Heavy Rain has generated considerable debate about regional differences in box art. Fans have praised the European cover, which features an unsettling image of an origami seal in the rain. The game is about the Origami Killer. So it’s fitting that the origami’s flipper is dipped in blood. The image is simple, but powerful.
The US cover is noticeably less subtle. In fact, the artist made sure to include all of the main characters on the cover, lest we barbarians mistake Heavy Rain for a puzzle game. One of the characters even holds a gun. There’s violence in this game, folks! If that’s not all, there’s a woman wearing a tight tank and sporting some badly photoshopped cleavage.
It certainly would have been cheaper to use the same art for both releases. So the fact that Americans ended up with a significantly dumbed down cover suggests it was a conscious decision made by marketing. Painted as idiots incapable of liking a game unless it oozes violence and sexuality, American gamers were clearly annoyed.
Sony decided to retool the European art and released it as an alternate cover for download on Flickr. I think it’s a good lesson in marketing. First of all, never assume your audience is stupid. If consumers feel insulted, they will hate your product. More importantly, accept good feedback and be flexible. When gamers complained about the box art, Sony smartly provided a solution that appeased naysayers without having to recall thousands of shipped game boxes.
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