packaging
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Alcatel goes green, reduces packaging
It seems mobile operators and now their handset suppliers are starting to take the environment into consideration -- three by our reckoning, and in only a couple months -- by doing favors for ol' mother nature. Alcatel, working in conjunction with Carbon Footprint has tweaked the packaging of its new device line and made it three times smaller. This is of course environmentally pleasant from an energy consumed perspective, reduced shipping costs, and in shrinking the piles on the desks at Engadget Mobile. Packaging is useful for shipping, but if you're picking up your mobile at a corporate store, the handset, a CD, and whatever cables are required really is enough. Thank you Alcatel, from the very bottoms of our hearts -- now if only somebody would work on the impossible-to-open-without-a-saw shrink packaging.[Via textually.org]
Kinda crappy controller caddies
Demand for a remote and nunchuck carrying case might not actually exist, but that hasn't stopped other trivial Wii-themed products from hitting the market. The pouch's white cover features some slick, unmarked lineart and the knockoff u-umlaut logo we've all grown to love; it's almost enough to make us overlook its $10 pricing on eBay (shipping included). We've got more photos and packaging shenanigans after the post break, in case you were wondering.
Comparing Square Enix's Japanese and US boxart
In a recent interview with 1UP, Square Enix's marketing communications manager gave us some insight on the process behind adapting Chocobo Tales' packaging for the US. We happen to prefer the Japanese version's modest artwork over North America's chaotic cover, but we understand that the company had a younger audience to appeal to and a different message it needed to convey. We've collected DS covers from Square Enix's Japanese and US releases after the post break for you to compare and decide which one you like best. To its credit, the company hasn't completely mangled its DS boxarts so far (The same can't be said about Nintendo's bastardization of Hotel Dusk's cover). How do you feel about Children of Mana's simplified design? Does Final Fantasy 3's stripped packaging appeal to your western tastes? And do you agree with 1UP that publishers have been doing a better job with dressing their products?
Ouendan 2's epic boxart
Due for release in Japan this May 17th, Moero! Nekketsu Rhythm Damashii Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan 2's packaging art has two-stepped its way onto the internet. The cover features the sequel's two rival cheer squad team leaders with their arms outstretched, magnificent rays of light bursting behind them. Their eyes and expressions are brimming with determination, as if to say, "If you don't dance, well you're no friends of mine."With a partial songlist, screenshots, and boxart now out on the internet, unchained, all that's left to cast loose is the actual cartridge. We've already put in our pre-orders for the rhythm game. Have you decided whether or not you'll be importing Ouendan 2 yet?
Kanji Ken's boxart: the legend continues
Kanji Ken's packaging doesn't look like anything you would expect from other "training games," but you could say the same about its teaching methods. The educational title eschews traditional academic themes, opting instead for a style that drills students on Chinese characters through kung-fu battles that play out on the handheld's topscreen. The game's cover art shows its martial arts hero at the crest of his flying kick, clutching a Nintendo DS Lite. A collage of characters surround his dynamite pose, each one more enthralling than the last! There's a drunken kung-fu fighter, an inviting blonde with no visible end to her dress' plunging neckline, and a sinister robot looming in the background. The Great Wall of China is thrown in to sweeten the deal.Head past the post break for a better look at Kanji Ken's casing and a new screenshot of the menacing automaton.
Possible Halo 3 packaging revealed for all editions [update 2]
Obsessed Halo fanboys will be excited to know that the picture above could be what their Halo 3 Legendary Edition will look like. Xboxygen posted what look to be renderings of Halo 3's retail packaging for the Legendary Edition as well as the Limited Edition. We're not sure where these images came from or how Xboxygen got their mitts on them, but they look somewhat professional and sort of legit. We'll be the first to say that if these are real, the dark and simplistic packaging is very sexy and anyone buying the Legendary Edition would be proud to showcase the box. But don't get your hopes up, because the packaging usually isn't shown until the release date nears and these renderings only use the limited amount of official Halo 3 material that has been released. These could have easily come from an evil photoshopper who has no regard for the Halo fanboy code, so take them for what they're worth. Check out more pictures after the break. Update 1: We used our detective skills and confirmed that these box shots are indeed listed on a Microsoft press website. So, the packaging is official and comes from Microsoft, but could change between now and a Fall 2007 release. We're uber excited for that Legendary Edition box and uncontrollably salivating. Update 2: If you're looking for localized versions of the packaging then take a look at Joystiq's nifty little gallery ... enjoy.
Vista (and Office 2007) boxes revealed
Ah, so this is what so many an upgrading user will be buying on retail shelves come early next year. We're not gonna yammer on about it or anything, just thought we'd let you know.[Thanks, Ink Master]
Zune unboxed on camera
We kind of wish Microsoft would stop putting their best foot forward with the marketing peeps on Zune, and instead let the product stand on its own. Having Chris Stephenson get on camera for CBS and say stuff like "brown is the new black is the new white," and "welcome to the social -- that's one of our key lines" smacks a mite bit disingenuous and wanton, but at very least they learned their lesson about package design from that internal video of theirs -- we're going to miss the "excessively human" marketing materials with "shelf presence" that "communicates the richness of the product." Ah well, one less surprise to look forward to when we finally get our hands on a unit.[Thanks, lt.milo]
PlayStation 3 and packaging spotted in the wild
Oh deary us, pictures of the PlayStation 3 before it's launched? Looks a lot like some Sony dudes setting up at TGS when these were snapped, we can't imagine anywhere else in the world right now that would require such a setup. So what if we want our cake (Wii), and to eat it too (PS3) -- we could live with all three next-gen consoles.[Thanks, Iboro Ekpo]
Wii packaging revealed
So now that we know when you'll be able to purchase the Wii (November 19th) and how much it'll cost you ($250 US), I bet you're wondering what the box the retail clerk is going to place into the plastic bag and proceed to hand you will look like? Well, feast your eyes on the box for the Wii including a large sticker declaring that Wii Sports is included. We already knew that, but it's nice to have visual reassurance, isn't it?[Thanks to everyone that sent this in!]
Wii packaging revealed: Wii Sports bundled
Had enough Wii yet? Yeah, we thought not. So now that you know how much it's gonna cost you ($250, $280 Canadian for our friends up north) and when you have to gather your loot up by (November 19th, December 2nd in Japan), you're probably wondering what the game store clerk will be dropping into your sweating, anticipatory paws. USA Today got the scoop on the consoles retail packaging (as seen above), and in good news for gamers and sports fanatics alike, big bold letters on the box indicate the Wii Sports WILL be shipping as part of and parcel of the system. Wanna know more? The news just keeps on comin' -- we're liveblogging the New York-based Nintendo press event at this very moment. Ok, enough, already; head over to the liveblog post and warm up your F5 key -- we got our best blogging sharpshooter in the audience.
Battle with faceplate packaging ends with bloodshed
Wired Magazine answers a question that has boggled, and ultimately bloodied, consumers the world over? Why the hell is the packaging on electronics-related stuff so ridiculously hard to open? The gory knife wound at right resulted from a near death struggle to free a simple Xbox 360 faceplate from it's vacume sealed plastic prison (You know, the kind that requires a box-cutter, a blow-torch and a plasma donation to scratch). As you might expect, sharp objects and over-eager customers make for a dangerous combination. Emergency room physicians report an anecdotal surge in packaging related injuries as frustrated fanboys slice and dice themselves in a futile attempt to reach their precious cargo. It figures that this river of spilled blood flows toward the almighty dollar:The bottom line is the bottom line. Retailers demand the hard-to-open packaging to avoid "shrinkage," or shoplifting, a problem that cost U.S. stores more than $10 billion a year or $25 million a day, according to statistics from the National Association for Shoplifting Prevention. They also want the item to be visible to customers and capable of withstanding the rigors of long-distance shipping from manufacturing plants in Asia.The worst part is that Moms finally have proof that video games cause violence. Have you ever bought a 360 bundle at Costco and stabbed yourself in the thigh with a steak knife trying to open it?[Via digg]
Microsoft: We created the iPod packaging parody
Well, here's one we didn't see coming. You may remember the video that was floating around a couple of weeks ago that poked fun at Microsoft by illustrating what the iPod's packaging might look like if Redmond were in charge. Well, according to this article at the iPod Observer, the video was created at Microsoft itself. According to Microsoft spokesman Tom Pilla, the video was "...an internal-only video clip commissioned by our packaging [team] to humorously highlight the challenges we have faced RE: packaging and to educate marketers here about the pitfalls of packaging/branding."Wow, so the folks at MS can make a joke, and a good one at that. I'm impressed.
