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[IbizaPocholo]

PS2 Game Boxes Almost Looked A Lot Cooler

Sony Japan ended up cancelling the project, but for a while the PS2's cases were going to be very weird

kotaku.com

PS2 game boxes were entirely unremarkable, because they looked like every other plastic case available at the time, from Xbox games to DVDs. But an earlier design for them that Sony ended up ditching was a lot more interesting.

Yeo was hired by Sony for “one last job with the game industry.” In the late 90s, with work well underway on the PlayStation 2, Sony was looking for somebody to design the console’s game boxes, and asked Yeo to take a shot.

The result was this. Fantastic. Like something a character in a 90s cyberpunk anime would risk their lives for, and call it something like a DataCel Disk. As you can see by the size of the disc, the cover art was much smaller than we’re used to, and the “spine” of the case is actually at the bottom. Wildly impractical, sure, but also cool as hell. Sadly it was not to be.

“During production of the prototype, the higher-ups at Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan stepped in and canceled the project,” Salvador writes, “preferring to use the standard DVD case design, which would have been significantly cheaper and easier to work with.”

 

[kiphalfton]

That looks awful

 

[Saint Boot]

Oh...
Oh no..................

 

[Rippa]

 

[jshackles]

Pretty glad this got shot down, these would have been hell to try and line up on a shelf.

 

[Kilau]

How would I store these abominations?

 

[Saint Boot]

 

[RoadHazard]

That would have been terrible. So impractical. Looks awful too. Imagine a row of those on your shelf. Nah.

 

[01011001]

my favorite boxes still are PAL PS1 games

distinct, clean, compact and easy to stack

a close second are PAL Dreamcast boxes... but they lose due to them being known to break super easily... if they were more sturdy they would be the best
they win in terms of design tho. super clean

 

[odhiex]

An entirely rounded circle case would make it a lot cooler... anything but that, really ... barf lol

 

[Black_Stride]

This looks horrible.

PAL Dreamcast boxes... but they lose due to them being known to break super easily... if they were more sturdy they would be the best
they win in terms of design tho. super clean

My man.
DC covers were so good I still have major nostalgia about them.
Nothing has ever come close since.

MY Skies of Arcadia and Phantasy Star Online copies are some of my most prized possessions.

 

[Kuranghi]

my favorite boxes still are PAL PS1 games

distinct, clean, compact and easy to stack

Couldn't agree more, look at this sex festival of a game box:

I really like the platinum version of MGS PAL since the silver fits with the front cover:

 

[01011001]

Couldn't agree more, look at this sex festival of a game box:

I really like the platinum version of MGS PAL since the silver fits with the front cover:

PAL PS1 Platinum boxes might be among the only good budget box versions of any console

this here was my second ever PS1 game

and I remember loving the Platinum box, back then I didn't even know what it's supposed to mean really but it just looked cool...

meanwhile most budget boxes look like this shit:

the later 360 classic/best seller boxes were ok too, but only because they weren't as annoying as the others lol

 

[Kuranghi]

PAL PS1 Platinum boxes might be among the only good budget box versions of any console

this here was my second ever PS1 game

and I remember loving the Platinum box, back then I didn't even know what it's supposed to mean really but it just looked cool...

meanwhile most budget boxes look like this shit:

the later 360 classic/best seller boxes were ok too, but only because they weren't as annoying as the others lol

Jesus that Kameo box is so awful, the PS2 ones aren't much better but the off-centre placement of the cover is just so so bad. The font of the "Classics" part is horrible and the random non-shadowed text quote below the cover too.

 

[01011001]

Jesus that Kameo box is so awful, the PS2 ones aren't much better but the off-centre placement of the cover is just so so bad. The font of the "Classics" part is horrible and the random non-shadowed text quote below the cover too.

the PS2 one is the worst tho... it's literally a normal PS2 cover INSIDE an ugly sliver one... reminds me of this shit:

 

[SegaShack]

"A lot cooler"? Lol

 

[Magic Carpet]

my favorite boxes still are PAL PS1 games

Jewel cases are awful. They crack easy and hinges break off and hang crooked. stack them and the disc slips out like a wet bannana complete with cartoon sound effect 'fweee'

 

[01011001]

Jewel cases are awful. They crack easy and hinges break off and hang crooked. stack them and the disc slips out like a wet bannana complete with cartoon sound effect 'fweee'

but they looked cool, also, technically not Jewel cases... pretty sure Jewel case is the specific design single disc music albums come in... everything else is maybe a variation of them, and US PS1 games actually came in proper jewel cases, but PAL and JP cases were based on them but distinctly different.

 

[TheKratos]

Wildly impractical? Hell yes. A lot cooler? Hell no.

 

[alabtrosMyster]

Let's say for a minute they I agreed and bought a couple of these games... How would I store these boxes?

 

[MrFunSocks]

The result was this. Fantastic.

I think they spelled horrible wrong.

 

[zeorhymer]

 

[Knightime_X]

So glad we dodged that bullet.
Those rounded cases looked BAD.

 

[UnNamed]

A nightmare putting those in the shelves.

 

[YCoCg]

Interesting concept, but certainly not "cooler".

 

[packy34]

that design is not only trash, it's also impractical for retail displays.

 

[WalterSobchak]

cringe.gif about sums it up

 

[Orutisu Furio]

PS2 Game Boxes Almost Looked A Lot Cooler

Sony Japan ended up cancelling the project, but for a while the PS2's cases were going to be very weird

kotaku.com

PS2 game boxes were entirely unremarkable, because they looked like every other plastic case available at the time, from Xbox games to DVDs. But an earlier design for them that Sony ended up ditching was a lot more interesting.

Yeo was hired by Sony for “one last job with the game industry.” In the late 90s, with work well underway on the PlayStation 2, Sony was looking for somebody to design the console’s game boxes, and asked Yeo to take a shot.

The result was this. Fantastic. Like something a character in a 90s cyberpunk anime would risk their lives for, and call it something like a DataCel Disk. As you can see by the size of the disc, the cover art was much smaller than we’re used to, and the “spine” of the case is actually at the bottom. Wildly impractical, sure, but also cool as hell. Sadly it was not to be.

“During production of the prototype, the higher-ups at Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan stepped in and canceled the project,” Salvador writes, “preferring to use the standard DVD case design, which would have been significantly cheaper and easier to work with.”

Hideous. I don’t even understand what I am looking at.

 

[NeonDelta]

Does the writer of the article know what cool means?

 

[nush]

that design is not only trash, it's also impractical for retail displays.

and all the wasted space in the boxes for logisitcs.

 

[Spukc]

my favorite boxes still are PAL PS1 games

distinct, clean, compact and easy to stack

a close second are PAL Dreamcast boxes... but they lose due to them being known to break super easily... if they were more sturdy they would be the best
they win in terms of design tho. super clean

Still.. best looking cased tho pal DC

 

[lame gag1990]

Almost? Final did look cooler.

Dreamcast PAL boxes look fantastic. No clutter in terms of front cover. A couple of team logos and the big game art. Super clean. They break so easy though. I prefer the embossed Dreamcast logo variation too.

 

[TheInfamousKira]

I hate how certain groups of people think things are cooler just because they're different from how things currently are.

DID YOU KNOW KETCHUP ALMOST CAME IN ROOM TEMPERATURE DRY STORAGE CARDBOARD BOXES LIKE KRAFT MAC AND CHEESE?! SO MUCH COOLER THAN WHAT WE GOT, FUCKING PLEB SOCIETY URRRRRGHHHH

Like, no, dude. Just no. This is wrong.

 

[ozz ex machina]

Whoever thinks that box looks good, probably were the same people creaming at the design of the PS5. Which is still ugly as fuck.

 

[TheDreadLord]

Horrible, almost like a cancer growing. I wish they had gone with the PS1 CD case style.

 

[cireza]

the PS2 one is the worst tho... it's literally a normal PS2 cover INSIDE an ugly sliver one... reminds me of this shit:

My favorite boxes are the Saturn PAL with plastic case. They are really nice, good size with a superb artwork, very resistant.

 

[the_master]

I would have liked that PS2 game box design Not sure if it would had been great for instruction manuals though

 

[HerjansEagleFeeder]

I agree with OP, it looks cool. But how do you put these on a shelf without them falling out right away?

 

[Dr.Morris79]

my favorite boxes still are PAL PS1 games

distinct, clean, compact and easy to stack

a close second are PAL Dreamcast boxes... but they lose due to them being known to break super easily... if they were more sturdy they would be the best
they win in terms of design tho. super clean

Gah, Dreamcast boxes. To this day still give me nightmares..

 

[01011001]

Gah, Dreamcast boxes. To this day still give me nightmares..

but they look nice!

 

[N0S]

 

[Dr.Morris79]

but they look nice!

I swear that 80% odd of my collection has snapped hinges or a crack across the front!

As for the Saturn games.. terrible. Most of them look water logged..

 

[Kuranghi]

I have a Sonic Adventure 2 PAL DC box thats so filthy it looks like someone covered it in dusty bovril.

Also, I wish I owned some actually valuable DC games, why doesn't anyone want to pay £100 for a poor condition Record of Lodoss War?

 

[Eddie-Griffin]

my favorite boxes still are PAL PS1 games

distinct, clean, compact and easy to stack

a close second are PAL Dreamcast boxes... but they lose due to them being known to break super easily... if they were more sturdy they would be the best
they win in terms of design tho. super clean

Ntsc is better, bar and logos take less space than pal ps1.

 

[Jigsaah]

Don't worry folks...it's opposite day.

 

[Unk Adams]

I disagree that PS2 cases were "unremarkable". They took DVD cases and added their own ideas to it such as being made out of heavier plastic, having a memory card holder, a spot to hold the thick manuals, nice cover logo design, etc. They certainly beat the cheap colored crap you get today. I can't even get a PS5 case in the mail without it being either damaged or the disc loose in the box because of how cheaply made they are in comparison to the sturdy PS2 cases.

Look how beautiful these things were:

We don't even seem to get gorgeous box art like that anymore...

 

[R6Rider]

We don't even seem to get gorgeous box art like that anymore...

It's rare, but some games still have great box art.

 

[6502]

Dreadful. Glad they avoided it. The best ps2 design was the console shell which I recall they bought from Atari...

Their console designs were not up to the rest of their electronic division. I mean how on earth their analogue sticks remain as an add on to the snes design is beyond me. It is not functional and neither are these coasters.

 

[JLB]

my favorite boxes still are PAL PS1 games

distinct, clean, compact and easy to stack

a close second are PAL Dreamcast boxes... but they lose due to them being known to break super easily... if they were more sturdy they would be the best
they win in terms of design tho. super clean

problem with these type of cases is how easy got broken.