What happens to Game Manuals?

[Yuno Gasai]

I really wish I knew.

I'm the type of person who loves reading through the manual after buying a new game if I know I can't get home for ages to actually play it. If, for whatever reason, I cannot play the game in question, I'll usually flick through the manual as well. I'm not actually sure why I do it - maybe to try and come up with a game plan, or just to get a better grasp of what I'm meant to be doing and why?

I do keep my manuals in their boxes, now. Same with CDs/DVDs. I used to be terrible with that; always leaving the discs exposed, and then just shoving them in random cases if I needed to tidy up. I quickly realized the error of my ways when I realized I couldn't find games as and when I wanted to play them.

 

[Jiefu]

You pull it out on the way home from the store to read it, and then lose track of it. Or you pull it out to check one thing, forget to put it back in the case, put the case back, and it ends up eternally separated from the case. Given that used games on websites are, by nature, fairly old, this gives many chances for one mistake (all that's necessary to separate manual from case) to occur.

 

[OceanRunner]

I normaly read the manual on the way home from town, and maybe at home later for reference, but I always put it back in the box for safekeeping.

 

[MarsProbe]

Ah well, I thought this was going to be a topic along the lines of what happened to the old, epic manuals we used to get with games.

Does anyone remember the manual that came with Homeworld? Granted, that was back in the era of PC games being housed in those huge cardboard boxes, so the space was available, but it was a good, meaty tome as far as manuals go.

They do tend to be a bit slimmer these days, but I still think they serve a purpose. A manula can often tide one over nicely if your taking the bus back home after having just picked up a new game. It's especially good if they at least make some effort with the manual to fit in with the games universe.

I probably wouldn't buy a used game if the manual was missing. I wonder what sort of care the previous owner took with the game wheh they manage to lose the manual.

 

[Blanko2]

I'm the type of person who loves reading through the manual after buying a new game if I know I can't get home for ages to actually play it. If, for whatever reason, I cannot play the game in question, I'll usually flick through the manual as well. I'm not actually sure why I do it - maybe to try and come up with a game plan, or just to get a better grasp of what I'm meant to be doing and why?

haha, yeah same here

You pull it on the way to read it, and then lose track of it. Or you pull it out to check one thing, forget to put it back in the case, put the case back, and it ends up eternally separated from the case. Given that used games on websites are, by nature, fairly old, this gives many chances for one mistake (all that's necessary to separate manual from case) to occur.

true, but manuals arent exactly tomes, usually what happens to me is i open the case, grab the manual and have the case still right there next to me, then i just put it back and there's the manual safely stored.

something i've just thought of that seems obvious now is, probably the people who like their games enough to take care of them (and their contents) wouldn't sell them

 

[Sephychu]

I eat mine. Wholesome knowledge is best ingested.

Seriously though, I do hold on to mine. Came with the game, and they have nice flavour material in them. Or they used to. Back in the OddWorld days.

 

[KEM10]

People loose stuff. And the general public isn't as hard core about gaming than you are. With that said, I thought Good was disk plays fine with little to no cosmetic damage on the disk or box while Very Good or Great included manual.

hmm i see your point, but i don't know, Good, to me at least, implies that it's still in good shape compared to a new one, so that means, okay disk has scratches, but the case and everything is still there, and it plays.
very good to me would be disk has no perceptible scratches

maybe im just too pendantic about how tampered my games can be before i consider them to be just "fair"

http://glyde.com/transaction-policies

This is a good rule of thumb, and a great place to buy used games, dvds, and cds. It is at the bottom of the page and explains in detail where all games would fit. Notice that if it was a former retail the best it can become is Good.

PS: I also did NOT link my profile even though there is a referral bonus. I have a feeling there are forum rules against that.

 

[Assassin Xaero]

Nobody read them so they stopped wasting the trees?

 

[Warrior Irme]

I don't sell back one of my games unless it has the manual, since I really hate buying one without the manual.

 

[Blanko2]

http://glyde.com/transaction-policies

This is a good rule of thumb, and a great place to buy used games, dvds, and cds. It is at the bottom of the page and explains in detail where all games would fit. Notice that if it was a former retail the best it can become is Good.

PS: I also did NOT link my profile even though there is a referral bonus. I have a feeling there are forum rules against that.

... do those guys ship outside the US cuz that ps2 games list is looking mighty invitin'

 

[KEM10]

... do those guys ship outside the US cuz that ps2 games list is looking mighty invitin'

no idea

 

[pendragon177]

I still have the manual for Mario Brothers on the NES. It's in rough shape but I love instruction manuals.

 

[ReservoirAngel]

The people who sell the games on gather them all up in the back room and between their shifts they sniff them for a pick-me-up.

Seriously, you ever sniffed a game manual? Fuckin A

 

[Skorpyo]

I keep my games meticulously packed.

Manuals, sleeves, boxes, covers, ALL are in proper order and are kept clean.

 

[Geekosaurus]

I'm not sure why people would even want to look at a game manual; they're all full of the same crap. I don't think I've ever learnt anything from a game manual that I didn't learn from playing the game. The only exception to this, because there has to be an exception, is the Hitman Bloody Money manual; the diagrams of Agent 47 are just hilarious.

 

[Eumersian]

I typically know where they are, if I don't keep them in the game box. I think it's alright to be advertised as good condition without a manual. It's not about the manual, it's about the game. I always like having a manual, because sometimes I just get bored and read it. Sometimes there's some interesting or funny stuff in there.

 

[Koruzagi]

I usually keep the manuals in the game disk. I usually just read the manual for the sake of reading and not having anything else to do. That and I just like having the complete package when I buy a game, hence why I like buying new whenever possibly (or a used copy that's in very good condition overall).

 

[smashmaniac64]

ive lost several manuals as a little kid and i think i actually have eaten one manual -_-

 

[Atticus89]

I remember when I was little I used to read the game manuals of SNES games my older cousin wouldn't let me play. And I read the manuals for any N64 game I got as well. These days I barely even notice them.

 

[Blanko2]

I usually keep the manuals in the game disk. I usually just read the manual for the sake of reading and not having anything else to do. That and I just like having the complete package when I buy a game, hence why I like buying new whenever possibly (or a used copy that's in very good condition overall).

i know, right? having a game that has all its parts just feels... right.
sswhy i don't even enjoy buying budget games as much (re-releases of older games, not valu-soft type budget games) since they dont come with manuals.

ive lost several manuals as a little kid and i think i actually have eaten one manual -_-

...that... what... was it tasty?
i'm also assuming by your nick that you liked n64, those manuals were a lot harder to keep track of, too, since they didn't even have a case to puttem in, unless you kept the cardboard box, i guess.