Do you read video game manuals?

[Commander]

I know more and more of them are becoming digitized, but do any of you guys read the manuals to video games? It doesn't matter if you played them beforehand or not. Generally, I kind of glance through and read about stuff like the characters and sometimes a mechanic I don't understand, but I've never touched any of the 3ds/Wii U ones (only paper). I actually remember Pokemon Blue and Yellow having a full length prologue in them even.

[seki108]

Back in the days where I bought physical games (GBC to PS2), I would almost always at least skim the manuals that came with them.  Some obviously had more effort put in than others, which made for an occasional interesting first look (off the top of my head, the Sly Cooper manuals).  There was usually a tutorial of some kind in-game, so they seemed pointless after a bit.   Only when I had to look up combos in some games would I occasionally looked back at them. 

 

Embarrassing story regarding this:

Spoiler

Just 2 summers ago, I felt like trying my hand at an old PS1 game that I had never gotten anywhere in:  Hydro Thunder.  It was was started my dislike for most racing games and playing it again brought up the same frustrations.    There seemed to a way to reach boosts in certain areas I couldn't get to, and it was near impossible to even score third without one of them.  So, I dug up the old manual from my box of them............and in the 'controls 'section there was a clearly labeled Jump input of 2 buttons. 

 

I had gotten my ass handed on the easiest 3 stages in game because I never bothered to really look at that manual almost 2 decades ago and never did until 2 decades later.  

 

Edited November 8, 2017 by seki108

[FairFamily]

I do but games are evolving by giving better toturials or creating more intuitive UI and stopp bothering with creating manuals. 

 

Silly story:

Spoiler

So I was playing grandia 2 i never bothered to fully read the manual. So i never realised you could upgrade/unlock your skills/spells/perks. After struggling to the start and afterwards progressing through a decent chunk of the story I finally wandered into the upgrade menu and unlocked levelled some skills. The difference was so staggering. In the end i felt stupid and afterwards i started reading the manual diligently.

 

[Wolfox]

I only really read them when I'm confused about something, like controls or mechanics, but other than that I try to learn what I need in the game itself

[Zargerth]

24 minutes ago, Wolfox said:

I only really read them when I'm confused about something, like controls or mechanics, but other than that I try to learn what I need in the game itself

Pretty much this. Last manual I read was Dark Souls', just to get a clarification on what each attribute does. 

[Alistair]

When they actually gave the paper manual with the game, yes, I mostly did. Now they're often digitalized, and I mostly don't unless I'm looking for an info in particular.

[kithas]

Manuals like "controls, options and tutorials" rarely, if not never. Manuals like quides (for saying, where to find this item, how to complete this quest/puzzle), yes.

[Candy]

Getting games was a luxury for me, given that my parents didn't believe in wasting time playing video games. So when I would get a much coveted game, I would play it (of course with a 2 hour limit) and be so excited that I would read the manual multiple times xD Now that I'm not with my parents (but still don't have money to buy games with manuals) I guess I won't be reading them more than once haha

[FairFamily]

2 hours ago, Zargerth said:

Pretty much this. Last manual I read was Dark Souls', just to get a clarification on what each attribute does. 

That thing had a manual? Fml.

[Godot]

I used to when I was 5-13 then after a while I open a manual and all it gives me is a website or is telling me to buy some other games.

Also most info you used to find in manuals like instructions, plot summaries, tips and tricks, character bios, etc are either now put in game or can be found online.

[Maelstrom]

I always read the manuals. They used to have cool art and explained the tricks you could do and they usually pumped me up to play the game. as far as the digital 3DS manuals and stuff, they're just absolutely garbage to look at and look through. I miss having manuals.

[Panduzzy]

When i was younger, i used to read em for any tips & tricks i could get out of them, plus the design were usually nice to look at but nowadays the internet has pretty much made em obsolete.

[DiLimiter]

I remember vaguely skimming through them if I found the game interesting enough. Nowadays I hardly have the time to play video games at all so I don't even bother trying to read any manuals even if they have one, which seems to be becoming a rarity. Still! Sometimes the manuals had some neat stuff in them. 

[NatJones]

Considering I'll read anything I can get my hands on, I've never read a game manual, I'd play the game and if I couldn't figure it out I'd rage quit and sulk for a while haha

[Megarai111]

I used to read manuals all the time when I was younger and when I got my hands on printed versions. Nowadays, I often don't bother with them or simply forget about them, especially when they're digitalized. I remember enjoying flipping through the manuals that came with new Pokemon games because I loved how it got me hyped for what I would find in the game. Nowadays, I have the internet to get me hyped for such things.

[Shamitako]

Lol nope. Psure the only manual I've opened is Xenoblade X, due to the severe lack of in-game info and the ease of accessing it from within the game.