<p>Soon, the dark elven empire shall invade your local game store, laying claim to product shelves everywhere! Check out the upcoming box art for the Rise of Kunark expansion!</p><p> <a href="http://eq2players.station.sony.com/en/news_archive_content.vm?id=1354&section=News&local e=en_US" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img src="http://eq2players.station.sony.com/images/en/features/boxart/EQII_Boxart_Thumb.jpg" border="0" alt="" width="362" height="498" /></a></p><p>~Gnobrin!</p>

<p>It's nice and very well done but what can I say....I expected something well...less dark elfy and more kunarky.</p>

Ooooooh.  Pretty!  lol.   Was expecting a big Sarnak, though.Can't wait for the beta to actually start for FF/Equinox.  <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY<img mce_tsrc=" /><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Edited for strange syntax errors.</span>

For those who are interested, we have some of the released screenshots for Rise of Kunark(among others) up in <a href="http://www.onlinegamingradio.com/gallery-album/?album=2&gallery=15" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">our new galleries</a>.

Hmm I have to agree.  That's more Unrest/CMM/MMIS than anything to do with Kunark.  Did someone in marketing just like that image so much that they just "had" to use it? <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/283a16da79f3aa23fe1025c96295f04f.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" width="15" height="15" />The box cover should be Veeshan's Peak themed.  Let's get a mean [Removed for Content] dragon or something on the cover. Other than that it looks ok <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/b2eb59423fbf5fa39342041237025880.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" width="15" height="15" />

Though I suspect using this image for the cover art (and releasing it with fanfare) is meant to be a non-subtle hint towards something.. I admit to being lost on what it might be. ;p

Why wouldn't they have a dark elf on the cover?  Do you really think they'd choose one of the lesser races?

<p>First I would like to say that the artwork was quite excellent.  Props to the limnist on a job well done.Secondly, I feel I must concur with the other posters that the box for Rise of Kunark should have imagery more appropriate to Kunark.  The lore that has been presented thus far mentions aviaks and iksar messing with the sarnak, and nothing is said, that I can recall, about the dark elves messing with them.</p><p>Finally, the dude looks like he did a digital download of the last expansion and was not given a claim code so he could get the ingame goodies, merely because he chose to pay by credit card on release date. I had that same exact expression 8P</p>

This is a very good marketing ploy. Shows off great graphics and grabs your attention. I really like it, and hopefully it will attract alot more people.

Well it is an all-in-one box but still. Just from a marketing perspective, if i was looking for the kunark expansion for EQ2 and saw this, i would probably just glance over it quite a few times until I had no luck finding a kunark-esque box. Wouldnt be surprised if a lot of people just gave up all together.I HOPE it is hinting towards something, otherwise its not a very good idea imo.Only other thing i can think of is perhaps people saying EQ2 is too "goodie goodie" and decided to put a mean evil dark elf on the cover.

<cite>Loendar wrote:</cite><blockquote>Though I suspect using this image for the cover art (and releasing it with fanfare) is meant to be a non-subtle hint towards something.. I admit to being lost on what it might be. ;p</blockquote><p>uh yeah .. ditto on all accounts.  </p><p>color me confused.  </p><p>Though, if he smiled a little wider he could have pointy teeth and it wouldn't surprise me one bit that Mayong Mistmore is up to more "no good".</p>

HOLY!!!! THAT IS AWESOME!'High Elf next time please =DBut if ya htink about it... a high elf praising a dark elf pic means A LOT!

<p>lol whats going on?</p><p>Maybe rise of talvus thex?</p>

On a constructive criticism note - kind of reminds me incredibly strongly of 2 boxes I've seen in the stores recently (please don't hit me w/ sticks that don't have the nerf foam on them!) - Guildwars... and WoW   Though both games have proven to be more than profitable in their marketting and presentation.

I would go with an iksar cuz there the [Removed for Content] and well it is rise of kunark

I would go with an iksar cuz there the [Removed for Content] and well it is rise of kunark

If ya think about it though... it would be a Sarnak... HOWEVER:That is ALL the expansions... why represent the whole game with a 1/4th of its expansion content?

Perhaps just because the information released has been about iksars and sarnak doesn't mean there isn't more to it?Why else would they use the Dark elf than if it wasn't actually pertinent?  Not everything is going to be released story-wise prior to game-release.

Although unexpected I think it makes good marketing sense to have a simple box branded eq2, rather than RoK to join the many other expansions still floating around in some stores confusing some newer players <img src="/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />

<p>Gotta agree. It's a great image and all, but what exactly does it have to do with Kunark? I was expecting Dragons, Iksar, Sarnak and <strike>Spirocs</strike> Aviaks. Too bad there isn't any way to work a chained F.V. in for nostalgia's sake <img src="http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/images/smilies/908627bbe5e9f6a080977db8c365caff.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" width="15" height="15" /></p>

<p>Rise of Teir'Dal</p><p>Watch as the superior dark elf armies of Neriak single-handedly take on the forces of the Sarnak, Spiroc and the new Sathirian Empire to become the undesputed masters of Kunark!</p><p>Heh sorry I had to. Ask I said before I like the art I just don't think it's suited to what we've seen so far of the expansion.</p>

/confused

Nice art but very very poor choice. Kunark is.. Kunark not dark elven.  Where is the jungle and green or some lava. Even if you didnt want to put an iksar or snark on the cover.  It makes me think that those who put this together doesnt understand the essence of this content. Its a disappointing choice for someone who was such a fan of Kunark in EQ1.  Is this a foreshadowing for things to come? I hope not.

Uh, okay .. great picture and all .. but what does it have to do with Kunark?

<p>Looks great.</p><p>I like the idea of it just being the current version of the game.  All the expansions in one box.... keep it simple.</p><p>Nice props for the DE.  Very underrated race & they deserve the attention.</p>

I thought the expantion was going to be about Kunark not Neriak. ... the art is beautifull. I would expect different content for whats on the box. Like maybe an underfoot expantion or something more darkelf related?

Have to agree with everyone else with the lack of Kunarkian influence on the cover.In fact, the only way to tell that it has the RoK expansion is to read the small text at the top that says it has the expansion.Very confused...........T

i was expecting more something nature themed... greenish... what ever.. kinda more like the eof box was... but hey... its eq2 i would buy it even if the box was all black or white or pink *shudder*/tinfoil hat mode oncould it be that they made it as different from the eof box as possible to point out in marketing language that the game is changing? /tinfoil hat mode offanyway, lovely box art... looking forward to getting my hands on it once it comes out.

<p>I agree with the GW comment, I bought the original of that before I had a system that could run EQ2. It had a two sided box, this could be a two sided box and the other side may have something "Kunarky" on it. They could still put all the little screen shots and things inside flip panels on both sides. </p>

This looks more like an EQ2 renewed/relaunch box than a RoK expansion box, nevertheless it looks very good. Unless there's some major Dark Elf storyline going on that I am not aware of ofcourse, but somehow that does not seem likely. It'll look nice in my games-cabinet =)