What happened to game manuals!?

[Solid Reece]

They got rid of them to save money and cost.

You don't have to pay to make individual ones, and you don't have to pay anyone to write one.

It would, however, be nice if they would release the manual in digital form on the disc. Or, if this pisses the community off so much, why doesn't the community design their own manuals? If Morrowind can be overhauled so well, surely a fan-made manual can be created?

Having a fan make a manual?
They will likely never because they can't publish it like, if it wore to come with the game.
They would be missing color, pictures, with others. All manuals by fans in a walk-though aren't as great as the Morrowind or Final Fantasy manuals.

Last game I got which had a great manual was FF IV Collection for the psp.

 

[Hal10k]

Games just got piss easy .

This. Is there even a need for them anymore in 90 something % of games these days ?

I wouldn't say that it's necessarily because games have become easier; it has more to do with them becoming less obtuse. There's a difference between being challenged in a game and simply not knowing what you're doing.

Easier (difficulty wise), less complex (easier to understand) ... I think games these days are both actually.

Lets face it, it's the age of the "AWESOME BUTTON" and trying to appeal to the "COD crowd".

Call of Duty appeals to mainstream audiences. As far as I know, having your game repeatedly curb-stomp you while defiling the corpses of your ancestors is kind of a niche genre. Even taking that into account, we still have games like Dark Souls that can still enjoy widespread critical and moderate commercial success despite said ancestor defilement. Hell, even Call of Duty can become almost comically difficult on its highest difficulty setting.

 

[Darth_MAM]

Because making tutorials is better and, let´s face it, no one reads manuals. To quote MGP: ¨Reading is for girls¨.

 

[Neonit]

internet i guess? you have manuals online? saving money?
ahhh.... but i remember when i got my baldurs gate 2, with a manual you could kill cows with..... those were fun times, i could play games during the day, and read manual just before sleeping. now you get pieces of paper that are not even good enough to kill flies.....

 

[Another]

My favorite manual was for Neverwinter Nights. It had so much detail! Down to the damage rolls for all the spells! (Based on D&D 3ed)

I remember one time where me and some friends were hanging out and were kinda bored, so we decided to play D&D, but my friend had lost his books, so we were able to improvise a whole campaign using just that game manual and the dice we had on hand.

It was the most satisfying campaign ever.

 

[loudestmute]

I think it's mostly an issue of technical redundancy. Back when space was limited on a cartridge, you didn't really have the room to fit in character exposition or reminders of basic mechanics. And with the state of the graphics at that time, you had to add in some illustrations of the characters alongside the screen grabs so you could tell which was the good thing to jump on and which was the bad. Nowadays, there's less and less need for a physical booklet providing a second copy of everything the game has already shown and told you at that point.

The real reason we don't see too many "good" game manuals is that "good" requires extra effort on the part of the publisher. You're essentially making a small magazine with all the layout and design work that goes into those, even if most of the visuals are concept art or game assets you already had lying around to begin with. In-game manuals, on the other hand, can simply be a large self-hyperlinking text file with the occasional screen grab to clarify (see AC: Brotherhood for a proof of concept). More importantly, game companies see this as extra costs without extra revenue. Name one time you've heard an argument over a game's quality use the manual as evidence in the debate. Name one pre-owned store that will charge less for, if not flat out refuse to sell, a game without a manual. It's easy for the players to notice the incredible shrinking documentation, but at the same time, teams like Ubisoft and THQ have a hard time noticing the effects of a well-made manual on their game sales.

 

[Zhukov]

Developers learned how to make decent tutorials.

Manuals are now redundant.

 

[The Pinray]

You know a thread's gonna be be good when it's first three words are "They suck ass".

It's more than likely a money-saver. Also, they're redundant when the in-game tutorial gives you all you need. But I do miss the days of buying a game and taking the time to read through the entire manual before even putting the game in.

Good times, good times.

 

[KaiRai]

Hmmm i will miss them, like the witcher one that made the bible look like a light read. And when you buy a new game and you get home you just smell the game manual, no only me ok.

Noooo. I still remember opening Medievil yeeeears ago, and just sniffing the game manual like it was crack.

Don't know what they put in those game manuals, but it'd a weirdly addicting smell, no? Like the 'new car smell' for games x)

 

[Sonic Doctor]

shame..they are a really nice touch

like the one for fallout 3 GOTY edition had a really nice little intro...reading that made me feel like this was somthing special and got me totally pumped for the game

I have a feeling you were joking with the Fallout 3 statement.

I just got the GOTY edition of Fallout 3 for my 360, and it is one folded page. It's laughable because it says Vault Dweller's Survival Guide on the front, but all there is inside is two pages, the first has the health warnings and an explanation of the ESRB rating system, and the second page has the gameplay controls and explanation of Xbox Live. The back has the warranty info and technical and customer support info.

Yes, on the second page, it has a heading at the top, "Full manual available at Bethsoft.com/manuals".

But online manuals don't count in my book, because a game should come with a nice manual that is at least 12 pages with some pictures. And I'm being lenient with that minimum.

Game manuals need to have substance, what else are we suppose to do in the bathroom before we play the game. I'm serious, it always seems like with ever purchase, right before a play a new game, I all of a sudden have to go to the bathroom.

It really seems rather dumb with the Fallout 3 GOTY manual, because in the same purchase, I got the fifth anniversary edition of TES4: Oblivion and it's manual is 16 pages, not including the cover, inside page, back inside page and back.

 

[TehCookie]

Perhaps I missed some amazing manuals, but what could they add? Any game that requires a manual for you to understand the gameplay has clearly failed at some fairly important steps in the design.

If you try to force too much information in the game it won't flow right. Things like character/enemy bios, lore of the world or random tidbits about objects and hints/tips should be in the manual. You don't have to read it to enjoy the game, but people who did enjoy may want to see more about it.

Sure some may include end game bonuses that include that, but you can't read those on the crapper.

 

[thom_cat_]

Perhaps I missed some amazing manuals, but what could they add? Any game that requires a manual for you to understand the gameplay has clearly failed at some fairly important steps in the design.

They're more backstory, concept art, character bios... that sort of thing. Things that if you read would add tons of detail to the game.

 

[Radelaide]

A little off topic, but who remembers the size of the original Sims manual? That sucker was like... 100 pages long!

 

[Mr. In-between]

I remember the manuals for the first two Zelda games had tons of cool artwork and really laid out the story for you. That's unnecessary in today's world because it's easier to convey a story in game. It is a shame though, Nintendo's manuals were pretty classic nerd reading back in the day.

 

[Vault101]

shame..they are a really nice touch

like the one for fallout 3 GOTY edition had a really nice little intro...reading that made me feel like this was somthing special and got me totally pumped for the game

I have a feeling you were joking with the Fallout 3 statement.

I just got the GOTY edition of Fallout 3 for my 360, and it is one folded page. It's laughable because it says Vault Dweller's Survival Guide on the front, but all there is inside is two pages, the first has the health warnings and an explanation of the ESRB rating system, and the second page has the gameplay controls and explanation of Xbox Live. The back has the warranty info and technical and customer support info.

Yes, on the second page, it has a heading at the top, "Full manual available at Bethsoft.com/manuals".

But online manuals don't count in my book, because a game should come with a nice manual that is at least 12 pages with some pictures. And I'm being lenient with that minimum.

Game manuals need to have substance, what else are we suppose to do in the bathroom before we play the game. I'm serious, it always seems like with ever purchase, right before a play a new game, I all of a sudden have to go to the bathroom.

It really seems rather dumb with the Fallout 3 GOTY manual, because in the same purchase, I got the fifth anniversary edition of TES4: Oblivion and it's manual is 16 pages, not including the cover, inside page, back inside page and back.

no..Im actually not

its got "Vault dwelers durvival guide" on it, its very detailed, printed in colur and even has thase little retro instrctional pictures

You've left the safty of the vault. What now?[/B]
The moment you exit the Vault, you will notice a piercing bright light. Like a creature of the night, your eyes are not accustomed to the bare sun . Make sure to sheild the retinas of your eyes with tinted goggles. (then it goes to show if goggles are unavilaible, how to put your hands over your eyes to shade them)

like I said an introduction by the Dev's

[i/] Nuclear war. The very words conjure images of mushroom clouds, gas masks, and bewildered children ducking and covering under their school desks. But it's the aftermath of such a conflict that truly captures out imaginations, in large part because there's no real-world quivalent we can realte to. Mankind may have witnessed the horror of the atomic bomb, but thankfully we've somehow succeeded in not blowing up the enitre planet. At least, not yet.

Fallout 3 presents a much grimmer reality....(and it continues from there for a few more paragraphs) [/i]

now regardless of ones opinion of fallout 3..all that effort (and especially the introduction) make you feel like you have somthing special, that what yourve bought is worth it and had some thourght put into it

not like *basic insctructions* USER AGREEMENT...WARNING...LICENCE....COPY RIGHT PUBLISHER WE WANT YOUR MONEY!!!

hence why I was rather dissapointed in fallout New vegas's manual

but anyway..I never read the manual when I was younger..and I doubt many bother

 

[Sonic Doctor]

Snip

Yeah, all that is in the online manual, but with what I said, unless I print the manual out, I can't take it anywhere.

But what you said proves my thoughts on 360 platinum hits editions of games, at least the GOTY ones.

I have the platinum hits edition of the Fallout 3 GOTY edition, it comes with the the game disc and dlc disc, and the leaflet that says to go online for the in-depth manual.

I also have the platinum hits double pack that has Saints Row 1 & 2. Other than the discs, it has a small square of paper that says to go online for the manuals, and a square of paper with an ad for Saints Row the Third.

A month ago I got the platinum hits version of Batman: Arkham Asylum GOTY edition, it did come with a nice 20 page manual, but while the GOTY edition has the 3D experience with the 3D glasses included, the platinum hits GOTY edition doesn't come with the 3D glasses to use on the 3D experience. Luckily, my dad got me a new printer for Christmas that had two pair of 3D glasses that came with it.

Of course the reasoning behind all of it is the price, since all platinum hits versions of games I have bought have all been 20 dollars, that is why corners in parts of the whole package have been cut. Though, I think the 3D glasses with the platinum GOTY Batman: AA was a really stupid corner to cut, I wouldn't have minded having an online manual, if it meant that it came with the 3D glasses.

Boy am I glad I paid an extra ten dollars and bought the 5th anniversary edition of Oblivion for 30 dollars, instead of spending 20 on the GOTY edition which would have probably been sent as a platinum hits edition, and I would have gotten very little extra. By paying the extra ten dollars, I got the nice silver colored metal case with plastic title sleeve, nice sized game manual, a really nice world map on what I would consider fine paper, and three discs(game disc, dlc disc, and bonus making of Oblivion DVD).

So, it never hurts to pay a little extra. Though I wish Amazon would label the GOTY editions so that I also know that they are the platinum hits editions as well. Because in all their pictures, they show the GOTY editions I get as being plain GOTY editions, but when I get them, they are always platinum hits GOTY editions.

 

[Vault101]

Snip

Yeah, all that is in the online manual, but with what I said, unless I print the manual out, I can't take it anywhere.

.

well Im jsut saying..it came iwth my GOTY version of the game (PC..dont know if that affects anything)

I also got Oblivion GOTY which I think may have some with the manual..but also a map of shivering iles (I think) and the standard cyordil

which I like was that red dead redemption came with a kickass map/poster, which was a nice surprise

 

[Sonic Doctor]

well Im jsut saying..it came iwth my GOTY version of the game (PC..dont know if that affects anything)

I also got Oblivion GOTY which I think may have some with the manual..but also a map of shivering iles (I think) and the standard cyordil

which I like was that red dead redemption came with a kickass map/poster, which was a nice surprise

Like the GOTY edition of Borderlands I got last summer, it came with an awesome map/poster.

I was thinking about getting the RDR GOTY edition, but I decided to save the money for my pre-order of the collector's edition of Mass Effect 3.

 

[Nalbis]

Oh how I miss the days of game manuals. I used to love reading them while I was on the toilet or just while bored. I used to revise the Neverwinter Nights manual all the time, that manual was almost like reading a damn book!

 

[Bostur]

Perhaps I missed some amazing manuals, but what could they add? Any game that requires a manual for you to understand the gameplay has clearly failed at some fairly important steps in the design.

I think manuals are/were great for elaborating on advanced concepts. My own prefered way to learn a game is to go through a tutorial for the basics, and then refer to the manual to dig deeper into the game.

I'd say if a game doesn't need a manual for advanced concepts it's lacking depth. It doesn't need to be a printed manual, in some cases an online wikipedia or in-game training courses can do the same thing. StarCraft 2 is a good example of a game that manages to teach some advanced concepts through in-game scenarios. I think it still is handy to have a printed ressource to refer to while playing, alt-tabbing can be annoying sometimes.

The lack of manuals is caused by a few developments IMO:

- Simplistic gameplay easily explained by tutorials.
- A desire by publishers to sell strategy guides separate.
- A move to digital distribution.