Why doesn't the 'Endless' have Z's?

@bnorman: I think girls like the letter 'Z'.

mario galaxy had stars on the cover...

@bnorman: Because under young people grammar rule 10.3, you can't have two Z's in a row. Endlezz is a violation thereof, Oceanz is not. GET WITH IT GRANDPA!

That image is full of ****ing win!

WTF...?

@onidavin:
I knew there was something up when a 17 year old called me old. :( (I'm 20...sigh)

@onidavin: What about "Pizza" and "LOLZLOLZOLZOLZOLZZ!!!111eleven!!11!~"?

I thought Endless Ocean looked pretty cool <_<

I would like to say that this is disturbing, but not nearly disturbing as the Liveblogging the Reggie Talk ad on the main page.

I so hope thats a friggin fake cover...

@bnorman: People older than me used to ask me to buy them smokes. I'm not sure if that's relevant to this discussion, but it's an interesting example of age perception.

@Witzbold: Examine the dolphin more closely. It's jagged and of a different resolution than the rest of the cover.
The bars on the top and bottom also seem to be superimposed.

@Witzbold: Yeah it's fake. The actual cover is behind all that "pink" stuff. Here's a link to the real cover!

@Kirbytheslayer: Is just getting desperate: Yes I know. I checked the original article too. Not to mention I dont think Ubisoft would be too amused if another company started their idiotic adding Z to the end of everything naming scheme.

The character itself looks like it was chopped off of the other cover of the game in the original link itself or something, then the the "pretty in pink" was overlayed onto the original box art itself.

@bnorman:

the just turned 20 associate we hired on called me old. I wanted to smack her one, but she makes me laugh.
I'm 22.

@Witzbold: Yeah, it's fake. Here's a copy of the actual cover.

I don't have a problem with "pink-ware". Every little girl I'm related to loves this stuff. Though that bratz super turbo baby or whatever cover was horrendous.

I think a girl picking up Doom or Counter Strike will infact surprise someone, likewise the boy that picks up animal hospital.

If only slapping pink and animals all over the cover didnt work. :( This tactic really does work on my neices.

@Torgen

That's because they don't want to be banned from the shop if they say no.

Is this game ever going to come out in the US? I really was looking forward to it.

Can someone please explain to me why american versions of games add a z? For instance, Ubisofts DS game; Imagine Babies, is called imagine babyz in the US. I've noticed this in plenty other games as well.
European cover
American cover

@Roxeraz: Could it just be a stupid trend started by those Bratz dolls?

@SpaceWhale: Wikipedia says Jan 21.

@moshakirby: It's more likely that when I was 15 I looked old enough.

Just realised something. There is a DS game being developed which is supposed to be Nintendogs with dolphins. I think the image of the woman and dolphin was taken from that game box art.

Kinda irresponsible to post the one image without the real cover art, side by side. Given how few people have actually heard/care about Endless Ocean, I hate that people are going by the main page and writing off the game.

For the NintendoZ WiiZ.

Shit, I'd play Animal Hospital. If it were good. And had art direction that didn't look like a 15 year old's attempt at 'cartooning.'

...

So essentially I'd play Animal Hospital if it were made by the Japanese. Go figure.

It's a good article, outlining some of my griefs with what I call the NDS/Wii audience, but it takes something for granted which is simply incorrect. Endless Ocean was never designed as a game targeted at girls or even a broad audience. Instead, it was meant to be a more-or-less sequel to Everblue 2 - one of the greatest unknown games on the PS2. In order to counter the normally unavoidably low sales of an offbeat title, Endless Ocean ("Forever Blue") was originally meant to be a launch title. That obviously never happened.

I think the reaction to "pink ware" is just that -- a knee-jerk reaction.

We're so used to seeing testosterone-laden cover art on our games (bulging muscles, neo-goth hairstyles, dark heroic images)... that it amazes me that no one calls *US* on it.

Just looking at my game shelf, I see a whole array of cover art geared directly at 14-year-old-death-metal-columbine-candidates. The sad part is that I'm so used to seeing it, it doesn't even phase me any more.

So I say put forth the marshmallow fonts with stars and Barbie faces, if that's the target demographic. It's not any more sexist than... [looks on shelf]... the cover for "Dawn of War".

My nieces love ponies. And stars. and the letter 'Z', apparently. Girls should have access to games written for them. And the rest of us are free to ignore those games if our delicate sensibilities are harmed.

I think it's been pointed out, but the problem isn't the girly covers -- rather, it's that guys have been socialized that anything less than huge tits, hard core machines, or bulging biceps on a cover immediately means that you must be playing for the other team to purchase.

And, for the author to suggest that the cover to Doom III doesn't turn off girls, well ... she's obviously talking to girls other than the mass market.

I don't see what the problem is with games that cater a bit to girls ... or a problem with guys playing those games. They're games -- whatever you have fun playing, play it. I for one loved Cooking Mama -- and I love Halo 3. They're not mutually exclusive.

@hawaiianactor: You see!? Stars don't just say "This is a game for girls." They can also say "U R MR GAY." No doubt part of the vast testosterone laden conspiracy...

Yes, the "pink ware" is quite irritating, as is the "most-definitely-not-pink-don't-even-think-of-such-things ware." Seemingly the concept of "Targeted Advertising" has too much "target" and not enough "advertising," so we get "this game that GIRLS might like" rather than "THIS GAME that girls might like."

Of course, I'm not an expert in this area. Maybe there could be successful sales using simple blue and pink question marks...

I dont really get why endless oceans cover was basterdised for this subject. Ive had endless ocean since the UK release, and while it is very different to most games it bares no resembelance to the "pinkware" discussed. I havent had time to follow check out the whole blog, so if someone could enlighten me I would appreiciate it.

Games for everyone? Or games for Wii owners, because last time I checked nearly every person I know with a Wii is under the age of 10 -.-

@huxle: Are you yourself under the age of 10? I think I've located the problem.

@huxle: So aquaint much with 10 year olds then? I can't say I know any 10 year olds with a Wii... with that said I don't really know anyone under the age of about 18!

After seeing that box art I was compelled to make one myself. 5 minutes later:

[img137.imageshack.us]

I don't like pink, it just never agreed with me growing up, because as soon as relatives knew I was a girl, every present I got was something along the pink/rose color range. It's what everyone seemed to think was appropriate to give a little girl, but of course, pink Barbies, pink twirling batons, and clothing (as much as I appreciated the sentiment) never entertained me half as much as I wanted.

There are girls who adore the kind of pink-ware being peddled, but for those like me, who don't, the adults who occasionally bother to gift a girl a video game will more than likely resort to pink-ware and cause much grief to the girl who just can't stand playing with tamagotchi-esque dolphins and ponies.

Save these girls from resenting you as they grow into their teen years and either find out what they like, or look into games which do more than pander to dressing up Bratz and petting virtual sea life (which if you go with the sea life route, just get the girl a visit to Sea World).

That's not the real cover. This is.

I'm a guy and I'd play that game in the picture.

I just wouldn't pay for it.

@HateFate: I'd buy it. Yes indeed....

@Christoph: Right,you'd rent it... and just not return it.

Onto the story.

Of COURSE they make it pink. My sister would notice it because of the pink. She chose to make her room a purple color. There are REASONS pink is a girl color, because girls, gasp, like it. Amazing, I know.
I just think its stupid that advertising now is sexist apparently. You have a target market and you go for it. Boys aren't gonna wanna play with things like that, they like destruction and loud things, as I have learned from my siblings, while my sister would like things closer to that thing pictured above.

But I always find it funny how people get offended at things like this. I mean its just dumb.

@Melody-Kitn: Do you have to post in all italics? It's nothing but annoying.

And you'd probably be surprised how many girls play Counter-Strike, or boys would play Animal Hospital if it was any good. But they have a point.

@Sabre_Justice: Yep, be happy it isn't alternating bold pink and yellow font or something just to further irritate eyeballs.

And if the games were any remotely good, even the cuddly girl stuff like Nintendogs would reach little boys.

@Kaemon: The only reason pink is considered a "girl color" is because society has been conditioned to look at it that way for decades. The problem here is that women have been conditioned from birth to like things along the lines of flowers, bows, babies, ponies, barbie, all-things-pink, and even chores such as cleaning and doing laundry. I actually saw a commercial recently for a home play-set aimed at young girls that allowed them to pretend to do laundry and iron clothes. It's freaking ridiculous.

@waitinthecar: Ironically, pink was originally considered a masculine color.

they misspelled oceans and friends