EA ceases production of game manuals

[cimerians]

The end.

 

Well, I havent really been into instruction manuals the last 10 years mainly because they have been really poorly done. But I still like them and they are a part of video game history. I love my Atari 2600 manuals.

 

Another part of our past bites the dust. At least as far EA is concerned.

 

Just goes to show how they utterly don't give a shit.

 

"Lets go green"....forget about the plastic boxes. Those damn recyclable paper manuals (which they CAN do) are the cause for all the earth grief!!!!!

 

What utter bullcrap.

Edited March 23, 2011 by cimerians

[HatefulGravey]

The end.

"Lets go green"....forget about the plastic boxes. Those damn recyclable paper manuals (which they CAN do) are the cause for all the earth grief!!!!!

 

What utter bullcrap.

 

Hey hold on now, don't give them any reason to stop using plastic to package the games. The boxes games are in are already pretty flimsy as it is. Better then card board, but the games are disks now and that is a game changer.

 

The story here is more about being cheap, not going green. Imagine the money they are saving not printing those manuals.

 

I think this is stupid and a sign of the way things are going to be. This is another step toward download only games.

 

I just wish they would cut the cost to the buyer when they cut the cost to the producer like this. They spend less, we spend the same. That is going to be the way of it when it all goes download too. They don't have to make a label, print the books or cover art, create a disk, ship anything, and we still pay $60+ a game. I'm afriad we need to get used to all of this.

 

Also, Ubi Soft has been doing this for a while, EA just jumped on a band wagon thats been rolling.

[cimerians]

I remember Ubi stopping it, now it will be Activisions turn.....

 

What I also find totally wrong is that they cut out the manual ("to go green")

but are willing to still produce empty plastic boxes for display at Gamestop and retailers for download only games.

Edited March 23, 2011 by cimerians

[Lord Helmet]

I haven't looked at a manual since the PS1 era, so I have no problem with this at all.

[Rex Dart]

With all the forced tutorials in modern crapfest games, why include a manual? I liked manuals back when they were worthwhile, too... but now they kinda aren't and I won't miss what currently passes for 'em.

[A_Locomotive]

Modern manuals aren't any good anyway so I don't really care personally. Used to be they included enemy and weapon lists, detailed back stores, hints and a bunch of other cool things. Now a days they are nothing more then 1 or 2 pages telling you what the buttons do with zero depth and then 4 or 5 pages of game credits and seizure warnings, so honestly I could care less.

[xg4bx]

I think nintendo could stand to do this, their manuals are the size of a phonebook.

[Tr3vor]

BOOOOOO!

 

Why? when I open a game, I feel like I just bought something worthwhile if there is a big fat jucy instruction manual in it. I like Fallout 3 and Uncharted's manuals, almost the thickest I've seen in this current gen. MW2's manual was the most disgusting waste of one piece of paper. basically it says F U to the new players

[+HatNJ]

I say BOOO as well Yes some of the modern manuals are crap But I like reading them or having a page turned out so I can refer to the controller layout

 

going green my ass its the green in their wallets is the concern

[Mord]

I say BOOO as well Yes some of the modern manuals are crap But I like reading them or having a page turned out so I can refer to the controller layout

 

going green my ass its the green in their wallets is the concern

 

Additionally, doing the manuals like crap was the publisher's fault to begin with. I hope they didn't actually say "Well we're doing a crappy job at it anyway to save money, so let's just let you do without."

 

Personally I find manuals, when they're done properly, very useful for figuring out things in games when you're unable to check the in-game reference material. ie: during a battle for instance.

[Koopa64]

I think nintendo could stand to do this, their manuals are the size of a phonebook.

 

Are you kidding? Nintendo makes some of the highest quality manuals in the industry today (at least they are COLOR) and you want them to stop doing that? Screw you man.

[+HatNJ]

I think nintendo could stand to do this, their manuals are the size of a phonebook.

 

Are you kidding? Nintendo makes some of the highest quality manuals in the industry today (at least they are COLOR) and you want them to stop doing that? Screw you man.

 

Here Here ! Next to the old Atari Manuals Ninendo's were/are the nicest to read through mainly cuz they are color and for the most part well written.

[+bennybingo]

I hate to say it, but it is pretty obvious that it won't be long (probably with the next gen consoles) before we get NO tangible product at all. Everything is quickly marching towards the world of DLC. A world where we truly own NOTHING!!! You download the content and it will be playable until the publisher just shuts down the servers supporting it. I am really disgusted with this trend in gaming.

 

Old school games were full of impressive box/instruction/cart artwork. Some of the cartridges were works of art themselves with cool shapes and colors making them unique. Now, all we get is a plastic DVD case with a DVD and a slip sheet in it. Soon, even this will go the way of the Dodo. So sad...

 

Maybe a developer will recognize the entirety of the gaming culture and do something about this, but I think this has already jumped the shark. It's all about profits, and DLC is certainly a way to get lots more profit and get it fast.

 

Bummer.

 

{SIDE NOTE - I loved it as a kid when I got a new Atari game and it came with a cool box, cool cart, cool manual and usually a catalog of upcoming titles that I would drool over for hours...now that is what I call marketing your brand!}

 

{SIDE SIDE NOTE - Also, let's not forget the Atari comics that were in with some of the games!!!}

[TheGameCollector]

Yeah hopefully this will just be the crappy companies doing this to their games. All you have to do is support the companies you like anyway. The last EA game I really appreciated was 007: The World Is Not Enough for Nintendo 64, and to me The Sims: Bustin' Out was ok but I never really got into it. I don't see any other newer EA games in my collection so I'm not concerned. I will be disappointed if Activision or Atari follow suit though because I am usually enjoying their respective comic book and anime licensed character games (X-Men and Dragonball especially).

[xg4bx]

I think nintendo could stand to do this, their manuals are the size of a phonebook.

 

Are you kidding? Nintendo makes some of the highest quality manuals in the industry today (at least they are COLOR) and you want them to stop doing that? Screw you man.

 

I didn't say they were shitty quality, they just really don't need to include a dozen warning slips and whatnot in the package alongside their instruction manual which is divided into every language under the sun. They just love to waste paper.

[+HammR25]

Darn, they're going to discontinue something that was only relevant when they included printed instructions because game code was at a premium so they couldn't afford to put in tutorials or customizable control schemes.

[Vic George 2K3]

Expect tutorials to be more common with game manuals becoming a thing of the past.

[Emehr]

I'm sure they've been planning this for a long time now.

 

Steps for weening players off manuals:

1. Include tutorials to give players less incentive to even look at the manual.

2. Decrease production values for manual, the players shouldn't be looking at them now anyway.

3. Wait.

4. Announce the end of manuals. By now, players have become accustomed to in-game instruction and the lack of content in paper manuals so they won't care.

5. Muah-ha-ha-ha

Edited March 24, 2011 by Emehr

[cimerians]

I'm sure they've been planning this for a long time now.

 

Steps for weening players off manuals:

1. Include tutorials to give players less incentive to even look at the manual.

2. Decrease production values for manual, the players shouldn't be looking at them now anyway.

3. Wait.

4. Announce the end of manuals. By now, players have become accustomed to in-game instruction and the lack of content in paper manuals so they won't care.

5. Muah-ha-ha-ha

 

 

My thoughts exactly.

 

They pretty much weened us off of them. Oh well.

 

I guess we will be left to collect boxes and then maybe nothing? Just a download?

 

Im a nerd. I'll make up my own manuals and boxes.

Edited March 24, 2011 by cimerians

[NE146]

"We cut our costs so we can pass the savings.. to nobody!"

[Ryanw]

I think nintendo could stand to do this, their manuals are the size of a phonebook.

 

Are you kidding? Nintendo makes some of the highest quality manuals in the industry today (at least they are COLOR) and you want them to stop doing that? Screw you man.

 

For people who collect Nintendo games the manuals are some of the coolest parts of the collection!

[Bilnick]

I rarely look at manuals, never have really, even back to the Atari 2600 days. I looked at the game catalogs more often back then. Maybe I would look at the page that shows the button layout. I will not miss them.

 

I wouldn't mind at all if a manual was just an option when I hit the pause button.

 

I would prefer if games came packaged in CD sized cases rather than the Blue Ray or DVD size they come in now. Just keep the same sturdy plastic PS3 games or DS games are packaged in, just shrink it down.

[SlowCoder]

A cool thing about manuals for some of the old adventure games (generally PC) was that the manual actually played a role in the games themselves. Either hidden hints, or puzzles to solve or keys. And some games actually had separate pieces like rotary keys that you had to use to solve problems in the game. I haven't seen anything like that in a game in the last 15 years.

[nonner242]

Go Green!

 

This is a huge freakin issue with me.

 

I dont care if you dont look at the damn instruction books!

The whole point is as the buyer we are getting screeeeeewd!

 

Dont you feel it?

 

First happend when they said they were going from cart to CD cuz the cost of the carts (mem size) and games would be cheaper to make and will be around $35 for a CD game.

 

PS1 Big box releases were $59-$69 and then hovered at $49.99....hmmm no savings but I get more in my games, Right!

 

Then they made them to standard CD cases..which was fine for storage but I prefered the Big Saturn style. They just were not looking like game boxes to me anymore, just CDs but still not that big of a deal.

 

PS2/Xbox/CG/PC/360 ect.. went to DVD cases, fine with that, but do miss some of the PC games that game in the LargeGlossy cardboard (Amiga Psygnosis style) boxes with maps, posters, big color books. Now pc games are the worse.

 

So now in the 360/PS3 era we are payint $59 a game. On release day I picked up my COD MW2! Haha WTF Its so light? Why does it feel like I can push thru the case to the CD? And it does not look likr the normal gree case it is pretty transparent. I open my case to find a 4 page book. That is printed on freakin tissue paper and B&W and my cases center looked like swiss cheese. Boy did I feel like I got some cheap hong Kong rip off game. It really almost looked fake.

 

Another modern gaming WTF I had was with Chromehounds when it came out. One of the first DLC I bought. A month or so after release the had "special" weapon downloads for mechsThey had extras "ammo/power..ect" to them that made then unique...I loved the game so I wanted them. Just to find out a week later that they werenow in the game. Wait, they said they were DL only... They LIED! And got my money! I called up MS/Sega so pissed I actually got a refund from them. YES I did.

 

Now we are getting rushed games....wait months for updates, if any at all. DLC out the ass. What happened to finished games when I bought them, And I got costumes,weapons whatever when I beat a Boss or game. Or I had to enter a password to get hidden stuff. Now I have to pay an extra $5...$10...$15 or $20 to get it. We should get free maps after a year to keep the gamse popular and people will still buy it not charge me again for playing your year old game.

 

I should get the extra costume for RYU after beating the game on hard. Not pay $5 for it. Whats next, fighting games that come with 4 players to pick from off the bat and you buy the rest if you want the full 32 roster.

 

And just for Squirts & giggle we are also not going to let you play the game with out a internet connection or on another console you have to register your game for that system! HAHAHAHHH!

 

COME ON, Where does it end? REALLY! We keep giving them the support with no fight!

 

Im about done with modern gaming for good. Im sick of the crappy online lag fest. Overprice DLC. And They can delete DLC you bought if they feel it unpopular or whatever so you cannot DL it anymore. So the invisible thing I paid real money for...was never there to begin with...like magic! I cannot trade my goods I paid for or sell them unless I sell my system and account too.

 

Sounds like we win?

 

So, gimme so old Genesis or Atari games any day! Most of the time I have more fun with em. And like looking thru the nice full color books and nice plastic cases. And I have my whole game there with all its included content that I can take to my buddies house or on a portable and play offine forever!

 

I win with the one time payment I got with this game and still enjoy it...and HOLD it in my real hands!

 

Maybe Im just getting old! But all this just really bugs the crap out of me! And I WILL refuse to buy anything modern again.

Edited March 26, 2011 by nonner242

[Lord Helmet]

Soon boxes and disks will be a thing of the past as well. I know this pisses off some people, but not me. I'm perfectly cool with DL only games. The only thing that concerns me is DRM issues.