Games

[icycalm]

Almost. Don't you see the difference? The text goes outside the frame in the second version you made earlier.

I'll try it anyway and see how it looks.

[ronan]

Standard-size logos with broken frame.

- standard-width frame:

- smaller-than-standard frame:



For comparison, in the second version I made earlier, the whole logo is wider than 80 pixels, but the frame has the standard width:

[icycalm]

I'll try all of them out, though I think it will take a while to settle on one. Thanks man, I really appreciate it.

[icycalm]

http://forum.insomnia.ac/viewtopic.php?p=11966#11966

Just in case you have a few extra minutes to spare!

[icycalm]

http://insomnia.ac/reviews/playstation2/persona3/

Can you give me a no-frame version of the PS2 logo? The more I see these framed "logos" the more I think we would be better off without them.

[icycalm]

I cleaned out the frame with MS Paint and I think the result looks much much better. So we are not going to be using frames at all. Just clean them out of all the logos whenever you get a chance...

And as for the Mega Drive logo, we will keep the one inside the frame, but without the frame, if you see what I mean.

[ronan]

Ok, I see. Frames were necessary in order for some logos to be 40 pixels high, but it is right that they don't look very nice. So, from now on, all the logos will be without frame, and as big as possible within limits of 40 pixels in height and 80 pixels in width. I don't know if I will be able to remove all the frames before 2010, but tell me if you need something in the meantime.

In fact, I am also getting tired of the Insomnia logo. I should try to make something less boring. However, some other readers are probably better than me at designing. Maybe you could make a contest in the forum?

[icycalm]

Ok, I see. Frames were necessary in order for some logos to be 40 pixels high, but it is right that they don't look very nice. So, from now on, all the logos will be without frame, and as big as possible within limits of 40 pixels in height and 80 pixels in width.

Yep, that sounds perfect.

I don't know if I will be able to remove all the frames before 2010, but tell me if you need something in the meantime.

Even if I do need something, I can always remove the frames in MS Paint. Then you can redo everything properly when you find the time, and I will just replace them.

In fact, I am also getting tired of the Insomnia logo. I should try to make something less boring. However, some other readers are probably better than me at designing. Maybe you could make a contest in the forum?

Yeah, same here. It's a good logo, but it could be better. I guess I could try starting a contest of some sort, but given how many people I have banned from the forums I don't think there's that many left, lol. Worth a shot anyway. But I think you should give it a try anyway. Just steal an idea from some other logo you like. That's what I always do.

[ronan]

I will give it a try. Speaking of the Insomnia logo, I tested some new designs a while ago. The problem is that modifying a bit the template would be necessary.

The first design is very simple, and would bring back the good old grey color:


But while we are at it, we could make the new template look much more like the rest of the site:


I don't know if it is easily doable, but I think it is quite nice. Above all, it helps to keep some unity within the site, with the usual navigation bar at the top and the grey color.

But maybe you will think again that I have smoked... =P

[icycalm]

They both look good, especially the second, and Recap would be delighted with them (because he would like me to move as far away from his design as possible), but I still prefer what we have now. I don't really want to get the review template any closer to the rest of the site -- in fact I would much prefer to get the rest of the site closer to the review template, but this is impossible at this point.

Then there is the problem that Recap's code is terrible and modifying it significantly very difficult for me, if not impossible. So I don't have much room to maneuver in this respect.

But really, what we have I think is gorgeous. I have certainly not seen a better review template anywhere, and I even prefer mine to Recap's version. If we just get the logos looking awesome I think every page would look perfect. There will always be the chance of a redesign in the future, but it would be a complete redesign, and most probably by a very talented and experienced professional, at some point when I can afford him...

But the work you are doing now will certainly not go to waste. All the logos at least. And I will certainly find something to do even with the headers we end up replacing.

[ronan]

Brainstorming begins:

[ronan]

Brainstorming goes on:

[icycalm]

I still prefer what we already have...

And stuff like the Space Invaders thingie are tacky, man.

[ronan]

Sure, but I am just trying different ideas. For instance, the sprite was just here to show the possibility to make sprites with a nice scanline effect, and the kind of gold reflect could be added to any logo.

[icycalm]

Scanlines are also tacky -- this is not a classic gaming website. If anything, we need something ultramodern, to reflect the site's cutting-edge status.

[ronan]

Another idea. If you have any suggestion concerning the font, the color gradient, or the halo, I will be glad to make the changes...

[icycalm]

I like the third one, and perhaps also the first two. I'll try them on a page and get back to you...

[ronan]

The background is not 100% black in the logos of my previous post. I corrected it for the third logo:

Here are also two color variations, in gold and grey:

[icycalm]

I tried it. It's not bad, though I still think I prefer the current one... I might use it in the next review and leave it up for a while to see if it grows on me...

Good effort though, either way. Thank you.

[icycalm]

I tried one of them in the Shock Troopers review. It does look nice, though I am still not sure if I prefer it over the old one. What's great is that you've given me three different colors, so I can pick and match according to the general color scheme of each game's screenshots. What needs to be done though is to remove some (or all) of the black space on the right of the logo, so that it will be flush with the screnshots's frame below.

[ronan]

Sorry, it was a mistake. I made the logos 7 pixels less wide:




Let me know if you need other colors. I could even give you a simple procedure that would allow you to change the color by yourself...

[icycalm]

You can post the explanation here if you want, but it will be a while until I am able to use it, since I am still working out of internet cafes.

In the meantime, Josh's Batman (Famicom) review does not work with any of these colors. Could you make me an Insomnia logo with the color of the Famicom logo?

[ronan]

I tried some variations:




EDIT: one logo was too wide and two had not a pure black background...

[icycalm]

Well, I've already used one of the ones you removed... I hope it stays online because I have to leave this internet cafe now, and won't be able to switch it...

[ronan]

I had not removed it, it was a problem due to imageshack.us. It seems to work fine now...