Poll: Do people still buy strategy guides?

[dreadedcandiru99]

You know, what with us living in the Age of GameFAQs and playthroughs on YouTube and all. I know I didn't need them to get through Infamous or Batman: Arkham Asylum, the last two games I bought. (A couple of Riddler's riddles stumped me, I admit, but not for long since GamesRadar posted all of the answers.)

 

[Ph33nix]

nope internet ftw

 

[gunningyoudown]

just IGN it
i do for the hella old games like Super Mario Bros. 3 (yes i still play it)

 

[bue519]

Nope, I save my money for games.

 

[TaborMallory]

I bought a 543 page one for Oblivion for $20. I think it was worth it; it's a bit easier to use than most online guides. That, and I can't alt+tab out of Oblivion to check an online guide; my computer is horrible and I can only play Oblivion on the very lowest graphics settings.

 

[omle]

I try not to use guides, but if i'm doing stuff like looking for 50 golden pies then i'll GameFaq it.

 

[barryween]

I do when I feel like it/when I have the cash.
I NEVER buy the REALLY skinny ones, I like the hardcover collector's edition 500 pages with art galleries type of guide

 

[L3m0n_L1m3]

Nope. To quote Linkara, "I AM A MAN!!!!1"

That, and I have Youtube.

 

[chinese_democracy]

Only for my portable RPG games on the PSP. I dont always have internet handy when I'm "at work"

 

[bcponpcp27]

Very occasionally I've bought strategy guides. They are a bit too expensive now though. Apparently the Fallout 3 one was very helpful though (all 90 bottles of nukacola in the main story).

 

[Nautical Honors Society]

Yup. Only for pokemon. Having a pokedex list is useful and fun. No one is too old for pokemon!

 

[Scrythe]

The only strategy guide I've purchased in the last ten years was for Oblivion (although that didn't make the game suck any less...).

However, there's two more I've obtained as gifts at that time frame. Having said that, despite internet guides and GameFAQs, there's a ton of info you'll never see on an online guide that you can find on a strategy guide.

I guarantee that as of this writing, there is hardly a lick of info on the strat guide for Dissidia that shows up at all on GameFAQs .

 

[thiosk]

The internet wins

i remember calling a Sierra online 900 number for game tips when i was but a wee laddie...

Most strategy guides these days are simple merchandising-- i don't remember the last time a game had me actually stumped.

 

[dreadedcandiru99]

Very occasionally I've bought strategy guides. They are a bit too expensive now though. Apparently the Fallout 3 one was very helpful though (all 90 bottles of nukacola in the main story).

As for me, I only buy guides once in a while--usually for Final Fantasy games and other JRPGs, partly for the art and partly just out of an old, lingering habit. (Those were the only kinds of games where I've ever needed them, in any case. You know, those games with the parts you would never, ever, not-in-a-million-lifetimes be able to figure out on your own. I'm looking at you, Zodiac Spear in FF12, you asshole.) It's been less of an issue lately, though, since I hardly ever buy JRPGs anymore...

 

[Cody211282]

Not really, havent gotten one since kotor 2(got it as a gift)

 

[Crazyshak48]

I've been a strategy guide junkie for a while, but these days I typically buy them only for very large, open world games. The only two I've bought in recent years were the guides for Fallout 3 (which was a spectacular investment) and the one for Red Faction Guerrilla (which was only ok). In most cases I use the internet.

There's also one other reason why I like to get strategy guides though, especially for games I really like such as Fallout 3: I read them in the bathroom or when I'm a passenger on a road trip.

Go ahead and laugh