Cover Athletes: Do They Really Matter? - Wiggy's Blog

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Cover Athletes: Do They Really Matter? Stuck

Posted on April 10, 2013 at 06:53 PM.

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With 2K announcing that The Rock will be on the cover of WWE 14, it got me thinking about the role of covers in the sports game business. Obviously, there is some fan interaction and input by having cover votes and the like, but in this day and age of sports, can one person really embody all that is good and desirable about the sport?

With the WWE choosing The Rock as their cover athlete, it sends a clear signal that they realize the attitude era was the pinnacle of modern wrestling, and that, by extension, Dwayne Johnson had a lot to do with that. It's probably fair that they've put him on there this year, since he's been around and all, but seeing as his wrestling career doesn't likely have much of a future, it's kind of a telling choice. While there will be short-term gains from fans who are still thinking back to the Monday Night Wars, it doesn't help alleviate the problem that the current crop of talent just isn't as entertaining or, more importantly, as much of a draw outside of the wrestling community.

The next boxing product from EA will run into similar problems (whenever it's actually released). You can only call upon the memory of all-time greats like Tyson and Ali so often. Just the same, using people like Manny Pacquiao is an easy out, and it's really only something you can do once. With all of the titles and divisions in boxing, who really represents the sport in a way that's universal?

Admittedly, many games have been doing regional covers for years, including FIFA and NHL. This works a bit better because, obviously, the marketers can tailor the athlete that's going to be the most saleable in each part of the world -- or just keep using a rotation of Premier League stars in the UK, for instance. I think this is a workable approach, but it also leaves something to be desired.

Maybe we've reached a point where this is the best solution for the realities of today. It's a shame that some of the non sequitur covers of years gone by aren't as widely seen today. Why can't we have more than one person on the cover more often? How about picking a team as a theme or showing an action shot from within a game that gives a better feel for the sport? I get that these games are selling to established audiences, but you'd think some more creative cover designs might speak to a wider audience, one that may have veered away from sports games back in the 16-bit era.

Cover athletes are ultimately a business decision, I guess, so little room probably exists for too much creativity. With something like NHL, they can do cover votes and similar initiatives because they've distilled a pool of candidates that are all marketable in roughly the same way. It's not a slight on the players; it's just that no one person is going to speaker louder than another when on the cover.

Companies will make these choices based on who can garner the most eyeballs right off the bat because they're currently in the spotlight. It's hard to be that fired up about it because a game publisher is just looking for a way to sell their product that people will understand. It's kind of like headline writing that way, in that it's an entry point into something, even if it's not completely representative of what's within. Still, I hope publishers think more creatively about their covers athletes and artwork for the coming generation.

What do you think, OS? Should the cover athletes on sports games be handled in a different way? More votes? More athletes on a cover? More wacky, non-athlete covers? Something different?

Comments

# 1 TreyIM2 @ Apr 10

I gotta admit, seeing the Rock motivates me with working out. that being said, sometimes seeing some of your inspirations, in general, can motivate you, even into buying a video game. I will NOT buy this WWE, for myself, cuz he's on the cover, tho. Not a wrestling fan. Will buy it cuz my nephew likes to come over and play PS3 including the wrestling game I bought just for him on my PS3 and, in the distance, PS4.

# 2 Gramps91 @ Apr 10

nope not really, If I want a game bad enough I'll buy it no matter who is on the cover.

# 3 Bolt957 @ Apr 10

Cover athletes don't really matter. The game itself is what matters. And if it really makes that much of a difference, people have the ability to print custom covers to use.

# 4 GlennN @ Apr 11

I think the cover is most important for basic marketing - to interest the ****** gamer. For me, I couldn't care less who is on the cover (I probably couldn't tell you who is on most of the covers of sports games I own).

# 5 iki319 @ Apr 12

I think it will add some sales by targeting the cover's fan base. for example, for wwe 2k14, fans of the rock who might not even play video games will be interested in buying the game just because it has the rock on the cover, regardless if they play it or not.

# 6 13whitebread @ Apr 12

It matters to me will I still buy an NHL game sure but I would love to see a Red Wing on the cover

# 7 tetoleetd @ Apr 13

you're asking the wrong people. we are all hardcore gamers and will buy the game regardless. however, the ****** fans can and will be swayed by a cover.

# 8 tical2399 @ Apr 14

@ derektown

If you say you will buy the game anyway then it doesn't matter to you.

# 9 clarkkent70 @ Apr 17

What I think is most stinky about covers is when they make special edition covers, but only release them to the public in a specific, certain area. For example, they made special covers for NHL 12 with different atheletes from the local teams (ie. a Sedin cover released in Vancouver, an Eberle cover released in Edmonton, a Kessel cover released in Toronto). I would have rather paid money online to get one of those covers rather than the crap with Stamkos, or even this year's with Giroux. Stop making things for select fans only. Yes you don't have to release Eberle in a certain regional market where there won't be hardly anyone who'll buy it, like Vancouver, but at least let us fans who live somewhere besides our home team city get our favorite player. That's the only thing I really could say matters to me for the most part regarding covers.

# 10 biggiejerseys @ Apr 18

I remember when I was a kid when there were multiple games for each sport being released I'd get the one that had a player i liked as the cover more, but now as an adult it doesn't really matter to me.

# 11 woody2goody @ Apr 25

Not going to lie, it's great when a player from your team makes it on to the cover, but it doesn't influence a purchase from my point of view.

I like seeing the different ways companies approach the cover artwork though.

# 12 jubba910 @ May 8

I think it is a major part of these sports games trying to re-invent themselves every year, new game, new cover athlete. I also see it as a celebration of a player that is in the game as well. I enjoy picking up NBA 2K every year and having a different player on the front, or wondering who it's going to be in the anticipation of its reveal.