name and a few screenshots on the back. |
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| Posted: Wed, 21st Mar 2007 04:13 Post subject: |
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i remember falcon 3 with the biggest manual i ever saw + huge military maps of the middle east and what not .
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Ankh
Posts: 23342
Location: Trelleborg
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| Posted: Wed, 21st Mar 2007 11:26 Post subject: |
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My all time favorite box was for Baldurs Gate II, effin THICK ass book, not a manual, an effin book lol. Then came with that nifty map which actually didnt even show all the places except the mainlands, so when I thought i was close to the end then WHAM, started discovering all these new places. I always liked the CnC manuals, especially TS, gives you the whole 411 on the units n wha tnot.
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| Posted: Wed, 21st Mar 2007 12:50 Post subject: |
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TIE fighter had a pretty cool manual which was more like a book with a story and everything
I remember reading it at night in bad when i was like in the 8th grade or something
Sun Tzu says: "Go to war, but first have lunch. The wise general would try the lamb, which is fresh and a great price".
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| Posted: Wed, 21st Mar 2007 14:00 Post subject: |
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| LexLuger wrote: | TIE fighter had a pretty cool manual which was more like a book with a story and everything
I remember reading it at night in bad when i was like in the 8th grade or something |
Same here with the Baldur's Gate 2 manual. I must have read it at least 3 times, lol. Great memories... And of course I had the map on my wall.
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| Posted: Wed, 21st Mar 2007 16:29 Post subject: |
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| LexLuger wrote: | TIE fighter had a pretty cool manual which was more like a book with a story and everything
I remember reading it at night in bad when i was like in the 8th grade or something |
ah Tie fighter , i loved that game , being a starwars fan being able to play the dark side , great music and atmosphere for those days.....yea i miss it .
wish more games would let you play the bad guys , like german SP campaign in COD would be a nice change .
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Bigperm
Posts: 1908
Location: Alberta,Canada
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| Posted: Wed, 21st Mar 2007 17:23 Post subject: |
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| Stefan F wrote: | | i remember falcon 3 with the biggest manual i ever saw + huge military maps of the middle east and what not . |
I still have that bad boy somewhere. 
I actually still have most of my boxes around somewhere. My orginal wing commander box is in very bad shape comapred to the screenshot.
But most of my Sierra and Dynamix boxes are mint, they were build like tanks. I still have Mean Streets one of my first PC game purchases with boxes and disks. The first game will "Real Sound" or what ever it was called. Aka scratchy voices via PC speaker, didnt even need an adlib. Good times.
| Jenni wrote: | | I drunk. I don't fucking care! |
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| Posted: Wed, 21st Mar 2007 22:45 Post subject: |
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| Stefan F wrote: | | LexLuger wrote: | TIE fighter had a pretty cool manual which was more like a book with a story and everything
I remember reading it at night in bad when i was like in the 8th grade or something |
ah Tie fighter , i loved that game , being a starwars fan being able to play the dark side , great music and atmosphere for those days.....yea i miss it .
wish more games would let you play the bad guys , like german SP campaign in COD would be a nice change . |
If they'll make a starwars game where you play a sith or an imperial soldier, ill buy it
not something like in kotor where during game you get evil, or a game where you get choises
im talking about a bad guy from the beginning to the end
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fraich3
Posts: 2907
Location: Not from my mouth!
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| Posted: Thu, 22nd Mar 2007 12:54 Post subject: |
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I've heard a lot about the Infocom game boxes but I never owned or played one.
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Serben
Banned
Posts: 1428
Location: Sweden
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| Posted: Fri, 23rd Mar 2007 19:49 Post subject: |
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Centurion: Defender of Rome had one that asked all kinds of historical questions, like when was the first Punic war, or where is Thrace located, and stuff like that. What were they thinking? Anyone with an encyclopedia could rcack it back then, and now it's even easier since you can just google for all the answers.
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Bigperm
Posts: 1908
Location: Alberta,Canada
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| Posted: Mon, 26th Mar 2007 21:01 Post subject: |
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| Stefan F wrote: | | anyone remember the old "copy protections" ? for example at the start the game asked you to type the word on page xx paragraph xx word number xx , then when ppl started to copy the manual some were printed in ugly dark orange with barely readable black text , to make it "impossible" to copy the manual . and then you had those carton ... things , i dont know how to describe that had multiple layers and you could turn it in a kazillion positions depending on what the game asked you to enter the letter combo you ended up with ... just 2 examples wonder if someone encountered even more crazy ones . |
The Original terminator one i had was brutal. Black symbols on dark brown paper. I remeber dragons Layer had light text on white. My buddie and i copied down over 100 codes by hand, There was over 10,000 combinations but in about 3-4 failed tries, one we copied was sure to show up.
Or Monkey ISland wheels, to make the pirate face. We actually dismantled the wheel, and made copies. Soon enough we had the crack, but we used to rent PC games, so until we had a crack, arts and crafts it was.
| Jenni wrote: | | I drunk. I don't fucking care! |
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sTo0z
[Moderator] Babysitter
Posts: 7449
Location: USA
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| Posted: Tue, 27th Mar 2007 00:26 Post subject: |
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UO came with a cloth map and a pewter UO pin! I still have em!
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| Posted: Tue, 27th Mar 2007 00:43 Post subject: |
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Imo DVD boxes are alot more sexy than those big boxes. I remember when I bought my first DVD box game, though it was alot better and sexier.
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X_Dror
Posts: 4957
Location: Jerusalem, Israel
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| Posted: Tue, 27th Mar 2007 00:47 Post subject: |
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Big boxes ftw. DVD boxes ftl.
Though a hybrid will be nice as well. Something like WoW box - Small, yet stylish.
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| Posted: Tue, 27th Mar 2007 18:28 Post subject: |
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I still have the original boxes from Ultima IV, V, VI etc. in the basement somewhere, really nice boxes and manuals, just like the games itself.
But not all games back when were nicely packaged, most games for C64 or VCS 2600 had a crappy box with no extras and that was it.
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Bigperm
Posts: 1908
Location: Alberta,Canada
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| Posted: Tue, 27th Mar 2007 21:21 Post subject: |
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I remeber sea Dragon for the TRS80 was just a foam block with a disk sleave glued to it, and a sleve.
| Jenni wrote: | | I drunk. I don't fucking care! |
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also you felt like you were actually getting something different than the warez version, Now though the only difference between the real and warez is cracks/mounting/workarounds.
u couldnt really play
