Working Designs games with sleeves

[Bernie]

I really do not remember ever getting a game with a sleeve, but obviously I did since I owned Exile II and Vasteel.  My question is, how many CD games came with these sleeves from WD?  I've never even seen a pic of them.  Did Cosmic Fantasy 2 have one as well? 

[Black Tiger]

Should only be games that don't have cardboard boxes. So I think that it's only Vasteel and Exile WP.

[Necromancer]

Exile - Wicked Phenomenon and Vasteel are it.  Cosmic Fantasy 2 came in a standard sized box, as did the rest of their games (Exile, Cadash, and Parasol Stars).

[xelement5x]

Yup, these games were also released in 93 and around the Working Designs first started doing their deluxe packaging that eventually gained them so much fame.  The foil stamping in these packages made it's way into the Lunar releases for SegaCD and became a trademark for a lot of their games on Sega Systems.

My best guess is that he liked the way spinecards looked and took the natural progression to make a sleeve that covered most of the package, or maybe the concept was from sleeves that go around VHS tapes.  I have no clue why they didn't just take the extra step to make it a cardboard ring that went completely around the game.  Those cardboard rings are now pretty much standard on any "special" DVD or Blu-ray release.

[Black Tiger]

Yup, these games were also released in 93 and around the Working Designs first started doing their deluxe packaging that eventually gained them so much fame.  The foil stamping in these packages made it's way into the Lunar releases for SegaCD and became a trademark for a lot of their games on Sega Systems.

My best guess is that he liked the way spinecards looked and took the natural progression to make a sleeve that covered most of the package, or maybe the concept was from sleeves that go around VHS tapes.  I have no clue why they didn't just take the extra step to make it a cardboard ring that went completely around the game.  Those cardboard rings are now pretty much standard on any "special" DVD or Blu-ray release.

Maybe he liked the look of SuperGrafx sleeves?

[DragonmasterDan]

Yup, these games were also released in 93 and around the Working Designs first started doing their deluxe packaging that eventually gained them so much fame.  The foil stamping in these packages made it's way into the Lunar releases for SegaCD and became a trademark for a lot of their games on Sega Systems.

My best guess is that he liked the way spinecards looked and took the natural progression to make a sleeve that covered most of the package, or maybe the concept was from sleeves that go around VHS tapes.  I have no clue why they didn't just take the extra step to make it a cardboard ring that went completely around the game.  Those cardboard rings are now pretty much standard on any "special" DVD or Blu-ray release.

Victor Ireland once made a statement to the effect of "While the phrase may be, "Don't judge a book by its cover", Video Games are often purchased by what's on their cover. So I want to make the shiniest covers around"

[Black Tiger]

Yup, these games were also released in 93 and around the Working Designs first started doing their deluxe packaging that eventually gained them so much fame.  The foil stamping in these packages made it's way into the Lunar releases for SegaCD and became a trademark for a lot of their games on Sega Systems.

My best guess is that he liked the way spinecards looked and took the natural progression to make a sleeve that covered most of the package, or maybe the concept was from sleeves that go around VHS tapes.  I have no clue why they didn't just take the extra step to make it a cardboard ring that went completely around the game.  Those cardboard rings are now pretty much standard on any "special" DVD or Blu-ray release.

Victor Ireland once made a statement to the effect of "While the phrase may be, "Don't judge a book by its cover", Video Games are often purchased by what's on their cover. So I want to make the shiniest covers around"

Well he certainly did a terrible job with Cosmic Fantasy and Exile, as they were made to blend in with and disappear among other fugly pencil crayon Turbo covers.

[DragonmasterDan]

Well he certainly did a terrible job with Cosmic Fantasy and Exile, as they were made to blend in with and disappear among other fugly pencil crayon Turbo covers.

Cosmic Fantasy 2 once won an award for worst box art ever. (this was from 10 years ago, so more nominees could be considered)

Here was Victor Ireland's reply.

Actually, while I am dismayed that Cosmic Fantasy 2 got the pole position in
your feature, I was going to write and nominate it myself.  In hindsight,
which is always 20/20, it was a WAY wrong move, and it should be noted that
we have atoned a hundredfold by putting anime art first ever since the SEGA
CD days.  However, one thing you noted was wrong.  We weren't given
mountains of art.  We were given 1 piece.  It was Babbette, Van, Pico
leaping out atcha.  Should have been the US art, but we went a different
way...obviously.

     Another interesting tidbit is that to get the composition right (or wrong)
in the picture, we used a real picture of our marketing manager, his brother
and sister posing while dressed up kid-style with wood broomstick swords and
sheet capes.  I remember that one of them had a pastry blender as the base
of the "sword" Van was to hold.  Pretty embarrassing picture. I think Don
(our marketing manager) was Pico...and, I think I still have the pics
somewhere...

     Anyway, spanks for the memories!

     - Vic

[esteban]

Well he certainly did a terrible job with Cosmic Fantasy and Exile, as they were made to blend in with and disappear among other fugly pencil crayon Turbo covers.

Cosmic Fantasy 2 once won an award for worst box art ever. (this was from 10 years ago, so more nominees could be considered)

Here was Victor Ireland's reply.

Actually, while I am dismayed that Cosmic Fantasy 2 got the pole position in
your feature, I was going to write and nominate it myself.  In hindsight,
which is always 20/20, it was a WAY wrong move, and it should be noted that
we have atoned a hundredfold by putting anime art first ever since the SEGA
CD days.  However, one thing you noted was wrong.  We weren't given
mountains of art.  We were given 1 piece.  It was Babbette, Van, Pico
leaping out atcha.  Should have been the US art, but we went a different
way...obviously.

     Another interesting tidbit is that to get the composition right (or wrong)
in the picture, we used a real picture of our marketing manager, his brother
and sister posing while dressed up kid-style with wood broomstick swords and
sheet capes.  I remember that one of them had a pastry blender as the base
of the "sword" Van was to hold.  Pretty embarrassing picture. I think Don
(our marketing manager) was Pico...and, I think I still have the pics
somewhere...

     Anyway, spanks for the memories!

     - Vic

You gotta give Vic some credit for being so frank and having a good sense of humor. That's awesome. To think that they spent all that time and energy to create art that was so underwhelmingly goofy.

 

[Shrapnoid]

I have CM2 and I always thought that the cover made Van look like a girl with no boobs.

[RoyVegas]

I've never even seen a pic of them.   

Hope this helps.

[nat]

...

[xelement5x]

Hey Roy, are those pictures your copies that you own?

[RegalSin]

they spent all that time and energy to create art that was so underwhelmingly goofy.

The art was never goofy, it is just that people are comparing the art the original box art. It is the cultural differnces. If Japanese comics were never introduced to the western shores, nobody could tell this from from DAD or WOW.