Editing Ico (section)

== Release ==
[[File:Ico north american cover.jpg|thumb|upright|The cover used for the North American release of ''Ico''. It has been called one of the worst video game covers of all time.<ref name="poly na cover" />]]The game was released in Japan on December 6, 2001 alongside ''[[Yoake no Mariko]]'', developed by another unit of Sony as a collaboration with [[Spümcø]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-12-03 |title=Jスタクリエイターがファンのみなさんをおもてなし！ ｢JAPAN Studio "Fun" Meeting 2018｣レポート |url=https://blog.ja.playstation.com/2018/12/03/20181203-japanstudio/ |access-date=2025-01-01 |website=PlayStation.Blog |language=ja}}</ref> The North American version was released two months earlier; due to time constraints caused by Sony's planned release date, it lacks the cover art intended by Ueda as well as additional features such as the two-player mode.<ref name="gamespot cheats" /><ref>{{cite web |last=Mielke |first=James |date=October 13, 2005 |title=Shadow Talk |url=http://www.1up.com/do/feature?cId=3144673 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120629175723/http://www.1up.com/features/shadow-talk |archive-date=June 29, 2012 |access-date=November 18, 2008 |website=[[1UP.com|1UP]]}}</ref> Ueda drew a cover inspired by the Italian artist [[Giorgio de Chirico]] and his work ''[[The Nostalgia of the Infinite]]''; it was used for the releases in Japan and [[PAL region]]s as Ueda was able to complete it for those regions' release dates. Ueda believed that "the surrealistic world of de Chirico matched the allegoric world of ''Ico''".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.1up.com/do/feature?pager.offset=2&cId=3143702 |title=A Giant in the Making |website=[[1UP.com|1UP]] |date=September 23, 2005 |access-date=October 5, 2008 |first=James |last=Mielke |author2=Rybicki, Joe |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130306095204/http://www.1up.com/do/feature?pager.offset=0&cId=3143702|archive-date=March 6, 2013}}</ref> Since release, the North American cover has been considered one of the worst pieces of cover art for video games in contrast to the game's quality.<ref name="gr cover">{{cite web | url = https://www.gamesradar.com/12-great-games-god-awful-box-art/ | title = 12 great games with god-awful box art | first = Ryan | last = Taljonik | date = August 21, 2013 | access-date = February 15, 2020 | work = [[GamesRadar]] | archive-date = February 16, 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200216001845/https://www.gamesradar.com/12-great-games-god-awful-box-art/ | url-status = live }}</ref><ref name="poly na cover">{{cite web | url = https://www.polygon.com/2016/10/26/13417522/shadow-of-the-colossus-ico-art-prints-cook-becker | title = Shadow of the Colossus and Ico's non-terrible box art now prints for your home | first = Michael | last = McWhertor | date = October 26, 2016 | access-date = February 15, 2020 | work = [[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] | archive-date = February 16, 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200216001843/https://www.polygon.com/2016/10/26/13417522/shadow-of-the-colossus-ico-art-prints-cook-becker | url-status = live }}</ref> On reflection, Yasuhide Kobayashi, vice-president of Sony's Japan division, believed the North American box art and lack of an identifiable English title led to the game's poor sales in the United States, and stated plans to correct that for the release of ''[[The Last Guardian]]''.<ref name="tlg name">{{cite web |last=Elliot |first=Phil |date=September 17, 2009 |title=Last Guardian game 'named for US, Europe' Kobayashi |url=http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/last-guardian-game-named-for-us-europe-kobayashi |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121217075529/http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/last-guardian-game-named-for-us-europe-kobayashi |archive-date=December 17, 2012 |access-date=September 17, 2009 |publisher=[[GamesIndustry.biz]]}}</ref> For its original release, a limited edition of the game was available in PAL regions that included a cardboard wrapping displaying artwork from the game and four art cards inside the box.<ref name="extrasandico">{{cite magazine | last =Wales | first = Matt | year=2006 | title=PAL Colossus gets exclusive content | url=http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=133500 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080616164309/http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=133500 | archive-date=June 16, 2008 | magazine= [[Computer and Video Games]] | access-date = October 8, 2008 }}</ref> The game was re-released as a standard edition in 2006 across all PAL regions except France after the 2005 release of ''Shadow of the Colossus'', ''Ico''{{'s}} [[spiritual sequel]], to allow players to "fill the gap in their collection".<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/news_041105_icoreissue | title = ICO re-issue confirmed | website = [[Eurogamer]] | first = Kristen | last = Reed | date = November 4, 2005 | access-date = October 5, 2008 | archive-date = March 14, 2013 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130314075458/http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/news_041105_icoreissue | url-status = live }}</ref>

Despite the positive reception by critics, the original title did not sell well. By 2009, only 700,000 copies were sold worldwide, with 270,000 in the United States,<ref name="tlg name" /> and the bulk in PAL regions.<ref name="hg101" /> Ueda considered his design by subtraction approach may have hurt the marketing of the game, as at the time of the game's release, promotion of video games were primarily done through screenshots, and as ''Ico'' lacked any heads-up display, it appeared uninteresting to potential buyers.<ref name="wired influence">{{cite magazine |last=Kohler |first=Chris |date=September 12, 2013 |title=The Obscure Cult Game That's Secretly Inspiring Everything |url=https://www.wired.com/gamelife/2013/09/ico/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130915172714/http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2013/09/ico |archive-date=September 15, 2013 |access-date=September 13, 2013 |magazine=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]]}}</ref>