Mourning the death of the manual.

[Quindiana Jones]

The manual found on the inside cover was once a precious thing. Filled with backstory and explanations of everything in the game from controls to characters, weapons to wildlife, terrain to tuh-raining tips. However, in recent years, these manuals seem to have gone on a diet.

Discussing what a tragedy this new fad is and how everyone who supports it is a filthy vagabond. Also feel free to discuss your favourite and least favourite manuals or any particularly special times you've had with them. If you have never read the manuals, die.

[I Don't Need A Name]

I remember the disappointment upon opening Gears of War 3 to find just a piece of paper. My housemate was tempted to return it on principle alone.

[Slothy]

The FFVI manual is tattered and worn. Held together by staples which strain to do the job of maintaining order and discipline amongst pages who've long since passed from bright eyed and firm bodied youth and succumbed to the rigors of time and old age. They refuse to waiver in their duty, though the pages sag and are filled with the wrinkles and folds which belie their years of use. The cover is long since lost, but those pages hold. They know their purpose and they fulfill their responsibilities so long as they still hold the message they were entrusted to give to whoever made the effort to open them.

Small hands held and turned those pages before dark brown eyes filled with wonder at what secrets could be discovered within. Eyes which looked on the works they contained with the wonder only a child could muster, following the loose flowing brush strokes that simultaneously defined the characters without limiting them. The colours and shades mingling and running together in ways which seemed to have no borders at all, letting them and the world they inhabited flow from the page to fill an imagination with this amazing and complete world filled with characters, places and beasts every bit as wondrous and magical as what those pages tried to convey in their limited fashion.

The hands which held those pages aren't as small now. There's less wonder in those brown eyes. But those pages remain ever vigilant. Waiting for the times when those hands reach out to them, that they may bring some measure of wonder to one who has himself succumbed to the same effects of time and is wearier than he used to be, if only for the briefest of moments.

I miss instruction manuals.

[Bolivar]

There's a few things a game can do to let you know, right off the bat ,that you're about to partake in a very special product of love. It could run in dts audio. It could run natively in 1080p. But if it has a manual, you know you're in for some ish.

Honestly, I hate that no one even tries with manuals anymore and it's almost offensive when all you get is a few grayscale pages telling you how to turn on the system, what the HUD means, and the legal boilerplate. It's mostly the content, as a lot of games that have gray manuals manage to pull out something special, like the comics in MGS4's, or the propaganda and art style of the Killzone booklets.

edit: and Vivi, that was amazing

[Jessweeee♪]

I never know why people complain about this. I've had a manual in every new game I've bought over the last couple of years and they still have everything the old ones do (granted that isn't many because I tend to buy used). A bit of backstory, info on basic gameplay elements, handwaving of bugs or bad design (from dying from running too fast in Sonic is a diabolical trap set by Dr. Robotnik to the Animus 2.0 fixing a "bug" that made you instantly drown when you touched water in Assassin's Creed). And even cute little comics in games like Ace Attorney!

Maybe we're just buying different games

[Pike]

That wonderful feel when you were a kid and you were treated to a new Super Nintendo game or something and you hungrily read the manual on the drive home.

Also: That feel when SMAC has a 252 page manual. I have a copy on my computer. My face when I read it:

[NorthernChaosGod]

I've complained about this to my friends many times before. And what came with this, is the flimsy smurfing video game cases that have holes cut out of it.

Why must they skimp on the materials that getting new games was about? I would always, always pour over the manual of a new game before even taking the disc out of the case. Cheers for making this thread, mate.

[Slothy]

edit: and Vivi, that was amazing

To elaborate a bit more on what I said earlier because I've seen this question pop up on a few other forums lately and have been giving it a bit of thought here and there, and in some ways to address Jessweeee's post; the best instruction manuals weren't instruction manuals at all.

I didn't need a book to tell me how to play the damn games when I was 7 years old, and if I didn't need to have that explained to me then, I sure as hell don't need it now (good thing to since manuals these days actually explain less than they used to in my experience). A good instruction manual was one that realized it was more than just a manual. It went into detail about game mechanics which was never found in the game itself. It gave backstory on the characters and world which you may miss or which might not even feature in the game because of time/storage limitations. It would fill itself to the brim with interesting and full colour concept art, screen shots or maps.

A good instruction manual was as much about exploring the game as the actual game was, and it was made with the same level of care. It's hard to remember the really good ones now since I've lost so many over the years, but manuals like that found in FFVI, A Link to the Past, or Illusion of Gaia (with the freaking strategy guide included in the manual), SMAC, Starcraft, etc. understood it. The manual isn't just there to tell you how to play, or to serve as a gateway to the game world, it's a reference and a companion. It's where you go when you want to learn more about just about anything. It's the book you flip open while playing and wear out through overuse.

The only thing that's really comparable these days is the modern strategy guide, but people who don't understand why some of us miss good manuals need to realize that they were like miniature versions of the strategy guides you'll find on shelves today. All of the things I grew to love about strategy guides starting with the PSX and carrying on into later console generations were the things I loved about those rare few manuals included right there in the packaging during the NES and SNES days.

In fact, I almost have to wonder if strategy guides may have killed the instruction manual as some of us knew it.

EDIT:I also want to point out that with the exception, perhaps, of the Cat in the Hat, I've read the manual for FFVI cover to cover more times than any book ever written. I took that thing with me everywhere in my bookbag to read when the mood struck me.

[Quindiana Jones]

I never know why people complain about this. I've had a manual in every new game I've bought over the last couple of years and they still have everything the old ones do (granted that isn't many because I tend to buy used). A bit of backstory, info on basic gameplay elements, handwaving of bugs or bad design (from dying from running too fast in Sonic is a diabolical trap set by Dr. Robotnik to the Animus 2.0 fixing a "bug" that made you instantly drown when you touched water in Assassin's Creed). And even cute little comics in games like Ace Attorney!

Maybe we're just buying different games

Hm. Right, well... you don't deserve death, but still... I know! Experience a minor injury.

[Jessweeee♪]

Well I just got a paper cut when I went to go file away passport copies so I hope you're happy :<

[Quindiana Jones]

Extremely. As I used to say, I'm like God, but better. So now you know not to cross me. :sternfaceofdivineauthority:

[Vyk]

The Complete versions of the Lunar games. 200 page full color art/strategy/backstory/character descriptions. Beautiful. And leather-bound. With cloth maps and jewelry. Working Designs knew how to pack their products properly

[Bolivar]

Maybe we're just buying different games

Yes we are.

[Sephex]

I'm in the middle on this topic. On one hand, I will miss the more elaborate manuals that actually had even the smallest amount of effort. On the other, this is kind of how I don't understand why people get so hung up on box art. I ultimately care what is on the disc, cart, file, etc.

That said, Vivi22's original post was quite good and heartfelt.

[Iceglow]

The initiative was led by EA amongst other game developers, Activision being another major one. Basically the idea was to put tutorials and introductions on the disc and cut the manual out since the publishing costs drove the average production cost up and also generated a lot higher carbon footprint for each game made. Same goes with the boxes with the "holes" in them, they use something like 60% less plastic than the old solid panel cases. In some situations the new eco boxes have been put to good design use. I recall opening my first 3DS title to find that in the "windows" of the holes in the box were little pieces of artwork, that was pretty awesome tbf and still is. Other situations you end up with a eco case which is boring and basically shows a white and green checker board.

I still miss the manuals though, I would always enjoy reading them. I remember Civ 2 had a massively huge manual as well as SMAC and would literally work as a reference for if you forgot what techs led to what. etc.