Poll: (Another) Strategy Guide Poll/Thread... ("Great" you say with a facade...)

[FPLOON]

Alright, so after going through my weekly searching of old threads, this time on Strategy Guides (since I just bought a new one just today... No, I will not tell you for what game, but I will say that the game just came out thought), I noticed that besides the occasional Collector's/Limited Editions, a handful of people usually just go to Gamefaqs or just the internet in general for their guide-like needs...

Then, as I was reminiscing about picking up this hardcover Strategy Guide today, I began to wonder if printing these things out are even worth it nowadays... Now, don't get me wrong, if the guide's been made by the game's publishers and/or comes in that limited/collector's edition, then as long as I'm going to divulge most of my time playing said game instead of always going to the guide for help I'm all up for spending a few more munny on said item... However, if it's just a simple guide (just going from point A to point B in a very linear fashion with no extra content besides that) that anyone with a computer could do and/or doesn't really do the game any real justice (especially if the game has more secrets than you do in your closet[footnote]Analogy may vary by actual closet size...[/footnote]... or DLC, I guess), then it's nothing more than wasted paper, right?

Honestly, it doesn't really matter if they stopped making official printed Strategy Guides or not... I'll only buy the ones that go that extra mile that I could never get by just going to some random guide on Gamefaqs... or I just really REALLY love the game and just want the guide as that physical collectible that I never really asked for, anyway...

So, what do you guys think? Should official Strategy Guides just stop printing physical copies all together? Should only those small exceptions be given that ability to be printed in the first place? Or Should I have just ask how everyone still felt about Strategy Guides?

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I would... but, that limited Collector's Edition is just calling my name... I just gotta have it!

 

[Realitycrash]

What do we really need guides for? Most answers are one google-search away, and the truly important stuff won't be in the guide anyway, because creators have less understanding on how a game work than a dedicated fanbase. Ask me about Total War and I can give you far more indepth answers than any strategy-guide ever could, and I'm just one person.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

I kinda like them. Especially if you can pick 'em up cheap at a used book store.

 

[Aris Khandr]

Pretty much the only game I'd even consider the guide for has an entire website dedicated to all of the information I need, with a search bar. I <3 Bulbapedia. If they released a guide for my Kindle, I might drop $5 on it. But I see no reason to spend $20 on a physical book when I'm trying my best to get rid of those.

 

[5-Feet-Tall]

Physical copies are kind of nice (especially the collector editions - they look good on the bookcase), but with game patches and DLCs, it could get pretty pricey to physically update all those changes; the Fallout 3 strategy guide and the ones for all the DLCs combined are around the same price as the base game. I could print out a guide from gamefaqs with the same info for less than half that price (if I really wanted to). Unless the guide comes with collectible extras like an audio soundtrack or art book, there's no point - except if for some strange reason I was away from the internet for an insane amount of time.

 

[ShinyCharizard]

I don't think I've ever used an official strategy guide. Gamefaqs has served me very well.

 

[Ed130 The Vanguard]

ive got a few and i use them. i tend to find its a pain in the ass having to get out of my game, google something then get back into it.

plus the maps can be exceedingly good. the fallout 3 strategy guide was worth it for me purely for a huge ass map to the subway system

This.

I tend to get the guides (at this point all two of them) for the large maps they contain as well as easy tables for items and crafting that can't be found by a quick google or wikiwalk.

For most games these are not required, Google and the wikis (especially with the Steam overlay) are your best source for information.

 

[Rack]

If people buy them then why would they? For myself I may very occasionally feel that a well written, well formatted comprehensive guide is worth paying for but never as much as they charge and really only in pdf format.

 

[Xukog]

....I honestly did not know official guides were still made. Eh,If people still buy them,then why not I guess.

 

[Miss G.]

I'm just getting the nice Pokemon X & Y strategy guide because it looks nice and there currently isn't somewhere online to look up all the info I need.

 

[WeepingAngels]

I'm just getting the nice Pokemon X & Y strategy guide because it looks nice and there currently isn't somewhere online to look up all the info I need.

You should look at the user reviews for this guide before you buy.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0804161992/ref=s9_psimh_gw_p63_d0_i2?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=1B0QEJTXSY32ZEEEMK16&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1630072222&pf_rd_i=507846

2 1/2 stars out of 5. It is apparently missing alot of content.

 

[Starik20X6]

I don't buy them much anymore, unless they're super-awesome-special, like those (faux?) leather-bound, gold-embossed Zelda ones. Very tempted to pick up that Zelda Guides collectors box...

 

[The_Echo]

I like strategy guides.

Nobody's Internet is 100% reliable; sometimes it goes out. Or maybe you're away from home playing a handheld game.

Plus, guides are just kind of cool. They look nice and can be seen as collectibles.

 

[Miss G.]

I'm just getting the nice Pokemon X & Y strategy guide because it looks nice and there currently isn't somewhere online to look up all the info I need.

You should look at the user reviews for this guide before you buy.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0804161992/ref=s9_psimh_gw_p63_d0_i2?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=1B0QEJTXSY32ZEEEMK16&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1630072222&pf_rd_i=507846

2 1/2 stars out of 5. It is apparently missing alot of content.

Well, it already shipped, so I'll just return it when it gets here on the 22nd. I could've used that money to order some Papa John's.

 

[WeepingAngels]

I'm just getting the nice Pokemon X & Y strategy guide because it looks nice and there currently isn't somewhere online to look up all the info I need.

You should look at the user reviews for this guide before you buy.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0804161992/ref=s9_psimh_gw_p63_d0_i2?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=1B0QEJTXSY32ZEEEMK16&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1630072222&pf_rd_i=507846

2 1/2 stars out of 5. It is apparently missing alot of content.

Well, it already shipped, so I'll just return it when it gets here on the 22nd. I could've used that money to order some Papa John's.

Hey, Papa Johns sounds good. wanna share a large?

 

[Bad Jim]

The problem with strategy guides is that they are generally printed when the game comes out. Only later does the gaming community start figuring out all the little tricks.