Home Gaming DOOM might look fantastic, but its boxart is pretty terrible

DOOM might look fantastic, but its boxart is pretty terrible

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Doom boxart is pretty terrible

Even though Bethesda has been pretty mum in the marketing department, I never forget that we’re scheduled to get a new DOOM this year. The nostalgic franchise that basically birthed first-person shooters looks locked and loaded in its fourth iteration, even if some of the purists weren’t too happy with the showing at E3 last year. I quite liked it in all its gory glory, but I couldn’t be less bothered about the game’s final boxart.

It’s odd taking focus on such a small element of the game, but it’s sometimes taken for granted just how powerful boxart is. This is, in reality, the first point of contact between a game and potential players, the one piece of advertising that has to sell wandering eyes in a game store or speed reading customers on an online storefront. When a game nails it, it just amplifies the appeal – which is exactly why DOOM’s feels like a missed opportunity.

I mean look at it. Does that immediately tell you anything about DOOM or why the it’s such a violent, controversial shooter at all? Hell I wouldn’t be surprised if some people mistake it for Halo at a glance.

CaWJ_ruW0AAYLg4

And that’s the last thing you want happening with boxart. It needs to stand out enough so that it has its own identity – something which boxart as a whole has been missing for some time now. The generic poses and predictable colours wash into one another to create genre specific artworks, and it’s pretty terrible nearly all round.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think that a simple piece of boxart is able to destroy a games life before its even started. But I do wish it was just a little more exciting than it currently is.

Doom boxart

Like that. That’s some interesting, different boxart. Let’s get back to those.

Last Updated: February 4, 2016

No Comments

  1. Fallout 5: Brotherhood of Doom

    Reply

  2. Commander Admiral Chief

    February 4, 2016 at 11:04

    Speaking of fantastic…
    (refresh)

    Reply

    • Hammersteyn

      February 4, 2016 at 11:06

      Fabulous!

      Reply

      • Gr8_Balls_o_KFM_Fire

        February 4, 2016 at 11:37

        still upvoting all the things!

        Reply

        • RinceThis

          February 4, 2016 at 11:37

          The sun rises. Taxes go up Hammer upvotes 😉

          Reply

        • Captain JJ 'saurus

          February 4, 2016 at 11:37

          Who needs gym when you can UPVOTE!?

          Reply

          • Deceased

            February 4, 2016 at 11:51

            Do you even upvote bro?

          • Captain JJ 'saurus

            February 4, 2016 at 11:53

            XD

        • Hammersteyn

          February 4, 2016 at 11:41

          XD

          Reply

    • Captain JJ 'saurus

      February 4, 2016 at 11:11

      This makes my heart melt, it’s so fantastic.

      Reply

    • Geoffrey Tim

      February 4, 2016 at 11:14

      annnnd banned.

      Reply

      • Commander Admiral Chief

        February 4, 2016 at 11:14

        Access denied

        Reply

      • Captain JJ 'saurus

        February 4, 2016 at 11:22

        Do it!

        Reply

        • Commander Admiral Chief

          February 4, 2016 at 11:23

          Pictures of Geoff is not the only thing I have…

          Reply

          • Captain JJ 'saurus

            February 4, 2016 at 11:26

            Don’t do it!

          • Commander Admiral Chief

            February 4, 2016 at 11:27

            xD

    • Alessandro Barbosa

      February 4, 2016 at 11:15

      What is going on with Geoff’s arms though XD

      Reply

      • Commander Admiral Chief

        February 4, 2016 at 11:16

        He has gone full-on-fantastic

        Reply

    • Mr. Sexycalifragilistic

      February 4, 2016 at 11:30

      • Captain JJ 'saurus

        February 4, 2016 at 11:31

        LOL

        Reply

      • RinceThis

        February 4, 2016 at 11:35

        And I’m watching this tonight!

        Reply

        • Captain JJ 'saurus

          February 4, 2016 at 11:36

          What!?
          Bastard!

          Reply

          • RinceThis

            February 4, 2016 at 11:37

            Yup! Press screening! WOOOOT!

          • Captain JJ 'saurus

            February 4, 2016 at 11:38

            So how’d you get in?
            ;P

          • RinceThis

            February 4, 2016 at 11:39

            You shut your face! I’ve been a journalist longer than most on this site! Because AGE!

          • Captain JJ 'saurus

            February 4, 2016 at 11:40

            Pff. I’ve been one and quit!
            Oldie

          • RinceThis

            February 4, 2016 at 11:40

            Actually it’s part of my new job at UCT.

          • Captain JJ 'saurus

            February 4, 2016 at 11:41

            Oh cool.
            Okay fine. That’s cool.
            I spent a year doing financial columns for a few papers. NEVER again.

          • Commander Admiral Chief

            February 4, 2016 at 11:43

            New job?

          • Hammersteyn

            February 4, 2016 at 11:44

            First Pieter de Villiers and now you? Their standards seems lax :/

          • RinceThis

            February 4, 2016 at 11:54

            Indeed, though we prefer to use the term ‘laxative’ as there is usually lots of created content, it just also happens to be shit.

          • Alien Emperor Trevor

            February 4, 2016 at 11:54

            Hence the term “lax content”.

          • RinceThis

            February 4, 2016 at 11:55

            Have, if you want to name your body parts you go right ahead 0_O

          • Hammersteyn

            February 4, 2016 at 11:59

            XD

          • HvR

            February 4, 2016 at 11:52

            That university is really going to dogs.

          • Mr. Sexycalifragilistic

            February 4, 2016 at 11:42

            WE ALL HOPE YOUR OXYGEN TANK GIVES YOU ISSUES AND YOU HAVE TO BE ESCORTED OUT AND MISS IT!

            HOW DARE YOU PLAY WITH OUR FEELS LIKE THAT?!

            http://i.imgur.com/0S7RqEV.gif?noredirect

          • RinceThis

            February 4, 2016 at 11:42

            I’ll tweet ever 5 seconds of the movie for you all!

          • Captain JJ 'saurus

            February 4, 2016 at 11:44

            If it makes you watch less of it every five seconds, GO AHEAD!

          • Geoffrey Tim

            February 4, 2016 at 11:44

            Then why are you still rubbish at it? 10 000 hours, and all that?

          • Alien Emperor Trevor

            February 4, 2016 at 11:53

            Because…

          • Skyblue

            February 4, 2016 at 22:38

            This had me laughing so much, thx!

          • RinceThis

            February 4, 2016 at 12:18

            The kettle is right over there bud 😛

          • HvR

            February 4, 2016 at 11:51

            Aaahhh just like Fox news reporters

          • Hammersteyn

            February 4, 2016 at 11:40

            He ducked under the rope?

          • RinceThis

            February 4, 2016 at 11:41

            Oi! I don’t need to duck!

          • Captain JJ 'saurus

            February 4, 2016 at 11:42

            Damn, you beat me to it with your selftrolling! XD

          • Captain JJ 'saurus

            February 4, 2016 at 11:42

            Ducked?

        • Mr. Sexycalifragilistic

          February 4, 2016 at 11:37

          YOU SHADY SUMBITCH! YOU SHALL RUE THIS DAY, FRIEND!

          Reply

  3. Graeme Norval

    February 4, 2016 at 11:08

    “Dude with shotgun” shifts boxes. Just ask Bioshock Infinite…

    Reply

    • Hammersteyn

      February 4, 2016 at 11:12

      Dude with crowbar shifts the world 😛

      Reply

      • Captain JJ 'saurus

        February 4, 2016 at 11:12

        Crowbar is love
        Crowbar is life

        Reply

        • Darren Peach

          February 4, 2016 at 23:48

          You think a crowbar could be a metaphor for something else ?

          Reply

          • Captain JJ 'saurus

            February 5, 2016 at 06:51

            I will neither confirm nor deny that. 😀

      • Kromas untamed

        February 4, 2016 at 11:12

        You forgot that he also had a rocking goatee.

        Reply

  4. D4RKL1NG

    February 4, 2016 at 11:09

    Only thing terrible is that kots green Xbox case

    Reply

    • Hammersteyn

      February 4, 2016 at 11:10

      HAHA

      Reply

  5. Guild

    February 4, 2016 at 11:09

    They making a Halo Doom? Never knew

    Reply

    • Hammersteyn

      February 4, 2016 at 11:11

      Thought the same

      Reply

    • HvR

      February 4, 2016 at 11:53

      +1, my first thought as well. Somebody photo shopped DOOM unto the Halo boxart

      Reply

  6. Jan Prins

    February 4, 2016 at 11:10

    Hmmm. Cannot wait to blast Lucifer’s Forces from Hell in the Face with my Righteous Boomstick!

    Reply

    • Captain JJ 'saurus

      February 4, 2016 at 11:12

      Careful now. The people spoken of in the previous article might hear you and write a petition. ;P

      Reply

      • Jan Prins

        February 4, 2016 at 11:18

        I dunno. If the Doom marketing team goes with that angle, the Pastor might be extolling the virtues of a good round of Doom from the pulpit itself.

        Reply

    • RinceThis

      February 4, 2016 at 11:27

      But only after 11pm on a Friday mate.

      Reply

      • Jan Prins

        February 4, 2016 at 11:42

        Any time is a good time to shoot Evil in the face!

        Reply

    • Alien Emperor Trevor

      February 4, 2016 at 11:50

      All that evil needs to triumph is for good men to do nothing!

      I’d join you, but I’m not really all that good in that sense. 😀

      Reply

  7. Kromas untamed

    February 4, 2016 at 11:10

    This game looks a bit too evil for my sensitive religious body to experience. I shall boycott and petition it!

    Sorry I am still on the previous article. 😛

    Reply

  8. Hammersteyn

    February 4, 2016 at 11:10

    They cant use the old cover art, because Satan is on it. Ooooooo shield your eyes! Burn this filth

    Reply

    • D4RKL1NG

      February 4, 2016 at 11:12

      Mnet is gonna move the game trailer to 11pm Friday nights

      Reply

      • Hammersteyn

        February 4, 2016 at 11:14

        XD

        Reply

      • Darren Peach

        February 4, 2016 at 23:45

        Lol.

        Reply

  9. Kromas untamed

    February 4, 2016 at 11:12

    Hmm. If you remove the Doom logo and the ID logo most people will mistake it for Halo. 😛

    Reply

    • PestControl

      February 4, 2016 at 11:14

      Agreed.

      Reply

  10. Hammersteyn

    February 4, 2016 at 11:15

    That green makes me ill.

    Reply

    • Commander Admiral Chief

      February 4, 2016 at 11:16

      IKR, who plays FPS with a controller?

      Oh….heheheee….wait

      Reply

      • Hammersteyn

        February 4, 2016 at 11:21

        50 million people at least if EA is to be believed

        Reply

  11. Captain JJ 'saurus

    February 4, 2016 at 11:24

    I am actually really looking forward to this game. A lot.

    Reply

    • Hammersteyn

      February 4, 2016 at 11:27

      And then some, gonna be awesome!

      Reply

      • Captain JJ 'saurus

        February 4, 2016 at 11:27

        I miss these SP FPS games. They’re rare these days.

        Reply

        • Hammersteyn

          February 4, 2016 at 11:36

          Loved Wolfenstein to bits! Hopefully ID and Bethesda keeps these titles coming

          Reply

          • Captain JJ 'saurus

            February 4, 2016 at 11:37

            Yea man. Me too. Small little gripes aside, I’ve always thought of Bethesda as one of the devs that kept things real (except for Steam pricing)

          • Alien Emperor Trevor

            February 4, 2016 at 12:10

            Doesn’t real expensive count?

          • Captain JJ 'saurus

            February 4, 2016 at 12:13

            Haha
            Expect Doom in the region of R800 on Steam.

          • Greylingad[CNFRMD]

            February 4, 2016 at 12:13

            So $3?

          • Captain JJ 'saurus

            February 4, 2016 at 14:33

            XD

          • Greylingad[CNFRMD]

            February 4, 2016 at 12:15

            Very few games make you feel as bad ass as BJ, when he’s cutting through Nazi’s left right and centre wielding two auto shotguns….

          • Hammersteyn

            February 4, 2016 at 12:26

            And he’s not even wearing a shirt in the cold

          • Greylingad[CNFRMD]

            February 4, 2016 at 12:28

            Hahaha!

        • Greylingad[CNFRMD]

          February 4, 2016 at 12:13

          It’s not that SP FPS games are rare, it’s that they’re just not that good, then again, Wolfenstein was exceptional and we are expecting at least the same from DOOM

          Reply

  12. RinceThis

    February 4, 2016 at 11:27

    DOOM HALO 6

    Reply

  13. Commander Admiral Chief

    February 4, 2016 at 11:27

    • Captain JJ 'saurus

      February 4, 2016 at 11:28

      Trevor, is that you?

      Reply

      • Hammersteyn

        February 4, 2016 at 11:36

        No, there’s emotion in that picture

        Reply

        • Captain JJ 'saurus

          February 4, 2016 at 11:37

          XD

          Reply

      • Alien Emperor Trevor

        February 4, 2016 at 11:48

        No, that’s Zim. My avatar is Gir. ;P

        And to think I stood up for you.

        Reply

        • Captain JJ 'saurus

          February 4, 2016 at 11:49

          Haha
          Most would not even have know that.
          You can at least give me half a point!

          Reply

          • Commander Admiral Chief

            February 4, 2016 at 11:52

            NO

          • Captain JJ 'saurus

            February 4, 2016 at 11:52

            Oh, sorry, I didn’t know you are Trevor’s secretary. XD

          • Commander Admiral Chief

            February 4, 2016 at 11:55

            My my, you DO like to poke the bear

          • Captain JJ 'saurus

            February 4, 2016 at 12:12

            You, bear? Have you seen my brows?
            #selftrolling

          • Commander Admiral Chief

            February 4, 2016 at 12:19

            Your brows are unBEARable

          • Alien Emperor Trevor

            February 4, 2016 at 11:55

            He prefers being called a PA. Personal Admiral.

          • Commander Admiral Chief

            February 4, 2016 at 11:57

            Only to the mrs

          • Captain JJ 'saurus

            February 4, 2016 at 12:11

            XD

        • Commander Admiral Chief

          February 4, 2016 at 11:52

          JJ is SUCH a noob

          Reply

  14. Commander Admiral Chief

    February 4, 2016 at 11:27

  15. RinceThis

    February 4, 2016 at 11:29

    Really, this is the best they can offer?

    Reply

  16. Ottokie

    February 4, 2016 at 11:30

    Most of my games are digital. They don’t even have box art 🙁

    Reply

  17. Captain JJ 'saurus

    February 4, 2016 at 11:32

    I would have taken the old one and used it as a starting point.

    Reply

  18. Gr8_Balls_o_KFM_Fire

    February 4, 2016 at 11:32

    Hello guys, I am back after a hiatus!

    First order of business, where’s the best deal on a PS4?

    Reply

    • Geoffrey Tim

      February 4, 2016 at 11:32

      Welcome back. Haven’t seen any great deals lately – but I’m sure somebody has.

      Reply

      • Gr8_Balls_o_KFM_Fire

        February 4, 2016 at 11:35

        Why Geoff!! Your beard has completed itself!! Wow!

        Reply

    • Ottokie

      February 4, 2016 at 11:33

      Also looking around myself. None so far. Cheapest ones are 1TB at R6300 but they do go on special very often at around R5999

      Reply

      • Gr8_Balls_o_KFM_Fire

        February 4, 2016 at 11:36

        Best one I saw so far is at Takealot, R6300 for the 1TB with Last of Us, GoW3, and Uncharted collection

        Reply

        • Ottokie

          February 4, 2016 at 11:37

          Yup, they go on the daily deal often for R5999 with the Nathan drake collection and Last of Us 🙂

          Reply

      • Commander Admiral Chief

        February 4, 2016 at 11:36

        Traitor

        Reply

        • Ottokie

          February 4, 2016 at 11:38

          Pfff, my new flat screen needs new gaming equipment.

          Reply

          • Commander Admiral Chief

            February 4, 2016 at 11:40

            Plug your PC in

          • Ottokie

            February 4, 2016 at 11:42

            PC is already plugged in. But all them JRPG’s are releasing soon on PS4, and I wantz them

          • Commander Admiral Chief

            February 4, 2016 at 11:43

            Umar infected you

          • Hammersteyn

            February 4, 2016 at 11:43

            You shut it!

          • Ottokie

            February 4, 2016 at 11:43

            Umar is my ally in all things “Japan” xD

          • Hammersteyn

            February 4, 2016 at 11:44

            I’ll be the underling!

          • Hammersteyn

            February 4, 2016 at 11:40

            YES!

    • Hammersteyn

      February 4, 2016 at 11:40

      Welcome back. FNB has a few deals if you don’t have R6000 lying around. Page 18
      https://www.fnb.co.za/downloads/smartphone-tablet-offer/SDV_Catalogue_Dec2015.pdf

      Reply

      • Gr8_Balls_o_KFM_Fire

        February 4, 2016 at 11:41

        Ahh thank you old online acquaintance! Knew I could sort of count on you. To upvote all the things

        Reply

        • Hammersteyn

          February 4, 2016 at 11:42

          Gotta do something while on the other screens numbers are compiling 😛

          Reply

      • Gr8_Balls_o_KFM_Fire

        February 4, 2016 at 11:53

        Offer ended Jan 20 🙁

        Reply

        • Hammersteyn

          February 4, 2016 at 12:00

          Gaaah!!! Or you could buy a PS4 on your Edgars account from CNA and pay it off that way?

          Reply

          • Ryanza

            February 4, 2016 at 12:02

            This is a bad year to encourage people to go into debt.

          • Hammersteyn

            February 4, 2016 at 12:03

            Encourage nothing, I’m giving alternatives

          • Ryanza

            February 4, 2016 at 12:05

            like, look around the house and sell shit to supplement their purchase.

            Sell all those old games, oh DRM, can’t sell shit.

            Don’t Support DRM. I just had too.

          • Hammersteyn

            February 4, 2016 at 12:12

            Okay…

  19. Ryanza

    February 4, 2016 at 11:33

    Halo meets Rage. Shit box art.

    Don’t Support DRM

    Reply

    • Gr8_Balls_o_KFM_Fire

      February 4, 2016 at 11:38

      Witcher 3 came?

      Reply

      • Ryanza

        February 4, 2016 at 11:45

        lol. The Witcher 3 came hard. And there was just so much of it.

        Don’t Support DRM. Cyberpunk 2077 is coming.

        Reply

  20. Alien Emperor Trevor

    February 4, 2016 at 11:46

    I have this poster, still one of my favourite pieces of gaming memorabilia. Referencing the earlier Lucifer article, my mother actually tried to throw it away. Well, she did throw it away, I had to rescue it from the bin where she’d vrommeled it up. I’m lucky she never thought to tear it up. “I thought it was rubbish” was the excuse.

    Reply

    • Darren Peach

      February 4, 2016 at 23:43

      One day, Maybe in a century or two ( short of nuclear war or a giant asteroid deciding matters for us ) this will be regarded as a valuable piece of cultural art studied extensively in order to understand the human condition and their place in the world……. or something.

      Reply

  21. CypherGate

    February 4, 2016 at 12:30

    such a typical box art honestly. Its such a ‘play it safe’ type of artwork.

    Reply

  22. oVg

    February 4, 2016 at 12:50

    This is how you do box art

    Reply

  23. HairyEwok

    February 4, 2016 at 12:52

    Looks like they furthered their idea of Doom from the 3d render of Q3A….. (refresh)

    Reply

  24. BakedBagel

    February 4, 2016 at 13:04

    The original doom boxart had abs.
    I dont have abs
    Thus i am offended.

    Kappa

    Reply

  25. DrKiller

    February 4, 2016 at 20:21

    I guess it could’ve been worse.. Could’ve been the PS4 version 🙂

    Reply

    • Darren Peach

      February 4, 2016 at 23:37

      Be damned evil demon !

      Reply

  26. Darren Peach

    February 4, 2016 at 23:35

    You are so right. The first thing I thought of was Halo. The art feels very sterile and thoughtless. The header pic would have been better. But, I doubt Doom will let us down.

    Reply

  27. Vernon Jonker

    February 5, 2016 at 08:45

    mmmmm

    Reply

    • Hammersteyn

      February 5, 2016 at 09:39

      lol

      Reply

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