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Steelbooks suck!

Deleted member 29939

User requested account closure
Banned
Nov 2, 2017
1,572
Cant be alone
  • They are harder to open.
  • Discs are harder to pop off.
  • They can get scratched and chip
  • Some rust and get stained with time
  • Visually they follow no design language and publishers just throw whatever the fuck on it.
  • Often they just plaster a overused artwork across both panels and call it a day
  • They look off next to regular game cases
  • Back info/flavour text branding is put on sleeves that are too slippery and combersome to keep on the case.
I want to buy Dragon's Crown Pro but my only option in Europe is to buy this shiny, cheap 3D raised effect nonsense?

11664205-6974547289283575.jpg


Why?

Was also forced to buy Persona 5, Mortal Kombat X and HITMAN season 1's steelbooks because the first massive batch of these games were nothing but goddamn steelbooks.
Boooo!

Still waiting on my normal Dragon's Crown release...
Who wants this things?
 

Deleted member 5491

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
5,249
I think they look shitty in a shelf when I look at their spine.
Never understood the appeal and would never buy a day-one or special edition
for just a steelbook.
 

apathetic

Member
Oct 25, 2017
8,744
:c

Steelbooks are one of the few "extra edition" things I like. Include that, a soundtrack, and an artbook and you are golden to me, I don't want any other trinkets. Think the only time I buy physical movies now are when there is a steelbook too.
 
Aurc

Aurc

Member
Oct 28, 2017
6,890
OP, that 3D raised metal effect looks like it belongs on a tin of drug store Christmas chocolates or something.

I think steelbooks look nice for the most part, but they're pretty gimmicky, yeah. How many people even admire these things for more than a little while? I might say to myself "that's a pretty cool case", before shelving it with all the other standard plastic cases and not giving it any more thought.
 
Kyuuji

Kyuuji

The Favonius Fox
Member
Nov 8, 2017
32,245
They can look nice but the embossed ones rarely do. I tend to avoid them preferring the card sleeves where possible.
 
matrix-cat

matrix-cat

Member
Oct 27, 2017
10,284
You're certainly right about the discs being harder to get out. I like a steelbook with a nice design, but I wouldn't buy an ugly one just because it was a steelbook. I'm really happy with the Uncharted 4 one, for example:

R6IPZjw.jpg
 
Calverz

Calverz

Member
Oct 28, 2017
2,586
They are akin the "shiny" football sticker. Look cool af to begin with but then start to look really tatty in time.
 

Napalmjam

Member
Oct 25, 2017
226
I dont really care about the case for a game except when its cardboard the yakuza 6 one really bothered me .
 
BGBW

BGBW

Member
Oct 25, 2017
15,281
Why are people telling the OP to go digital when he's not complaining about game cases in general?
 
Terraforce

Terraforce

One Winged Slayer
The Fallen
Oct 27, 2017
18,917
Could not disagree more. Often times Steelbooks can sell me on games I'm not normally interested in buying before a deep cut (like AssCreed and Soul Caliber VI).

They look so much better than normal cases imo.
 
OP
OP

Deleted member 29939

User requested account closure
Banned
Nov 2, 2017
1,572
Yes. Some steelbooks have nice alternative art.... that would have been better plastered on a regular plastic game case :P
 
Jimnymebob

Jimnymebob

Member
Oct 26, 2017
19,638
Steelbooks are good as long as they're actually made by Steelbook.
Other brand ones are a pain.
 

Still a Gray Area

Member
Oct 27, 2017
526
The crazy thing OP is that your example is not a steelbook. Steelbooks actually do have a single cohesive design language as many posts above have shown.
 
Okii

Okii

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
3,189
That's not even a Steelbook you're complaining about, it's a MetalPak I find those to be trash too but I love Steelbooks and have almost 100 in my collection.
 
Rotobit

Rotobit

Editor at Nintendo Wire
Verified
Oct 27, 2017
10,196
I honestly don't see the appeal either but in my experience the original game box always comes with the pre-order anyway? I usually just put the steelbook somewhere else and forget about it
 
TAYREL713

TAYREL713

Member
Oct 30, 2017
118
I just love them I ordered The Full Climax edition of Bayonetta from Japan, one for having Bayo one on cart but two, for the gorgeous steelbook it came in.
W3w8nnY.jpg

W3w8nnY
 
Last edited:
kpaadet

kpaadet

Banned
Oct 30, 2017
1,741
I agree with you OP, it's annoying. I like to get the LE of some games but the steelbook is a turn off.
 
OP
OP

Deleted member 29939

User requested account closure
Banned
Nov 2, 2017
1,572
Still a Gray Area said:
The crazy thing OP is that your example is not a steelbook. Steelbooks actually do have a single cohesive design language as many posts above have shown.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

By design language I mean "artists" just use both panels as blank canvas to throw in there whatever, since there is no branding rules in place (usually left in a shitty sleeve).
Thats why you often end up with empty ass back panels or art that clearly wasnt meant to be devided across the two sides. It just looks crap more often than not when compared to the more structured look of a regular boxart.

Vast majority look lazy AF

Biggest issue is still the fact that they just are not practical. Hard ass cases that grip those discs way too hard.
 
Arkeband

Arkeband

Banned
Nov 8, 2017
7,663
  • Worth more
  • 3D emboss effect is dope
  • Are often holographic
  • Protects your discs better
  • Holds discs in place better, no receiving your shipment from Amazon and the disc is bouncing around freely.
  • Can throw them at intruders heads to knock them unconscious
  • Lets people know you are a sophisticated gamer
 
lusca_bueno

lusca_bueno

Member
Nov 23, 2017
1,472
Purple Mug said:
  • Visually they follow no design language and publishers just throw whatever the fuck on it.
  • Often they just plaster a overused artwork across both panels and call it a day.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

I love steelbook, but these points I agree on a LOT. I think P5 is a good example of steelbook tbh since it has a sleeve that makes the case consistent enough with the standard package.

But say NieR:Automata for example, it has both of these problems you mentioned, and it sucks cause I was really excited for the steelbook and ended up buying standard case cause it was ugly af. That round corner paper sleeve is atrocious, the art people actually wanted out of the steelbook could not be seen with the sleeves on, and without it there wasn't even a PS4 logo, and the PS4 logo application on the sleeve was so inconsistent like... is it that hard to make rules in these cases that the developer should at least go for a translucid sleeve that has the PS4 blue stripe on top in regular size and color?

Anyway, it's not like it's a HUGE issue, after all it's packaging, but at times, when a game I love is stripped of the right of having a different and beautiful steel package, the little graphic designer in me gets really upset.
 
KORNdog

KORNdog

Banned
Oct 30, 2017
8,001
if every game had a steelbook i'd buy it. i would love a game collection comprised entirely of steelbooks but sadly there's too much inconsistency.
 
Snkfanatic

Snkfanatic

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,179
I avoid them if I can. I hate how easily they dent and if I do have to get a movie or game with it I NEVER order it from Amazon. They will bubble envelope that thing to your door so to maximize the amount of dents and dings it has when it arrives.
 
Josh Fichter

Josh Fichter

Member
Dec 11, 2017
81
St. Louis
I'm at work, so I can't post a picture, but the Flashback 25th Anniversary edition that just released on Switch came with both the game in regular packaging, as well as the steelbook, so if you want your shelf to look uniform you can use the regular case, and if not, you can use the steelbook. I thought that was really awesome, and I really hope including both becomes a trend. It wont, but I'll hope at least.
 
CGriffiths86

CGriffiths86

Member
Oct 28, 2017
1,848
I never buy steelbooks for a premium. Only if they happen to be the same cost. I ended up with the Prey steelbook because it was free with my Best Buy purchase and the copy of Wolfenstein II I got off eBay was the steelbook version. The discs are hard to get out and I get paranoid I'm going to crack them upon removal. The thing I like about them is I'm OCD about game cases and PS4 cases seem to be bad about the paper insert getting indented on the back center and the top and bottom right of the front. I care less about it now, but still bothersome.
 

StreetDisciple

Banned
Oct 31, 2017
67
Haha...I actually have the Dragons Crown steelbook.

I happen to like them, they are the only cases that go on the shelf. Anything plastic goes straight to the recycle bin.
 
mute

mute

▲ Legend ▲
Member
Oct 25, 2017
25,110
I'm not a fan either, and would much rather be offered a choice. I don't like how they stand out next to regular cases on a shelf. The not-steelbooks with the plastic sleeves really suck too.
 
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