Comments for HEAD BLOG

Comment on Back packers save the world by Mark

Mark — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 14:21:19 +0000

Another thing to consider here are the first parties (Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony) also adding to the misery of designing a well informed BoB.

The packaged product on the whole is rapidly being overtaken by the need for first parties to plaster logos and ‘compatibility’ icons all over the place and cover every legal angle with warning boxes, advisory notes and copyright text. Factor in things like the USK and OFLC rating icons on the FoB and there is increasingly less space to truly sell your game in the best, clearly designed way.

For obvious reasons the Nintendo DS BoB is by far the worst offender – space was already a premium and now with the introduction of the DSi there are a whole array of new compulsory lines of text, tables and warning boxes to include if your title happens to include functionality only available on the DSi! Add to that the possibility of a multi-language sku and design more or less goes out the window!

Comment on Back packers save the world by Rob Mortimer

Rob Mortimer — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 09:26:59 +0000

No, cause girls don’t own PS3’s. (joke)

I remember hearing my mate talk about this amazing game cover he designed for a major PS2 release and how they had to change it to something more brash and crude. Was a shame.

Comment on For advertising to work it has to intrigue, excite or interest by andrea

andrea — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 09:52:14 +0000

I don’t get confused.com’s message either, I saw the billboard with the jeans first in the train station and one somewhere in town close to uni. My thoughts followed the exact same pattern as yours but I’m aware that because I’m a discerning person used to advertising, probably the TV would have been more revealing. Then I thought I’m not in their target audience because I don’t watch TV…the only reason gocompare and comparethemarket have made it to my ears was due to the talk of town on twitter and the way it spread. One was clever and cute, the other was so annoying and bad it was almost good.

They lost me on the billboards – “it pays to be confused.com”. Thinking of this from an outsider’s perspective, I think what do you mean it pays to be confused? Or does it pay to be ON confused.com?

I know the McDonald’s ones too and I agree that they’re ever so slightly confusing, especially after they ran the 99p chicken mayo a while ago, also with a big image of a hamburger on it. I think they forget that for a lot of people, a hamburger is 2 pieces of bread with something inbetween, whether they call it chicken mayo or triple cheeseburger.

Comment on The Difference Engine by Dom

Dom — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 08:48:35 +0000

Thanks Philip. I’m having a blast writing about whatever interests us here at Head First.

Comment on The Difference Engine by Philip

Philip — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 04:17:14 +0000

I really enjoyed this piece. I’ve dipped into your blog a few times (and shared a couple of comments back when Dave Trott was considering his Twitter-following rationale). Just wanted to say that I enjoy it. It’s nicely written and consistently erudite. So thanks. And I hope it finds the audience it deserves.

Comment on Homogeny and choice by Where does diversity and choice part company? | HEAD BLOG

Where does diversity and choice part company? | HEAD BLOG — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 08:01:35 +0000

[...] ISN’T paid to read my ramblings may have noticed this. Whether I’m talking about the rise of the supermarket own brand and the way in which it elbows out brands who have spent the better part of a century [...]

Comment on Rock, paper, scissors – books are more than the sum of their parts by Carl

Carl — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 14:57:24 +0000

It seems to me the rise of digital delivery and non paper formats for books has got to open up a huge realm of possibilities for authors and publishers on a creative level. Although i can appreciate the commercial worries involved, the rise of digital books is going to happen whether they like it or not. It would be great to see books vying for consumers at a marketing level akin to games and movies.

Comment on Is Hallmark’s move into the personalised card business driven by strategy or are they just late to the party? by Dom

Dom — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 12:38:41 +0000

That’s not really what the article is about Richard. It’s not who the players are but the business decisions behind entering into a particular market. Spam notwithstanding however, you do raise other issues which you might want to blog about – namely the cost of doing business in the UK. It’s an interesting issue, especially in the face of globalisation.

Comment on Is Hallmark’s move into the personalised card business driven by strategy or are they just late to the party? by Richard Pepper

Richard Pepper — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 12:15:38 +0000

It’s great to see people writing about our industry, but it’s not just the big boys that provide the service of personalised greeting cards. There are a number of new companies such as ours offering some great unique designs from the in-house design team, so it’s worth shopping around. Funky Pigeon also offers personalised calendars, posters and notebooks and regularly runs discount promotions on affiliate sites and by social networking with customers on sites such as Twitter and Facebook.

Many of our customers have previously bought from Moonpig, but have been delighted with the quality of our products, and also our service, our cards are posted from mainland UK, and not the Channel Islands. Customers should choose carefully when making online purchases and consider whether they wish to place their business with a company which is exempt from paying UK VAT, in a time when our economy needs all the support it can get from businesses. It is estimated that ecommerce companies operating from the Channel Islands cost the UK approx £110million in 2008 alone.

Comment on Intrigue, excite – JUST GET NOTICED by Is Hallmark’s move into the personalised card business driven by strategy or are they just late to the party? | HEAD BLOG

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 12:01:10 +0000

[...] I don’t think it’s that simple. And thinking like this makes me want to look at things [...]