lwhy?

I did a search for this topic and couldn't find it. I bought a bunch of games on Black Friday and none of them came with an instruction manual. It's been at least 5 years since I've bought a game. The Xbox 360 was my last system and I remember all the games that I bought came with a manual. I always loved reading the manuals before playing the games. The Nintendo manuals were especially great. When did they stop giving you printed manuals with games?

Mike86

Even with 360 and PS3 I don’t think most games had manuals. Most had the little insert with like the cover art and the various warnings. I think PS2 was the last console to have true manuals. I didn’t have the original Xbox or a GameCube so can’t say if they did or not.

fumanstan

I feel like midway through last generation was about when they stopped being included. I never looked at manuals anyway so its not a big deal to me, although I really miss the nice and fancy ones from decades ago.

fujishig

It was also around the time they got cheap with the eco friendly cases which have large holes in the plastic.

The NES era manuals were great, I remember reading through them all the time.

lwhy?

I think the last games that I bought were Mass Effect and Left 4 Dead 2. Looks like they came out in 2007 and 2009 so it's been about nine years since I bought a new game. I'm pretty sure they had manuals with them.

Mike86

I liked the NES era manuals too. They were actually handy to have to just reference controls quick. Plus they had cool stuff like short backstories for some games and a lot of times character/item charts. Some Genesis games did the same.

fumanstan

I think a lot of the stuff that were in manuals just became redundant; control schemes are now inside game menus, and backstory is delivered through better fleshed out stories in the game itself or on websites.

Mike86

Yeah, different time for games. They were fun though. I even would take them with me on the go occasionally just to browse through or whatever.

fujishig

It's not that they're redundant; it saves costs not having to design and print them, probably shipping costs as well. But they're needed more than ever now that I need to wait an hour before my game finishes installing off the disc.

Gideon68

The game controls are also introduced during the intro of the game so there is no need for manuals anymore.

fujishig

That doesn't help, though, when you're picking up the game after some time off...

Groucho

I've been away from Spider-Man for a month, and I noticed that when I fired up the new DLC it was reminding me of some of the controls.

RichC2

Bloodborne has a digital instruction manual in the PS4 menu. And my copy of Cave Story for the Switch has a physical one.

But I think most were phased out at the end of last gen.

Mike86

Some of the smaller labels like Nicalis (they did the Switch release of Cave Story) and Limited Run include nice manuals.

urrutiap

Some newer videogames still do kind of have paper insstruction manuals.

Even some Nintendo 3DS games from a couple of years ago have paper instruction booklets such as Fire Emblem Awakening.

Im 38, an old fart gamer and I miss the good old days of NES and Super Nintendo instruction manuals/booklets. Even old Playstation games RPG games like Legend of Dragoon and Legend of Legaia they have some nice instruction manuals

fumanstan

I'm sure printing cost is there too, but I still think they're redundant. Players don't need to look at them to learn how to play or control the game when it's all in game now or part of tutorials.

The Questyen

They are definitely redundant. They serve no purpose other than nostalgia for older gamers who want everything to be like when they were children.

Obi-Wanma

Even when every game came with a manual and there were no in game tutorials, I never looked at a manual before playing a game. I actually get annoyed at my kids when they pick up a controller and ask, "How do I jump?" or something like that. I tell them hit some buttons and figure it out, lol.

nickdawgy

I remember manuals were good to read on the shitter. Lol.

DRG

I swear there was something I played recently that had the game controls printed on the backside of the cover, which could be seen through the clear plastic of the case.

dom56

The defunct Working Designs that was located in my city make hand down the best manuals for the Sega Saturn. Very colorful and pack with excellent info. Dragon Force is my favorite.

funkyryno

I remember when PC games used manuals as a form of copy protection. The game would ask you a question from the manual before it would allow you to play. The workaround was easy: Photocopy the manual.

Defiant1

Some of my old PC games had a code wheel. You had to rotate the wheels to reveal a phrase.

fujishig

Weren't the PC manuals like really big at the time, not pamplets like console games were?

fumanstan

Yeah, I remember some Sierra games having the red plastic film that you needed to uncover text.

I also remember the Civilization 2 manual being gigantic.