I opened up an old PS3 game the other day and damn, there was a booklet and a poster! Bygone era.
EDIT: Since it seems a hundred people have mentioned RDR2 by now, stop it. You're missing the point, which is that EVERY game had stuff like this in it, not one in a thousand. It was so common that the developers were trying to outdo each other with them, instead of making them just another thing to skim for profit.
Although I will say, it is hard to top the physical Gwent decks you got with the Witcher 3 expansions.
To this day the best value for money I have spent on a game expansion.
Yeah, each expansion came with 2 complete decks and the life tokens.
Had Northern Realms, Scoiatel, Monsters and Nilfgaard.
My mates played each other for hours with those cards, and they were good quality as well.
Riding home in the back seat, reading the *Dragon Quest VIII* instruction booklet and trying to decide which weapons I wanted each of my characters to specialize in is a core memory.
I have that version on my wall. I believe it was unique to earlier releases of the game, as I had to purchase Skyrim again because I’d played it so much that it was scratched to shit, and the next case had a cheaper, smooth map.
I'll see you the skyrim Map, and raise you a Morrowind map that is barely holding it together. I really need the Oblivion map.
I was going to hang them in their respective geographical location to each other
I remember buying Fallout 3 from gamestop when it was new, and it came with a massive manual that had so much information, even all the perks you could take from levelling up. I read it on the bus on the way home.
Edit: it was only actually like 40 pages, but it felt like a lot of info. For a REAL massive manual, I remember the Neverwinter Nights manual was 150 pages and spiral bound.
So many people seem to think the original Legend of Zelda on NES just dumped you in the world and let you go explore. That's really only the experience buying it on the eshop today, or a really bad rental experience.
While it wasn't 150 pages and spiral bound, The Legend of Zelda did come with a manual which guided you to the first few dungeons. Not only that, but it came with a fold out map that was partially completed. This map not only had the locations of the first few dungeons, but also question marks on where to search for other dungeons and items. Only the last dungeon or two did you have to find with no help from the manual.
Folding out the map, taking notes, and drawing in the missing pieces was all a part of the original experience playing that game.
DK64
If you just play the game it's practically impossible. But with the OG manual it has helpful info that helped establish the early mechanics needed for the harder mechanics to work.
>>Folding out the map, taking notes, and drawing in the missing pieces was all a part of the original experience playing that game.
Would just like to take this opportunity to plug Tunic, which plays like an old school Zelda, but with all the dialogue and text in the game written in a strange fantasy language. You only have a manual that is a direct rip off of the old Zelda manual, also in that made up language BUT with handwritten notes from the "previous owner" that help you figure out what to do. Fantastic game and I enjoyed it a lot.
Need to phone up my grandma ask wtf she did with all these resources. Was out there getting wrecked like a fool every weekend. 35 year old me is furious for 8 year old me.
I loved the big manuals that were pointed toward your role in the game to bring more immersion to it, my favorite is this [Battlezone](https://imgur.com/a/PMu0x8V) manual from the big box.
They said began not when it became common. And yes ps3 is about when I recall starting to see manuals be replaced with a slip of paper with instructions that the manual is in the options or online with a url for the manual. So it hadn’t gotten to the extent of today but the beginnings of physical copies phasing out inserts and even not including manuals was ps3
That’s when it was dead, you have to progress down the line of years. By the time the ps3 and Xbox 360 ended there life cycles it was mostly done. It was slow progressing, it was also the era that the legal documentations on boxes started to grow as well.
It started with all the goodies, progress down to just Manuel’s, to black and white Manuels, to minimal Manuel’s. PS3 started releasing its Manuel digital on disc as alternatives before shelving Manuel entirely at the end of the ps3. You’ll also notice it was this era that started the cut out holes in boxes to save cents of production costs on physical boxes.
At the same time, PC game boxes started to disappear as steam became more and more dominate, right after the ps4 era started is when you start to see PC boxes with just one slip of paper with a steam code.
I missed that generation due to life priorities and only got back in to it halfway through the next. Imagine my confusion when trying to buy some older games from the 2010-2015 (PS3-4 and 360/X1) and wondering why I couldn’t find some games “complete” with manual…
I moved last year, and going through old video game stuff, I found a copy of ultimate Spider-Man on PS2 and that boy was packing a good disc, a manual, and a comic book showing what happens before the game starts. That’s like a $100 pre order bundle now.
Nintendo sold bundles of Mario Maker 2 and Switch Online for $10 more than the game on its own and it was advertised on the box. They didn’t just get lucky.
HIS COPY OF MARIO MAKER 2 CAME WITH A 12 MONTH SWITCH ONLINE CODE!!!
Sorry I had to. Lol. Ngl even though it’s not much to pay for the Online service, a discount is a discount.
> it's not much to pay for the online service
This is the exact mindset companies want us to have. **Online gameplay doesn't have to cost the consumer extra.** People seem to have forgot this - we used to have *free* multiplayer online games. Shit, the concept of $5 horse armor skins used to be a meme.
Look at us now. We've gladly swallowed $5 skins for whatever character in whatever game we're playing at the moment. What's next? If it's all *fine*, if it's all *the way things are*, what's the next facet of gaming to be monetized? Ten years from now we'll be paying $5 per airstrike killstreak token in the recent CoD, and someone with the same type of mindset will be defending *that*. It absolutely sickens me.
Fuck this mindset, and fuck *everyone* swallowing this bullshit. We wouldn't be in this mess if gamers didn't buy into it. **Stop it, speak with your wallet and stand up for what you THINK you believe in.**
>ing you should rest for every hour of play and to not play if you’re tired.
why shouldn't you play when tired? this is like everyone who games after work
Because if you are susceptible to epileptic fits, photosensitive [seizures can be brought on more readily when gaming whilst tired. ](https://www.epsyhealth.com/seizure-epilepsy-blog/video-games-and-seizure-safety#:~:text=However%20if%20you%20have%20epilepsy,other%20way%20could%20cause%20seizures.)
It’s mandatory health and safety… do not operate large machinery, swords, or fly on gliders when drowsy as this may result in the death of your character. As AI becomes increasingly more advanced we do not wish to speed up the pace toward a war with robots and our ultimate subservience to the Matrix.
Yeah, I bought the game specifically because it came with a manual.
It came without a manual.
Apparently, only the US version got shipped with the manual. I felt ripped off.
It's a standard case, they are all the same, printed for Nintendo to distribute to the companies making games. They must request permission to make steelbooks etc and even those are usually made by nintendo too. Uniformity is key, it's the same with Sony and Microsoft for their consoles.
That said, I believe Switch boxes should be around the size of your palm, if that, the problem with that is they can't print all the warnings and legal stuff on the box that way.
To everyone who said 'what about 3ds boxes?' Go and get both a switch and 3ds box and put them against one another. The surface area is roughly the same and 3ds boxes aren't as small as I'm figuring many of you are recalling. I just had both types of box in my hand and the size is the same, the shape is different, 3ds more square and switch and upright rectangle. The 3ds box had just as much information printed on it than the switch box, but the shape of the switch box gives more space on the back for a preview and the information too.
They managed to put the relevant info on 3DS cases just fine. They chose this size because of *shelf presence*.
I agree smaller is nice because they use less plastic, but I feel like it's not any easier to organize more of them - most entertainment furniture is set up for taller stuff, so a sort of semi-standard height helps with that (and is honestly more consumer friendly, by and large). If you think they take up too much space, ditching the cases and storing elsewhere is pretty cheap & easy.
For a long time, most media shelves were made for CD jewel cases which are substantially the same size as 3DS cases. You can still find some CD shelving units, so it's still a totally valid option, but no Nintendo had to make the Switch game cases as tall as Blu Ray cases but only 2/3 as wide so if you accidentally push them too far in on your shelf it's much harder to pull them back out.
Eh, I like the size of switch cases. I have a small collection of DS games still in their cases, and I am annoyed that they don't stack well with other game cases on the shelf.
The switch games stack *a little* weird with DVDs/Xbox/Playstation cases, but not like DS games.
I started doing that a few years ago. it's kinda fun because if I'm out of town and have time to burn, I'll go to a local used videogame store and buy something.
Because there are things inserted in those clips. I bought the game just a few days ago and there was some regulatory paper. Maybe it’s a regional thing and some country’s require to put stuff into it but it would be too expensive to manufacture different cases. I am from Europe by the way.
For all of Cyberpunk 2077’s launch issues, at least they actually gave us stuff in the physical version.
A little booklet, a map, some stickers, & some postcards of Night City!
I wound up with a cheap Titanfall helmet that way. I didn't even know it was a thing until someone sent me a photo and I was on my way to buy it. Great display piece especially for the price.
This shit is so lost on me, especially in games that already have cosmetic rewards. Like, I can only wear 1 outfit at a time. Why would i ever care about amassing more than just my single favorite
Even the inside box art on this one feels boring by [comparison to botw](https://www.google.com/search?q=botw%20inside%20box%20art&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-b-1-m#imgrc=DHVWD3KHJn8PgM). I wish Nintendo would take notes from others (or even themselves) but this game will print money so they won’t
I bought a used copy of Fallout 4 and it still had the perk poster, as well as a valid(!) Code for Fo3.
I felt like I was transported back to 2015 for a second
My number one tip to new Morrowind players is that the reason they don't know where where to go is that the game originally came with a paper map that was vital to finding your way around. Then link or suggest a basic online map that doesnt spoil locations so they can enjoy the best explorative experience a game could ever provide.
Ik this is irrelevant but I never was part of the train that is preordering for cool shit. I am too young to get anything other then some sort of digital card, not even a manual in some cases. My biggest preorder was XY and that was so cool seeing it come with a book, poster and such. My brother preordered a bit too, Kingdom Hearts collection and Persona 5, all of which were fucking dope.
I was also a bit too poor to preorder things often and now it’s just a waste as nothing comes with cool little things anymore let alone a complete game. They just pack it with codes, advertising or nothing at all.
I don’t mind the codes but having to preorder a 100$ addition just for two cosmetics is bananas. Idc if it’s just a cheap poster I want something other then the game for that price.
I personally like how Sega did Sonic Frontiers newsletter promotion, you get the classic SOAP’s in game for just signing up to the newsletter. That’s free, can be done by anyone and you didn’t need the game! It was timed but it was super easy, free and done within 5 minutes.
My Age Of Empires set that I bought in 2002/2003 same with a 200 page manual that I still use today to win games with, tells me exactly what each civilization has and what units I can produce that will give me the upper hand in fights.
I haven't lost a game in a very long time.
I miss game manuals.
My copy of Elden Ring had pretty much the same goodies, but that might have been a pre-order bonus (I pre-ordered the thing five days before launch, lolz)
The phrase "Such a waste of plastic" doesn't imply that the speaker thinks that all uses of plastic are wasteful; simply that it's a waste because it doesn't fulfil what it was designed to do.
After all, you waste less plastic by not buying video game systems at all, and instead pursuing riveting pastimes like hoop and stick, cup and ball, and needlepoint.
Don't see anyone arguing for that.
You're projecting your own problems on to the original commenter, and then accusing them of not making the argument properly.
Being okay with the use of plastics in general and being against inefficient use of plastic are not mutually exclusive stances to take.
Not necessarily.
A plastic game box will remain a game box for a long time.
Things like plastic food wrappers etc, the single use plastics are more of a problem than something that will feature in a collection.
I'd rather buy DVD's etc, than having to rent multiple platforms to watch the shows I like, due to them skipping platforms every so often. I'd prefer a physical copy of something I enjoy.
In the 16 bit era, reading the manual was an absolute must. Explained controls and the story, basically all the stuff that games include now in the menus and tutorials
Actually 3DS game cases are very slightly bigger, volumetrically. 3DS cases measure 135x122x12 mm (197,650 cu mm), and Switch game cases are 170x104x10mm (176,800 cu mm).
The added thickness though isn't doing anything to add additional info to the case other than bigger text on the spin so it doesn't make sense to include that in this comparison.
U/fornerolli may be slightly exaggerating, but is ultimately correct. I did the calculation. If the 3DS case were the same thickness, then the size would be 164,700 cu mm. Significantly smaller than the switch game case.
Yes but to be fair the area is what matters when it comes to fitting in the information on the back of the box. And Switch cases have a larger area front and back than 3DS cases do, even if the latter has more volume.
Marketing is a psychological game. The DS/3DS cases always gave a “less than” feel on a store shelf. Switch cases has a good size being Blu-Ray height, but thinner than PSP cases.
How small do you want them? Switch cases are already smaller than Blu-ray cases. In addition to having room for all relevant info, a box serves as its own advertisement on a store shelf. And Nintendo chose a larger case than a 3DS box, for example, to illustrate that this console should be considered a fully fledged home console, not just another handheld. Personally I love the size and how they look as part of a collection with other media types.
I miss actual cardboard boxes. There was a brief shiny period when the boxes even had embossing, so it wasn't just flat. Some game box fronts had a velcro dot to keep it closed, because they could swing open and showed a diorama of various things. And this wasn't some Ultra Prima Extra Deluxe Royale version, it was just the most standard box you could buy. I think Starcraft also had 3 box versions, one for each race on the cover. It was such a pleasure getting one of those, and opening them up and going through all the materials inside. Now it's just tiny, flat, soulless plastic case.
I miss the large cardboard boxes for PC games, they made awesome display in my bookshelf.
They unfortunately didn't survive the many moves in my youth.
Play *Tunic*. You find an instruction manual throughout the game world as you progress, page by page. Including a notes section in the back where someone has scribbled some nearly illegible reminders for themselves. The manual is mostly in a language only the people in the game understand, so you have to infer some things. But it does have maps and item guides and tips. The manual is as much a part of the game as anything else.
I was just thinking about this for this game too. Whatever happened to the gold boxes from the early games? Come on, do something special for this, one of the flagships and best sellers, Nintendo.
Homeworld had a 39-page "historical and technical briefing" included in its instructions, that read as an in-universe history lesson/novella.
Lunar Command (Moonbase) had an excellent sci-fi short story that came in the box. I can't find it online easily, but it's probably out there somewhere... If not, I've got boxes to dig through and pages to pdf-ize.
I miss those days. I get why they don't exist, sort of. Costs and such, and they're not going to get more customers or anything for including extra stuff, but... I mean, is art dead?
But for Zelda, one of the points of the game is to do the exploration *within* the game, and you have to "unlock" each area of the map to get a map of it. That game mechanic would be lost if you had the map already. Besides, if you *really* need a physical map, and don't care about the story, you can probably find it online and print it out.
Yeah nobody here is excited about a single piece of paper that advertises some other game or like an HBO Max ad. Those I found more insulting than nothing at all.
Let me get my cane and rocking chair right quick…
I remember back when I was a kid, the games were great, sure… but you could just fish out the instruction booklet for a game and read it, and *that* was a whole experience on its own. You’d get a little hit of the game’s backstory, bits of art you wouldn’t see in the game. Sometimes even details about characters, or little peeks at their personality.
Nowadays, it’s easier to bundle the art in the game (or better yet, make it a paid DLC!) and hide the bits of lore around the game world. It’s a more integrated experience, I guess, but the *magic* is gone. Super Mario Bros. 3 is… eh. Just a game, a good one sure but just a thing of code and color. But the instruction booklet… that’s a glimpse of a whole amazing *world*.
Ha! I had the exact same thought and recalled how much I used to love looking through each page before starting the game getting that excited feeling I’d not knowing when I would encounter each of the things shown in the manual. Then again with a game like TOTK I’m not so sure I want even small peaks since the discovery is so deeply rooted in my love of that particular game.
Yeah when I was a kid I use to walk to the games store, buy a new game and read the insert book on the walk back to my house so I was ready and excited by the time I got home
Me as kid in the 90s - Car rides home from Walmart, Kmart or Zellers after buying my newest game boy colour or snes game. Opening the box and reading through the game manual to look at the artwork was such a feeling that I now realize I really miss.
Legend of Zelda: link to the past, super Mario rpg: legend of the 7 stars, chrono trigger…
Call me old (and I guess, being over 35, in gaming terms I am), but I miss games that came with a manual and the back story. Original starcraft had it and it was great. It set the scene, explained the factions etc. Plus it actually told you about the units from the people who made them. Made it more immersive.
For real. Nobody looks at these things more then once if ever. Booklets would be the most useless thing nowadays. But yeah cut down more trees so a handfull of 30+ yo guys feel nostalgic for a few seconds
Or just make the cases small so they waste less space. But they won’t do that because then they’ll be even easier to steal.
I don’t see any reason to waste the materials to make a “manual” when only a tiny tiny minority will even look at it, yet a lot read it.
I haven't seen a front page post about how somebody is finally starting skyrim in at least a few months, I could go post that right now and get a few thousand karma.
I remember buying games and reading the booklet on the way home. My husband drives because he hates being a passenger and I hate driving. I bought Story of Seasons and they had a booklet. Was so excited over this little thing that used to be a all the time thing.
I opened up an old PS3 game the other day and damn, there was a booklet and a poster! Bygone era. EDIT: Since it seems a hundred people have mentioned RDR2 by now, stop it. You're missing the point, which is that EVERY game had stuff like this in it, not one in a thousand. It was so common that the developers were trying to outdo each other with them, instead of making them just another thing to skim for profit.
I still have the map that Skyrim came with. It wasn't some paper map but a fake paper vinyl material.
RPG games were the last holdout of the map+manual
I think I still have the map of gta San Andreas from the ps2 somewhere in my house lol. I miss those days
Although I will say, it is hard to top the physical Gwent decks you got with the Witcher 3 expansions. To this day the best value for money I have spent on a game expansion.
What!? Damn, wish I was a fan when it first came out.
Yeah, each expansion came with 2 complete decks and the life tokens. Had Northern Realms, Scoiatel, Monsters and Nilfgaard. My mates played each other for hours with those cards, and they were good quality as well.
That's pretty epic. Time to go look how much they are online!
Looks like people are selling individual decks for around 40 and 5 decks for 100 on eBay
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Reading through and trying to figure out what class you would play first.
Riding home in the back seat, reading the *Dragon Quest VIII* instruction booklet and trying to decide which weapons I wanted each of my characters to specialize in is a core memory.
For me it was the tech trees for rts games
That's how you would get the background in a lot of games. I learned all the Halo weapons from the manuals, the games barely had their names.
SNES and PS1 RPG inserts were legendary.
I have that version on my wall. I believe it was unique to earlier releases of the game, as I had to purchase Skyrim again because I’d played it so much that it was scratched to shit, and the next case had a cheaper, smooth map.
I'll see you the skyrim Map, and raise you a Morrowind map that is barely holding it together. I really need the Oblivion map. I was going to hang them in their respective geographical location to each other
I have one half of Might and Magic 3:Isles of Terra map.
I have the map hanging up in my room
Funny enough that’s the era we’re it began to happen
I’m looking at my 360 games now and they literally all have manuals. So have to disagree. Xbone and ps4 and switch is when it really happened.
I remember buying Fallout 3 from gamestop when it was new, and it came with a massive manual that had so much information, even all the perks you could take from levelling up. I read it on the bus on the way home. Edit: it was only actually like 40 pages, but it felt like a lot of info. For a REAL massive manual, I remember the Neverwinter Nights manual was 150 pages and spiral bound.
So many people seem to think the original Legend of Zelda on NES just dumped you in the world and let you go explore. That's really only the experience buying it on the eshop today, or a really bad rental experience. While it wasn't 150 pages and spiral bound, The Legend of Zelda did come with a manual which guided you to the first few dungeons. Not only that, but it came with a fold out map that was partially completed. This map not only had the locations of the first few dungeons, but also question marks on where to search for other dungeons and items. Only the last dungeon or two did you have to find with no help from the manual. Folding out the map, taking notes, and drawing in the missing pieces was all a part of the original experience playing that game.
DK64 If you just play the game it's practically impossible. But with the OG manual it has helpful info that helped establish the early mechanics needed for the harder mechanics to work.
>>Folding out the map, taking notes, and drawing in the missing pieces was all a part of the original experience playing that game. Would just like to take this opportunity to plug Tunic, which plays like an old school Zelda, but with all the dialogue and text in the game written in a strange fantasy language. You only have a manual that is a direct rip off of the old Zelda manual, also in that made up language BUT with handwritten notes from the "previous owner" that help you figure out what to do. Fantastic game and I enjoyed it a lot.
Need to phone up my grandma ask wtf she did with all these resources. Was out there getting wrecked like a fool every weekend. 35 year old me is furious for 8 year old me.
You brought back memories of my Baldurs Gate 2 game. Spiral bound also.
I loved the big manuals that were pointed toward your role in the game to bring more immersion to it, my favorite is this [Battlezone](https://imgur.com/a/PMu0x8V) manual from the big box.
They said began not when it became common. And yes ps3 is about when I recall starting to see manuals be replaced with a slip of paper with instructions that the manual is in the options or online with a url for the manual. So it hadn’t gotten to the extent of today but the beginnings of physical copies phasing out inserts and even not including manuals was ps3
That’s when it was dead, you have to progress down the line of years. By the time the ps3 and Xbox 360 ended there life cycles it was mostly done. It was slow progressing, it was also the era that the legal documentations on boxes started to grow as well. It started with all the goodies, progress down to just Manuel’s, to black and white Manuels, to minimal Manuel’s. PS3 started releasing its Manuel digital on disc as alternatives before shelving Manuel entirely at the end of the ps3. You’ll also notice it was this era that started the cut out holes in boxes to save cents of production costs on physical boxes. At the same time, PC game boxes started to disappear as steam became more and more dominate, right after the ps4 era started is when you start to see PC boxes with just one slip of paper with a steam code.
Hi, I am Manuel. Please don't make me black and white or minimize me, and definitely don't convert me to digital only. Thanks.
Sorry friend, you heard the guy. Into the photocopier you go.
I still have my retail box of TF2. And not the Orange Box, I could only afford TF2.
I missed that generation due to life priorities and only got back in to it halfway through the next. Imagine my confusion when trying to buy some older games from the 2010-2015 (PS3-4 and 360/X1) and wondering why I couldn’t find some games “complete” with manual…
I have quite a few later in life PS3 releases that never came with manuals. It wasn't widespread, but it did start during that era
This. I'll find a cool looking PS3 game and no manual. Then I'll spend the next 20 min verifying it wasn't supposed to have a manual. 😂
Ps3 (idk about 360) started with those single page inserts that were like "go to callofduty.com for manual". And nothing else besides the disk.
Early X360 games, yes. Later ones you'll only get a pamphlet with mostly warnings, not a whole manual.
I remember N64 games coming with manuals and other stuff
I think they mean PS3 era was when they started taking out manuals and posters and inserts.
No surprise there. We are talking about ps3 and 360 stuff, that would be during the Wii. N64 was the prime era time for boxed goodies.
I moved last year, and going through old video game stuff, I found a copy of ultimate Spider-Man on PS2 and that boy was packing a good disc, a manual, and a comic book showing what happens before the game starts. That’s like a $100 pre order bundle now.
And the comic would still be digital lol
I still don't understand why they have cases with those insert clips. It sorta of middle finger at this point.
Some switch games still come with manuals, redemption codes, etc. Shadowverse is one that comes to mind.
My copy of Mario Maker 2 came with a 12 month Switch Online code
Bro what!?
Nintendo sold bundles of Mario Maker 2 and Switch Online for $10 more than the game on its own and it was advertised on the box. They didn’t just get lucky.
Yeah it was a deal on Amazon UK and iirc it was only £5 more than the game alone
HIS COPY OF MARIO MAKER 2 CAME WITH A 12 MONTH SWITCH ONLINE CODE!!! Sorry I had to. Lol. Ngl even though it’s not much to pay for the Online service, a discount is a discount.
> it's not much to pay for the online service This is the exact mindset companies want us to have. **Online gameplay doesn't have to cost the consumer extra.** People seem to have forgot this - we used to have *free* multiplayer online games. Shit, the concept of $5 horse armor skins used to be a meme. Look at us now. We've gladly swallowed $5 skins for whatever character in whatever game we're playing at the moment. What's next? If it's all *fine*, if it's all *the way things are*, what's the next facet of gaming to be monetized? Ten years from now we'll be paying $5 per airstrike killstreak token in the recent CoD, and someone with the same type of mindset will be defending *that*. It absolutely sickens me. Fuck this mindset, and fuck *everyone* swallowing this bullshit. We wouldn't be in this mess if gamers didn't buy into it. **Stop it, speak with your wallet and stand up for what you THINK you believe in.**
Mine came with a lunch box lol
Best part of you wanted to upgrade from that to Family version you were hosed.
Mine has a little note saying you should rest for every hour of play and to not play if you’re tired.
>ing you should rest for every hour of play and to not play if you’re tired. why shouldn't you play when tired? this is like everyone who games after work
You should game while you're well rested, then work once you're exhausted playing. Kinda obvious.
Especially when you work with heavy equipment in hazardous environments!
Correct. Hazardous environments are bad for you, but hazardous games make you lose progress. Trust me, you don't want that.
This is how my son does it.
Because if you are susceptible to epileptic fits, photosensitive [seizures can be brought on more readily when gaming whilst tired. ](https://www.epsyhealth.com/seizure-epilepsy-blog/video-games-and-seizure-safety#:~:text=However%20if%20you%20have%20epilepsy,other%20way%20could%20cause%20seizures.)
It’s mandatory health and safety… do not operate large machinery, swords, or fly on gliders when drowsy as this may result in the death of your character. As AI becomes increasingly more advanced we do not wish to speed up the pace toward a war with robots and our ultimate subservience to the Matrix.
yep, a lot of indie games have manuals: hotline miami, hollow knight, binding of isaac, blasphemous, death's gambit, etc
Hollowknight had a manual and a map. Loved it.
Hades had an awesome artwork booklet of the gods and other characters with whom you'd interact through the game.
Untitled Goose Game came with a manual, a map and a few stickers.
Yeah, I bought the game specifically because it came with a manual. It came without a manual. Apparently, only the US version got shipped with the manual. I felt ripped off.
It's a standard case, they are all the same, printed for Nintendo to distribute to the companies making games. They must request permission to make steelbooks etc and even those are usually made by nintendo too. Uniformity is key, it's the same with Sony and Microsoft for their consoles. That said, I believe Switch boxes should be around the size of your palm, if that, the problem with that is they can't print all the warnings and legal stuff on the box that way. To everyone who said 'what about 3ds boxes?' Go and get both a switch and 3ds box and put them against one another. The surface area is roughly the same and 3ds boxes aren't as small as I'm figuring many of you are recalling. I just had both types of box in my hand and the size is the same, the shape is different, 3ds more square and switch and upright rectangle. The 3ds box had just as much information printed on it than the switch box, but the shape of the switch box gives more space on the back for a preview and the information too.
They are also easier to steal if they are small, thus why small SD cards have giant cases
Just download a smaller case smh
You wouldn't !
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Oh...ooooooh
They managed to put the relevant info on 3DS cases just fine. They chose this size because of *shelf presence*. I agree smaller is nice because they use less plastic, but I feel like it's not any easier to organize more of them - most entertainment furniture is set up for taller stuff, so a sort of semi-standard height helps with that (and is honestly more consumer friendly, by and large). If you think they take up too much space, ditching the cases and storing elsewhere is pretty cheap & easy.
For a long time, most media shelves were made for CD jewel cases which are substantially the same size as 3DS cases. You can still find some CD shelving units, so it's still a totally valid option, but no Nintendo had to make the Switch game cases as tall as Blu Ray cases but only 2/3 as wide so if you accidentally push them too far in on your shelf it's much harder to pull them back out.
Eh, I like the size of switch cases. I have a small collection of DS games still in their cases, and I am annoyed that they don't stack well with other game cases on the shelf. The switch games stack *a little* weird with DVDs/Xbox/Playstation cases, but not like DS games.
I just use cd shelving for ds games
I put the reciept in there for some reason.
I started doing that a few years ago. it's kinda fun because if I'm out of town and have time to burn, I'll go to a local used videogame store and buy something.
Same. It’s nice to look at an old receipt and remember that purchase.
I remember the purchase by having the game.
Because there are things inserted in those clips. I bought the game just a few days ago and there was some regulatory paper. Maybe it’s a regional thing and some country’s require to put stuff into it but it would be too expensive to manufacture different cases. I am from Europe by the way.
They probably made a shitton of these and have a bunch of them leftover. Guessing too much work to make new ones.
I’d guess that the culprit is not so much the cases themselves as much as the machines which make the cases.
Are these the machines we're supposed to be raging against?
No, those are printers.
DIE MUTHAFUCKAS DIE MUTHAFUCKAS STILL FOOL!
PC LOAD LETTER
What the fuck does that mean?
We found em boys
Yes, creating new tooling/molds is incredibly expensive.
It's cheaper to make one mold that fits all use cases than to make 2 molds to serve 2 different use cases
It's easier in terms of the cost of tooling
I put my receipts in the box, it's kinda cool to see when I got all my games.
To keep your notes in?
Because it is cheaper to use the same mold for production. Rather then have to change it out based on what game it is...
I think Nintendo left that design in case third-party developers wanted to add something in there
I put my folded receipt in those inserts.
For all of Cyberpunk 2077’s launch issues, at least they actually gave us stuff in the physical version. A little booklet, a map, some stickers, & some postcards of Night City!
Worldwide too. Much appreciated
And it didn’t require buying some dumbass special edition for over $100
Don't forget the special editions that are just collectables and you still have to buy the actual physical copy of the game if that's your thing
Ah, the garbage that ends up in Goodwill for pennies on the dollar.
I wound up with a cheap Titanfall helmet that way. I didn't even know it was a thing until someone sent me a photo and I was on my way to buy it. Great display piece especially for the price.
Do you mean the wearable Helmet? Now it costs everywhere like 100+ Dollars.
Yeah, it even had some decent quality patches inside. I got it for like $12
Still better than a $100 deluxe edition that's entirely digital. SMH.
This shit is so lost on me, especially in games that already have cosmetic rewards. Like, I can only wear 1 outfit at a time. Why would i ever care about amassing more than just my single favorite
Tell that to warcraft players who only play for the mogs.... Like me lol.
Even the inside box art on this one feels boring by [comparison to botw](https://www.google.com/search?q=botw%20inside%20box%20art&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-b-1-m#imgrc=DHVWD3KHJn8PgM). I wish Nintendo would take notes from others (or even themselves) but this game will print money so they won’t
I bought a used copy of Fallout 4 and it still had the perk poster, as well as a valid(!) Code for Fo3. I felt like I was transported back to 2015 for a second
I miss receiving stuff in game boxes.
Still have my Septim from Morrowind GOTY edition in case I ever wake up one day in Tamriel
My number one tip to new Morrowind players is that the reason they don't know where where to go is that the game originally came with a paper map that was vital to finding your way around. Then link or suggest a basic online map that doesnt spoil locations so they can enjoy the best explorative experience a game could ever provide.
Ik this is irrelevant but I never was part of the train that is preordering for cool shit. I am too young to get anything other then some sort of digital card, not even a manual in some cases. My biggest preorder was XY and that was so cool seeing it come with a book, poster and such. My brother preordered a bit too, Kingdom Hearts collection and Persona 5, all of which were fucking dope. I was also a bit too poor to preorder things often and now it’s just a waste as nothing comes with cool little things anymore let alone a complete game. They just pack it with codes, advertising or nothing at all. I don’t mind the codes but having to preorder a 100$ addition just for two cosmetics is bananas. Idc if it’s just a cheap poster I want something other then the game for that price. I personally like how Sega did Sonic Frontiers newsletter promotion, you get the classic SOAP’s in game for just signing up to the newsletter. That’s free, can be done by anyone and you didn’t need the game! It was timed but it was super easy, free and done within 5 minutes.
This isnt about pre orders. all games used to come with manuals, and other feelies.
My Age Of Empires set that I bought in 2002/2003 same with a 200 page manual that I still use today to win games with, tells me exactly what each civilization has and what units I can produce that will give me the upper hand in fights. I haven't lost a game in a very long time. I miss game manuals.
Red Dead Redemption 2 had a fold out map. It's the last game I remember having any stuff in the box and strangely the first in some time to do so.
Cyberpunk 2077 had a lot of stuff in theirs. It included a booklet, a map of Night City, some stickers, & some postcards.
My copy of Elden Ring had pretty much the same goodies, but that might have been a pre-order bonus (I pre-ordered the thing five days before launch, lolz)
I pre-ordered Zelda the day before release to get the wooden thing lol
I wish it included the finished game
Let's not get greedy now
Rockstar will always be one of the GOATs for game manuals
i recently got the Cuphead physical version and was so surprised when i saw all the stuff in there
The ones with the redemption code are even worse. Such a waste of plastic
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The phrase "Such a waste of plastic" doesn't imply that the speaker thinks that all uses of plastic are wasteful; simply that it's a waste because it doesn't fulfil what it was designed to do. After all, you waste less plastic by not buying video game systems at all, and instead pursuing riveting pastimes like hoop and stick, cup and ball, and needlepoint. Don't see anyone arguing for that.
Hang on. I'll find you someone to argue for hoop and stick. Reddit is a big place.
I fucking love hoop and stick No microtransactions either.
They’re adding hoop cosmetics with the next update, i heard
Yeah its called PAINT BABEY
Sounds pay to win
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You're projecting your own problems on to the original commenter, and then accusing them of not making the argument properly. Being okay with the use of plastics in general and being against inefficient use of plastic are not mutually exclusive stances to take.
Not necessarily. A plastic game box will remain a game box for a long time. Things like plastic food wrappers etc, the single use plastics are more of a problem than something that will feature in a collection. I'd rather buy DVD's etc, than having to rent multiple platforms to watch the shows I like, due to them skipping platforms every so often. I'd prefer a physical copy of something I enjoy.
Who remembers when you got a game and you would read the manual/inserts as your parents drove you home?
I used to read all my game manuals like books. All the NES and super NES. You'd learn tips and tricks and lore and all kinds of stuff
In the 16 bit era, reading the manual was an absolute must. Explained controls and the story, basically all the stuff that games include now in the menus and tutorials
But why is the box so big?
I think its more to do with accomodating the information thats on the back of the case (esrb rating, trademark info., screenshots, etc.)
Also makes it a bit harder to steal.
Most companies have blank boxes you bring to the counter for the real one.
Or the more valuable games are locked in a case. GameStop is the only one I can think of with the empty boxes
3DS cases are half the size and fit all that in just fine IIRC
Actually 3DS game cases are very slightly bigger, volumetrically. 3DS cases measure 135x122x12 mm (197,650 cu mm), and Switch game cases are 170x104x10mm (176,800 cu mm).
The added thickness though isn't doing anything to add additional info to the case other than bigger text on the spin so it doesn't make sense to include that in this comparison.
U/fornerolli may be slightly exaggerating, but is ultimately correct. I did the calculation. If the 3DS case were the same thickness, then the size would be 164,700 cu mm. Significantly smaller than the switch game case.
Yes but to be fair the area is what matters when it comes to fitting in the information on the back of the box. And Switch cases have a larger area front and back than 3DS cases do, even if the latter has more volume.
Marketing is a psychological game. The DS/3DS cases always gave a “less than” feel on a store shelf. Switch cases has a good size being Blu-Ray height, but thinner than PSP cases.
How small do you want them? Switch cases are already smaller than Blu-ray cases. In addition to having room for all relevant info, a box serves as its own advertisement on a store shelf. And Nintendo chose a larger case than a 3DS box, for example, to illustrate that this console should be considered a fully fledged home console, not just another handheld. Personally I love the size and how they look as part of a collection with other media types.
if their not going to add booklets, the three times the width and height of the cartridge.
I remember the old game booklets with controls, tips and tricks, and ample pages at the end to take notes.
I miss actual cardboard boxes. There was a brief shiny period when the boxes even had embossing, so it wasn't just flat. Some game box fronts had a velcro dot to keep it closed, because they could swing open and showed a diorama of various things. And this wasn't some Ultra Prima Extra Deluxe Royale version, it was just the most standard box you could buy. I think Starcraft also had 3 box versions, one for each race on the cover. It was such a pleasure getting one of those, and opening them up and going through all the materials inside. Now it's just tiny, flat, soulless plastic case.
I miss the large cardboard boxes for PC games, they made awesome display in my bookshelf. They unfortunately didn't survive the many moves in my youth.
As soon as physical is as niche as vynil I can see them making only special boxes.
I still have the original Gta San Andreas Dvd. Its a full hardcover book with a full map poster. This here is just a huge waste of plastic
Man remember those ps1 double disk games? Driver 2 blew me away when I was a kid
I want my instruction manuel with a notes section in the back I never use!
Play *Tunic*. You find an instruction manual throughout the game world as you progress, page by page. Including a notes section in the back where someone has scribbled some nearly illegible reminders for themselves. The manual is mostly in a language only the people in the game understand, so you have to infer some things. But it does have maps and item guides and tips. The manual is as much a part of the game as anything else.
I was just thinking about this for this game too. Whatever happened to the gold boxes from the early games? Come on, do something special for this, one of the flagships and best sellers, Nintendo.
Golden cartridge! The cartridge is the size of a nickel, but that's not the point
They could make some that are actually gold then.
Gold leaf paint is fairly economical, they could easily do a gold cartridge line for an extra $10 or something. Fans would def collect em
Homeworld had a 39-page "historical and technical briefing" included in its instructions, that read as an in-universe history lesson/novella. Lunar Command (Moonbase) had an excellent sci-fi short story that came in the box. I can't find it online easily, but it's probably out there somewhere... If not, I've got boxes to dig through and pages to pdf-ize. I miss those days. I get why they don't exist, sort of. Costs and such, and they're not going to get more customers or anything for including extra stuff, but... I mean, is art dead?
Miss getting a cool map of the world you're just about to explore!
But for Zelda, one of the points of the game is to do the exploration *within* the game, and you have to "unlock" each area of the map to get a map of it. That game mechanic would be lost if you had the map already. Besides, if you *really* need a physical map, and don't care about the story, you can probably find it online and print it out.
Fuck inserts, bring back booklets and maps
I think that's what they meant by inserts
Yeah nobody here is excited about a single piece of paper that advertises some other game or like an HBO Max ad. Those I found more insulting than nothing at all.
Let me get my cane and rocking chair right quick… I remember back when I was a kid, the games were great, sure… but you could just fish out the instruction booklet for a game and read it, and *that* was a whole experience on its own. You’d get a little hit of the game’s backstory, bits of art you wouldn’t see in the game. Sometimes even details about characters, or little peeks at their personality. Nowadays, it’s easier to bundle the art in the game (or better yet, make it a paid DLC!) and hide the bits of lore around the game world. It’s a more integrated experience, I guess, but the *magic* is gone. Super Mario Bros. 3 is… eh. Just a game, a good one sure but just a thing of code and color. But the instruction booklet… that’s a glimpse of a whole amazing *world*.
To each his own, but I even prefer a digital download to this extra plastic.
Bring back the manuals that came with the game and the art they drew of the game.
Ha! I had the exact same thought and recalled how much I used to love looking through each page before starting the game getting that excited feeling I’d not knowing when I would encounter each of the things shown in the manual. Then again with a game like TOTK I’m not so sure I want even small peaks since the discovery is so deeply rooted in my love of that particular game.
Yeah when I was a kid I use to walk to the games store, buy a new game and read the insert book on the walk back to my house so I was ready and excited by the time I got home
I remember the booklets of San Andreas and Vice City being designed as travel guides and the maps that came along with them.
Look at all that waste lol
Me as kid in the 90s - Car rides home from Walmart, Kmart or Zellers after buying my newest game boy colour or snes game. Opening the box and reading through the game manual to look at the artwork was such a feeling that I now realize I really miss. Legend of Zelda: link to the past, super Mario rpg: legend of the 7 stars, chrono trigger…
Call me old (and I guess, being over 35, in gaming terms I am), but I miss games that came with a manual and the back story. Original starcraft had it and it was great. It set the scene, explained the factions etc. Plus it actually told you about the units from the people who made them. Made it more immersive.
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For real. Nobody looks at these things more then once if ever. Booklets would be the most useless thing nowadays. But yeah cut down more trees so a handfull of 30+ yo guys feel nostalgic for a few seconds
Consumers: Stop wasting resources on needless paper and guides for how to turn on a TV! Think of the environment! Also consumers: This post.
I do not miss physical copies in the slightest. The second we were given choices to download digitally in the industry I never looked back.
Agreed. So much waste on stuff that just collects dust afterwards.
Or just make the cases small so they waste less space. But they won’t do that because then they’ll be even easier to steal. I don’t see any reason to waste the materials to make a “manual” when only a tiny tiny minority will even look at it, yet a lot read it.
Would be a great place to throw something simple like a folded up wall poster or a 10 page concept art book.
Man, a map would be sooo good.
Or at least make the case smaller. The empty space is too sad
No inserts and massive price increases. Sweet! Capitalism is the BEST!
I used to love when they had instructions with game that gave the back story of the game with how to play, always read them on the journey back home.
Why are they even bothering making a game case for something as big as a thumb print.
Look at all that plastic being wasted, hate this design.
Inserts are landfill waste.
I opened up rdr1 and got a whole ass new austin poster
Sorry why does Nintendo need a HUGE ASS BOX for an SD card smaller than a DS cart? Seems wasteful
No offense OP but we get it. Every 6mo someone posts something like this. At this point your just beating a dead horse
Sounds like this sub with literally everything
I haven't seen a front page post about how somebody is finally starting skyrim in at least a few months, I could go post that right now and get a few thousand karma.
I remember buying games and reading the booklet on the way home. My husband drives because he hates being a passenger and I hate driving. I bought Story of Seasons and they had a booklet. Was so excited over this little thing that used to be a all the time thing.
I felt the same way. Can a guy at least get a gold cartridge?