Not so long ago, printed booklets were a staple of any game release. If you received a game, opened it up, and discovered there was no gaming manual inside, you would likely take it back for a refund!
However, those days have quickly passed, and now instead of being the norm, getting a booklet with a game is extremely scarce.
This article will discuss why this has become the case, what benefits a gaming manual can bring to any game, and why developers should consider changing this trend.
What is a Game Manual?
Back in the early 2000’s, a game manual was essential to play almost any PS1, PS2, Gamecube, Wii, or Xbox game. Technology had not yet made the strides it has today, and games were much smaller.
Therefore, developers had to get creative when creating their digital worlds. How can you add layers and information to your game that will encapsulate your audience, when you are working to such tight restrictions?
Enter game manuals.Manuals offer developers additional space offline, to add more information, more excitement, and more value to any game.
Why are Manuals No Longer Made?
Unfortunately, over recent years, gaming manuals have been deemed as an unnecessary cost. Despite the overall cost of printing an A5 or A6 booklet being extremely low, developers have taken the decision to take them out of game cases for several reasons.
Most game information is now online, and players can head to any number of forums for insights and advice on controls.
What’s Included in a Manual?
Controls
In days gone by, games didn’t provide you with a clear overview of how to play at the beginning of the tutorial. Instead, you were tasked with figuring out the controls as you go. If your game came with a booklet, that was one of the best places to get access to more advanced controls, which would help you in the latter stages of your chosen game.
If you are ever stuck in a game today, you can simply head online and there are dozens of websites on hand to tell you the controls you are missing.
Information about the game
Alongside the controls found in printed booklets, you could also access more information about the game. This offering was great for many reasons.
For starters, there were not the online fan forums on offer that there are today. Instead, you were often much more isolated while gaming, and had to find information out for yourself.
Secondly, technology wasn’t quite advanced, which meant game developers were more limited in regard to what information they could include in the game before it became too large.
Instead, they could fill in the blanks and help build their gaming world by adding detailed information about the game in a printed manual.
Screenshots of gameplay
Another excellent aspect found in any gaming printed booklet was the gameplay screenshots with annotations. These screenshots helped build excitement for the game before you played it, and gave you an insight into what was possible.
In an era where gaming was much less popular and deemed less cool, aspects such as this allowed passionate gamers to further immerse themselves with the digital world.
Posters and other unique bonuses
Finally, in deluxe versions of games, developers took the opportunity to add even more content within their game manuals. Perhaps it was a code that you could type into the game for a rare item, or maybe it was a poster that you could pull out and put up in your room.
The possibilities were endless for developers to add more value to deluxe versions of their game.
Why Should Gaming Manuals be Brought Back?
Just because technology has moved on, that certainly doesn’t mean there isn’t a place for printed gaming manuals in today’s gaming space.
For starters, similar to vinyl records, game manuals are somewhat of a collectors item. Not to mention the added value that they can bring to a game.
As printed game manuals are now seen as a rarity, any game that offers one to it’s users is sure to garner more exposure and free marketing from game blogs.
Sure, there is an additional cost to printing manuals, but that should not deter game developers, and this additional cost is minimal, and is sure to add more value to the overall gaming experience.
In a time where the market is heavily saturated, something as simple as adding a printed game manual can help games stand out from the crowd.
And game manuals are not the only print option that can be used to achieve this feat. Handouts or brochures offer similar exposure opportunities, as well as a monthly printed game magazine to keep players engaged and playing.
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