I got no CG on me!
If you were one of the lucky few to have picked up and enjoyed the Nintendo
Wii re-release of the sadly under looked PlayStation 2 classic Okami,
then there's a good chance that you're well aware of the certain gaffe made when
Capcom rushed the game to the printers. It turns out those responsible for
crafting the new game's cover were a little quick on the draw to 'borrow'
artwork from a corporate videogame site rather than simply ask the source, and
the results were an embarrassment of epic proportions for Capcom and an amusing
future anecdote for said videogame site IGN.
With its IGN-logo slightly obscured on the cover, Capcom took the necessary
steps to fix the issue for those having purchased the game with a special Cover
Artwork Redemption offer. Of course that was months and months ago, and
I'd be surprised if even those who entered into the program still remembered
that such a thing was in the works. Now, as the world turns, Capcom is
ready to ship out not just the replacement cover, but THREE spectacular covers
to help replace the offending original and possibly keep any legal watchdogs
from nipping at their heels. Capcom's fun
Unity website explains the perils of such an offer, and in his best spin
efforts blogger Colin deftly sets the record straight and puts the blames
elsewhere (Ninjas - who else).
The official Cover Artwork Redemption offer website says it all with the
blurb below, and is now offering the three covers for anyone willing to download
and print them out for themselves. While it may be too late for newcomers
to expect a little artistic love in the mail, having these lovelies at our
disposal seems to make everything right in the universe. We hope!
To better reflect the artistic nature of the game, we're proud to offer you
new art for the outside of the box. You can choose from one of three
designs: Redesigned original cover art or one of two new pieces to make your
copy of Okami for the Wii stand out in your video game collection.
'To better reflect the artistic nature of the game' must be marketing speak
for 'to better reflect our ambitions to not get sued by IGN', although the end
result is still the same - three gorgeous, beautiful pieces of
watercolor-influenced bliss that could significantly help rotate the Wii version
of Okami in your game collection. Of course, none of this changes
the simple fact that those of you who actually bought the game (and
unfortunately, that's probably very few) now have a true collectible in your
little paws that unlike the thousands of specific 'Collector's Edition' releases
for newer games, is going to be worth something in the future. Upside-down
postage stamps? Collectible. Banned Harry Potter magic broom?
Collectible. Stolen-artwork used in videogame cover? Money in the
bank!
To catch the three new covers for yourselves (bring a good PDF reader, folks)
click on our friend Amaterasu below and get ready to enjoy the awesomeness!
