Barring the occasional collector’s edition, big box PC games are a thing of the past. But one website is dedicated to digitally preserving them, all in glorious 3D. And, thanks to its owner’s efforts, you can feast your eyes on classic game boxes from Diablo to Half-Life and beyond.
Half-Life is brilliant and thanks to the wonder of Steam, you can purchase, download and play it in a matter of minutes. But way back in 1998, when this sci-fi FPS game was released, it came lovingly packaged in a chunky cardboard box.
Even if you weren’t playing it, it’d be sitting there on your shelf, taking up space, reminding of the fantastic crowbar-waving experience that awaited you. And now that even DVD-based PC games are a thing of the past, there are times that I seriously miss that.
That’s where Big Box Collection comes in, a wonderful website that (as reported by Aftermath) preserves big boxed games for all to see. But rather than just putting up a collection of flat photographs, creator Benjamin Wimmer has gone to the trouble of creating 3D models of every one of his boxed games.
Bought Diablo on GOG? Head over to Big Box Collection’s Diablo page, and behold the original 1997 box in all its shelf-occupying glory. You can rotate it in-browser and even open the box’s folding front. Short of adding in VR support, what more could you ask for?
The creases and nicks on the boxes add that extra note of authenticity, you can tell these are games that have been played and appreciated. You can find the Big Box Collection site here and while it has 700+ boxes already scanned in, Wimmer is adding more.
If you’re wondering what made Half Life so great, here’s why it’s the best Valve game. And if you’re about to dive into the latest Diablo, here are our Diablo 4 tips.
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