Instruction Manual Idea

[VideoGameCritic]

I think the game publishers got away from including instruction manuals in order to shave a few cents off the cost of games. That's a shame because although some people couldn't care less, collectors value a good manual.

And those are the people who tend to buy physical media - Gamers who want something they can hold and keep. If they didn't care about the packaging they would probably just download the game instead.

I would like to see a publisher take a new approach, and include a really nice, thick, full-color manual. It would be a really good addition to an RPG-style game. The manual could have all sorts of artwork, backstory, credits, and detailed info about items in the game. Fancy packaging wouldn't hurt either. I suspect it would not only drive sales, but would probably make the game a collector's item of sorts.

What do you think?

[Vexer6]

Personally while I like getting physical copies of games over digital ones, I never really cared that much about instruction manuals once I got a 360, so I can't really say I miss them at this point. I prefer learning about a game's backstory through things like collectables(such as the audio logs in Alien Isolation and Evil Within), as to me that's more interesting and effective then just reading it from a piece of paper. Also you usually see concept art and stuff like that posted on the internet nowadays(or it's something you unlock within the game), so there's not much point in putting that in an instruction manual.

You do still see fancy packing in those collector's editions of games, though I personally I think the way game's are packaged now is just fine, the 360 and Xbox One cases both look pretty good, at the very least they're certainly big improvements over say oversized packaging like that of the Jaguar and 3DO or flimsy packaging like that of the Sega Saturn.

[Tron]

Sounds like a great "Pre order Bonus". Lol!

I just got Project X Zone on 3DS. It came in a cardboard box with the regular plastic case inside. Included was a CD soundtrack along with a nice colored booklet with character bios. Surprisingly even with that cool stuff there was no instruction manual. I don't know whether to be happy about the cardboard box, soundtrack and booklet or to be upset that even with that stuff they didn't bother with a manual.

[Verm3]

As much as I love manuals, gaming has reached a point where some of the basics no longer need explaining now that gaming is more mainstream.

While in game tutorials and cut scenes cover advanced controls and story exposition that was previously impractical to put in the game itself (i.e frame based artwork, available space on floppy discs or cartridges etc).

[Gentlegamer]

A game without a manual (and the 'eco holes' in the case) tells the buyer that what you just bought isn't a premium product. So there's no reason to ever pay full retail price, always buy later used for cheap, since there's no danger of missing the manual anyway. Or wait for the online storefront to finish its product schedule and buy the complete 'GotY' edition later... when it's half price or less.

The video game industry is seeding its own destruction by devaluing everything about its products. I guess they want everything to go digital only, anyway.

[Vexer6]

I fail to see how the industry deciding that manuals are no longer necessary is "seeding it's own destruction" at all, that just sounds ludicrous, very people even noticed or cared about the lack of manuals, cause in today's world they are no longer really necessary.

[scotland]

As much as I love manuals, gaming has reached a point where some of the basics no longer need explaining now that gaming is more mainstream. While in game tutorials and cut scenes cover advanced controls and story exposition that was previously impractical to put in the game itself.

Well said Verm. The game itself can now take much of the manuals content.

While I agree with you, I will make a case for manuals still based not on its content.

First, when I buy an older game on GOG, digitally of course, it often comes with downloads of the manual...plus maybe artwork and a soundtrack. So, the industry moving toward digital should not be the death kneel of manuals on its own.

Secondly, good manuals are evocative. The artwork, the story elements, a list of characters with profiles, all help to set up a mood in much the same way as cover art. Even digital books have cover art still...its not really needed either (where once it was meant to catch your eye on a bookshelf) except to enhance the game by setting up the mood. A good manual is like an opening act, or down ticket fights. It does add value.

I am going to include pack in tie in stuff with manuals, like the Yars Revenge comics. Anyone remember the old He Man toys came with little comics, or GI Joe toys had character background cards on the package. These things enhance the value of the product, toy or game.

Look at tie ie media, like Halo paperbacks. That seems to show an appetite for something more beyond even whats in even huge games Like Halo.

[JustLikeHeaven]

Much like developing a great videogame there is an art in constructing an instruction manual. The 90s were the heyday of the best instruction manuals. Many manuals not only told you how to play the game, but they had background details about enemies, original artwork, story elements and sometimes even helpful hints. The best instruction manuals were usually for RPGs because they used the instructions as a way to do some of the world-building and character development. I remember pouring over Blizzard's instructions for Warcraft II and Diablo. Those had some awesome black and white artwork in there. I remember the last dozen pages of the Star Control II booklet was actual a guide/hint book. It had all sorts of great information. Think about that...almost two decades later and I remember the detail of these instructions. I even recall the artist's name for the Warcraft II instructions, Chris Metzen. Those instructions were part of the reason those games left an impression on me.

I think publishers should always try to give the maximum value to their customers. The games cover art should be amazing, the disc artwork should be provacative and the instruction manual should be packed with info. It makes the consumer feel like they're getting a great product. Something they will cherish. Videogames (and other media) are being made to be disposable...consumed by the masses and then on to the next one. Most gamers don't seem to care about the whole package anymore.

Also, I think in-game tutorials are absolutely awful. One of the worst bits of gaming design to stick in the last decade. Nothing makes me LESS excited to play a game than playing through a 20-30 min tutorial level. Videogames USED to have a sense of discovery to them. Developers trusted players enough to learn the basics of the game through trial and error and great level design. I absolutely loathe starting a new modern game...I know that it will be a minimum of 15 mins before I'm actually done wading through the crappy story and tutorial. By the time it's done I'm bored and fighting the urge to turn the game off. Awful.

[Vexer6]

I don't have a problem with most gaming tutorials, they generally get the job done just fine for me(and besides, most games give you the option of skipping them if you really don't want to deal with them anyways), I think turning a game off cause you don't' like the tutorial is rather silly. For me a game's value is determined by how much I get out of the actual game, not the packaging it comes in, and i'm not going to feel ripped off if a game doesn't have a manual. After I finish a game and all of it's DLC, there's little reason for me to hold on to it, after all I need the store credit from trading a game in if I want to be able to afford the next new release that's coming out.

I actually didn't have instruction manuals for games I owned back in my Genesis days, mainly because I inherited most of my games from my cousin and none of them had the boxes, nor did the few games I bought from Funcoland, so manuals are one thing I just don't have any real nostalgia for.

[ptdebate]

JustLikeHeaven,

I think you're absolutely spot on about tutorials these days. Video game companies are so afraid of alienating someone that they shoehorn in often very banal instructions on how to complete the most basic actions (use analog stick to move, press X to jump) that could be easily figured out through normal play.

The Souls games by From Software have really revived that old school sense of figuring things out for yourself, and I hope other developers take note.