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[AHA-Lambda]

I'm really sorry to hear that man, apologies :/

Ok, didn't intend to come across as inflammatory but I genuinely don't see why it's an issue even after reading the thread. Just my 2 cents.

I'll take my leave from this though

 

[Robin64]

uhhhh

what is this

The hell is this?!

Ah, the icon for Orange/Blue movie poster maker 2018.

What, you can't tell just from the icon?

It's Semispheres, which like all of these has a way better icon on the Nintendo website.

 

[Azure Dream]

What, you can't tell just from the icon?

It's Semispheres, which like all of these has a way better icon on the Nintendo website.

Why would you not use this.

 

[RionaaM]

Why would you not use this.

At this point I can only believe that they are deliberately trolling Switch owners.

 

[PeakPointMatrix]

Refusing to play a good game because of an unappealing icon is the GAF-iest thing I've ever read in my life. I assume when you open up games with bad CD art, you immediately turned back to the store to return it too?

 

[OrbitalBeard]

New Kingdom New Lands icon coming after feedback

https://www.gonintendo.com/stories/...ds-to-be-updated-with-new-icon-after-backlash

Good on the devs.

 

[PantsuJo]

Not playing a good game because of an unappealing icon is the GAF-iest thing I've ever read in my life. I assume when you open up games with bad CD art, you immediately turned back to the store to return it too?

This.

Sometimes I don't understand this forum.

 

[Jo Shishido's Cheeks]

New Kingdom New Lands icon coming after feedback

https://www.gonintendo.com/stories/...ds-to-be-updated-with-new-icon-after-backlash

That's great news... but how could they not initially see how horrible the icon ways without the feedback...?

 

[True Fire]

This.

Sometimes I don't understand this forum.

You have to look at ugly icons every time you open the home screen, which can be irritating to some people. It's not difficult to understand.

 

[Neiteio]

New Kingdom New Lands icon coming after feedback

https://www.gonintendo.com/stories/...ds-to-be-updated-with-new-icon-after-backlash

Good. Nice to see some devs fixing their icons.

 

[InfectedZero]

I hope Snakepass devs never give in to changing it. 😎

 

[Neiteio]

I hope Snakepass devs never give in to changing it. 😎

That's the thing - they already did. They changed the icon from something good to something worse. Check out the comparison in the OP.

 

[Servbot24]

Contender for new worst icon.

Ok this thread finally has a legit point

 

[Chessr]

That's the thing - they already did. They changed the icon from something good to something worse. Check out the comparison in the OP.

Think he hopes they dont Change it back

I dont understand it either why a icon u look at a second is so important

 

[InfectedZero]

Think he hopes they dont Change it back

I dont understand it either why a icon u look at a second is so important

He gets it. 😉

 

[RionaaM]

Think he hopes they dont Change it back

I dont understand it either why a icon u look at a second is so important

I know some people like to appear as if they were above mundane affairs, but for others aesthetics matter.

 

[jackal27]

Contender for new worst icon.

WOW. This is very, very bad.

 

[patrickthehedgehog]

Can we do something like a Project Rainfall for this? I'm thinking about skipping games from the offending developers.

 

[-shadow-]

What, you can't tell just from the icon?

It's Semispheres, which like all of these has a way better icon on the Nintendo website.

That's a terrific piece of art. Why is Nintendo (and the devs for that matter) using this inconsistent art?

 

[Neiteio]

Think he hopes they dont Change it back

I dont understand it either why a icon u look at a second is so important

I see the icon everytime I boot up the system and everytime I go in and out of the home menu to check screenshots I just took (dozens of times each play session), or to change controllers, or to check battery, or to check the time, or to check my friends list, or to change settings, etc. No matter what game I play, the icon is there, and I see it again and again and again.

It adds up. And so I'd prefer it look aesthetically appealing. That starts with being consistent with the other icons: A key visual and the title. Like how the Snake Pass icon used to be, before they patched in the cheap-looking new icon with no title.

For curators of digital collections, icons are the packaging. Devs should take pride in their work and make it presentable.

 

[ZeroX03]

For curators of digital collections, icons are the packaging. Devs should take pride in their work and make it presentable.

How extremely disrespectful for you to think they don't take pride in their work. You not liking something does not mean they didn't put effort in, that they don't care or that others don't like it. Grow up.

 

[Neiteio]

How extremely disrespectful for you to think they don't take pride in their work. You not liking something does not mean they didn't put effort in, that they don't care or that others don't like it. Grow up.

Whoa, chill dude. I praise the game in the opening post. I'm just saying how it looks when the front-end presentation can't even be bothered to include the title. It makes it look more like the dime-a-dozen shovelware apps on smartphones. It's the reason Nintendo's own design doc explicitly advises against it.

 

[PeakPointMatrix]

You have to look at ugly icons every time you open the home screen, which can be irritating to some people. It's not difficult to understand.

Irritating sure, I understand that.

But so big of an issue that you refuse to play or even buy a good game for it..?? Did you buy a Switch to look at icons or play games?

Can we do something like a Project Rainfall for this? I'm thinking about skipping games from the offending developers.

I hope Mario Odyssey has like the worst looking icon in the Switch's library, just to see how many buckle on your principles.

 

[InfectedZero]

Irritating sure, I understand that.

But so big of an issue that you refuse to play or even buy a good game for it..?? Did you buy a Switch to look at icons or play games?

I hope Mario Odyssey has like the worst looking icon in the Switch's library, just to see how many buckle on your principles.

For reals. I hope Odyssey has the most repulsive icon so non of y'all enjoy it.

 

[D.Lo]

But so big of an issue that you refuse to play or even buy a good game for it..?? Did you buy a Switch to look at icons or play games?

You're like the 80th person to try and make a point like this in the thread. Please read the thread before working over the exact same ground that has been covered 80 times already.

I hope Mario Odyssey has like the worst looking icon in the Switch's library, just to see how many buckle on your principles.

For reals. I hope Odyssey has the most repulsive icon so non of y'all enjoy it.

I guarantee you Mario Oddessy won't just be Mario's head.

Many of us have already stated that many other games have icons we don't like, like the Splatoon 2 icon which isn't great. But Snake Pass changed the icon to be worse. And there is no way to get the old one back. We bought something and had a forced downgrade.

 

[InfectedZero]

Hope it's not just Cappy just like super zoomed in.

 

[Shaanyboi]

This continues to be be the most ridiculous active thread on Gaf I've seen maybe all year

 

[sheaaaa]

Whoa, chill dude. I praise the game in the opening post. I'm just saying how it looks when the front-end presentation can't even be bothered to include the title. It makes it look more like the dime-a-dozen shovelware apps on smartphones. It's the reason Nintendo's own design doc explicitly advises against it.

You said this: Devs should take pride in their work and make it presentable.

So if a developer doesn't have a logo in their icon they don't take pride in their work? What if it's a conscious decision? I personally think all the icons without logos look much, much better than the ones with. They're generally more memorable and look classier.

 

[D.Lo]

You said this: Devs should take pride in their work and make it presentable.

So if a developer doesn't have a logo in their icon they don't take pride in their work? What if it's a conscious decision? I personally think all the icons without logos look much, much better than the ones with. They're generally more memorable and look classier.

1) They have less function. Sonic's head does not tell you which Sonic game it is.

2) While annoying, it would be okay if they were all like that. But MOST have a title/logo, and resemble a classic game box/movie poster, as the official Switch icon guidelines suggest. So those that do not stick out and look bad in context. The developers (or more likely marketers) of these games with super simple icons have NOT considered context when designing their icons and have thrown out a phone app type icon, designed to look okay at very small sizes, when that is not appropriate in a context of large icons.

I mean it's not like Lego is an 'arty' game that a minimalist logo would suit in some way. They clearly just slapped something on there without thinking about it much, assuming it was just like iOS and needed 'something' to go next to the displayed name underneath it like in phone OSes.

3) Snake pass's new icon looks fucking horrible. Even if it did have a logo, the white border, incredibly dated drop shadow design, and the snake being in front and not even framed by the background and border makes it look like a mugshot of a new Shrek spinoff character. It's not exactly some kind of minimalist high art, it looks like a cheap Chinese phone game icon designed to lure in lowest common denominator FTP idiots on a phone app store.

4) Snake Pass HAD a perfectly good logo and the developers FORCED a shit one to replace it, well after launch, after it had already been purchased.

 

[seady]

I feel like some Dev are now just trolling with bad icon just to get attention.

 

[dstarMDA]

The one thing I wonder is where the fuck were all you people since PS4 / XB1 launch.

Regardless on my personal opinion on the subject, like half of my PS4 game icons do not have logos (among my recently played for example: Hatoful Boyfriend, Downwell, The Witness, Firewatch, Disc Jam). Not saying you should be fine with it, but did none of you own a PS4 or were you just as outraged and just did not create a thread for that ?

I have not seen this answered in the previous pages but maybe it did - if so, my apologies.

 

[sheaaaa]

1) They have less function. Sonic's head does not tell you which Sonic game it is.

2) While annoying, it would be okay if they were all like that. But MOST have a title/logo, and resemble a classic game box/movie poster, as the official Switch icon guidelines suggest. So those that do not stick out and look bad in context. The developers (or more likely marketers) of these games with super simple icons have NOT considered context when designing their icons and have thrown out a phone app type icon, designed to look okay at very small sizes, when that is not appropriate in a context of large icons.

I mean it's not like Lego is an 'arty' game that a minimalist logo would suit in some way. They clearly just slapped something on there without thinking about it much, assuming it was just like iOS and needed 'something' to go next to the displayed name underneath it like in phone OSes.

3) Snake pass's new icon looks fucking horrible. Even if it did have a logo, the white border, incredibly dated drop shadow design, and the snake being in front and not even framed by the background and border makes it look like a mugshot of a new Shrek spinoff character. It's not exactly some kind of minimalist high art, it looks like a cheap Chinese phone game icon designed to lure in lowest common denominator FTP idiots on a phone app store.

4) Snake Pass HAD a perfectly good logo and the developers FORCED a shit one to replace it, well after launch, after it had already been purchased.

1. Doesn't matter to me - I know what games I have, I roughly know what their icons look like.

2. I don't think the ones without logos look bad in context. I quite like the difference - some icons are bright and colourful and look good with logos, some are simpler and look better without. It doesn't matter if the game is arty or not, I like the Lego one.

3. The old icon is better but not by much, and certainly not enough to warrant the vitriol.

4. Maybe it was a conscious change and one they preferred?

Again, you're welcome to your opinion and I'll certainly hold mine. You enjoy the icons you enjoy and I'll enjoy the ones I do, and I'm not saying your opinion or that of anyone in this thread who wants icons with logos is invalid.

What I was taking issue with is saying developers don't have pride in their work if you dislike their logo-less icon because it smacks of arrogance and thinking that only your opinion is valid.

 

[The ๖ۜBronx]

1. Doesn't matter to me

I understand that your main point was contesting the idea that the developers had a lack of pride, I just wanted to respond to that point in particular because it's the antithesis of good design within the context of that topic.

If you had the ability to set that from multiple others sure, and I'm certainly not suggesting you don't like the look of it, but 'looking good' isn't the only criteria against which a library tile should be measured.

As for lack of pride, I wouldn't suggest that at all but to me it highlights either a lack of understanding (in this specific area) or regard. The latter could be completely innocent, for example I know nothing of game design itself and were I to try would be oblivious to all of the guiding principles, but the latter would frustrate me.

Not saying you should be fine with it, but did none of you own a PS4 or were you just as outraged and just did not create a thread for that ?

Didn't see a discussion on it for me. Would have happily discussed the PS4 UI had I done.

Only a couple of people in the thread have mentioned not buying or playing a game because of it. For the majority it's something we dislike and want to discuss or keep track of.

People keep coming in with this word "outrage" when the overwhelming majority of discussion here has been pretty mellow in tone and we're just discussing something on a forum.

Far more "outrage" has been shown toward the people just wanting to discuss this topic.

 

[sheaaaa]

I understand that your main point was contesting the idea that the developers had a lack of pride, I just wanted to respond to that point in particular because it's the antithesis of good design within the context of that topic.

If you had the ability to set that from multiple others sure, and I'm certainly not suggesting you don't like the look of it, but 'looking good' isn't the only criteria against which a library tile should be measured.

As for lack of pride, I wouldn't suggest that at all but to me it highlights either a lack of understanding (in this specific area) or regard. The latter could be completely innocent, for example I know nothing of game design itself and were I to try would be oblivious to all of the guiding principles, but the latter would frustrate me.

It all still boils down to personal preference for me. I totally get wanting icons to be functional and look (somewhat) uniform and all have logos, and I'm not going to begrudge anyone for preferring them.

That said, for me all a library tile needs to do is look good, and I'm sure I'm far from the only one who thinks so - see the people who replace their Steam library game art with logoless versions, or those who print out alternative boxart with no logos for their physical game cases. But don't get me wrong - everyone's entitled to like what they like.

As for why developers do it, I feel like at this point they should at least be somewhat aware that this is a thing that exists, so I'm guessing that some of these icons are conscious decisions.

 

[The ๖ۜBronx]

It all still boils down to personal preference for me. I totally get wanting icons to be functional and look (somewhat) uniform and all have logos, and I'm not going to begrudge anyone for preferring them.

That said, for me all a library tile needs to do is look good, and I'm sure I'm far from the only one who thinks so - see the people who replace their Steam library game art with logoless versions, or those who print out alternative boxart with no logos for their physical game cases. But don't get me wrong - everyone's entitled to like what they like.

This is what I responded to in the first place though. You're not the only one who likes logo-less tiles for sure, but that's not the point of design within that space. As you said, for you all that matters is the tile looking good but that doesn't mean that's all the consideration that should go into designing for that space.

 

[tolkir]

The one thing I wonder is where the fuck were all you people since PS4 / XB1 launch.

Regardless on my personal opinion on the subject, like half of my PS4 game icons do not have logos (among my recently played for example: Hatoful Boyfriend, Downwell, The Witness, Firewatch, Disc Jam). Not saying you should be fine with it, but did none of you own a PS4 or were you just as outraged and just did not create a thread for that ?

I have not seen this answered in the previous pages but maybe it did - if so, my apologies.

I don't have any of them but, correct me if I'm wrong, Microsoft forces developers to make an icon with logo.

Anyway, this began because Sumo Digital changed the icon to worse, maybe if they wouldn't changed, we wouldn't speaking about this.

Edit: Look this beauty.

 

[RaySpencer]

Imagine if games didn't have names on the spines. Sure they could have an little image that would give you an idea of what they are, and different colours of course, but you had to pull the game off your shelf to actually read the title.

Sure you would probably have a good idea of what games you owned and what they look like, but it certainly would be a little more difficult to find what you want. Especially if there is direct sequals, or the image doesn't really convey what the game is.

Now imagine that it isn't every game like that, but only a growing number of them, and now these titleless spines are now mixed in with your other more unified games.

That's kind of what is going on here.

 

[dstarMDA]

I don't have any of them but, correct me if I'm wrong, Microsoft forces developers to make an icon with logo.

Anyway, this began because Sumo Digital changed the icon to worse, maybe if they wouldn't changed, we wouldn't speaking about this.

Yeah maybe shouldn't have included XB1, was not so sure about this one.

EDIT: Well DEFINITELY shouldn't have included XB1 then haha.

 

[sheaaaa]

This is what I responded to in the first place though. You're not the only one who likes logo-less tiles for sure, but that's not the point of design within that space. As you said, for you all that matters is the tile looking good but that doesn't mean that's all the consideration that should go into designing for that space.

Who dictates what the point of design in this space is? Clearly not Nintendo, because all they've given is guidelines and not any rules. If they had rules for icons, we wouldn't be having this discussion in the first place. For me, the tile just has to look good. For you, there should be more. Which is fine, and not the point I was trying to make in the first place.

 

[tolkir]

Imagine if games didn't have names on the spines. Sure they could have an little image that would give you an idea of what they are, and different colours of course, but you had to pull the game off your shelf to actually read the title.

Sure you would probably have a good idea of what games you owned and what they look like, but it certainly would be a little more difficult to find what you want. Especially if there is direct sequals, or the image doesn't really convey what the game is.

Now imagine that it isn't every game like that, but only a growing number of them, and now these titleless spines are now mixed in with your other more unified games.

That's kind of what is going on here.

Disney make this with some steelbook movies.

i don't know what they're thinking.

 

[dstarMDA]

For the matter, I've been working on a Switch game recently and this thread has made me question the App Icon to people in charge of this sort of stuff when it popped up. Even if I think this whole thing is quite silly, if it can at least lead to some people being happier with the end result so be it.

Thanks for bringing this issue to the attention of more people - I really wouldn't have been aware it was a thing for so many of you.

 

[FinalAres]

For me the main issue is that I am a digital collector, so for me the icon is my boxart. I want my digital library to be a nice visual representation of my library.

 

[Benzychenz]

Imagine if games didn't have names on the spines. Sure they could have an little image that would give you an idea of what they are, and different colours of course, but you had to pull the game off your shelf to actually read the title.

Sure you would probably have a good idea of what games you owned and what they look like, but it certainly would be a little more difficult to find what you want. Especially if there is direct sequals, or the image doesn't really convey what the game is.

Now imagine that it isn't every game like that, but only a growing number of them, and now these titleless spines are now mixed in with your other more unified games.

That's kind of what is going on here.

Actually I could swear I have a steelbook with a blank spine.

 

[-shadow-]

For the matter, I've been working on a Switch game recently and this thread has made me question the App Icon to people in charge of this sort of stuff when it popped up. Even if I think this whole thing is quite silly, if it can at least lead to some people being happier with the end result so be it.

Thanks for bringing this issue to the attention of more people - I really wouldn't have been aware it was a thing for so many of you.

For me personally I'm not all that into this subject, while I do think that some of the examples on this topic are legitimately terrible, for me they don't take away from the game. My only problem is that it kind of makes the complete games list incomprehensible at a quick glance. But honestly, that's not the job on the developer.

Really curious about your game now! Have you posted about it somewhere on the forum?

 

[PeakPointMatrix]

You're like the 80th person to try and make a point like this in the thread. Please read the thread before working over the exact same ground that has been covered 80 times already.


I guarantee you Mario Oddessy won't just be Mario's head.

Many of us have already stated that many other games have icons we don't like, like the Splatoon 2 icon which isn't great. But Snake Pass changed the icon to be worse. And there is no way to get the old one back. We bought something and had a forced downgrade.

It's a downgrade to something completely irrelevant to the game itself. You select the icon and jump into the actual game. The icon is an OS level graphic that might as well be the CD art cover on a disc. My astonishment lies with people refusing to play legitimately good games because of a tile graphic on a menu. Let me make that clear once more; people *refusing to play a game* because of icon art (of which there are examples of on this very page). Does an unappealing tile being the basis of refusing to play a game sound reasonable to you?

 

[Axass]

It's a downgrade to something completely irrelevant to the game itself. You select the icon and jump into the actual game. The icon is an OS level graphic that might as well be the CD art cover on a disc. My astonishment lies with people refusing to play legitimately good games because of a tile graphic on a menu. Let me make that clear once more; people *refusing to play a game* because of icon art (of which there are examples of on this very page). Does an unappealing tile being the basis of refusing to play a game sound reasonable to you?

The only unreasonable thing in this thread is people constantly coming in and telling others how they should feel about something that they themselves don't care about.

 

[tolkir]

It's a downgrade to something completely irrelevant to the game itself. You select the icon and jump into the actual game. The icon is an OS level graphic that might as well be the CD art cover on a disc. My astonishment lies with people refusing to play legitimately good games because of a tile graphic on a menu. Let me make that clear once more; people *refusing to play a game* because of icon art (of which there are examples of on this very page). Does an unappealing tile being the basis of refusing to play a game sound reasonable to you?

You're repeating same thing a million times and I don't see any example.

Only things I see is:
- uninstall the game when it's completed (I did)
- people play other games if they have a backlog.

Nobody is refusing to play a game. Only they give priority to other games.

 

[The ๖ۜBronx]

Who dictates what the point of design in this space is? Clearly not Nintendo, because all they've given is guidelines and not any rules. If they had rules for icons, we wouldn't be having this discussion in the first place. For me, the tile just has to look good. For you, there should be more. Which is fine, and not the point I was trying to make in the first place.

I broke this down a couple of pages back if you're interested:

As you're asking in earnest and not belittling people here, I'll take the time to try and break it down a little. Remember we are discussing an element of design, not a piece of art or illustration. It has a purpose, and should be evaluated against that.

The Library on the Switch is a place that is designed to house all of your games in a single space, as well as populating a 'most recent' list of titles that have been launched. It is meant to be scalable, so that it caters for anyone from a person that only has two games, to someone that has two-hundred. It is designed to account for a lifetime's use of the system, and the growing library of games most users will have over the course of that time.

So, in order to achieve the above we ideally want to aim toward the following:

• Accessibility - Users of any age or ability should be able to navigate through the list of all of their games, regardless of the amount held.
• Ease of use - As this is the primary location to find a game you wish to play, this system must be easy to use and allow for the user to find the game they're looking for with as little difficulty or frustration as possible.
• Elegance - The design should maintain and support the standard of design kept elsewhere in the System UI. It should be clear, uncluttered and simple to navigate.

So, when it comes to the icon tiles, what are their main purpose? They sit within the library and aim to offer a visual representation of the game they're from, allowing the user to easily find and select said game among potentially hundreds of others without issue.

As above, this boils down to:

• Accessibility - Ensuring that it is clear at a glance, by users of any age or ability, what the game the tile related to, so that it can be identified when sat among numerous others.
• Ease of use - It should be obvious while skimming (which is how people digest information in digital spaces) what the game is, so that the user doesn't have to spend more time than necessary finding what they're looking for.
• Consistency - To bolster the above, and also present a tidy screen to the user that's easy to navigate through and upholds the strong design sensibility of the Switch. The game has been sold, standing out at this stage is about arrogance and ego at the expense of consistency.

So, for the above to be true we can imagine the minimum an icon should require is:

• The title of the game
• Recognisable artwork that is specific to the game, and distinct from others

So when people fail to meet that bare minimum it's frustrating as they're compromising the function of the tile for the sake of 'looking pretty', when it's entirely possible for both to be achieved. It's akin to having a bookcase of books, but there's only icons on the spine. It's fine if you have four books but once you start to have many it becomes harder to find the one you're looking for.

Design is about fulfilling a purpose, and looking for improvement toward that purpose, not simply looking nice. It's objective and has a purpose, which is what sets it aside from standard art and illustration.

 

[daxy]

Any word on what the icon for Pan Pan looks like?

 

[Robin64]

Any word on what the icon for Pan Pan looks like?