Forums > Off Topic > The all new crappier keep cases
Servo (57052) on 12/31/2009 4:50 AM · edited · Permalink · Report
Apparently there's a trend in reducing the amount of plastic used in keep cases:
I guess being "green" is nice and all, but I find these things to be an extremely flimsy piece of junk and have been replacing with a normal keep case and tossing them in the trash. I guess it ends up being a win though, as I'm one of how many (presumably few) people left who (a) buy physical media, and (b) am insanely annoyed at poor quality packaging...
Edit: I've been using more common black/clear cases so far, but found some Xbox 360 green cases; placed an order and am hoping they really are Xbox 360 green :)
DJP Mom (11333) on 12/31/2009 5:30 AM · Permalink · Report
I hate these things - lots of new DVDs and games come in these cases now. I replace them at work with the usual black DVD cases and green X-Box cases, but now I've got boxes and boxes of these cutaway cases gathering dust and taking up room :(
Unicorn Lynx (181681) on 12/31/2009 6:55 AM · Permalink · Report
Looks awful.
Anyway, packaging just gets worse and worse.
Luis Silva (13443) on 12/31/2009 6:55 PM · Permalink · Report
I'm very concerned about the "keep" part. If the bits behind or in front of the CD are borken, they can easily scratch the disc. Of all places they could have trimmed the use of plastic, that one is perhaps the worst of all.
The effort to cut plastic use is commendable, but I guess this one was designed by artists, not anyone who made any research into keeping things functional.
Luis Silva (13443) on 1/1/2010 12:24 AM · Permalink · Report
Don't forget many artists are just idiots with an art college degree :P
Luis Silva (13443) on 1/2/2010 3:16 PM · Permalink · Report
[Q --start stvedder wrote--] [Q2 --start Luis Silva wrote--]Don't forget many artists are just idiots with an art college degree :P [/Q2 --end Luis Silva wrote--]
I have one of those! (Go figure...) [/Q --end stvedder wrote--]
As long as you agree that the tie-fighter window cases are simply wrong, you don't fit with the first part :P
j.raido 【雷堂嬢太朗】 (104801) on 1/4/2010 7:09 AM · Permalink · Report
[Q --start Servo wrote--]The Wii version of these replaces one of the tie-fighters with a recycle logo![/Q --end Servo wrote--] I believe the PS3 cases are like that as well! The blu-ray ones are, in any event.
j.raido 【雷堂嬢太朗】 (104801) on 12/31/2009 9:59 PM · edited · Permalink · Report
[Q --start Foxhack wrote--]Don't forget it's now much easier to POKE HOLES IN THE COVER ART because it doesn't have any support anymore. [/Q --end Foxhack wrote--] Yeah, my first thought upon seeing these was "OH GOD MY INLAYS!"
I think it kind of defeats the purpose of using less materials if people just toss them out and buy the old ones. :P
GAMEBOY COLOR! (1990) on 12/31/2009 10:12 PM · Permalink · Report
Yeah, I heard about this a few days ago. Luckily I don't own a 360, so I don't have to put up with it, but it still sucks. I noticed Sony doing something somewhat similar with their new PS2 boxes. They're just regular DVD cases with PS logo in them and no holder for the memory card.
Servo (57052) on 1/3/2010 6:29 PM · Permalink · Report
[Q --start djsquarewave wrote--] Yeah, my first thought upon seeing these was "OH GOD MY INLAYS!" [/Q --end djsquarewave wrote--] That was my initial reaction as well. Can't really be seen in the picture, but in addition to the holes the plastic is much thinner and flimsier. Even without the holes it would be really easy to wrinkle the inlay when taking the disc out or putting it back.
[Q --start djsquarewave wrote--] I think it kind of defeats the purpose of using less materials if people just toss them out and buy the old ones. :P [/Q --end djsquarewave wrote--]Also what I was wondering! So far I have replaced all of these things I've gotten and will continue to do so. But of how many thousands of games are sold, what percentage of people will bother with the effort?
Depeche Mike (17454) on 1/6/2010 4:26 PM · Permalink · Report
It's Industrial Designers that design these... depending on the school they go to they either emphasize aesthetics or practicality. These look like an accountant designed them.
Multimedia Mike (20663) on 12/31/2009 10:19 PM · Permalink · Report
Have people already forgotten how bad Sega CD/Saturn jewel cases were? Just sayin'... things could be (and have been) worse. :-)
j.raido 【雷堂嬢太朗】 (104801) on 12/31/2009 10:27 PM · Permalink · Report
True, but the problem is that DVD keep cases ARE so nice. From my experience, they're second only to Sega's awesome Genesis/Megadrive plastic boxes for keeping things intact.
Even normal jewel cases have a nasty tendency to crack, though the super huge Sega ones were indeed the worst of the lot. ;)
Unicorn Lynx (181681) on 1/1/2010 5:53 AM · Permalink · Report
True, but the problem is that DVD keep cases ARE so nice.
I don't find them nice at all. They can't hold much material. There is only place for one DVD and a slim manual; if there is a second DVD, it just uses a pitiful additional indentation.
Unicorn Lynx (181681) on 1/1/2010 6:45 AM · Permalink · Report
Most games don't even include printed manuals anyway.
That's even worse, of course. Yet another reason why mdoern games packaging sucks.
Unicorn Lynx (181681) on 1/1/2010 5:47 AM · Permalink · Report
Have people already forgotten how bad Sega CD/Saturn jewel cases were? Just sayin'... things could be (and have been) worse. :-)
Western Saturn packaging was terrible, I agree. But Japanese Saturn jewel cases are beautiful :)
GAMEBOY COLOR! (1990) on 1/1/2010 1:58 PM · Permalink · Report
[Q --start Sam Jeffreys wrote--]Speaking of crappy packaging: Those flimsy cardboard boxes for GB/GBA games... Oh god... :O [/Q --end Sam Jeffreys wrote--]
Nintendo has always had nice packaging, but it's a pain to keep it that way. I threw away most of my GBA boxes (Stupid idea.), but the one I still have, is still in pretty good shape. As long as you don't stack too much on top of them, they stay together pretty well.
GAMEBOY COLOR! (1990) on 1/1/2010 2:13 PM · Permalink · Report
I have. Uhhgg. The only nice semi used Nintendo game I bought that still had it's box was Perfect Dark. Strangely, the box was in near mint condition, and even still had the offical tape on the box. The next one I bought was Jungle Strike. The box looked as if it would fall apart if you breathed too hard around it. 8D
Luis Silva (13443) on 1/2/2010 3:11 PM · Permalink · Report
Nintendo consoles are pretty much much the only ones you can get away by taking a photo of 100 cartridges and get away with that. If you try do that with the Mega Drive or the PlayStation, most people I know will just ask qhy there aren't any boxes :P
Slug Camargo (583) on 1/6/2010 11:54 AM · Permalink · Report
This thread makes me love Steam so much more... =3
BurningStickMan (17916) on 1/6/2010 11:22 PM · Permalink · Report
At this point, I'm not too sure I'd have a real problem with all-digital distribution... IF prices actually matched what GOG and Steam are trying to do.
Too often digital distribution simply means games or DLC never see prices depreciate. See: Microsoft and Xbox Live. Like hell I'm going to pay $30 for a digital version of Perfect Dark Zero, when I can get a used copy of said four-year-old game for $6 shipped.
Assuming I wanted to play PDZ, of course.
Slug Camargo (583) on 1/7/2010 3:10 AM · Permalink · Report
[Q --start BurningStickMan wrote--] Too often digital distribution simply means games or DLC never see prices depreciate. See: Microsoft and Xbox Live. Like hell I'm going to pay $30 for a digital version of Perfect Dark Zero, when I can get a used copy of said four-year-old game for $6 shipped. [/Q --end BurningStickMan wrote--] "Too often" is quite a stretch, my man. Actually, Microsoft has the one shittiest online market in the history of the internets, by a huge margin, and it should never be used as an example. I'm yet about to understand how is it that Xbox Live even manages to make any money at all, being the incredible rip off it is (I guess there is something to that image of the console gamer being a 13-year old whose mom has lots of money lying around after all). The funny thing is now they think they can pull the same shit on the PC. With Steam as the competition. Yeah, good luck with that. My new year wish is that everyone involved in this retarded idea ends up living under a bridge by mid-April.
And also, they all get some kind of incredibly painful cancer.
BurningStickMan (17916) on 1/7/2010 3:14 AM · Permalink · Report
Does the PS Store lower its prices according to a game/DLC's age? WiiWare sure as hell doesn't. Though $5 per NES game, $8 per SNES - which never ever changes, not even temporary sales - is probably the only reason I haven't simultaneously filled my Wii's hard drive and drained my bank account.
Foxhack (32096) on 1/7/2010 4:25 AM · Permalink · Report
That's not all, games on XBox Live which don't sell well or get unfavorable reviews are taken down without notice and anyone who wants to buy it -can't do so anymore-.
I wanted to buy Double Dragon whenever I bought an XBox and now I can't. T_T
j.raido 【雷堂嬢太朗】 (104801) on 1/7/2010 6:15 AM · Permalink · Report
It's my understanding that Double Dragon (and another game, Speedball I think?) were removed because of the publisher (Empire) imploding. The only game that's been removed for quality reasons is Yaris.
Unfortunate, yes, but I can understand the legal reasoning.
Slug Camargo (583) on 1/7/2010 4:10 PM · Permalink · Report
[Q --start Foxhack wrote--]I wanted to buy Double Dragon whenever I bought an XBox and now I can't. T_T [/Q --end Foxhack wrote--] On a sidenote, I just remembered Double Dragon II --the coin-op, that is- Remember how the buttons would switch functions depending on which direction you were facing? Yeah, what the hell were those guys smoking then? o_O
BurningStickMan (17916) on 1/7/2010 7:01 PM · Permalink · Report
Renegade had the same system. I guess the idea was for quick attacks in either direction? Whatever the reason, it always meant backing up to enemies so you could use the kick and drop them in half the time as the punch.
Parf (7871) on 1/7/2010 6:51 PM · Permalink · Report
[Q --start BurningStickMan wrote--]Too often digital distribution simply means games or DLC never see prices depreciate. See: Microsoft and Xbox Live. Like hell I'm going to pay $30 for a digital version of Perfect Dark Zero, when I can get a used copy of said four-year-old game for $6 shipped.
Assuming I wanted to play PDZ, of course. [/Q --end BurningStickMan wrote--] I read some statement from MS in regards to this. I think they had some vague reason along the lines of "we don't want to compete with the actual game stores out there" or something stupid like that. I've managed to find almost all of those Games on Demand games for half price or less in bargain bins around where I live. How they manage to sell ANY game is beyond me. They do offer sales on a regular basis on the Live Arcade titles however. I've snagged a few games for (what I think) pretty reasonable prices.
I think I bought Sam & Max for 1600 points, while if I were to buy it as a "hardcopy" on the Wii, I'd have to pay what a new Wii game cost at the time. Which is like 3-4 times as much!
Slug Camargo (583) on 1/7/2010 7:06 PM · Permalink · Report
[Q --start Parf wrote--] I think I bought Sam & Max for 1600 points [/Q --end Parf wrote--] Ah, MS Points-- starts chewing own arm to stop self from launching Apocalyptic Rant Of Righteous Indignant Fury
Parf (7871) on 1/7/2010 7:55 PM · Permalink · Report
I know... Oddly enough, games never seem to cost the same amount of points as you fill up. If you do it directly on the Xbox you can pick 500, 1000, and 2000 points. The games cost 400, 800, 1200 and 1600. I think they must have figured it all out. You'll always be stuck with points left over, unless you by magic find two games you want and the points somehow add up... oh well. It is what it is, and I've come to accept it. goes over to the corner and sobs quietly
Pseudo_Intellectual (66801) on 1/7/2010 7:58 PM · Permalink · Report
The old "hot dogs 6 to a pack, hot dog buns 8 to a pack" problem?
j.raido 【雷堂嬢太朗】 (104801) on 1/7/2010 11:09 PM · Permalink · Report
[Q --start Parf wrote--]I know... Oddly enough, games never seem to cost the same amount of points as you fill up. If you do it directly on the Xbox you can pick 500, 1000, and 2000 points. The games cost 400, 800, 1200 and 1600. I think they must have figured it all out. You'll always be stuck with points left over, unless you by magic find two games you want and the points somehow add up... oh well. It is what it is, and I've come to accept it. goes over to the corner and sobs quietly [/Q --end Parf wrote--] The points cards you can buy at stores here (which for whatever reason they don't charge tax on) come in 1600 ($20) and 4000 ($50) point values. I don't know if any other places do it like that though...Japanese cards come in 1400, which makes even less sense than 500 point increments. Games are always increments of 400 anyway, unless they're on sale.