[Lee in Limbo]

I wouldn't buy the game based solely on this cover. If I knew absolutely nothign about Mata Hari and saw that cover, I'd think it was another Leisure Suit Larry/So Blonde (sorry, Steve) kind of thing, and dismiss it. I'm a James Bond fan (don't ask me to defend the series; I shoot massive holes in it myself), and have no issues with sexuality, but to me, that cover looks tacky. I also feel that it would be fairly offensive to a number of women, and personally, I think they could do a much better job of it than they have, even with the same model (though perhaps not... something about her gives me the creeps).

Having said that, I DO know a little about Mata Hari, and I also have been following the game's development and have seen some of the in-game art, and have every intention of getting my hands on that game, just because it amuses and intrigues me (though I have little doubt that it is highly historically inaccurate). If it includes that cover art however, I will most likely throw the box/cover sheet away.

[Starflux]

Male, Europe. I wouldn't buy it, because even though I know who Mata Hari is, I'd feel the game was trying to capitalize on woman as cheap sex objects, for which I do not consider myself the target audience.

I am interested in everything else on the cover; shocked men in top hats, burning zeppelin-like things and the theatre setting, but the way the woman is portrayed is unappealing. Too much naked skin; she radiates too much 'western prostitute'.

[crabapple]

Originally Posted by AndreaDraco83

If I didn't know who the designers of this game are, no, I wouldn't buy this game based on the cover art.

I find it tacky and kitsch, coarse and ordinary.

I may as well say that my inclinations aren't exactly strong toward women , but still I don't find the cover art to be sensual or seductive: too explicit to be erotic, to sexist to be enticing, too vulgar to be appealing.

Agreed. Frankly I find the cover a bit goofy.
My general impression would be that it's some weird comedy involving time travel.

[MoriartyL]

I'd be embarassed to be in the same room as that cover. That box being on a store shelf would make me less likely to buy any other games stacked on the same shelf.

[Davies]

I know who Mata Hari was historically, but never heard of the game.

Cover art doesn't exist to *sell* the game, not by itself. It's more there to get you to pick the game (or book, or movie) off the shelf and take a closer look. But if it doesn't make you pick it up, you're not going to buy it.

This picture just doesn't do a thing for me. It's not offensive or exceptionally bad (I've seen worse), but not particularly appealing either. It certainly doesn't imply an adventure game. If I'd had to make a guess at genre, I would have said something vaguely in the action-stealth area: sneaking, spying, interspersed with fights and shootouts.

I might pick this one up for a look at the blurb IF all three of the following were true:
* it was on the budget shelf
* I had money burning a hole in my pocket and was keen to spend it on a game
* most other games nearby were obviously from genres I have no interest in at all

[tsa]

So which conclusions do you draw from all this Squinky?

[Squinky]

It's hard to say with a sample of only about 38 people. The only definitive thing I can say is that people who post on the Adventure Gamers forums are generally likely to not like the box art (or at the very least, not likely to purchase any game based on the cover alone ).

It seems that indeed, most voters who were favourable towards the cover art were Europeans; however, the most votes in total were by Europeans as well, and most of them were "no" votes, so I don't have any strong information about regional differences. Same goes for gender differences; not very many women voted "yes", but not very many women voted in the first place, and the rationale behind many of their "no" votes were not of outrage towards the woman on the cover, but for some other reason. Ah well. *shrugs*

[Giligan]

The reaction from most members seemed a bit unwarranted. Yes, the box art is hardly groundbreaking creatively, and it does have Mata Hari in a bikini, but it's far from offensive.

[Squinky]

Different people of different backgrounds and life experiences find different things offensive, Giligan. Just because you aren't personally offended by the woman on the cover doesn't mean that anyone who disagrees with you is hypersensitive. I don't think it's up to you to determine what is and isn't warranted from forum members.

[Lee in Limbo]

Personally, I'm not surprised to see that most of the AG posters who voted said they wouldn't buy a game based on that cover art. We've got people here who have bought AGs dating back a good twenty five years, and most of those covers, did not include scantily-clad models (of either sex). There may have been attractive men and/or women on the covers, but rarely have they gone for the obvious sexuality of the European Mata Hari cover.

I think modern AGs are sexualized enough without adding a cheesecake cover like this. I know I'm rarely in the majority on this forum, but it seems that most of us would rather she go put some clothes on. I don't know if that says something about how liberal we are around here, or if it really does indicate an overwhelming majority of us possessing better taste than the art director who commissioned that cover.

Fortunately for the devs, most of us are already interested in the game for other reasons. Still, if we hadn't heard about the game before seeing the cover, it would be a tough sell, and I consider that a technical fail.

[Giligan]

Originally Posted by Squinky

Different people of different backgrounds and life experiences find different things offensive, Giligan. Just because you aren't personally offended by the woman on the cover doesn't mean that anyone who disagrees with you is hypersensitive. I don't think it's up to you to determine what is and isn't warranted from forum members.

No, which is why I said it "seems" a bit unwarranted. Ultimately, what's on that box art isn't worse than what's often seen in the average film geared towards mature audiences, and while I'm not saying that that makes it okay, it doesn't make it somehow uncommonly worse. Besides, Mata Hari was, in fact, an exotic dancer. That's history, and the box art reflects as much. The game will probably not, in all likelyhood, feature anything that would garner it an AO ESRB rating, so I doubt the character of Mata Hari - or women in general - will be degraded or objectified by the game's content.

But that's just me. It just seems to me that quite a few people are killing the messenger - in this case, the game's developer. The box art could have been handled in a different way, but the game is ultimately based on actual events, so are the game's developers really to blame here?

[Squinky]

Originally Posted by Giligan

Besides, Mata Hari was, in fact, an exotic dancer. That's history, and the box art reflects as much.

This was discussed at length in the other thread, with the point being that she's been made to look more like a Hollywoodized version of an exotic dancer than an actual exotic dancer of her time. I don't believe there's any other reason for this except to appeal to (stereotypical) horny adolescent males.

Originally Posted by Giligan

The game will probably not, in all likelyhood, feature anything that would garner it an AO ESRB rating, so I doubt the character of Mata Hari - or women in general - will be degraded or objectified by the game's content.

Therein lies the problem. The cover is making it look like there's an AO-rated game inside, whereas everything I've heard about the real game so far suggests exactly the opposite. I'm complaining about bad advertising, here.

...of course, I'm not happy about most depictions of women in the media, either, but as you alluded, that's a more universal complaint.

[Trader]

I never buy based on the way something looks, that goes for games, books and anything I else I buy, it is tempting with some really cool anime dvd out there but I dont have alot of money to waste so I do my research on any item I buy.