Given recent trends to 'go green,' and the fact that digital manuals eliminate printing costs, we wouldn't be surprised to see more publishers follow suit.
Given recent trends to 'go green,' and the fact that digital manuals eliminate printing costs, we wouldn't be surprised to see more publishers follow suit.
Reader Comments (99)
Posted: Mar 21st 2011 4:28PM furious said
cant read in the can anymore?
Posted: Mar 21st 2011 4:39PM Dance Mofo said
@furious Wow you are really that small to fit inside the toilet? Not only that but to actually have enough room to read your gamer manual at the same time squeezing out your load?
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Posted: Mar 21st 2011 7:03PM SitriStahl said
@furious Provided you have a way to get internet connection in your bathroom, you can still read them.
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Posted: Mar 21st 2011 8:25PM (Unverified) said
@furious
Leave the bathroom door wide open and position your tv in front of the door..
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Leave the bathroom door wide open and position your tv in front of the door..
Posted: Mar 22nd 2011 11:31AM Emerald fusion said
@(Unverified)
You can just as well play that way.
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You can just as well play that way.
Posted: Mar 21st 2011 4:29PM Ezio Auditore da Firenze said
Goddamnit.
The cases better smell extra freakin' good to make up for the lack of new manual smell, then.
The cases better smell extra freakin' good to make up for the lack of new manual smell, then.
Posted: Mar 22nd 2011 2:20AM OrangeGamer said
@Ezio Auditore da Firenze I'm so glad to find I'm not the only one. NEW GAME SMELL!
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Posted: Mar 21st 2011 4:29PM Hawaii Jeff said
So that means their games will be cheaper now, right?
Posted: Mar 21st 2011 4:40PM BPMOmega XBL PSN Steam said
@Hawaii Jeff
Hahaha, that's a good one!
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Hahaha, that's a good one!
Posted: Mar 21st 2011 5:30PM LaughingTarget said
@Hawaii Jeff
Sure, they'll cut the $0.002 (not a typo) off the price tag.
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Sure, they'll cut the $0.002 (not a typo) off the price tag.
Posted: Mar 21st 2011 4:31PM RasenganFury said
I understand that it helps the environment but I really hope most companies keep the paper manuals. Flipping through the manual and looking at the artwork and if they actually bothered to print it in color is just part of buying a new game for me.
Posted: Mar 21st 2011 4:54PM oOWallaceOo said
@RasenganFury
Well the article only states EA Sports manuals which I think is ok seeing as the controls for FIFA, Madden and Tiger Woods don't really change much between each yearly iteration and any new major feature is usually covered in the game somewhere.
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Well the article only states EA Sports manuals which I think is ok seeing as the controls for FIFA, Madden and Tiger Woods don't really change much between each yearly iteration and any new major feature is usually covered in the game somewhere.
Posted: Mar 21st 2011 4:31PM C1ph3rDivyne said
I remember when I got Black (EA) and saw the extremely thin black & white manual...don't know if any recent EA manuals were like the one in Black but if so, they can get rid of them. Digital manuals sounds like a neat idea to me.
Posted: Mar 21st 2011 5:00PM dudes113 said
@C1ph3rDivyne
A lot of big name companies do that on AAA titles like CoD, Bulletstorm, Madden, BLACK in your case, in order to save money on printing. It's bothered me for awhile now too.
I'm all for cost effective strategies and saving the environment, but my biggest hope from this is a more detailed and thorough manual. I mean with a near infinite page limit theres no reason not to.
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A lot of big name companies do that on AAA titles like CoD, Bulletstorm, Madden, BLACK in your case, in order to save money on printing. It's bothered me for awhile now too.
I'm all for cost effective strategies and saving the environment, but my biggest hope from this is a more detailed and thorough manual. I mean with a near infinite page limit theres no reason not to.
Posted: Mar 21st 2011 4:31PM Jack Kevorkian said
A dark day indeed. The enjoyment of a good manual sometimes eclipses the game itself I say with 100% honestly.
EAs presentation of the original Bard's Tale comes to mind. Know your roots EA and go back on this decision.
EAs presentation of the original Bard's Tale comes to mind. Know your roots EA and go back on this decision.
Posted: Mar 21st 2011 4:32PM WickedCobra03 said
Dumb! I am one of those people who will sit with my manual on my lap when playing sports games the most. A lot of times I will sit down with a new sports game every maybe 3 years or so, so I need a refresher constantly on the controls and such; plus they change.
Posted: Mar 21st 2011 4:32PM Uncle Jesse said
That's fine with me. I think Nintendo might be the only one that still puts any kind of effort or value into game manuals anymore. They are all black and white, with just a couple of useless pages anyways.
They could just make an insert sheet in the case showing the controller/controls though. That would be alright.
They could just make an insert sheet in the case showing the controller/controls though. That would be alright.
Posted: Mar 21st 2011 4:40PM Jack Kevorkian said
@Uncle Jesse Bethesda still makes great manuals. Some of the best in the business. Square Enix makes great manuals. There are many more especially if you look to rpgs.
I hate this!
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I hate this!
Posted: Mar 21st 2011 6:26PM xxxsam said
@Shockwave
'Couple bucks'? It doesn't cost anything like that. A few cents. The total cost of manufacturing a game (DVD, box, and manual) is probably well under that 'couple bucks' by now.
This is just 'hmm, we can make $0.10 more profit on each game sold and probably nobody will care'. They're not going to drop the game price to $59.90, nobody would care about that either.
As for the 'green' credentials, paper is easily and universally recyclable, and non/less-toxic inks are readily available (...maybe more expensive). Plus it's a tiny amount of paper. I really suspect that as well as being the cheapest part of the package, the manual is probably the least environmentally damaging part... so if they want to get green credit, they should call me back when they've changed the box to use cardboard (or at least made it smaller).
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'Couple bucks'? It doesn't cost anything like that. A few cents. The total cost of manufacturing a game (DVD, box, and manual) is probably well under that 'couple bucks' by now.
This is just 'hmm, we can make $0.10 more profit on each game sold and probably nobody will care'. They're not going to drop the game price to $59.90, nobody would care about that either.
As for the 'green' credentials, paper is easily and universally recyclable, and non/less-toxic inks are readily available (...maybe more expensive). Plus it's a tiny amount of paper. I really suspect that as well as being the cheapest part of the package, the manual is probably the least environmentally damaging part... so if they want to get green credit, they should call me back when they've changed the box to use cardboard (or at least made it smaller).
Posted: Mar 21st 2011 6:48PM maveric101 said
@Jack Kevorkian
Halo Reach's manual is pretty nice as well. 30 pages, with full color.
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Halo Reach's manual is pretty nice as well. 30 pages, with full color.
Posted: Mar 22nd 2011 5:24AM LOMDR said
@Uncle Jesse Dead Rising 2 on the PC had a 28 page Full Color manual...not on a PDF file as well. Well, for the Retail version
Though, at the same time, most of nintendo's manuals have to do it 3 times for the 3 main languages. I know Pokemon only has 1 language manual still
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Though, at the same time, most of nintendo's manuals have to do it 3 times for the 3 main languages. I know Pokemon only has 1 language manual still
Posted: Mar 21st 2011 4:34PM andyg8180 said
What are these "manuals" you speak of?
Posted: Mar 21st 2011 4:34PM Emmenthal said
Mass Effect 2 for the PS3 started with this too. It's a shame, as you are losing some aesthetic now when you buy a game, guess I'm a bit old school.
Posted: Mar 21st 2011 4:35PM raeloneq said
Stop crying. We knew this day would come. The hard media is dying and digital will be the new mainstream.
Posted: Mar 21st 2011 5:43PM Captain Planet Planeteer Power said
@raeloneq
Your mom likes my hard media.
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Your mom likes my hard media.
Posted: Mar 21st 2011 4:35PM Softserve said
At some point you have to wonder when they'll start passing their savings on to us... no manuals, a lot of digital releases, etc and everything still costs the same.
Posted: Mar 21st 2011 4:44PM BPMOmega XBL PSN Steam said
@Softserve
Probably never, seeing how digital releases (i.e. Steam) cost the same as retail releases. Despite the lack of manufacturing and shipping costs, the retail price is the same.
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Probably never, seeing how digital releases (i.e. Steam) cost the same as retail releases. Despite the lack of manufacturing and shipping costs, the retail price is the same.
Posted: Mar 21st 2011 4:35PM monkey with glasses said
EA sports games just went to my "do not purchase anymore" list. Paying to play a used game online is low but then you went and added a fight store to purchase xp. Unless I buy xp, I will keep losing online, and you took all the fun out of legacy mode, it feels like a chore. Major fail.
Posted: Mar 21st 2011 4:35PM Saladfork said
This is going to suck when I just want to find out how to duck and I need to go over to my computer, turn it on, wait for it to start up, turn on firefox and THEN read it.
Oh well. Who reads manuals anyway?
Oh well. Who reads manuals anyway?
Posted: Mar 21st 2011 4:39PM Uncle Jesse said
@Saladfork
It will be more likely that you will just pause the game instead of searching it on your computer.
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It will be more likely that you will just pause the game instead of searching it on your computer.
Posted: Mar 21st 2011 4:36PM (Unverified) said
This is bs, the games should be at least 50 cents cheaper now.
Posted: Mar 21st 2011 4:36PM Truant said
If it's digital they could do something pretty cool. Kinda like the new Castlevania where they show the player animating and have the controller inputs...
Least they could do for removing a standard piece of packaging in a cost-cutting move. The "green" reason is just an ancillary benefit for PR.
Least they could do for removing a standard piece of packaging in a cost-cutting move. The "green" reason is just an ancillary benefit for PR.
Posted: Mar 21st 2011 4:36PM ChooChooCharlie said
Considering that the manuals in more recent years could have been a slip of paper with a note reading "See previous year's manual.", I don't think this is really a loss.
Posted: Mar 21st 2011 4:38PM pierogi210 said
So now that they are skimping on the manuals, that would save them tons of money. So they better start charging less for the games. I guess you don't get what you pay for anymore. EA you blood sucking monsters...
Posted: Mar 21st 2011 4:39PM Adhesive said
Maaaaaan first enviro safe cases, now this?
This is sad.
This is sad.
Posted: Mar 21st 2011 4:39PM MiceInATank said
I like paper manuals though! I mean EA manuals are usually pretty crappy, but still.
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