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[Video Games] Ubisoft First to Eliminate Video game Instruction Manuals

Discussion in 'BBS Hangout' started by yobod, Apr 20, 2010.

  1. yobod

    yobod Member

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    [​IMG]

    Is the grand tradition of colorful video game manuals coming to a close? It is for Ubisoft, as the company launches an initiative to replace tree-hungry paper manuals with in-game instructions for all PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 titles.

    Killing trees just isn't in style anymore, and Ubisoft is taking steps to make sure it does its part to make sure we don't end up with a Lorax situation on our hands by doing away with paper manuals for its Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 titles entirely. In place of paper manuals, Ubi's games will come with extensive in-game instructions, which the company says is not only better for trees, but better for customers as well, saying that in-game manuals have the potential to be more robust, free of worries over printing cost and space limitations.

    Internal Ubisoft numbers indicate that manufacturing one ton of paper used to create game manuals uses two tons of wood from 13 trees, enough energy to heat an average home for a year, 13,000 gallons of wastewater and 6,000 pounds of carbon dioxide.

    Along with doing away with manuals, Ubisoft is teaming with Technimark, Inc. to create a 100 percent-recycled polypropylene "ecoTech" DVD case, which will debut with the PC release of Splinter Cell: Conviction.

    "Ubisoft is often recognized for making great games, but it's a special privilege to be the industry leader at saving trees," said Laurent Detoc, president of Ubisoft North America. "Eco-friendly initiatives are important to the global community and introducing in-game digital manuals on Xbox 360 and PS3 is just the latest example of Ubisoft's ongoing commitment to being a more environmentally conscious company."

    Shaun White Skateboarding, due out this holiday season, will be the first Ubisoft title to ship without a manual. There is some irony there, if you look hard enough.

    Whether or not other publishers follow Ubisoft's lead, it will be very strange to open up a DVD case and not see some sort of instruction booklet included. Where will we jot down our notes? Our own pad of paper? Preposterous!

    We've contacted Ubisoft to ask why Wii titles are exempt from this new initiative, and recieved the following reply from a representative:

    "Ubisoft is implementing its in-game manuals first with its PC, Xbox 360 and PS3 games, and we're looking forward to eventually having all of our games feature digital game manuals."

    My theory? Many Wii owners aren't quite ready to take off their training wheels just yet.

    http://kotaku.com/5520261/ubisoft-does-away-with-tree+killing-instruction-manuals

    Everything's changing. I'm going to miss having instruction manuals. I remember when games used to come with full color instruction manuals, I would take them on road trips or to the restroom to read on the can. Even today when I buy a used game at Gamestop or Games Plus I choose the game with the instructions because I like the weight of the DVD case. Lately the manuals have been 3 or 4 pages in black and white and now no manuals at all. I like having actual disc and DVD cases on my shelf. Plus the games I buy have resale value. A lot of my digital downloads I don't play anymore and I can't do anything with them (Street Fighter HD, Puzzle Fighter HD, etc).
     
  2. brantonli24

    brantonli24 Member

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    Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't that mean in the grand scheme of things, it's not going to have that much of an impact? Nice gesture on Ubisoft's part, and I hope that other video game designers follow this too.
     
  3. Southern Select

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    I don't know why this didn't happen a long time ago. The environment angle is weak. It just makes more sense to have the instructions in the game itself. that way they can't be lost etc.
     
  4. Uprising

    Uprising Contributing Member

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    Yesterday was the first time I have gone to a store to buy a game in over a year.

    Basically, I buy all my games off STEAM. I normally only buy games when they are on sale on STEAM, and if it's something I really want....like Battle Field Bad Company 2, I would rather have it on steam to avoid having to use disks. I absolutely hate having to insert a disk to play.

    Bought that 2 game GTA bundle for PC. Didn't want to wait for it to DL...wanted to play Ballad of gay Tony. (which by the way is a HILARIOUS game. )



    I've got a feeling this is a more of a money saving move by Ubi, rather than tree saving.
     
  5. DonnyMost

    DonnyMost not wrong
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    I miss instruction booklets that were really compelling to read... good artwork, backstory..... those were the days
     
  6. Jontro

    Jontro Member

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    I think the last one I read was way back when Diablo first came out. Cool pictures and stuff... but I never cared enough to really read them.
     
  7. Drexlerfan22

    Drexlerfan22 Contributing Member

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    I don't think more than 10% of game instruction manuals were ever useful at any point in time, so I stopped caring a very long time ago. If I buy a game used, I don't even care if it has instructions, I just want it to have the original case so I can quickly identify it on my shelf. If I ever need to know anything about the game, GameFaqs can tell me much, much more than any manual.
     
  8. DaDakota

    DaDakota If you want to know, just ask!

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    Hah...it has nothing to do with trees and everything to do with them saving the cost of the printing.

    DD
     
  9. Poloshirtbandit

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    The only time I found them useful was for games like Street Fighter 2 when I didn't know all the motions.
     
  10. SamFisher

    SamFisher Contributing Member

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    They used to be an integral part of the game itself back when graphics weren't as powerful. You'd read this awesome manual and the story and then you'd turn on the game and see a bunch of sprites moving around, and be like WTF...
     
  11. Xerobull

    Xerobull You son of a b!tch! I'm in!

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    I back in the day thinking that a heavy game case meant a big instruction manual, which meant a good game.

    That's ages ago, though. Good games will have a tutorial which eliminates the need for a manual. And then there's the internet. Glad Ubisoft is eliminating these. No need to waste paper.
     
  12. MiddleMan

    MiddleMan Contributing Member

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    Pass the savings to the consumers.
     
  13. JusBleezy

    JusBleezy Contributing Member

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    I always wonder what people are going to do in 20 years if Steam doesn't exist anymore. You've bought all of these games through their service and through the years, you'll change pc's etc. I still have some of my SNES games from back in the day with a few select Genesis games included.

    My question is, what are you going to do in 20 years? Just rebuy the games on the newest DL service or Steam if it's still around? If that's the case, I'm sure most of the popular games of today would be downloadable, but what about some of the obscure games that you and a few of your friends enjoyed playing, but weren't really popular. Today, that SNES game that you enjoyed 15 years ago may be in the back of your closet, but at least you still have it. ROM's maybe? Just isn't the same as having the case from when you bought the game to me.

    That's one of the many reasons I personally don't DL games, but I'm interested in what you think.
     
  14. DaDakota

    DaDakota If you want to know, just ask!

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    Cold day in hades my friend...cold day in hades.

    DD
     
  15. DonkeyMagic

    DonkeyMagic Contributing Member
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    someone is celebrating 4/20 a little too hard :cool:
     
  16. Uprising

    Uprising Contributing Member

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    1. You can re-download any game you have previously downloaded. I have mine on like three pc's, including one in Saudi Arabia that I may very well never be on again.

    2. You can "back up your games", meaning there is a option in steam to burn your games onto DVD's, or just store them locally as a single file. I've burned all mine onto disks. Just in case.

    I hate having to use disks, and LOVE the added abilities to instantly join friends into any game through steam, the interface, etc. Used to be a big xfire fan till steam became big.

    As for being 20yrs down the road, I'm not one to replay games from that long ago. I don't touch my NES, or the atari...or SNES...or PS2......Hell I barely touch my PS3 any more.
     

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