EA ceases production of game manuals

[zombiecraig]

Yeah, come on man.

 

A modern game generally costs $59.99.

 

Without printing manuals, they need to knock at least $10 off.

 

The consumer is not getting as much material, but we're paying the same price?

 

How is that fair?

 

Yeah, and now what am I going to read on the toilet?

Edited March 27, 2011 by zombiecraig

[NE146]

Well I guess this makes it easier for the pirates since once they download and burn a game, it comes with the manual this time. Bonus!

[Petran79]

My favourite manual was that of Flying Corps. Except maps and manual it also included a book called "Practical Flying - Complete Course of Flying Instruction", written in 1918 by a flight commander. 270 pages with illustrations, detailed guide and even leaflet advertisements of aeroplane equipment in the end. I was astounded. I had to drop the box because it did not last long but the manuals remain.

 

 

today no game developer would include so many extras except in expensive special editions. As for console game manuals.....they get worse and worse.

[Mord]

Well I guess this makes it easier for the pirates since once they download and burn a game, it comes with the manual this time. Bonus!

 

Actually they'll likely take the "next logical step" and start cutting the tutorials/in-game manuals out of the game and offering it as separate DLC. Naturally, people who buy it new will have a free DLC coupon for it (And hopefully the code won't fail due to a glitch, leaving them with no manual and a scrap of paper and instructions to fork over 10 bucks if they want the manual because there are absolutely no refunds on "used" coupons.)

 

(Yes, things like that have already happened in the DLC world of consoles.)

[SlowCoder]

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.

Yes, it seems cool as long as you don't have a problem with limited downloads and very limited game life.

 

Online companies only allow you to download the game a small number of times. So if you go over your limited downloads due to system problems or getting a new system, likely you're going to pay for the game again.

 

And if you don't have physical media it will be a problem in 10 years when you want to play again, but the game is no longer available for download. This will also have a secondary effect of the games becoming nonexistent in a relatively short period because of the lack of availability of physical media to the public.

 

Neither of these will probably be a problem for someone who just plays the current games and doesn't care to reminisce on the 'old school' stuff.

[vrocko]

Guys, guys, GUYS! We've fought this battle over and over again. I hate DLC, I hate DRM, now the removal of manuals. It just gets worse and worse. We need to focus all of our effort into telling them so. We yell and holler here but it's EA, Activision, Atari, THQ, etc that NEED TO HEAR US! Start writing, calling and complaining.

 

I love my manuals and won't buy most games without them, I do have some exceptions. I use my manuals so not having one for difficult games makes them even MORE difficult. Now EA wants to get rid of them all together. Fine, throw me a bone then and put it on the disc, drop the game price, add something to the game disc that you can't get in DLC.

 

If you are going to charge me the same price for a disc and give me nothing else with it, box, manual, nick nack, whatever, then screw you I don't want your bloody game. Worse yet if you charge me the same price for a game I have to download then I don't even get anything to hold on to, nothing tangible, nothing to play later if the server for the game is shut off. You get my money and I get 1's and O's.

 

We all know what happened to the PC game market. To me it just up and died. Now they want to do the same to the console game market. So I've said this before lets tell them. Screw'em if they can't handle the complaints but hey I'm paying the freaking money give me what I want or get out of the business.

[liveinabin]

This is AWESOME news. EA have stopped making manuals, now all they need to do is stop making the games.

[atarian63]

One more reason not to buy anything EA.

[jhd]

My favourite manual was that of Flying Corps. Except maps and manual it also included a book called "Practical Flying - Complete Course of Flying Instruction", written in 1918 by a flight commander. 270 pages with illustrations, detailed guide and even leaflet advertisements of aeroplane equipment in the end. I was astounded.

 

The Blue & The Grey (I think that was the title) was a DOS-based military strategy game set during the American Civil War. It was released in about the early-1990s. In addition to the manual and reference sheet, there was a copy of the Stephen Crane novel The Red Badge of Courage.

 

Not quite manuals, but in its heyday Infocom included all sorts of printed material with its games.

 

Alas, not anymore.

[cimerians]

Someone mentioned NES manuals. Those were so cool to flip through.

 

Some were weird like the B'C's Quest for Tires manual on the CV.

 

I always liked the Parker Brothers manuals for the Atari 2600 mainly because of Spider-Man and the Empire Strikes Back.