Death of Game Manuals & Inserts

[TR0N]

It's a plague for modern video games.Still with in game tutorials most developers don't see a need to have manuals any more.Which can be,very annoying i remember buying mario kart 8 with a slip of paper that didn't list all the controlsThen i had to find a site that list them all  I do miss the art work and etc that came with manuals.Just look at any game that working design publish you won't see that in modern video games any more.

[cr8zykuban0]

It's a slow death of everything physical; they're slowly weaning you off of nice packaging, manuals, etc. so you won't care as much when you get nothing but a download.

But the tricks on them, as I'm sticking to OBEY!

I can agree with you on that. obey will give you great games with manuals. ps4 and xbox one wont give you that. they just getting lazy with the manuals which I think is total crap.

[ctophil]

I have some more thoughts about this topic.  Not only do modern games lack manuals and inserts to make them lighter and cheaper, but they are also made in China, Mexico, Thailand, Indonesia, or somewhere that has cheap labor to manufacture them. The same goes for game consoles, TVs, and other electronics. If it says, Sony or Toshiba, it's not really made in Japan. It's made in China.

If you look at retro games for NES or SNES, they are all Made in Japan, including their respective consoles. I don't have to say much about Microsoft. It's already made in China, Indonesia, or Mexico by default, even the discs. lol.

If you watch the Pawn Stars and American Pickers, products that were made back in the day were very high quality. It would probably last 100 - 200 years no problem. And everything were made in America or Japan, you know, within their respective countries. But the things we get today are so flimsy, cheap, and thin looking. I'd be surprised if they last 5 years. Hehe. I ask you, "So 20 years from now, will there be any classic antiques left in the world with the junk we're making to have an American Pickers or Pawn Stars show? Or will real Pawn and Thrift Shops just throw everything away and go out of business?"

For example, let's say in the future you sell a "rare" RPG game that came out in 2014 on Ebay. You say in the description that it is complete and in good condition. With retro to semi-retro games, you have manuals, inserts, posters, maps, etc. It would look awesome in the Ebay picture spread out like that. But with a modern game, all you have is a cheap case with a disc. *Crickets chirping* Certainly, collectors like me would pay much less, since it's not really a "collector's item." To me and I'm sure many game collectors out there would agree that all those physical objects in a game box adds a ton of value to the whole package deal.

[Medic_wheat]

I am some more thoughts about this topic.  Not only do modern games lack manuals and inserts to make them lighter and cheaper, but they are also made in China, Mexico, Thailand, Indonesia, or somewhere that has cheap labor to manufacture them. The same goes for game consoles, TVs, and other electronics. If it says, Sony or Toshiba, it's not really made in Japan. It's made in China.

If you look at retro games for NES or SNES, they are all Made in Japan, including their respective consoles. I don't have to say much about Microsoft. It's already made in China, Indonesia, or Mexico by default, even the discs. lol.

If you watch the Pawn Stars and American Pickers, products that were made back in the day were very high quality. It would probably last 100 - 200 years no problem. And everything were made in America or Japan, you know, within their respective countries. But the things we get today are so flimsy, cheap, and thin looking. I'd be surprised if they last 5 years. Hehe. I ask you, "So 20 years from now, will there be any classic antiques left in the world with the junk we're making to have an American Pickers or Pawn Stars show? Or will real Pawn and Thrift Shops just throw everything away and go out of business?"

For example, let's say in the future you sell a "rare" RPG game that came out in 2014 on Ebay. You say in the description that it is complete and in good condition. With retro to semi-retro games, you have manuals, inserts, posters, maps, etc. It would look awesome in the Ebay picture spread out like that. But with a modern game, all you have is a cheap case with a disc. *Crickets chirping* Certainly, collectors like me would pay much less, since it's not really a "collector's item." To me and I'm sure many game collectors out there would agree that all those physical objects in a game box adds a ton of value to the whole package deal.

That's where the various CE editions come into play with their maps and such. Sad but true

[ClodBuster]

And then there are those CE editions were the only "CE" content is a code sheet for DLC.

[Medic_wheat]

And then there are those CE editions were the only "CE" content is a code sheet for DLC.

Don't make me vomit with rage

[xelement5x]

And then there are those CE editions were the only "CE" content is a code sheet for DLC.

Sad but true, this is why I love the special editions that NIS America puts out.  Normally they have pretty awesome bonuses and don't cost that much more than the regular game.  Most western game CEs come with digital goodies or a cheaply made ridiculous looking statue and a $100 premium over the game.

[munchiaz]

its a very sad day indeed. My copy of Bayonetta 2 didn't even come with a slip of paper explaining anything about the game at all. You have to rely on the in-game instructions, which i dislike.

[ctophil]

And then there are those CE editions were the only "CE" content is a code sheet for DLC.

Sad but true, this is why I love the special editions that NIS America puts out.  Normally they have pretty awesome bonuses and don't cost that much more than the regular game.  Most western game CEs come with digital goodies or a cheaply made ridiculous looking statue and a $100 premium over the game.

I rest my case.  I do agree that NIS, Atlus, and Xseed Games still release nice special editions.  I own some of them.  But the vast majority of games out there are catering towards the digital era and abandoning nice packaging altogether.  Well, I guess all we can do is depend on that little niche where smaller publishers still love the dying breed of hardcore gamers. 

[Ninja Spirit]

This thing always made me laugh whenever I got Nintendo stuff