Can You Match The Video Game To Their Logo?

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Video games are a bit of an odd duck in the entertainment industry, in the sense that they rake in more money than anything else, and yet are still seen as filling a niche corner of the population. While we know this isn't true, the general populous seem to have a problem accepting video games as a proper medium, or God forbid a genuine artform.

However, one way that video game developers and publishers are able to shake off this mentality, in their own small way, is to create impressive advertising campaigns that will appear all over the world. Through catchy slogans and well-written copy, these people can get you to remember their game in ways you don't even realize. Once you do realize, it's too late!

One of the major parts of an advertising campaign is the logo that is used to keep the game fresh in people's minds. Create something good, and you can end up catching the eye of someone who otherwise didn't have any interest in video games. That being said, we assume you've got some basic knowledge of video games if you're here. Think you'll recognize all the logos? Let's find out!

Question 1

Surely you can agree that it's not an exaggeration to say that this is quite possibly the most iconic logo in video game history. If you can't get this one, we don't even know what you're doing here, because there's no way you can call yourself a fan of video games. Honestly, I can actually hear sounds from the franchise and the voices of characters going off in my head just by looking at this image, which shows just how much I've played video games in my life.

Question 2

Video games and video game fans seem so intrinsically linked to the internet in a way that no other medium is, to the point where if you want to make sure a game isn't spoiled for you, you're best staying off the internet until you've finished it. We don't know why this is, although we would guess it's because most of the people who play video games came of age while the internet hit its stride. Video games can create entire subcultures on the Internet, in a way that will likely surprise those out of the loop.

Question 3

If you're involved with any part of the video game business, you're probably aware of the two camps that people tend to put games in, these being serious games and casual games. While we may not agree with this needless differentiating, games developers do take it into consideration when setting out to create a game. They'll know before they start what sort of market they're aiming for. Sometimes, a franchise is created which sits well with both the serious and the casual gamers, which is an incredibly impressive feat.

Question 4

One of the most insane things about video games and the fandom that comes with it is their ability to create a mascot, whether they're trying to or not. While there was definitely a time in video games when developers were purposefully creating main characters to fit the mascot ideal, now developers are more likely to accidentally create an image or character that ends up becoming the defining logo of that series. You don't usually see that with films or books.

Question 5

As the world of games continues to spread out into mainstream culture, the importance of advertising is now at its absolute peak. Rather than rest on their laurels or place all of their efforts into making sure the game is any good, companies are putting a lot of effort into the logo and typeface. They have to be as enticing as possible at this point if they want people to come buy their stuff, not that it makes much of a difference.

Question 6

That being said, we're aware that a lot of these logos will be obvious to those who have been playing games since they were children. While they may have been revamped over the years, game companies like to make sure that they're enticing the same people in, because they know that if they ruin your nostalgia, they're going to lose your money as well! This means that a lot of these logos will have followed you throughout your entire life.

Question 7

Don't even get us started on why trying to make a film out of a successful video game franchise is almost setting yourself up to fail. Video games are a unique medium, as they allow you to fully take part in a narrative, rather than a film or a book where you will always be secondary to the action. There's also no need to try and turn a video game into a film because the video game has already proved whether the story was worth telling or not.

Question 8

We're not sure why, but fighting games have just never grabbed us in the same way that other forms of games have. We understand that they're great for some couch competitive play between you and your mates, something that no other genre of game has carried on since the proliferation of the internet into gaming, but otherwise, what do they offer? It seems so tedious to have to remember all those combos. It's certainly not for us, but if it's your form of fun, go crazy!

Question 9

The funny thing about video game logos is that the actual finished product takes a long time to complete, while the company is going to want to finish up all of the promotional stuff, like logos and typeface, as soon as they can so they can get the hype train rolling! That means, sometimes there's an element incorporated into the logo that actually has nothing to do with the game in the end. What can they do at that point? We've already seen the logo!

Question 10

We've got a lot of respect for video games that are adapted from novels. We imagine there are a lot of snobs on both sides of the argument, but to us, it's just a chance for you to get further immersed into a world that was otherwise made distant by the cold black and white of text on paper. That being said, there's some novels that just wouldn't translate into being a video game well, so think hard before you try it.

Question 11

We're not sure why, but it seems like video games have had a long obsession with all things nuclear. It's not like we think that the developers want there to be a nuclear attack on this planet, but it does seem like a common theme that runs throughout video game history. Maybe they're just making the sort of thing that we video game fans want to play. Are we so nerdy and introverted that we'd rather play a game about nuclear fallout than go out into the real world?

Question 12

Despite how video games have been portrayed by other media over the past couple of decades, video games have maintained a huge stranglehold on popular culture ever since their inception. Just as there are books and films that everybody knows because they managed to force their way into the cultural zeitgeist, video games have done the exact same. Now, we're living in a time when video games are making far more money than books and films, so who knows what things will be like in another decade from now.

Question 13

If you don't know this one, you've evidently not been playing games for too long, especially if it doesn't even ring a bell somewhere in the back of your head! There was a weird trend in video games for a few years in the nineties where every game seemed to have one-word names. It was as if game developers thought the people buying their games were too stupid or too lazy to keep reading past a single syllable or something. Thankfully that trend quickly died out.

Question 14

Without giving it away, we always thought this logo was really generic, to the point where we don't think it would become immediately obvious what logo this game franchise belongs to. In fact, we'll go out on a limb here and guess that unless you're a big fan of these games, there's no way you're getting this one. Maybe you disagree, but you have to admit that compared to the rest of the logos in this quiz, this is the blandest.

Question 15

As you can tell by the logo, this is a game with some absolutely amazing art. We know that graphics aren't everything, which is why it's so annoying to hear game developers constantly talk about them but to pretend that art direction means nothing is incredibly misguided. Some of our best gaming memories come from starting up a video game, only to be shocked and amazed by the level of beauty being displayed on the screen. It makes you sit up and notice.

Question 16

Another phenomenon that isn't strictly seen only among video games, is that of the cringeworthy fan base. It would be a lie to say that some films and books don't have these as well, but video game fans seem to excel at ruining your favorite video game by merely existing and posting excruciating things all over the internet. Honestly, if you enjoy a video game franchise, make sure you don't spend any prolonged period of time googling it or else you will find at least one fan to ruin it for you.

Question 17

There are few truly brutal games out there these days if you ask us. You really have to go out and find the ones that were made to purposefully challenge people. It's not like there isn't a market for these games either, which is why these developers who are choosing to produce much harder games are continuing to get the money needed to make more. It's a larger niche than you'd assume, and it's taken a while for people to realize that.

Question 18

If you're anything like us, you think that the true potential of video games has yet to be realized by most of the world. They're thought of as cheap entertainment at best and an embarrassing look into the life of a nerd at worst. What people don't realize is that video games truly can be a form of art and they can get across narratives in a way that books and films just can't if done properly. It's a shame how short many games fall short of this target.

Question 19

One of the odd things about gaming is that, while it may not have started this way, the public mentality of video games is that of the multiplayer giants. While they are the games that make an inordinate amount of money, the average gamer does not spend most of their time playing things like Call Of Duty, or other multiplayer games. Believe it or not, there's actually whole shelves worth of games out there that are better played while on your own.

Question 20

To go back to what we were saying before, this is a perfect example of how minimalism can create an absolutely fantastic logo that sticks in your mind when you're not looking at it. While it could be argued that this one is slightly blander than you'd hope, it is still more recognizable than a logo that has decided on complexity over simplicity. Whether developers like it or not, it's always the simpler logos that will stick with us once we've moved on.

Question 21

We live in a time when rehashing everything that has already proven popular is the way forward if you want to make some money. Sadly, the world seems to be run by money, especially regarding the entertainment industry, so it's nice to see a video game developer trying something new once in a while. It doesn't happen to regularly, but if you know where to look and keep an eye open, you'll be surprised by what gems can be created by an experimental team.

Question 22

It seems to us that the most interesting logos, both inside and outside of the video game world, are the ones that go for much more a minimalist style than anything else. They don't try to ape anything and think that a complex logo is just yet more of a chance to distract from the game itself. Instead, they go for basic shapes and bright colors, something memorable that will keep you coming back but doesn't take center stage away from the actual product.

Question 23

Now we reckon we're getting into some difficult territory. Some of these logos come from beloved franchises that people have been buying since they were children, while others have more of a niche following, meaning they've more than likely been left alone till your adult years. Whether this is because they've become a cult hit, they're from a different country, or they were just weird enough to slip under your childhood radar, it's nice to know there's always good games you haven't yet played.

Question 24

This one is actually pretty clever if you think like us. It's taking the minimalist ethic, which you already know we're into, and taking it to a whole new level by incorporating a single line into the logo. This actually looks like the kind of thing that people used to doodle while they were supposed to be listening in class, but actually refined and thought about rather than mindlessly scribbled in the hope of alleviating the crushing boredom that is math class.

Question 25

Just like the film industry, the gaming industry has had its fair share of total flops. In fact, many people argue that the industry is slowly turning towards the film industry style of doing things, something that is a very bad idea. Games take a lot of people and a lot of time to make. Just like films, the more money that is thrown at a game and the more hands it passes through on its way to being made, the more likely it is to fail once it's released.

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