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The Misleading World of Atari 2600 Box Art

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the all-hail-marketing dept.

Buffalo55 writes "These days, you don't have to worry about misleading box art, thanks to sophisticated video game graphics. In the 70s and 80s, though, companies tried to grab a consumer's attention with fancy artwork that bore no resemblance to the actual game. Atari, in particular, was one of the biggest offenders, particularly with its 2600 console."

12 of 267 comments (clear)

  1. Missing Contents by eldavojohn · · Score: 4, Funny

    In the 70s and 80s, though, companies tried to grab a consumer's attention with fancy artwork that bore no resemblance to the actual game.

    You mean your box didn't have pages of perforated LSD blotters in the back of the manual? You got fleeced.

    --
    My work here is dung.
    1. Re:Missing Contents by Hoi+Polloi · · Score: 2, Funny

      I could say the same about album covers back in the lp days. "Hey, hot chicks, fire breathing demons...omg this album is awful!"

      --
      It is by the juice of the coffee bean that thoughts acquire speed, the teeth acquire stains. The stains become a warning
  2. Not As Bad as Kool-Aid by eldavojohn · · Score: 5, Funny

    You know how many sugar laden pitchers of Kool-Aid I drank waiting for a massive jolly anthropomorphic red pitcher to burst through the side of my house?

    And all I ever got was diabetes. Misleading advertising indeed.

    --
    My work here is dung.
    1. Re:Not As Bad as Kool-Aid by eln · · Score: 5, Funny

      It could have been much worse. That giant anthropomorphic pitcher actually did burst through my wall. The entire side of our house caved in. The dog sustained a massive head injury from a flying brick and hasn't been the same since. My left arm was shattered, and my sister suffered compound fractures to both legs that prematurely ended her dancing career. That fat bastard pitcher just stood there with that self-righteous grin on his face while everyone was screaming and crying.

      We tried to get some kind of legal remedy, but let's just say you'd be amazed at how many lawyers can be bought with the proceeds from selling sugar water. Please, if you must drink Kool Aid do so outside and away from any structures. To this day I shake uncontrollably every time I see some kid drinking Kool Aid near a brick wall.

    2. Re:Not As Bad as Kool-Aid by Sandor+at+the+Zoo · · Score: 3, Funny

      "Insightful"? Who was drinking Kool-Aid when they...

      This is the only failblog post I've every bookmarked: Graffiti Win I'm compelled to visit it every few months, and it never fails to make me chuckle.

  3. Video card speed metaphors by suso · · Score: 2, Funny

    If you remember video card boxes in the 90s, they always seemed to be starving for metaphors for faster speed. First a hot rod, then a plane, then a space ship. They finally just ended up putting some Aboriginy guy on the cover. I didn't know they ran that fast.

    1. Re:Video card speed metaphors by nomadic · · Score: 3, Funny

      Is that any different than the buxom chick in a skin tight body suit and carrying a sword that is so common these days?

      Hey, let's be fair, now. She sometimes has a gun.

  4. Re:Game Over by mccalli · · Score: 2, Funny

    "Then click on the gameplay images bottom-left."

    That would be bottom-right of course. I knew that. Honest.

    Cheers,
    Ian

  5. Book are even more misleading ! by DrYak · · Score: 2, Funny

    Read a book, people!

    Books are even worse :
    You got a nice cover with a pretty picture, but once you open it, there's nothing else than lots of tiny letters everywhere !
    That's definitely misleading !

    --
    "Sufficiently advanced satire is indistinguishable from reality." - [Tips: 1DrYakQDKCQ6y52z6QbnkxHXAocMZJE61o ]
  6. Re:We used to call it "imagination" by Sancho · · Score: 5, Funny

    Honestly, I pictured it like this: &

  7. Re:This isn't misleading by commodore64_love · · Score: 2, Funny

    You mean the buxom blonde doesn't get naked in my romance novel?

    Frak.

    --
    "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." - historian Evelyn Beatrice Hall
  8. Things haven't changed much. by shadowrat · · Score: 2, Funny

    I don't recall seeing any progress bars on the box for WoW.