Rise of Kunark box art!

[Manna]

 Am I the only one who remembers fighting Sarnak and Dark Elves (Dragoons) in EQ1? How could you forget the constant threat of those Dark Elves? I like the other post where someone hoped to see a Cactus on the cover LOL. Maybe a cactus, a rhino, a sexy Sarnak and a bikini clad Shamanic Badger doing a group hug would be more appropriate but, then again, I will spend about 30 seconds looking at the box and hours playing the game so whatever works to get players away from WW is good to me because I am sick of hearing about WW lol.

[JimmyMa]

Looks decent enough, but guild wars is going to be [Removed for Content].

[Zorastiz]

How about showin the Iksar some love? It is our continent after all!

 Reverse discrimination

/mutters Dark Elves bah!

[quietgamer]

I usually don't even post but..Hmm. Wow... Ok.. Where's the Kunark stuff?...Where's the lizard?? Where's the other stuff??  I hope theres more to it that what we are seeing in this picture... Must say disappointed here and I've been playing eq since eq1 first arrived..

[Ysandre]

Just adding my 'agree' on what others have said. Its rather blatantly copying other MMO's box art. Nice enough but I personally would have preferred a Kunark theme. Some of that opinion does come from Kunark being the expansion I joined EQ1 from though.Maybe Sony are hoping people will pick up this box by mistake?

[Kiara-]

I think it's amazing.  Incredibly well done and detailed.

And it's really about time they started focusing on the most important part of the game.  The Dark Elves.  After all, we're the superior race on Norrath.  It's high time we got the recognition we deserve.

[Saev]

So if the RoK box and GuildWars box ( http://www.ebgames.ca/pcgames/sf4.asp) end up side by side on the shelves, is Norrath going to be overrun with little Dark Elves?

On a more serious note, a Sarnak might be too unfamiliar to the non-EQ playing population to satisfy SOE marketing people, but a lizardman (Iksar) should be good.

[Kendricke]

Kiara wrote:

I think it's amazing.  Incredibly well done and detailed.

And it's really about time they started focusing on the most important part of the game.  The Dark Elves.  After all, we're the superior race on Norrath.  It's high time we got the recognition we deserve.

...and besides, the box makes a great dartboard once you've taken out the disks. 

[Lightstrider]

The artwork is nice, but it should have been artwork for Darklight Woods.  What is Kunark most famous for?  Iksar.  So they should definitely have been on the cover.  Then, I would have included a Sarnak, since they are the new race.  Perhaps an Iksar fighting a Sarnak, with other adventurers rushing toward the fray, all against a dramatic Kunark backdrop.  This sure isn't what I anticipated.

[XeroXs84]

I'd guess the reason to not make a Kunark-Art is that they want it to look like an "all-in-one" box more than a expansion.. so more ppl try it out.well done on the artwork.

[Condar Tarsonia]

I have to agree with another who noted the art reminded them of Salvatore and Drizzt Do'urden (except Drizzt has lavender eyes...).  Maybe it's their ploy to draw in fans of his series, since I remember reading a book he wrote the foreword to noting he loved his experiences in the original EQ.Like others have noted, the cover art isn't going to stop any current subscribers who were planning to buy the game from doing so, and although personally I wish it had more of a Kunark-y feel, it's very well done and I think it will attract a good number of people.

[Owlbe]

As most have said the box art is nice but more Kunark oriented art would have been nicer.I assume its all marketing driven.  Dark Elves are the most played race so there fore the box art is geared to grabbing the attention of the most people possible to draw in new subscribers.  My theory anyways.

[Arython]

It is obvious what SOE has done.  They aren't marketing an expansion pack, but rather the whole game.  Instead of marketing the expansion pack which would mostly interest current players they have come up with this all in one pack idea.  So any new players who have never tried EQ2 will now be able to walk into the game without playing catchup on buying loads of software.The cover smacks of Guild Wars or WoW by the style.  And I think that is the whole intent.

[Zarafein]

So a random  Teir'Dal is the best way to picture everquest 2? o_O

[Khandor]

Nayukhuut wrote:

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

Yea, where the hell is the Sarnak or Iksar on the cover? Seriously? Eof expansion had fae on it... DoF had the actual desert in it, KoS had the dragons and the floating islands... and RoK we get.. a big ugly elf face that, as of yet, has no real mention or part in RoK. Awesome..... I really hope there's gonna be more than one cover, and if there is, I'm not buying -that- one. >.< And if they are doing it as an -allinone- expansion, personally, I wish they wouldn't. One of the many reasons I went out and got the retail was so I actually had a box that had a picture of Dof, or Kos, or EoF.. In fact I have the boxes sitting next to my EQ2 pre-order tin on the shelf in order of release *tin-DoF-KoS-EoF* I WANT one that is designed around Kunark. Not a fruity elf. And yes, Dark Elves are fruity like all the other elves, they're just a -bit- cooler, but still fruity. IKSAR FTW!

[Psychotique]

I agree that the box art is well done and looks nice, but I was expecting something more Kunark-y to promote the game. I too buy all my games in box form for the box art and have every box from EQ1 & EQ2 thus far. This box art would look rather odd in comparison to what we have previously seen.

I understand that Sony may want to promote the All-in-One concept to get new players, but to me putting a Dark Elf on the box doesn't scream "HEY BUY EQ2! YOU'LL LOVE IT!" If they want to promote the All-in-One concept over the RoK expansion than they need to put something on the cover that screams "HEY TRY EQ2, ITS FUN, EXCITING, AND NOW HAS 19 DIFFERENT RACES TO CHOOSE FROM!" Putting a lone Dark Elf on the cover doesn't do that. If I was looking for a new MMO to try out, this box art would not make me pick up the box to even read about it. I would probably pass it over thinking it was a new expansion for some other MMO or a new game from the Forgotten Realm series. 

I like the idea of a dual cover layout, where one side could be something from the new expansion RoK and the other side could be EQ2ish, so then stores could show both sides to attract the old and new players to the game. The have the game info under the flip open box art on the EQ2 side and RoK info under the flip open box art on the RoK side. Make both the players and Sony happy by killing two birds here.

I already have my copy of RoK reserved, so this wouldn't make me change my mind about buying it. But, I am disappointed in what my new expansion box art is going to look like.

[Wilde_Night]

So... why can't my dark elf have cool red eyes in game?  False advertising!!!

[Chanaluss]

everyone mentions the "all in one" aspect, but noone seems to note the fact that echoes of faydwer was also a compilation, it included DoF and KoS as well as basic EQ2 and EoF itself. it had an EoF cover. why should we accept a generic dark elf when the previous expansion was at least relevant to the new expansion, especially when its such an important thing as the return to the arguably most loved expansion in EQlive.

[Saev]

I disapprove of marketing people on general principle, but I kind of wish one would pop on here and explain the reasoning behind the generic (if well done) dark elf on the cover.

Or perhaps "Soon, the dark elven empire shall invade" is a hint of something as yet undefined in the Kunark lore?

[BowB4Me]

Fortai@Oasis wrote:

   I don't know about you but I'm tired of seeing how many different positions Sony thinks they can put Antonia and Lucan in.

 Now that would be a box cover to enjoy! Am I a bad person for thinking what I am thinking? " width="15" height="15" />

But seriously guys - please something kunarky. Too many elves on gaming boxes; not enough sarnak/iksar.  Get serious!!

[ke'la]

First they are treating Kunark as a relaunch of EQ2, something that a high up(I don't remember wich) dev said at Fan Fair said they wish they would have done for EoF as that also was basicly a relaunch of the game. BTW KoS only came with the base game it did not come with DoF.

As to comarisons to WoW or GW.

Human NOT Dark Elf(in fact I am not shure you can even play a DE in that game) as for the others that may be seen.

 

I think people can tell the differance.

[ToxicMan]

ToxicMan wrote:

Would it be possible to get that image on the box in a bigger resolution without any text and such?Preferably in 1600x1200?

Anyone? =)

[Vitarga]

Thats a beautiful image for the box.Although as a previous EQ1 player it does not seem to be related to Kunark in any sense. Like a few people here have said, maybe it has some hidden meaning for the expansion.More than likely it is just the cover art that scored better with nonplayer focus groups. They need a cover that grabs the attention and tells a story, and I think this does. Just not the one most Rok fans would like. But those same Rok fans are the ones who are going to be buying it regardless.

[Josgar]

Charuthus@Antonia Bayle wrote:

everyone mentions the "all in one" aspect, but noone seems to note the fact that echoes of faydwer was also a compilation, it included DoF and KoS as well as basic EQ2 and EoF itself. it had an EoF cover. why should we accept a generic dark elf when the previous expansion was at least relevant to the new expansion, especially when its such an important thing as the return to the arguably most loved expansion in EQlive.

Yeah... but you saw what arose from that.the old all in one box became known as just EOF expansion which in turn caused Digital downloaders to think they were getting the same thing.

[Saroc_Luclin]

Visually, it is a great looking cover. But it doesn't do anything for me for "Kunark", like everyone else said. An Iksar or a Sarnak head would have been more appropriate. That would have worked just as well for being all-inclusive AND it would have been a good flag for saying "KUNARK HERE". I'm just wondering what will happen next year when the Marshes of Velious or the Cliffs of Odus or whatever comes out and people will start getting confused about what box contains what expansion? (Oh and Gnomes would be a good choice for a Velious expansion, since they are the ones that rediscovered it in EQLive. Dwarves would work too. Maybe Barbarians to go on the cold theme... but they will likely go for Sarnak for the Velious one. And you just KNOW that an Odus expansion will NOT have an Erudite head on it). PS: They did MUCH better on the EQLive cover art:Has the hint of Firiona that all EQ boxes have had, covers both of the two main themes of the expansion (Meldraith and Steamworks, and dragons with the Sleeper), and it clearly says it's AllInOne, while clearly saying what it includes up to.

[DerykRenaln]

Magnamundian wrote:

Willias@Unrest wrote:

I care about what's put on the box because I'm one of many who thinks that EQ2 could use more exposure than it's getting, and I don't think putting a stereotypical dark elf dude on the box is a good way of getting EQ2 out there.More people relate to EverQuest with Kunark and Velious than you'd think.  If anything, a more Kunark related box art would attract former players of EQ1.

We're getting a lot of ex-EQ1 people already, and why would SoE want to increase EQ2 subs at the expense of EQ1 subs, what would be the point in that.The aim here, is to convince people who don't already play EQ2 that we are alive, well, and able to compete head to head with newer MMO's and those yet to be released.Avoiding the word "expansion", avoids the chance that people will glance at the box and mistakenly believe it is too late to join EQ2.This is a fantastic and positive move by SoE, an attempt to reposition EQ2 in the first half of an MMO's life-cycle (healthy with rising subs), rather than the second half (ancient game, declining subs, only current players bother to buy expansions, EQ1 anybody?).Now we just need the invasion of shop shelves to also include non-US shops.  At the moment local shops in the UK haven't heard about RoK and most staff working their vaguely remember there once being an old MMO called EQ2

/agree Magnamundian!

[Vonotar]

Humm... ok they all had female Dark Elves...Ack, we didn't add in the sexy female factor!

[xpraetorianx]

Well you guys are missing one major detail... the eq2players site says " NEW EQII BOXART " not " NEW EQ2 RISE OF KUNARK BOX ART " unlike the title of this thread is labeled.  Personally, the boxart is great.  I think its gonna do alot for people who are NOT playing who shop by looking at pretty pictures, because if you play EQ2 you KNOW what your looking for anyways.  A redone Boxart like this one will catch peoples attention alot more I think.  The original while well done very well was more like a piece of artwork than a game boxart and was a bit boring for the masses as compared to the action packed covers of WOW and GW, seriously.  EQ2 also needs to get a more edgier in content.. WOW is in some respects and GW is by far just by art styles.. alot of people play for looks and what better way than for EQ2 to beat both by havin great content and better art.EQ2 is like the convent of MMO's right now hehe, no offense.  But compared to what other top MMOs are doing EQ2 is by far way more reserved in its presentation and art styles.  Its started to change not with Faydwer but with the release of Neriak... and I hope it spreads to Kunark.

[Vlahkmaak]

Holy Heckle and Jeckle Batman - its Rise of Kunark, not Rise of the DE: Clearly Antonia Bayle is leading the Design team for this box top cuase they clearly don't fear failure - were it Lucan I think some heads wouold roll and coffee would be spilt.  Kunark:  Have the designers ever played EQ1 or 2?  Are they aware of the Lore?? I would almost, but not quite, NOT buy this product in protest.  Get it right - Kunark, jungles, Lake of Ill Omen, Veeshan, Sarnaks, conspicous lack of Beastlords, c'mon guys, get it right on the art at least.

And for gawwwds sake: BRING BACK THE BEAST LORD!!!

[sexieladie]

I like the box art but IMO it would be cool if they had it 2 sided like when EQ2 was originally launched. Maybe something showing the iskar, sarnak, and the frogloks(sp) in chains because they are still supposed to be slaves according to the little quest that they have in EFP since the last LU.