Help Choose New AtariAge T-Shirt Design

[+Random Terrain]

It's simple. When you play, the button is on the left, so it looks more natural on the left. Art classes tell you that centering things can often look like crap, so there's no rule that says the button has to be in the middle. The button in the middle is kind of subliminally off-putting. Your brain screams "That doesn't look right! Why are you shoving the button in my face like that? Didn't the T-shirt guy ever take an art class? Stop hurting my brain! Bad T-shirt man! Bad!"

 

Here's a really crappy version with the other image jammed in:

 

 

You could make a cleaned up, prettier version of that and it would look fine.

[A.J. Franzman]

I like RT's design, but I think the joystick should be rotated just a smidge more clockwise, so the absence of a button on the next corner can be easily discerned (i.e. there isn't another button "hidden" behind the stick) by those youngsters who aren't familiar with the CX-40.

[ledzep]

I like the first design much more than the second one. For starters, the second design looks too generic, like it's somebody's half-remembered idea of what an Atari 2600 joystick looked like. Or it's the LEGO version. But the first design is cooler for a few reasons -

 

1) I have more than enough t-shirts that are easily figured out by the masses. I think it's cool to have t-shirts that make people stop and have to think for a second about what they're looking at. And Last Exit To Nowhere has mastered this type of t-shirt. They do t-shirts inspired by companies or businesses depicted in various movies. I love their "Aliens" designs. To me the first design would be sort of like a test to see who really "gets it" in terms of Atari appreciation.

 

2) The first design reminds me of the Laughing Man logo from one of my favorite anime series, "Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex". I think any opportunity to cross-pollinate fanbases is good.

 

3) There is an almost schematic feel to the first design being a top-down view. Makes it seem more serious, less cute, like the person wearing it was on the original design team for the Atari 2600 or something.

 

4) Would be an excuse for someone to press the fire button like you are the joystick. That t-shirt could be your friend at a party in the "you press my button, I press yours" sense, hahaaha.

[Emehr]

I'm fine with the button on the bottom. I think the requests for it being on the left are just because it looks more "natural" that way. I think a cord coming out of the base, as mentioned, will "correct" the brains tendency to make it look unnatural. Besides, just about every T-shirt or any other retro memorabilia I've seen that has a joystick design on it has it on the left. It'd be nice to stand out from those other designs. And since it's all about the button, I agree that it should be front and center.

 

I guess that's why I voted for the first design: because it views the joystick with a different perspective. It it still recognizable to anybody who has ever seen an Atari stick. And for those that have to stop and ask about it...hey, conversation! As much as I like design #2, I still gotta go with #1 for it's different view of the stick. It also shows off the details of the face that we don't normally get to see.

 

EDIT: Okay, I posted this before reading the replies on the third page. RT's mock-up solidifies my dislike for "button on the left". Too generic and uninteresting, IMO (sorry, RT). Plus, my OCD would start noticing the lack of detail in the joystick itself.

[DaveD]

Cool designs.

 

I prefer #1 much more. It's subtle, clever, and more of an insider thing. Plus it just looks cool.

 

#2 is too blatant and phallic looking for my tastes.

[Albert]

This is great feedback, it's really interesting to read everyone's opinions on these two designs. I will make a decision within the next 24 hours, as I want to get this order to the screen printing company this week since it'll take them about two weeks to produce the shirts. I also appreciate everyone voting for the size, since that will help me decide on the distribution of shirts.

 

Thanks!

 

..Al

[carmel_andrews]

would you get away with 2 old school Atari logo's superimpsed on top of eachother (like the AA logo) i am favouring the warner's version over the tramiel one

I'd prefer not to use Atari's logo anywhere on the shirt. It's not used on AtariAge, so I don't feel that it needs to be on an AtariAge shirt. Not to mention I don't need to give Atari a reason to tell me to stop selling t-shirts.

 

..Al

 

 

 

 

 

Fair do's, but I can't see the problem, after all how many of the T SHIRT manuf's out there that make atari branded t shirts have actually asked atari permission to use their logo etc (i would say not many) and I have actually seen companies use modified forms of the atari logo as their own company logo (a design company, a logistics company and also a obscure bank in the CoL)

[Herbarius]

I like the second design better, but I also would prefer the button on the left.

 

Can someone explain the fascination with the red button off to the left? This has been mentioned several times and it would be good to have something more than you just "like it". Is this just how we are accustom to viewing it in advertisements or something more, since from the shirt design perspective the onlooker is 'in a sense' watching someone else play a game.

 

That argument is a little flawed, because when you watch someone play a game, you usually don't look at him from that angle - because that way you can't see the screen, or at least you've to turn your head to look at the screen.

 

 

The first design is a nice idea but somehow I don't like it at all. It's hard to read, for one thing. And people unfamiliar with the CX40 design might not easily notice it is supposed to be a joystick.

Edited June 27, 2010 by Herbarius

[Albert]

Fair do's, but I can't see the problem, after all how many of the T SHIRT manuf's out there that make atari branded t shirts have actually asked atari permission to use their logo etc (i would say not many) and I have actually seen companies use modified forms of the atari logo as their own company logo (a design company, a logistics company and also a obscure bank in the CoL)

That's true, but two wrongs don't make a right.

 

..Al

[Cebus Capucinis]

That's true, but two wrongs don't make a right.

 

..Al

 

Three lefts do!

[DaveD]

The first design is a nice idea but somehow I don't like it at all. It's hard to read, for one thing. And people unfamiliar with the CX40 design might not easily notice it is supposed to be a joystick.

 

And that's exactly what I like about it. I guess everyone has a different opinion but if I'm wearing something I prefer not to be a blatant billboard for anything or anyone. #1 is a pleasing design. If someone doesn't "get it" it still works as a design and it helps to weed out who the cool people are.

 

I think the debate over the red button in #2 is kinda funny. I think perhaps some folks are reading too deeply into it and being too literal. The slogan is all about the red button. The red button, like the entire design, is centered. Everything is symmetrical and the button placement enhances that.

 

I don't know for sure but I think perhaps the artist intentionally tried to abstract each of these designs slightly. He's using the iconic image of the joystick that everyone has seen a million times and everyone knows, then slightly altering it to create his designs and deliver the message.

[Crazy Climber]

That's true, but two wrongs don't make a right.

 

..Al

 

Three lefts do!

*sigh...

[Crazy Climber]

I like design #2. I like that it actually shows the entire stick and that people will recognize it as an Atari stick and possibly "chat" some Atari with me if I wear it in public. The top down would only be recognized by true fans and not the casual or former Atari players. I am an XL Oh by the way, I don't personally care where the button is

[Emehr]

The first design is a nice idea but somehow I don't like it at all. It's hard to read, for one thing. And people unfamiliar with the CX40 design might not easily notice it is supposed to be a joystick.

 

And that's exactly what I like about it. I guess everyone has a different opinion but if I'm wearing something I prefer not to be a blatant billboard for anything or anyone. #1 is a pleasing design. If someone doesn't "get it" it still works as a design and it helps to weed out who the cool people are.

 

Yep. With design #2 it'll just blend in with all the other joystick T-shirts.

[STE'86]

hi,

 

as a designer myself, i can see the plus points of either design.

 

personally i think i favour the more "abstract" top down design, but really, the red text will definitely become "lost" to sight at anything other than a few feet.

 

to use that design i would either

1. make the text white

2. outline the text and the button with a white keyline.

 

on the second "illustrative" design i would agree with the posters who favour the button on the left position.

 

in either case a couple of additional slogans spring to mind like:

"Real gamers only need ONE button" or "retro gamers do it with one red button"

 

remember your market will predominantly be the over 35s.

 

Best of luck

 

Steve

[Doc4]

hi,

 

as a designer myself, i can see the plus points of either design.

 

personally i think i favour the more "abstract" top down design, but really, the red text will definitely become "lost" to sight at anything other than a few feet.

 

to use that design i would either

1. make the text white

2. outline the text and the button with a white keyline.

 

on the second "illustrative" design i would agree with the posters who favour the button on the left position.

 

in either case a couple of additional slogans spring to mind like:

"Real gamers only need ONE button" or "retro gamers do it with one red button"

 

remember your market will predominantly be the over 35s.

 

Best of luck

 

Steve

 

Steve,

 

Good points here, I agree the text should be white as well. As for the button placement, I'm going to try a version with the cord and see how that works out.

[Pioneer4x4]

I like the only need 1 red button statement. I was thinking of a checklist,

128 bytes of ram - Check

8 bits of power - Check

1 red button - Check

Game On!

[ledzep]

Steve,

 

Good points here, I agree the text should be white as well. As for the button placement, I'm going to try a version with the cord and see how that works out.

 

Aw man, I actually like the red text on the first design! It would force people to get closer to the shirt to make sure it says what they think it says. Good conversation starter, right? About the only thing I can think of, from a design perspective, to change with the first design is to not have the www.atariage.com on the bottom of the top-down joystick on the back. You already have one site call-out on the front of the shirt, anyway, and I think a more accurate/true depiction of what a 2600 joystick looks like from above would be even more cool looking. Minor quibble, not important compared to staying with the red text.

 

Having owned more than enough concert t-shirts and geek/computer t-shirts I tend to like the ones that use more than one color more. I know the button would still be red but the red text would separate the message (only need one red button) from the design itself. Otherwise it will sort of melt into the design itself. It's hard enough to read being that it's in the shape of a circle, at least if it's red it makes that part easier to follow. Look at the preview of the whole shirt itself, that's a cool design on the back from a distance bordered with red around the edge, has a sort of camera lens front look to it with the red button and the red text.

[Albert]

Thanks to everyone's input in this thread, we've decided to go with Design #2, but with some minor changes. Here are some images of the final shirt so everyone can take a look before they see the shirts live in Vegas!

 

 

Here's the text on the bottom, which is hard to see in the above image:

 

 

I'll be sending this off to the screen printer tomorrow!

 

Thanks again for everyone's help!

 

..Al

[Cebus Capucinis]

Looking nice! Eliminated all the problems while still keeping a clean, crisp look!

[A.J. Franzman]

Wow, Al, are you that serious of a C&D letter collector? And here I thought you wanted to avoid being C&D'd, by not using the Atari "fuji", yet you managed to include no less than five objectionable items in that fine print.

 

BTW, thanks for the mention! If you're not joking, this will probably be the first time my name's ever appeared on anything commercial (other than a website).

 

Oh, and can you tell me what that "movie poster credits" font is, and maybe where I can get it?

[+cmart604]

Cool! I picked up a directing credit! Life long dream achieved.

[Dan Iacovelli]

I'm a costume designer must be really lousy costumes.

[Emehr]

I love it! I'll be sure to thank the academy...my youtube subscribers...and my mom...and that old wanderer who inspired me...and my dog...my ninth-grade art teacher...[cue get off the stage now music]

[VectorGamer]

I voted for design #2. I'm not feelin' the new reverse design..."less is more" which is what you had with the first #2 design.

 

Plus, just having a button sans joystick will confuse people...

Edited June 28, 2010 by rmaerz