Having a gaming logo that is eye-catching, vibrant, and stands out can help entice viewers and help them be able to distinguish what the logo is. Here are five of the best gaming company logos of all time.
Atari
Whilst Atari’s original logo holds a special place in many gamers’ hearts, the now legendary and iconic logo was created by Atari’s first in-house designer, George Opperman. Explaining the reasoning behind the logo in 1983, Opperman stated that the logo’s letter A was styled to match the first letter of the company name. Atari’s first ever successful game Pong was supposedly incorporated into the logo in the form of three lines. The outside lines of the logo are to symbolize the two players of the game with the middle line representing the white center line. There are various claims about what the logo stands for, with one example being a representation of a Japanese Kanji.
The logo first made its debut back in 1973 and was promoted on various platforms to entice gamers. You were able to see the logo on every Atari product up until 1984 when the company was divided into the console and arcade business. The current trademark owner of Atari is a French publisher called Infogrames. However, there are no similarities between Infogrames and Atari.
Nintendo
Regarded as one of the most recognizable and popular logos, Nintendo has gone from strength to strength, delivering some of the most popular games worldwide. The Nintendo brand relies heavily on their logo as a promotional and recognizable tool to bring in revenue and new gamers. The logo includes a red line that surrounds the name, which has been in existence since the 1980’s. When comparing the logo from the past to the present day, the only differences that have occurred are its color.
The original typography of Nintendo has stayed the same and can be dated back to the 1960s. However, as Nintendo was first created in 1889, the logo was completely different back then. The company’s formal business name is Kanji, which was used as the company logo for over 75 years. Nintendo did not start using a Roman script until the 1960s, which helped the western audience understand and read the logo. It was not until 1982 when the company adopted their trademarked logo in the form of a racetrack, which had its first feature on Donkey Kong, one of Nintendo’s most iconic games.
PlayStation
Between the late 1980s and early 1990s, Sony was very close to collaborating with Nintendo to work on creating a new game console. There was a limited run of 200 prototypes, with the console being appropriately named the Nintendo PlayStation. However, Sony and Nintendo could not find an effective solution for splitting the money, which resulted in Sony departing from the merger and going on to create the iconic Sony PlayStation. The PlayStation logo went through various changes and development before executives settled on the red, yellow, and blue PS logo. The logo was changed again back in 2009, featuring an entirely black icon with an altered typeface. One of the biggest differences was the double-story ‘a’ being changed into a single-story ‘a’.
Sega
Originally founded as Standard Games, the origins of Sega began back in the 1940s. The company decided to move to Tokyo to manage the distribution of coin-operated games. At this time, the company was rebranded as Service Games, which was abbreviated into Sega in later years. There are over 100 variations of the Sega logo, but the company has succeeded in retaining and keeping a basic and familiar design. The first logo featured a black background with white letters and a blue outline. The second logo was more futuristic and modern, with a fully blue font incorporated with multiple white stripes. The third logo was made for both white and black backgrounds, featuring the same blue font, followed by a ‘PRESENTED BY’ in white lettering. The fourth and final logo that is still used today features various animated light trails that go on to form the Sega logo. Popular Sega games such as Jurassic Park and Sonic the Hedgehog are also sometimes featured in the logo.
Xbox
Another popular gaming company logo is Xbox. Launching in 2001, Xbox was designed and created to compete with Sony’s PlayStation and Sega’s Dreamcast. The infamous X logo originates from Microsoft’s first ever console which was the DirectX box. The developers of the DirectX box were responsible for the creation of the Xbox and the logo. The Xbox logo has not changed much over the years, with only a few slight differences such as the color of the cut in the silver sphere changing from green to blue, pink, yellow and red. Other changes to the logo include added lettering, as well as the logo transitioning into all capital letters, spelling XBOX over a white background. The Xbox logo is featured on all its products and consoles, helping gamers instantly recognize the popular brand.
Importance of a Logo
Each of the gaming companies listed must ensure that their logo is eye-catching and appealing to a wide demographic. Their identity is incredibly important to help their demographic spot and seek out their products and services. A great logo can help entice and bring in new customers, as well as being able to distinguish themselves from other competitors. Gamers can be picky about what they enjoy playing and many of them stick to one particular brand, so it is important that a gaming logo is easily recognizable and identifiable to the mass audience. There are many online websites that you can visit that specialize in creating your own online logo, such as DIY Logo.
If you would like more information on the gaming companies listed, join some gaming forums that can give you a better understanding on the importance of a good logo and how a logo can be the key component to the overall success of a brand.
