MSR *WILL* be finished, come hell or high water... hell more likely.

[_Paul]

There are clean vector logos out on the internets. I have them as well if you need them.

[Arkhan Asylum]

I don't have any games to scan... oh well.

You have Insanity, numbnuts!

[OldRover]

Paul, that'd be great... when you get a chance.

[VestCunt]

I was considering putting something on the back... but I'm not sure. The insert art is a photograph of an actual painting by Rose-Marie Kossowan. I don't think I wanna mess with it.

It would be a bad idea not to put "Frozen Utopia" somewhere on the outside of the packaging. 

Since it is a nice painting, how about shrinking it to make a normal back insert and then using either the back of the manual or the the inside of the tray card for a second, unmarred reproduction?  (Even with an opaque, black tray, it would be a fun easter egg.)

I still have my Gate of Thunder insert file with all logos, text, and legalese saved as separate layers.  I'd be happy to put a rear insert together if you'd like.  (See here:  http://www.mediafire.com/?gv5i1xusbplquiw )

[TheClash603]

I agree with Vestcunt, that the back image would look great under the CD inside the case.

However, if it were to stay as is, I'd have no complaints.

[CrackTiger]

The four people on the cover, what are they're names?

I count five.....

One's a ginger. Do they count as people now?

I guess that means there's only three people on the cover then.



This is more like what I had in mind-





I think that the HE system/PCE logo is more universal and looks much better overall, but a reversable Turbo branded manual back would be very cool to include. If a clear tray with printed inner insert is doable, then this painting is a good candidate. But the example above is more or less how I imagined it before doing anything. This or the cover background painting could be used in a subtle way as part of the CD label art.

Looks good so far. Do you plan to clean up the SuperCD and HE System logos a bit? Those make it seem a bit rough..

Any reason why you chose the PC Engine logo over the Turbo Duo logo?

Those are placeholders in the exact position as they appear on the LoXII cover. That entire image is rough. The real image is 600dpi.

I'd be fine with the HE logo minus the "PC Engine". Here's a glorius full TTi version for all the Turbo fans:

[thrush]

...and tharr be more... arr...

Sweet.  I know I'm late to the party, but it's starting to look like I showed up just in time!  ^^b

[nat]

In my own personal opinion, including the HE System and Super CD-ROM^2 logos should be sufficient.

If you absolutely have to include the PCE or Duo logo as well, it'd make far more sense to use the TurboDuo logo since this is a U.S. release in English/French language. It is not a Japanese game, and does not contain a Japanese language option.

All that said, I'd personally just stick with the HE System and Super CD-ROM logos since those are universal.

[hizaygizirlz]

Looks great can't wait.

[_Paul]

Why not a reversible cover? PCE on one side, TG16 on the other.

[Arkhan Asylum]

The screenshots need a border or something to set them off from the background. 

[grahf]

I second the HE System + Super CD-Rom logo. No PC Engine or Duo logos.

[jlued686]

Holy shit, Paul: nice work! I really like that, and exactly as you have it, actually. It looks really authentic. True, the DUO logo takes up some space, but that's how they looked back in the day. Really, really cool.

[Marll]

I just pre-ordered. I think that the cover art looks pretty good in its current mock up form, and am really looking forward to the game!

[VestCunt]

Nice work BT!

[Keranu]

The screenshots need a border or something to set them off from the background. 

I was thinking the same thing. Too flat as is.

[MotherGunner]

Perhaps include the beautiful artwork as a lithocard inside the manual?

Or a map ala Dragon Slayer?

[VestCunt]

The screenshots need a border or something to set them off from the background.  

I was thinking the same thing. Too flat as is.

Of course, we don't know yet if this game is actually any good.  So if the game happens to suck, take away the screen shots entirely; because back in the day shitty games could always be identified by the lack of screenshots.  Don't break that tradition!  

[ParanoiaDragon]

The screenshots need a border or something to set them off from the background. 

I was thinking the same thing. Too flat as is.

Of course, we don't know yet if this game is actually any good.  So if the game happens to suck, take away the screen shots entirely; because back in the day shitty games could always be identified by the lack of screenshots.  Don't break that tradition!   

That would suggest that Dragon Slayer sucked......& that, good sir, is one of my favorite games ever.  You have insulted my children, & my children's children, & I challenge you to a duel of banjo's!

Seriously though, that's the first game that came to mind that, as far as I can recall, had no pic's on the back, & it's one of my fav's!

[JoshTurboTrollX]

I'd be fine with the HE logo minus the "PC Engine". Here's a glorius full TTi version for all the Turbo fans:

That is the most wonderful thing I've ever seen!!!  PLEASE INCLUDE a US Duo cover version!!  Oh man, I love the way this looks!!

[NecroPhile]

I'm all for a Turbob branded manual (ike nat said - this ain't a Japanese game), just don't do one like that.  Why shrink the artwork and burn up 40% of the cover with nothing?

[JoshTurboTrollX]

That isn't 'nothing' its the style of the last year and a half of Duo in the US!!

It would look awfully nice sitting next to DEII, Therons Quest, Beyond Shadowgate, and M&M III.  But I can see how some might not like it.

[Keranu]

Yeah that's a tough one. I love the Duo "borders" novelty, but the full art might work better in this case, ala Lords of Thunder.

I really like the idea of the reversible PC Engine cover, but if the instruction manual is used for the cover (as real TG16/Duo games are), then we'd be missing out on the hilarious "Have you tried these Super CD games?" page. The one thing that disappointed me about every homebrew game released to date is how this piece of Turbo nostalgia was left out! We already have three homebrew games we could list there and maybe even include upcoming releases.

Also to Nodtveidt/Arkhan/whoever else would know: is there an option to make the border of the jewel case black instead of white? I noticed Insanity had a white border like PCE (and select few US) releases did.

[VestCunt]

Whatever theme you decide, give some thought to your future releases.  I'm a big fan of a consistent format and packaging design.

Also to Nodtveidt/Arkhan/whoever else would know: is there an option to make the border of the jewel case black instead of white? I noticed Insanity had a white border like PCE (and select few US) releases did.

I'd also like to see a black tray.  Whatever you do, don't make it clear like modern music jewel cases!

That isn't 'nothing' its the style of the last year and a half of Duo in the US!!
It would look awfully nice sitting next to DEII, Therons Quest, Beyond Shadowgate, and M&M III.  But I can see how some might not like it.

It's a nice sentiment, but I think it's better without the borders.  CD cover art is already small enough.  Even once the scuffs are fixed, the fact that I'd be looking at a scanned reproduction would always be nagging in the back of my mind.  If you want to get technical about it, Exile 2 should be the precedent for third-party, independently-distributed games from 1993.

[MotherGunner]

How about a slip cover then?

[OldRover]

Gonna stick with what it's got for now in terms of front cover art. I think that the artwork stands alone, honestly... the DUO type cover is cool, but I think it takes too much away from the artwork. As for the back cover... yeah, we'll add some screenies and text to it to make it look "official".

[MotherGunner]

Doesn't matter either way for me, but I can see people commissioning custom covers through Sparky..lol

[allyourblood]

This looks really, really cool. Wish I could play CDs!!!

Congrats on finishing what looks to be a really fine project!

[OldRover]

Just a quick lil heads-up... the dialogue translation came to an end tonight. It was the absolute last item on the list of things to fix in the game proper. Some things cannot be translated without rewriting serious portions of the game code, so some things are going to remain in English. There are only two minor details left to attack: some minor timing issues on a couple of the cutscenes, and one of the bonus features was rewritten from the ground up a few months ago and it has just a little more code left to write (I was not satisfied with its original performance... the new version is fast as hell!). The Spanish and French translations just need a quick playthrough (it takes about six hours for me to do this, using a built-in cheat and extensive knowledge of the game itself). Everything else is already ironed out, and no new reports have come in for quite awhile now.

[VestCunt]

Hey Rover - have you talked to Aaron or Nat about getting some fanfare on PCEFX when this thing is released?  Forum announcements are good, but it would be great to see an ad or banner on the home page.  This has been such a long-term project that it's easy to forgot what a big deal it is, and it IS a big deal.  The work on MS was one of the first things I read about when I joined the forums and has been a major topic for over six years.  MS will be the most ambitious game released for the TG/PCE in over a decade.  Not only have you done an unbelievable amount of work, but I'd guess that dozens of members here have been involved to various degrees, from the rest of the Frozen Utopia team, to the beta testers, to forum noobs cheering the project along.

[Keranu]

MS will be the most ambitious game released for the TG/PCE in over a decade.

It will be the most ambitious PCE hombrew ever once released ! The future's looking bright, gotta wear shades.

[nat]

Hey Rover - have you talked to Aaron or Nat about getting some fanfare on PCEFX when this thing is released? 

This isn't a bad idea, I'll suggest it to Aaron.

[MotherGunner]

I would like to see a spread on Kotaku myself.  Gets the word out, and you should be able to sell more from the free marketing and word of mouth.

[OldRover]

Kotaku might be good once it's released, but I sure wouldn't want anyone there catching wind of it prior...

[Mishran]

Hell, you even need to be concerned about who gets their hands on the game before and after release. Before you know it, it'll be on every damn ROM site on the web for free download.

[OldRover]

I honestly don't mind it being "shared". We're not in this for the money. Any profits made from sales past production costs go towards new equipment and future pressings. I plan on using some of the profits to obtain a new cakebox of archival CDRs that can be used for future PCE hardware testing, as well as a PC-FX machine which will be used to make future PC-FX games as soon as the toolchain is stable and mature enough (it's getting there... it's almost production quality, from what I can tell). But the majority will go towards the pressing of Jungle Bros and Neutopia III.

The whole reason we're doing a pressing to begin with is because that's what the community asked for. It'll be shared pretty quickly, I'm positive of that. But then again, anything worth stealing is worth paying for, so if it gets heavily pirated, I guess that means that it's worth something.

[Mathius]

Man, I have missed a LOT! I lost my damn bookmark somehow!

Okay, looks great! Either cover! I don't care which! ...I think my heartrate is nearing the 120 bpm mark.

Also, Neotopia III?!?!? What???? When did this happen to where you can just so nonchalantly throw that name around????


Sincerely,
Excited Mati

[Arkhan Asylum]

Fuck Kotaku.  Bunch of hipster gaming chowdercocks.



I can pimp the game for you at CCAG in May/June/whenever it is in 2012.  My TurbobTable draws a pretty solid crowd once they see this crap in action.

[mrhaboobi]

But the majority will go towards the pressing of Jungle Bros and Neutopia III.

Hmm do i hear a pre order coming soon then?

[OldRover]

Jungle Bros is on standby while the designer is away, and we're just getting warmed up with Neutopia III now that we have a dedicated artist for it. In the meantime, we're also going to do some other things, such as our other platformer, and we're still also preparing for a side-scrolling brawler a la Final Fight.

[MotherGunner]

Fuck Kotaku.  Bunch of hipster gaming chowdercocks.

So tell me, how do you really feel?  

[spenoza]

Jungle Bros is on standby while the designer is away, and we're just getting warmed up with Neutopia III now that we have a dedicated artist for it. In the meantime, we're also going to do some other things, such as our other platformer, and we're still also preparing for a side-scrolling brawler a la Final Fight.

I know Final Fight is considered the original, but I'd rather see Streets of Rage as the model for beat 'em ups, if only do the larger variety of player actions. Then again, there are so many mods for Streets of Rage-style reproductions that perhaps sticking to the more stolid Final Fight might actually give it some originality (ironically). Nobody has really done a good weapon-based brawler in the vein of Golden Axe, though.

[OldRover]

I use Final Fight as an example... it's just a style of side-scrolling beat-em-up type games. Doing something like Golden Axe though... hrm... interesting idea...

[MotherGunner]

Just be sure to include a barrage of "Bullwinkles" to the sound effects!

[OldRover]

On October 18th, 2011, at 12:25 AM Atlantic Standard Time, major production of Mysterious Song officially drew to a close. We are now at RC2 status... nothing more will be added to the game. The final test is already underway, and if all the lights are green, we will be off to manufacturing by the end of the week. I will personally be spending most of the next 60 hours testing the game myself.

You heard right, folks...
PRODUCTION IS OVER.

[Mathius]

 
Woo-Hoo!!!
 

[Arkhan Asylum]

PHOTOSHOPPED.

[ParanoiaDragon]

Jungle Bros is on standby while the designer is away, and we're just getting warmed up with Neutopia III now that we have a dedicated artist for it. In the meantime, we're also going to do some other things, such as our other platformer, and we're still also preparing for a side-scrolling brawler a la Final Fight.

And...perhaps one more game that some of us have done some work for......if we can convince Nod/Rover to code it, even if it has zero paralax

I use Final Fight as an example... it's just a style of side-scrolling beat-em-up type games. Doing something like Golden Axe though... hrm... interesting idea...

Hmm, Golden Axe eh?  What a novel idea, it'd be cool if someone did something "like" Golden Axe!  The Turbo really could use more Golden Axe type games, or hell, atleast a decent port of that damn game! 

[Arkhan Asylum]

SILVER SWORD.

[ParanoiaDragon]

BRASS KNUCKLES